Kayak Distribution, manufacturer of Boreal Design, Riot Kayaks and Beluga Accessories, and North American distributor of Tahe Marine, Zegul Marine and Trapper Canoes and Kayaks, is pleased to announce its Strategic Partnership with Seaward Kayaks Ltd. Seaward Kayaks, a family-owned company, is situated on Vancouver Island off the West Coast of British Columbia, Canada.  

The Seaward story began over 25 years when Steven Ree and Geoff Workman, two influential figures in the North American Sea Kayak industry, combined their talents and started the company that has evolved into the industry icon it is today.  World-renowned for its impressive heritage and irrefutable pedigree, Seaward’s array of awards and accolades continues to bolster its reputation for producing award winning composite and thermoformed designs.  

The Seaward composite flagship, the Passat G3, currently holds the coveted Sea Kayaker Magazine Readers’ Choice Award.  Most recently, the new Seaward Halo SR-130 thermoformed kayak vaulted to prominence by winning the 2013 ‘Gear of the Year’ award from Outside Magazine.  

The new Seaward SR Series garnered a great deal of attention this year and soon caught the eye of Kayak Distribution.  “Due to our heavy investment in thermoforming it was considered a priority to solicit these North American influenced designs to compliment the Riot Recreational thermoformed Edge Series and the more Greenlandic Boreal Designs thermoformed kayaks” says Marc Pelland, President of Kayak Distribution.  

The entire Seaward Kayaks thermoformed division has now been acquired by Kayak Distribution, which will produce them independently.  Seaward Kayaks Canada’s composite operations will remain intact – owned and operated by its original owners – and its composite boats will continue to be manufactured by the same skilled craftsmen that have been hand-making them on Vancouver Island for over 25 years. 

In addition to the thermoformed acquisition, the Strategic Partnership includes an unprecedented Reciprocal Sales Rep Agreement:  This means that the entire product lines for both companies are now available to each company’s respective customer bases.  Seaward’s customers will now have access to the popular Riot and Boreal Design product lines, Beluga accessories, as well as anything else in the Kayak Distribution product catalogue.   

Customers of Kayak Distribution will now be able to order the famed Seaward Passat G3 and draw form the entire Seaward composite line, while benefiting from the consolidated shipping rates of the vast Kayak Distribution system.
 
In terms of sales and marketing, the Seaward compound will also function as the West Coast Sales and Shipping Hub for Kayak Distribution. 

“Consolidating resources and operations will benefit both companies”, says Mr. Pelland who adds, “we are pleased to welcome the Seaward dealers to the Kayak Distribution family.”  

“We are most excited about the added value this Partnership will bring to our respective dealer bases” says Steven Ree, president of Seaward Kayaks who also promises “things will be business as usual” during the transition to streamline the operations.  

Talks are also underway that are expected to see Kayak Distribution contract Seaward Kayaks’ production expertise to provide additional high-end, fully-customisable composite kayaks for the North American market.  

“We are investigating all possible efficiencies and synergies and we are very excited at the growth prospects to be realized by this initiative” says Mark Hall, Canadian Sales Manager for Kayak Distributions.

The addition of 11 thermoformed models from Seaward Kayaks to the newly redesigned thermoformed kayaks from Riot and Boreal Design brings the total to 23 thermoformed models spread across all disciplines of kayaking. These are complimented by over 100 additional models of roto-molded or composite constructions currently in the Kayak Distribution product catalogue.
 
Kayak Distribution is a Canadian-owned company with its headquarters and warehouse in Montreal, a second warehouse in Ladysmith, BC, and a third in San Diego, California. KD has production facilities in Quebec, Estonia, and China, enabling it to better supply world demand with its high quality roto-molded, thermoformed and composite products, at a price that competes with the larger corporate entities.

This unprecedented Partnership between Kayak Distribution and Seaward Kayaks will allow Kayak dealers across North America and throughout the world to reap the benefits of a comprehensive catalogue of truly industry-leading designs, excellent distribution networks and outstanding customer service. 

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Canoe aficionados from across Canada and the United States gathered earlier this month at Paul Smith’s College in Paul Smith’s, New York to admire a vast collection of canoes, take part in workshops, and most importantly, discuss all things canoeing.

The Wooden Canoe Assembly is an annual event, hosted by the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association (WHCA), a non-profit organization, whose focus is – you guessed it – wooden and bark canoes.  The event celebrated its 34^th year, and folks travelled from as far away as Texas to come admire the several hundred vintage canoes that were on display throughout the five day event.

“This year, 365 members and friends attended,” says coordinator Rob Stevens, “there were about 50 first time Assembly attendees and several drop-ins from the local area.”

A smattering of boats were spread out on the college green, including those from Chestnut, Robertson, Old Town, Gerrish and the Thompson Brothers Canoe Company, to name a few, which kept  attendees buzzing.

“There were newer -modern and vintage wooden canoes,” say Stevens, “they ranged from Indian built, to the whole gamut of wood-canvas, all wood and cedar strip construction.”

Beautifully restored wooden canoes aren’t the only draw to the assembly, several workshops and activities took place throughout the week. Participants can pre-register for a variety of workshops, including paddle making, digital photography workshops or even quilting. 

There are of course, paddling clinics as well, with instruction ranging from beginner tandem, to more focused clinics such as the traditional Northwoods style paddling strokes. Highlights this year included a presentation on boat building, and observing some sailing canoes.

“There were several sailing canoes which enjoyed Lower St. Regis Lake when the wind was up,” Stevens says, “we also had a presentation on traditional construction of Adirondack guideboats.”

Over 12 vendors attended the event this year, ranging from booksellers to canoe builders.  Several displays were also set up by organizations such as the Canadian Canoe Museum, which is based out of Peterborough, Ontario. The Adirondack Museum of Blue Mountain, New York, also offered a guided tour of some of their warehoused canoes at the site of the assembly.  Attendees also had the opportunity to hike nearby Mount St. Regis, or take part in a guided tour of the Paul Smith College Visitor Interpretive Centre.

Next year marks the 35^th anniversary of the event, which promises to be another enjoyable experience as they celebrate WHCA members who build and paddle their own vessels, and in turn, are keeping wooden canoe building alive.

For more information visit http://www.wcha.org/annual-assembly/