TORONTO/STOCKHOLM – After a successful launch in the U.S.A., Melker of Sweden has been focusing on establishing on the Canadian east coast during the summer. Four new strategic retailers are now up and running.
“A very positive start in Canada and we really look forward to what’s to come”, says Pelle Stafshede, CEO & creative director of Melker of Sweden.
Photo: courtesy of Melker of Sweden
During the month of June, representatives from Melker of Sweden had a fruitful visit to Canada and the first kayaks have already been shipped to the newly signed retailers:
Boutique Pagaie Quebec, Quebec City
Boutique Kayak Junky, Montreal
Frontenac Outfitters, Kingston
The Complete Paddler, Toronto
“As soon as the Melker kayaks arrived in our store, all our staff fell in love with them,” says Kelly McDowell, president of The Complete Paddler. “We enjoy the way they paddle and of course the way they look, but finally having a more environmentally friendly sea kayak we can sell is something we can all get behind.”
“Frontenac Outfitters carries some of the best brands in the world. When Melker came to us with the story they represent, we thought they would be a great fit,” says Zack Fiddis, CEO and owner of Frontenac Outfitters. “Melker is pushing the boundaries on sustainability and using new materials that other manufacturers haven’t looked at.
“Innovation like this starts a new conversation about what we should expect from our manufacturers. The kayak industry has been pretty stagnant regarding new designs and materials, and we found their process very refreshing. Melker has some serious excitement behind the brand, and we want to be able to share that with our customers.”
“Our goal is to develop long-term relationships with dealers who share similar values and who support our mission to get more people outdoors—and make those experiences as great as possible, in a beautiful yet sustainable way,” says Pelle Stafshede.
The North American launch of the kayaks from Melker of Sweden has drawn great attention and positive reviews. The influential Ken Whiting (PaddleTV) has tested both the Rödlöga and Ulvön. You can watch his video reviews here:
About Melker of Sweden
Melker of Sweden offers sustainable, high-performance, sleek and stylish kayaks for an active and conscious lifestyle. An interplay between the environment, ethics and economy is strategically important to us—making it possible to make a difference for real. Our core values also include having a great time—making sure that we always do what we love together with friends, family and partners sharing our philosophy. Staying true to our philosophy makes it possible for us to create a successful business we are proud to run and work for.
We are in business to make a difference—having a great time doing it. melkerofsweden.com
2023 International Whitewater Hall of Fame Honorees
Takoma Park, MD – The World River Centre, on behalf of its hallmark program, the International Whitewater Hall of Fame (IWHoF) has announced members of its Class of 2023. Six honorees join an amazing group of whitewater pioneers, explorers, champions, and advocates, joining 55 previously inducted leaders and legends.
“We are thrilled to honor individuals whose whitewater-related accomplishments outshine most others,” says World River Centre President Risa Shimoda. “They deserve this special recognition, and we are looking forward to celebrate them and their impressive accomplishments at The Paddle Sports Show in Strasbourg, France 28 September.”
Meet the International Whitewater Hall of Fame Class of 2023
Pioneer: Bryce Whitmore (USA)
Born in 1926, Bruce was a force in Western US kayaking and rafting in the Western Coast of the United States and an influence in the community and industry that influenced many beyond. He pioneered paddling practices and built the first fiberglass kayak in the Western US in 1956; completed first descents of many rivers in California from 1956 to 1965; claim a place as National Slalom Champion from 1960 to 1962; claimed to be the first commercial rafting outfitter on the West Coast of the US in 1960–1986, including offering weeklong trips on the Rogue River from 1973 to 1986. He created the first self-bailing rafts, called “Huck Finns” in 1968.
Mike Jones. | Photo: Courtesy Roger Huyton
Explorer: Mike Jones (Great Britain)
Mike was one of the world’s top expedition kayakers of his generation, most famous for his 1976 “Canoeing down Everest” descent of the Dudh Kosi. Mike’s expeditions introduced many people to the exciting world of whitewater paddling and inspired many to take up the sport. At age 17, after participating as the youngest member of a small British team making a “first attempt” descent of the Inn Gorges in the Alps, Jones decided to make the first descent of the Dudh Kosi, whose source is close to Mount Everest and which falls at approximately 280 feet per mile (53 m/km). Jones organized a team, despite financial challenges due to his “risky and crazy” project, drove to Nepal and trekked to the river for its first descent launching at a record 17,500 feet (5,300 m) above sea level. The film, “Dudh Kosi – Relentless River of Everest” produced by Leo Dickinson, recorded the expedition with some wildly exciting and memorable footage. Mike died, tragically, two years later trying to rescue a friend on the Braldu River in the Karakorum Mountains, at the age of 25. He was and remains truly inspirational today.
Manfred Vogt.
Champion: Manfred Vogt (Germany)
In the opinion of slalom competitors who are aware of the skills of early competitors, Manfred is one of the best slalom and whitewater kayakers to ever exist. He was dominant as a canoe slalom racer in the 1950s and 1960s, when everyone paddled folding boats. In addition, Manfred developed slalom paddling techniques that helped advance the abilities of all racers at the time. He was the first who started undercutting the gates in Slalom and used special sweep and Duffek-like strokes for the kayak to be faster in the gates and to reduce distances between the gates. In the old times, the paddler always made wide turns around the gates: Manfred’s new technique made it possible for them to finish with much faster times. Slalom kayakers from all over the world have learned Manfred Vogt’s and Milo Duffek’s slalom technique. Without them this sport would certainly not be what it is today.
Jamie McEwan (left) with canoe partner Lecky Haller. | Photo: Courtesy McEwan family
Champion: Jamie McEwan (USA)
As a member of the US Whitewater Slalom Team and National C1 Champion in 1972 and 1975, Jamie’s Olympic Bronze Medal in Augsburg at the 1972 Olympic Games inspired many US whitewater champions. From his success, they saw their own potential in his commitment and grit. He brought home overall C2 wins from the 1987 World Championships, 1988 and 1989 World Cups, and his comeback in 1992 at the Olympics in La Seu d’Urgell with C2 partner Lecky Haller was remarkable, finishing just out of the medals in 4th place. He continued to race on his own for many years as an inspiration to his local paddling club and with his son, Devin.
Isamu Tatsuno. | Photo: Courtesy Montbell
Advocate: Isamu Tatsuno (Japan)
In 1975 at the age of 28 Isamu Tatsuno’s enthusiasm for canoeing and kayaking led him to be the first to bring polyethylene kayaks to Japan with the import of Perception kayaks in 1985 and his company, Montbell, became one of the largest retailers of whitewater kayaks in the world. Montbell currently has approximately 130 outdoor retail stores throughout Japan, 50 of which include kayaks for whitewater, touring and recreation as well as canoes, inflatable and folding kayaks and canoes. With some stores located in many of the busiest train stations in Japan initially, the exposure of the sport of kayaking to the public can be counted in the millions. Today, some of Montbell stores are now freestanding locations, like the Montbell Outdoor Village in Nara. The new flagship store is the largest mono brand outdoor retail store in Japan, where customers can test paddle kayaks in the store.
Pete Skinner was primarily responsible for bringing American Whitewater (AW) back from near-collapse and converting it from the publisher of an obscure whitewater booklet to the most influential organization representing safe recreational use of rivers in the United States. Rivers once ran only during spring rains and as the snow was melting in regions beyond the largest watersheds. By driving systemic change in how rivers are regulated, Pete and an inspired cohort whose work continues today with confidence through his smarts, verve and relentless optimism, created year-round paddling opportunities for millions now and for generations to come. Paddlers enjoy both creeks and spectacular canyons across the United States year-round according to predictable posted schedules, thanks to Pete and the doors he opened.
About the International Whitewater Hall of Fame (IWHOF)
The International Whitewater Hall of Fame is a program of the World River Centre, designed to recognize and celebrate significant contributions to Paddlesports and led by an international Board of Directors. Nominations are submitted through IWHOF Affiliates around the world and screened by an international panel. The IWHoF electorate casts votes in each category to determine the honorees. See past inductees and find more information at: iwhof.org
“The MAGELLAN NAV 1000 is a single channel receiver. Data is received from one satellite, then from another and so on. It is very interesting to watch a NAV 1000 initializing. First the satellite almanac has to be loaded. A satellite can be chosen or the receiver will search one. After an initial position has been entered the NAV 1000 searches for satellites, one after another. Then it will receive data, one after another. Then ‘computing’ is displayed for a while and with luck a position is calculated.”—retro-gps.info. And this is a Garmin inReach Explorer+, both a measure of how far we've come. Get it? | Feature photo: Chris Korbulic
“I think this is Bear Bite Creek,” I say with confidence, having followed our progress on the map since a hunting cabin 20 minutes ago. “I don’t think so,” says Emily, looking at the bends in the river. But the perpetually shifting braided channels of the Tatshenshini River are confusing. Simultaneously, our heads swivel to look at Adam. He pulls a gadget out of his bag and gives me a thumbs down. I’m wrong. It’s an unnamed tributary a mile upstream of Bear Bite Creek. So much for old school map skills.
Thirty-five years ago, Magellan released the NAV 1000, the first handheld GPS. In an era of chart and compass, the promises of handheld electronic navigation were riveting for fog-bound sea kayakers.
But early GPS overpromised.
When I was leading outdoor trips, our gadget-freak boss splurged and bought one for us (we’d asked for a cell phone). We could never get a signal. My, how you’ve grown.
“The MAGELLAN NAV 1000 is a single channel receiver. Data is received from one satellite, then from another and so on. It is very interesting to watch a NAV 1000 initializing. First the satellite almanac has to be loaded. A satellite can be chosen or the receiver will search one. After an initial position has been entered the NAV 1000 searches for satellites, one after another. Then it will receive data, one after another. Then ‘computing’ is displayed for a while and with luck a position is calculated.”—retro-gps.info. And this is a Garmin inReach Explorer+, both a measure of how far we’ve come. Get it? | Feature photo: Chris Korbulic
Now we use satellite messengers that send campsite info to our friends. I carry an EPIRB in my PFD. On a recent trip, a friend whipped out a tiny Kindle, which held a 700-page pilot’s manual and several other books she was working through. Recharging devices is a camp chore like filtering water and hanging food. And the NAV 1000, with its 80s clunkiness and nonfunctionality, ushered it all in. Now it’s mostly a relic.
[ Browse the widest selection of boats and gear in the Paddling Buyer’s Guide ]
Do-it-all smartphones step into the gap
Like cameras, rolodexes and calendars, electronic navigation devices have been made practically obsolete by smartphones. The gadget Adam pulled out of his bag in the Yukon Territory wilderness wasn’t a GPS. It was his iPhone.
I can download the maps for a hike or paddling charts in the car en route. And I can print out custom nautical and topo hybrid maps on free sites like CalTopo. I can even dial in sun exposure to select a camp with maximum afternoon sun for beach basking. When I do use a GPS, the clunky early-2000s era interface makes it agonizingly slow to type in a waypoint. More often than not, the GPS ends up left behind in the drawer.
This may be changing. Last weekend, I swung by the kayak shop to pick up a chart of a remote island chain. “I’m surprised we have this one,” my friend Andrew joked as he handed it to me. “We don’t sell many charts, except the ones we sell to you.”
In February 2022, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced it was discontinuing paper nautical charts entirely, shifting to electronic formats meant for chartplotters on recreational boats or the sophisticated navigational systems of commercial craft.
What does that mean for sea kayakers?
You’ll either have to print out your own paper charts from their currently nonfunctional prototype interface, or use a device that can process nautical electronic data. And what does that mean for the NAV 1000’s progeny? They may be spending less time in the drawer.
Neil Schulman writes, photographs and paddles from somewhere around 45.34.12 N, 122.38.54 W, according to his GPS. His first article for Rapid Media was published in the Spring 2008 issue of Adventure Kayak.
This article was first published in the 2023 Paddling Buyer’s Guide. Subscribe to Paddling Magazine’s print and digital editions, or browse the archives.
“The MAGELLAN NAV 1000 is a single channel receiver. Data is received from one satellite, then from another and so on. It is very interesting to watch a NAV 1000 initializing. First the satellite almanac has to be loaded. A satellite can be chosen or the receiver will search one. After an initial position has been entered the NAV 1000 searches for satellites, one after another. Then it will receive data, one after another. Then ‘computing’ is displayed for a while and with luck a position is calculated.”—retro-gps.info
And this is a Garmin inReach Explorer+, both a measure of how far we’ve come. Get it? | Feature photo: Chris Korbulic
Unofficial rule of thumb: one wave per boat strapped to the roof. | Feature photo: Kalob Grady
I used to drive a Volkswagen Westfalia van. Just out of college, kayak on the roof, Tevas on my feet—I thought I was pretty cool. For full-time guide life the Westfalia was pretty ideal, except that it broke down all the time and, with the motor in the back, could not blow enough warm air on the windshield to defrost it on cold mornings.
Little known fact: All Volkswagen van drivers wave when they pass each other on the highway. A recognition, I suppose, of a kindred spirit and another person possibly as cool as you. I could be wrong, but I don’t think Dodge Caravan drivers wave to each other, if they did it’d be perhaps a recognition of another person as uncool as you. A kayak on the roof can similarly warrant a wave from a passing fellow paddler on the highway—but this seems to vary over time and place.
My van died long ago and I now drive a pickup truck, but I don’t wave to other pickup truck drivers and they don’t wave to me. But when I bike to work or go for a road ride, I wave at other cyclists. They wave back. When I walk down the sidewalk, I don’t wave; neither do the other pedestrians. What is going on here?
Wave theory: Is the classic kayaker greeting making a comeback?
There is a surprising amount of research and zero confirmed theories as to the origin of the wave. This line of inquiry resides everywhere from archeology to psychology, sociology and even economics.
Unofficial rule of thumb: one wave per boat strapped to the roof. | Feature photo: Kalob Grady
One school of thought is that the wave is derived from the salute, which itself is derived from removing one’s hat as a show of respect, which in turn may be derived from Knights of the Round Table tipping their helmet visors up in greeting. Sounds like wishful thinking, as the wave likely predates hats and helmets by a thousand years.
Another school of thought, with a bit more momentum behind it, is that showing one’s palm to someone is confirmation one means no harm and hides no weapon. I’m not sure if this view is optimistic or pessimistic about human nature.
The rise and fall of the wave
I recall a cartoon by the great kayaker/humorist William Nealy, from way back in the 80s, of two kayakers pulled over on opposite sides of the interstate, running across the grassy median with arms wide, lining up for a hug. The 80s were a time when meeting another kayaker on the road was a novelty, and honking, waving and general joyousness was typical. That mellowed in the 90s to a more restrained flash of fingers above the steering wheel, with an occasional keener going overboard.
Where I paddle on the Ottawa River, through the go-go boom days of the late 90s and early 2000s, the wave fell away. It was really busy with kayaks then—a boat on every vehicle on the road, put-in and take-out parking lots overflowing, and crowds and lines in the eddies. Other kayakers were competition rather than community. Drivers avoided eye contact when another kayaker was spotted on the road. Weird. And a bit sad.
The wave has been slowly making a comeback, perhaps signaling the days of viewing other kayakers as rivalries are behind us. Things haven’t quite gone back to the early days, with joyous celebrations at the sight of a fellow boater—but the subtle wave is still a welcome sight, a recognition that we are part of the same awesome community.
Recently I drove to the city of Ottawa to drop off a boat, on the same day as the cult favorite Movember Whitewater Classic kayak race on the Ottawa River. Kayakers were coming from the city to the river; I was going the other way. I am pleased to report every single kayak-topped car waved. I happily waved back.
[ Browse the widest selection of boats and gear in the Paddling Buyer’s Guide ]
Jeff Jackson is a risk management consultant and professor of outdoor adventure at Algonquin College. Alchemy first appeared in the Summer 2000 issue of Rapid.
This article was first published in the 2023 Paddling Buyer’s Guide. Subscribe to Paddling Magazine’s print and digital editions, or browse the archives.
Unofficial rule of thumb: one wave per boat strapped to the roof. | Feature photo: Kalob Grady
SUP athlete Tom Jones heading out for another day of training in preparation for his next endurance feat. | Feature photo: Ryan Murtha
You never forget your first shark.
Tom Jones was about 50 miles south of Oregon paddling his standup paddleboard down the harsh Northern California coast when his safety, a burly man on a WaveRunner, pointed to the water and shrieked. Beneath the surface, Jones watched a 17-foot great white shark roll onto its back and glide three feet beneath the motorized watercraft.
“Our language doesn’t facilitate the words to say how frightened I was,” says Jones.
What to do but keep moving? The crew would go on to see sharks nearly every day on their way to Mexico. They persevered through wind, rain and treacherous coastline to establish a SUP endurance record: 1,250 miles in 93 days.
Inside the mind of unstoppable endurance SUP athlete Tom Jones
If Jones had the water experience he has today, he says he would never have gone in the first place. “Everything was a death sentence.”
When Jones set off on that first epic paddle, he’d only been standup paddleboarding for about six months. His water experience—despite living within a mile of the coast in Huntington Beach, California—was limited.
SUP athlete Tom Jones heading out for another day of training in preparation for his next endurance feat. | Feature photo: Ryan Murtha
Jones was a fighter, picking up the sport in his late teens. He excelled in the ring, retiring with a 51-4 professional record. But after a career fighting for himself in the ring, he was ready to do something for others.
His endurance challenges began on land, running absurd distances for causes. “My why was in place and it was strong enough and it kept me going,” he says of a particularly wet run. It’s part of what he calls his “quitproof” mentality.
[ Paddling Buyer’s Guide: View all touring paddleboards ]
Making connections and finding the right reason why
In the past, his why has included fellow veterans and foster kids, the latter a cause particularly close to his heart as he grew up in care and had a difficult childhood. But the why for his first SUP endurance feat didn’t involve people.
Jones connected with Charles Moore, the man who discovered the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, and was horrified to learn about its effects on the environment. He’d found his new cause.
By the numbers
2: Number of SUP records Jones established – The first-ever long-distance SUP record, paddleboarding 1,250 miles in 93 days, and the first-ever flatwater record, paddling 500 miles in 16 days.
1: Number of SUP records broken – Long-distance SUP record, paddleboarding 1,507 miles in 93 days.
5 million – Number of paddle strokes Jones took on the journey from Key West to New York City.
60 – Low estimate for the number of great white sharks spotted on the paddle from Oregon to Mexico.
16 – Number of days it took Jones to paddle 500 miles.
The paddle from Oregon to Mexico in 2007 was originally supposed to be done prone. At least, that was the plan, until Jones saw a picture of SUP pioneer Laird Hamilton standing tall on a wave, extra-long paddle in hand. It seemed to be a more efficient way to travel long distances. Jones flew to Hawaii where he charmed Hamilton into teaching him the new sport.
About half a year later, he established the sport’s first endurance record.
In 2010, Jones set out on a new endurance paddle, this time on the east coast, traveling 1,507 miles in 95 days.
A year later, Jones established a new flatwater SUP distance record: 500 miles in 16 days on Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia.
He’s built perfectly for these types of challenges. “He will not give up,” Hamilton told Standup Paddling. “And his cardiovascular capacity is outstanding. Couple the two and you have your hands full with Tom.”
What’s next for the SUP athlete?
Motivated by a cause, Jones can’t bring himself to quit.
In 2024, Jones is set to tackle a new challenge: paddleboarding from the Texas/Mexico border to Key West, Florida. But this time, he’ll have company. Entrepreneur Heather Stone completes a yearly challenge and, like Jones prior to his 2007 paddle, has little experience on a SUP. It’s another endurance event designed to grab attention, this time for a still-to-be-determined veteran-related cause.
“It truly is better to give than to receive,” says Jones. “I love using my athletic abilities to champion worthwhile causes and I’m going to continue to do it until the day I die.”
This article was first published in the 2023 Paddling Buyer’s Guide. Subscribe to Paddling Magazine’s print and digital editions, or browse the archives.
SUP athlete Tom Jones heading out for another day of training in preparation for his next endurance feat. | Feature photo: Ryan Murtha
In July of 2023, the much anticipated Montgomery Whitewater opened to the public. The $90 million whitewater park is the latest in the U.S. to offer artificial river channels to an urban community. Prior to the park’s opening, whitewater standup paddleboarder Paul Clark took a tour of the facility and published his first runs in the video featured above.
Montgomery Whitewater brings rapids to the Montgomery metropolitan area and its population of 386,000 in Alabama. The 120-acre facility is the latest creation from kayaking great Scott Shipley and his engineering firm, S2O Design.
S2O Design is also the group who’ve constructed a collection of whitewater venues you’ve likely heard of. The U.S. National Whitewater Center in Charlotte, Boise Whitewater Park, and Riversport Rapids in Oklahoma City, to name just a few.
[ Discover your next whitewater destination in the Paddling Trip Guide ]
Montgomery Whitewater features two channels of class II-IV action. The first being a mellower, 1,900-foot-long recreation channel. The other being a 1,600-foot-long competition channel capable of hosting Olympic-caliber whitewater races. Montgomery Whitewater also features S2O’s signature RapidBlocs to create ever-changing features.
“We want to be able to bring international competitors here and have that Olympic standard course,” Shipley told the Montgomery Advertiser. “But we also want to make the hurdle to getting your church groups, and your school groups, and your family and friends out on that whitewater.”
Montgomery Whitewater has all the elements to entertain rafters and kayakers alike. Throw in those warm Southern temps and proximity to I-65 and I-85, and the park promises to be a year-round whitewater playground.
Oru kayaks on an urban waterway. Image: FATE Factory / courtesy of Oru Kayak
In a city of 2.7 million, Chicagoland resident Mike Paus finds solitude gazing up at the skyscrapers and historic truss bridges from the cockpit of his 12-foot folding kayak. He likes to paddle in the morning when there aren’t many people around—only turtles, ducks and freighter ships arriving from ports worldwide.
“You have it all to yourself,” says Paus, who owns an Oru Beach LT kayak. “It’s very good to just get away from it all and collect your thoughts. I encourage anybody who wants to improve their mental health to go take up kayaking, even in the city. You’ll be surprised how much calm there is.”
Chicago views from the bow of an Oru. | Photo: Mike Paus
Being on the water affords a perspective of the city most residents miss, says Paus, whether it’s seeing wildlife, like the endangered black-crowned night heron, or watching a 100-year-old steel bridge creak open to let tall vessels pass.
“I’m usually above that bridge,” says Paus. “But seeing what it looks like from underneath is a great perspective that you get when you’re kayaking.”
How the next generation of folding kayaks is making paddling more accessible
Recent innovations in folding kayak design have made it easier for urbanites like Paus to access paddling.
Brands like Oru, Tucktec, Terravent and Mycanoe now make affordable, lightweight kayaks which fold up small enough to store in a closet. You don’t need a roof rack, or even a car, to transport these next-generation foldables. Ranging in weight from the 20-pound Oru Lake to the 42-pound Oru Tandem Haven TT, they’re easy to throw in the trunk of a car or carry on the subway. You can even check them on an airplane.
Oru folding kayaks on the O Train. | Photo: Courtesy Michelle Tribe
Paus, who lives in a 600-foot condo, takes his Oru Beach LT pretty much everywhere he goes: the L train, the trunk of his Saturn Vue, and on business trips around the U.S. Paus logs his paddles by taking one photo each time he goes out, then uploading it into an album called “Oru Paddles.” Since he purchased his Oru in 2018, he’s taken it out 450 times. He’s already more than halfway to his goal of paddling all 50 states. So far he’s paddled 27—reaching as far west as San Francisco, California, and east to Camden, New Jersey.
Emergence of the new folding scene
Before Oru came on the scene in 2013 with its origami design, most of the folding kayaks on the market were skin-on-frames. These are not only pricier—the most economical, the Pakboats Puffin Saco, retails for $1,339—but also more complicated and time-consuming to put together.
By contrast, the most affordable folding kayak on the market today, the eight-foot Tucktec, retails for $349. Thanks to its system of pleats and clamps, it can be assembled in five minutes or less.
Paus has gotten his assembly time for the Beach LT down to four minutes. It’s so easy he doesn’t hesitate to pull off anywhere that looks kayakable to check it out.
Oru kayaks on an urban waterway. | Photo: FATE Factory / courtesy Oru Kayak
Oru cofounder Anton Willis was inspired to create the origami kayak when he moved to a small studio apartment in San Francisco and had to store his 16-foot hard-shell at his father’s house.
His co-founder Ardy Sobhani says urban kayakers want the freedom to explore the great outdoors, and Oru provides that. According to Sobhani, 40 percent of current sales go to urban areas. Their top ship-to locations are San Francisco, Seattle and Portland.
Tucktec, based outside Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, ships the most kayaks to Seattle, Portland and Chicago. The Canadian city of Toronto comes in at sixth.
“There’s a (Tucktec) kayak in just about every city that you can think of, which is pretty cool,” says Tucktec General Manager Pete Connell.
For people living in the most densely populated cities in North America, a folding kayak is more than cool. It can be the difference whether the much-needed physical and emotional benefits of paddling are available at all.
“There is something about being on the water alone that is just rejuvenating for me,” shares Barbara Fonseca, a busy mom from the Bronx, New York. “It doesn’t even feel like I’m in the city when I’m on the water.
Fonseca doesn’t always paddle alone—sometimes she is joined by her son and his friends. She has multiple Tucktecs folded in duffel bags ready to go. “The launch is about a 10–15 minute drive from me,” she says. “but it’s public transportation accessible and I could get there even if I didn’t have a car.”
Loading up a Tucktec. | Photo: Courtesy Tucktec
The growing folding community is a tale of many cities
Any folding kayak owner will tell you they attract quite a bit of attention when they show up at the launch with a boat in a bag. But in larger metropolitan areas, people have more of a habit of keeping to themselves. If you take a closer look at Tucktec’s shipping data, you see sales aren’t just correlated to population density but also to how many folding kayaks are already there. Connell believes there is a social element at play here, with a sweet spot in medium-sized cities.
The social and portable folding kayak. | Photo: Tucktec
“You get into that medium-sized city, where, say, there are 40 people at the water instead of a thousand,” shares Connell. “Now you’ve got a better chance of those people behaving more socially and paying more attention to what’s going on around them.”
“I look at it like a viral thing,” Connell explains. “We plant one or two (kayaks) there, you see them, the interest starts to get garnered, and we go back to that original concept. Eight people see it; four go to the website, and one of them buys a kayak.”
This is exactly what happened to Michelle Tribe of Ottawa, Canada, who decided to buy folding kayaks after a “lovely chat” with an Oru kayaker she encountered on the Rideau Canal in Ottawa. She’d considered inflatables but didn’t like the idea of carrying around a pump.
“I thought they would be a perfect fit for our downtown, car-free lifestyle,” she says. “We use a car-sharing service, so we’re able to take our Oru kayaks all around the Ottawa area to try new-to-us rivers, streams, and lakes.“
“Our goal has never been to try to take over traditional kayaks,” Pete Connell explains. “We want a durable and sustainable alternative to the inflatable kayak. He laughs. “You know, I can fit six of these in my Honda Accord. Eight if I really try. Don’t ask me how I got to know that.”
Esquif is another brand carrying forward the Prospector tradition, producing contemporary 15-, 16- and 17-foot lengths. What the GSC canoemen would have given for a T-Formex version of their 18-footer. | Feature photo: Brad Jennings
Canada’s favorite canoe wears many faces. It’s been that way since the beginning, when the Chestnut Canoe Company debuted the Prospector model canoes in response to demands from rockhounds of the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC). That was in 1923, and the Fredericton, New Brunswick-based wood-canvas canoe manufacturer was rebuilding from a devastating fire the year before.
Magical strokes: Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Prospector canoe
A profile of the Prospector canoe design would be far simpler if its origins were tied to one builder. While the design likely originated in New Brunswick, Chestnut cannot claim sole ownership. For close to four decades, Chestnut, the Peterborough Canoe Company and the Canadian Canoe Company shared an identical lineup of canoes, including Prospectors in various lengths. Based on the original wood-canvas Prospectors remaining in service, it’s clear the Chestnut decal was most common. Such a tangled genealogy sets the stage for what remains a complicated history of an iconic canoe.
Esquif is another brand carrying forward the Prospector tradition, producing contemporary 15-, 16- and 17-foot lengths. What the GSC canoemen would have given for a T-Formex version of their 18-footer. | Feature photo: Brad Jennings
Developing the “ultimate all-around canoe”
Like so many personalities in Canada’s past, the Prospector was born out of the colonization of the northern frontier. Before the advent of bush planes, the GSC was Chestnut’s biggest customer. Its “canoemen” complained the cottage-grade Pleasure canoes of the day didn’t have nearly enough capacity for the heavy loads of geological exploration. At the same time, oversized Freighter canoes were too cumbersome to paddle and portage. Wilderness journeys and claim staking demanded high-volume and seaworthy canoes that performed well in whitewater and on windswept lakes.
As a stopgap measure, Chestnut and its sister companies had offered up to three inches of additional depth in the sleek Cruiser models which early builders had copied from local Indigenous birchbark canoes and early wood-canvas models from Maine. The Prospector, claimed Chestnut’s 1925 catalog, “embodies the good points of both our Cruiser and Pleasure model and is sure to please anyone looking for a light canoe of large carrying capacity.”
Chestnut initially offered 15-, 16-, 17- and 18-footers in 1923; 12- and 14-foot models came a few years later. Most were also made in Y-stern configurations to accept an outboard motor. Each model had unique proportions and personalities on the water that went beyond differences in length. For all the praise today’s bestselling 16-foot Prospector receives from modern paddlers, including Bill Mason and Kevin Callan, as the “ultimate all-around canoe,” it was less popular than the hulking 18-footer in the early days.
The shape of wood-canvas Prospectors evolved slightly over time as builders’ forms deteriorated and were modified or replaced. The Peterborough version, which went out of production when the company folded in 1961, was sleeker in the stems and less rockered than the Chestnut. Historian Dan Miller’s website, The Wooden Canoe Museum, tracks the changes over time, revealed in fractions of inches in beam and depth. More noticeable is the inflation of price: a 16-foot Chestnut Prospector went from $77 in 1925 to $624 in 1976.
[ Paddling Buyer’s Guide: View all canoes ]
Prospectors paddle into the modern era
Mason lamented the end of the Chestnut Prospector when the company went bankrupt in 1979. Yet Mason’s lavish praise ushered the design into the modern era, and now just about every contemporary builder makes a Prospector. London, Ontario-based Nova Craft Canoe was among the first, developing a composite replica in 1984. Ottawa’s Trailhead Canoes took measurements from Mason’s Chestnut original for its fiberglass, aramid and plastic clones.
For better or worse, limitations in molding and economies of scale encouraged most modern manufacturers to stray from the subtle differences between the Prospector models. For example, Nova Craft’s Prospectors have the exact same width, depth and rocker across 15-, 16-, 17- and 18-foot lengths. Today, the canoe is best defined as a general category of wilderness tripper with above-average depth, width and rocker.
For a true Prospector, you have to go back to wood-canvas. Only one original Chestnut form remains in commercial service today. Wakefield, Quebec-based builder Headwaters Canoes still makes one or two 18-foot Prospectors per year, ordered by hard-core traditionalists. The century-old Chestnut form shows its age, and Headwaters’ builders Kate Prince and Jamie Bartle must carefully align inner gunwales and stems to assure a symmetrical canoe before bending steam-bent cedar ribs over the weathered mold.
The result after over 100 hours of manual labor is a beautiful canoe whose graceful performance in wind, waves and rapids with an expedition load belies its behemoth dimensions and 90-pound heft. The Prospector, as Chestnut historian Roger MacGregor notes, is “one of these magical strokes, a judicious combination of the finest shapes at just the right spot along the hull.”
Conor Mihell’s first Rapid Media article appeared in the 2005 Buyer’s Guide issue of Canoeroots.
This article was first published in the 2023 Paddling Buyer’s Guide. Subscribe to Paddling Magazine’s print and digital editions, or browse the archives.
Esquif is another brand carrying forward the Prospector tradition, producing contemporary 15-, 16- and 17-foot lengths. What the GSC canoemen would have given for a T-Formex version of their 18-footer. | Feature photo: Brad Jennings
Joachim Larssen was paddling in the harbor of Hammerfest in Norway in 2019 when he encountered an inquisitive beluga whale. After a few moments, the beluga whale stole Larssen’s GoPro camera, which fell to the bottom of the harbor. The beluga retrieved it and returned it to Larssen.
A Spy Whale Compromised
There is much more to the story than a quirky encounter captured on camera though. When the whale first arrived in the harbor, he was wearing what appeared to be a strap for a camera mount with the words “Equipment St. Petersburg.” With this telling apparel, and his comfortable behavior around humans, many believe the beluga may be a Russian-trained spy whale. The beluga was dubbed with a playful name fitting of the theory, blending the Norwegian word for whale and the name of the Russian president to form, Hvaldimir.
Hvaldi, as he is also affectionately referred to, spent some time in the harbor following his arrival to the bemusement of locals before moving along. He has traveled the Norwegian coast in the years since the GoPro encounter. And as recently as May 2023, Hvaldimir resurfaced in the waters of Sweden.
Whale conservationists believe Hvaldimir is at risk. His comfort around humans has led to injuries from boat propellers and fish hooks. He has a knack for picking up intriguing foreign items with his mouth. And in Sweden, it’s said the fish stocks are lower than in Norway, and they worry whether the whale has an adequate diet.
“He is a friendly, tamed, displaced, formerly captive whale who relies on humans for social interaction,” OneWhale, a nonprofit established to protect Hvaldimir, told NPR. “Belugas are highly social whales and he has been living all alone the past four years.”
[ Touring kayaks for your next whale-watching excursion ]
For now, Hvladimir continues to roam the seas, but for his welfare, OneWhale has a long-term vision to create a 500-acre marine reserve in northern Norway where Hvladmir can be rehabilitated. The hope is that the reserve will carry them to the goal of releasing the former spy whale into a population of wild belugas, free of his life of espionage and sea kayakers’ rough POV edits.
The latest technology means you get to choose how much you stay in touch with the outside (or, in this case, inside) world. | Feature photo: Mike Hewis
Backcountry travel used to mean you were unreachable for long stretches, unless you happened to carry a bulky, brick-shaped satellite phone along for the ride. But the selection of satellite communication devices has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years, with the latest generation of gizmos offering all the bells and whistles of smartphone-enabled apps. Is it time to upgrade your ability to send messages from space? Stay in range and in touch with our selections for the best two-way satellite communicators for paddlers.
Updated in 2022, the inReach Mini 2 remains a favorite for those looking for robust mapping capabilities, two-way messaging, SOS and weather reports in a compact package. If you go on extended paddling trips, it’s worth upgrading from the Mini to the Mini 2 to benefit from the longer battery life—now lasting for 14 days in the 10-minute tracking mode compared to 90 hours previously—as well as the ability to add more waypoints, courses and activities.
When compared to the competition, the Mini 2 gets bonus points for being a fully standalone device, offering all the same features whether it’s connected to your phone or not. Without a keyboard, writing a custom message on the device can be tedious, but this is less of an issue if you plan to mainly use the three check-in messages and the 20 Quick Text messages for communication—or if you plan to primarily use the device with your phone. Connecting the device to the Explore app on your phone will allow you to take full of advantage of the extensive mapping features, including marking and navigating to waypoints, tracking your progress, backtracking to your starting point, and following preprogrammed routes. And since Garmin uses the powerful Iridium satellite network, the Mini will keep you connected anywhere on Earth.
One drawback—or advantage, depending how you look at it—to the inReach Mini 2 is that your contacts cannot initiate text message conversations with you, they can only reply to messages you’ve sent them. You should also keep in mind the activation fee and monthly and annual tiered plans when pricing out the device.
The ZOLEO lets you keep things sweet and simple, offering two-way messaging, SOS and weather reports on even its most basic plan. An optional add-on will give you access to location sharing and tracking capabilities. With no screen on the device, the ZOLEO is meant to be used with your cell phone; we found the ZOLEO app to be the simplest and most intuitive to use out of all the devices.
In the event your phone is out of commission, there are buttons on the device for sending a predefined check-in message and SOS alert. You’ll also get a designated phone number and email address, making it easy for contacts to initiate conversations with you.
One standout feature is that the ZOLEO will attempt to send all messages over Wi-Fi or cellular network first—a boon if you are on one of the lower tier plans with limited messaging. If you are out of range, though, the Iridium satellite network will provide you coverage. An activation fee for the device does apply. You can also suspend your plan when not in use and retain your number and email address for a fee of $4 per month.
ACR is the newest company delving into the two-way satellite communication market. The Bivy Stick is best used when paired with your cell phone, though you can use it as a standalone device to signal SOS, send a preset check-in message and start/stop tracking. All plans come with tracking and you’ll receive a dedicated phone number and email for the device. The Bivy Stick also searches for Wi-Fi or a cell signal before sending via the Iridium satellite network.
Those who love collecting and analyzing their activity data will appreciate the unique features of the Bivy Stick: the ability to label tracked adventures with an activity type and access stats including time, distance, vertical, calories burned, average speed and top speed. You can also search for hiking, paddling, climbing and offroading routes in a given area, making it easy to plan your next adventure.
A deciding factor for those who only need a satellite communicator for a small window of time each year—like, the paddling season—is that the Bivy Stick has no activation or deactivation fees and credits roll over month to month.
This isn’t the SPOT X you thought you knew. This SPOT X comes with Bluetooth capabilities allowing you to link up to your phone. It’s still a fully standalone device, though, and for many, the SPOT X gets the edge over the competition thanks to its handy QWERTY keyboard that makes writing custom messages that much easier—the tradeoff being that this is the heaviest and largest device on this list. You also get one check-in message and 14 preset messages, all of which you predefine. For some, the lack of weather reports is a deal-breaker.
SPOT is the only device on this list that uses the Globalstar satellite network, providing ample coverage for paddling destinationsin North America, South America and Australia. Check the coverage map for full service details. With the SPOT X you’ll get a dedicated phone number and all plans have tracking included. There is an activation fee and an additional charge if you choose one of the flex plans which only require a one-month subscription.
The latest technology means you get to choose how much you stay in touch with the outside (or, in this case, inside) world. | Feature photo: Mike Hewis
And don’t forget to safeguard your device with a waterproof pouch.
This article was first published in the 2023 Paddling Buyer’s Guide. Subscribe to Paddling Magazine’s print and digital editions, or browse the archives.
The latest technology means you get to choose how much you stay in touch with the outside (or, in this case, inside) world. | Feature photo: Mike Hewis
This article was first published in the 2023 Paddling Buyer’s Guide. 
