Paddling big rivers, whether the Ottawa, Zambezi or other classics can be a rather intimidating experience. The wave holes frothing overhead and whirlpools swirling in eddylines can make a paddler feel small. But once you unlock a few secrets to paddling big water, you’ll quickly see what playgrounds these rivers can truly be.
In this detailed tutorial, Jackson Kayak team member Boyd Ruppelt walks through the most significant keys to big water success.
Nobody heads out on their local lake or dream paddling trip expecting a rescue. Yet anyone who has spent enough time on the water knows how quickly a sunny day can turn stormy, an old injury can flare up, or fatigue can negatively influence decisions. Disaster can strike whether you know you’ve made a mistake or not, so here are some major backcountry blunders to avoid, according to the pros.
Depending on where you get into trouble in North America, emergency response may come from the coast guard, national park staff, military or one of hundreds of volunteer search and rescue teams. According to a study of more than 65,000 search and rescue events in U.S. national parks, the most common causes for requesting assistance were errors in judgment (22.3 percent); fatigue and physical conditioning (16.8 percent); insufficient equipment, clothing or experience (15.6 percent); falls (8.9 percent); and weather (7.4 percent).
Sandra Riches, executive director of B.C. AdventureSmart recommends following the three Ts: trip planning, training and taking essentials to all outdoor activities. Those suggestions will help mitigate the three most common mistakes search and rescue professionals see in the backcountry.
Know what to expect regarding the route’s conditions and weather, and pack accordingly. Then, “My advice to people is to expect the unexpected,” says Pete Schimek, president of British Columbia’s Pemberton Search and Rescue. Items that aren’t strictly necessary for a half-day trip, like a first aid kit, food and shelter, can have an exponential impact on whether an accident turns into an inconvenience or emergency.
Simply wearing a life jacket greatly increases the chances of survival in an on-water mishap. According to 2021 U.S. Coast Guard statistics, kayaks were the vessel type with the second-highest fatalities (15 percent), behind open motorboats (44 percent). Where cause of death was known, 81 percent of fatal boating accident victims drowned. Of those victims with reported life jacket usage, 83 percent were not wearing a life jacket.
People new to paddling may not realize what risks they are taking by paddling in an offshore wind or not wearing a PFD. According to the same U.S. Coast Guard data, nearly three-quarters (74.6 percent) of people who died in paddling accidents had less than 100 hours of experience in the activity. And over one-third (38.8 percent) had less than 10 hours’ experience.
Yet, even experienced paddlers can be sloppy in their safety habits. Sometimes a familiar place lulls us into thinking we don’t need to bring an extra warm layer or share our float plan with a friend. Having well established systems, habits and checklists can reduce the chances of preventable emergencies.
It’s one thing to carry a paddle float, map and compass, or first aid kit; it’s another to know how to use them. Many emergencies can be prevented by training that empowers paddlers to make good choices with basic skills. Learn how to self-rescue and conduct assisted rescues, as well as how to do basic navigation and make decisions related to weather, currents and identifying hazards. Don’t just take a course—practicing skills regularly is paramount. And practice in unfavorable conditions like rough waves, cold temperatures and after a long paddle when tired.
As Laurence Gonzales writes in Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why, “A panicked mind is a useless mind.” By training regularly and in diverse environments, we can make sound judgments and respond effectively when it counts.
Charlotte Jacklein is an outdoor educator, Paddle Canada instructor, sea kayak guide and search and rescue volunteer.
Frame grab from a medical extraction on the West Coast. | Feature photo: Peg Leg Films
When the lake starts to freeze over and snow blankets the access road, many paddlers call it a season and move on to winter activities. When you gaze out your frosty windows with a steaming mug of coffee, it may be discomforting to see your boat lying outside in neglect. The elements can be harsh on your craft, take care of it through the winter months and it will serve for many paddling seasons to come. The easiest way to take care of your canoe, kayak or standup paddleboard is proper winter storage.
Frontenac Outfitters knows a thing or two about caring for boats through Canadian winters. In this video, owner Zack Fiddis walks through options for storing your paddle craft over the cold months ahead.
If your faithful touring paddle performs like a glorified egg beater, maybe it’s time to choose a new kayak paddle. The best kayak touring paddles are marvels of design and engineering, precision-crafted for paddle-powered adventures big and small. Read on for seven of the top touring blades for 2024, with our selection of slick sticks to take you every distance.
Nimbus PaddlesAvailable lengths: 200–255 cm | Weight: 27 oz
MSRP: $408 CAD | nimbuspaddles.com
The Kiska is Nimbus Paddles’ most popular design for paddlers of every level and waters of every type. The asymmetrical dihedral powerfaces provide a smooth, flutterless stroke. This Kiska Elite model pairs fiberglass blades with an ovalized carbon fiber shaft for comfort and indexing. The ferrule is a simple three-hole snap-button design, allowing the paddler to easily switch from flat to feathered (60 degrees right or left)—there are no moving parts to clog or fuss with. Also available in a four-piece breakdown design and as a full carbon paddle.
Werner PaddlesAvailable lengths: 205–260 cm | Weight: 27 oz
MSRP: $299 USD | wernerpaddles.com
Lightweight, strong and providing an excellent slice, it’s no surprise the agile Camano is one of Werner Paddles’ most popular designs. The fiberglass blade construction provides power and control in your stroke, and the beautiful translucent blades glow when they catch the sunlight. The Smart-View Adjustable Ferrule System allows intuitive adjustment of feathering angle from zero to 60 degrees, right or left, in 15-degree increments. The Camano is available in a standard diameter carbon blend shaft, and a version with a smaller diameter shaft for smaller hands. Also available in a straight one-piece, two-piece or four-piece design, and a bent one-piece or two-piece design.
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Stellar KayaksAvailable lengths: 220–230 cm and 230–240 cm | Weight: 30 oz
MSRP: $299 USD | stellarkayaks.com
The Swing Low Angle Touring Paddle from Stellar Kayaks offers paddlers an energetic, capable and quiet paddle. Tough and attractive fiberglass blades are available in blue or red in the Hybrid option, pictured here. The oval carbon shaft reduces stress on fingers as it contours to the shape of your hand. The Swing Low Angle Touring Paddle features an aluminum cam collar and adjustable length within 10 centimeters and feather. Also available in a fully carbon design.
Aqua BoundAvailable lengths: 210–250 cm | Weight: 26 oz
MSRP: $324 USD | aquabound.com
The enigmatic northern lights are one of the most sought-after natural phenomena in the world—they’re also the inspiration for Aqua Bound’s newest colorway. Last fall, with its new eye-catching look, the bestselling Tango took home the coveted Best New Kayak Paddle award at the Paddling Magazine Industry Awards. This low-angle performance paddle offers a smooth stroke for maximum results with minimal effort, weighing in at just 26 ounces. Its Posi-Lok ferrule system features robust and corrosion-free construction, convenient dual-button release, and infinite feathering angles.
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Sawyer Paddles and OarsAvailable lengths: 220–250 cm | Weight: 27 oz
MSRP: $429 USD | paddlesandoars.com
With its classic low-angle paddling profile, the Sea Feather V-Lam from Sawyer Paddles and Oars is a lightweight companion for all-day cruising and relaxing day tours. Carbon fiber makes up the Sea Feather’s strong and flexible oval shaft, which can extend up to 10 centimeters and offers 0 to 80 degrees of feather angle. The Sea Feather’s long blades are crafted with an eye-catching V of laminated western red cedar. They are reinforced with durable fiberglass and Dynel ToughEdge, promising to keep them beautiful and resistant to damage while maintaining the lightweight build.
Gearlab OutdoorsAvailable sizes: 210–230 cm | Weight: 24 oz
MSRP: $438 USD | gearlaboutdoors.com
The Kalleq is a working piece of art from Gearlab Outdoors designed for endurance. The Greenland-inspired carbon Kalleq’s edge measures 1.1 millimeters at its thinnest point. The smooth edge slices the water and offers comfort and efficiency on long days. Gearlab’s signature ProTek tip fortifies either end of the paddle with an easily replaceable tip made from a durable polyamide material. This gives the paddler confidence in rocky or shallow waters and allows the option to swap colored tips. The innovative, metal-free carbon spring joint on this two-piece paddle snaps securely together, ensuring a firm connection between blades.
Advanced ElementsAvailable lengths: 230 cm | Weight: 30 oz
MSRP: $262 | advancedelements.com
Light, rigid and ultra-packable, the Touring Full Carbon 4-Part Paddle from Advanced Elements is a four-piece paddle breaking down to a svelte 27.5-inch-long package. Not only is a full-carbon four-piece paddle a rarity, but at just 30 ounces, Advanced Elements’ is perhaps the lightest four-piece paddle on the market. Adjust for a 60-degree right-hand or left-hand feather or flat option via three stainless steel locking snaps. This touring paddle’s carbon fiber shaft and blades offer fantastic handling on the water and excellent strength and durability.
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Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go. —T. S. Eliot | Feature photo: Patrycja Hyrsz
The Penobscot Nation has lived along the banks of the river sharing their name for more than 10,000 years. The canoe is a craft intrinsically tied to their culture on the waters of Maine. Old Town shares the story of how the Penobscot continue to pass down the knowledge of canoeing to the next generation of paddlers in this video.
For all you would-be and wannabe Canadians out there, I have some bad news. Sex in a canoe is not what you think it is.
You might be familiar with the quote, “A Canadian is someone who knows how to make love in a canoe.” Author and historian Pierre Berton, to whom the quip is most often attributed, claimed he said no such thing. No matter. Whoever said this was not talking about sex, and if you missed this distinction, read on.
For penetrating insights into the act itself, the Internet abounds with how-to instructions, directions, DIY tips and tricks, many of them with accompanying intriguing diagrams and illustrations. Some are tasteful, like Cosmo’s canoodling visual; many are decidedly not.
For those of you bone-headedly literal types who choose to continue to obsess on the physicality of the notion of striving for experientially-affirmed Canadian citizenship, here’s the bad news. True hosers know love in a canoe is just the beginning—an entry point as it were—into a veritable Karnoe Sutra of coital challenges serious students of this subject have discovered on offer in the Great North.
If you think you’ve mastered the canoe thing, congratulations, you’re but a kindergarten dropout in such matters. If you’re ever hoping to matriculate and move on to grad school, you’ll need to master conjugal liaisons in skin-on-frame qayaqs, surfskis, SUPs, the good-old rump-resistant rock of the Canadian shield at -40º or on a portaledge halfway up Mount Thor’s main face in Auyuittuq National Park on Baffin Island, ideally on the winter solstice.
There’s no room for complacency or pride in accomplishment if all you’ve ever done is shimmy a double-ender on a balmy July night at the lake.
The indoctrinated know it’s not about sex; the quotation references lovemaking in a canoe. This is a less physical and potentially far more satisfying proposition, much as this might come as a shock to some of the canoe jocks out there. Because if canoes are about anything, they are about relationships. The birch tree with the canoe, the vessel with the landscape, the design with First Peoples, the wood with the water, the water with the sky, the paddle with the paddler, the paddlers with each other, and the pastime with the traditions of old. To canoe is to love the relationships it kindles, reveals and nourishes.
However, one relationship I’d like to highlight is how this topic has had an unexpected defining influence on my legacy as a writer and storyteller.
I’ve raised two loving and competent daughters, written a number of books that sold tens of copies, had several real jobs in respectable institutions, spent more years than I care to admit in post-secondary institutions gathering letters after my name that would make a killer Scrabble hand, and done a little canoodling here and there, just for fun—and what is my reward? With search terms “sex in a canoe” duly entered and executed in preparation to write this column, the very first of 16,600,000 webpages, conjured in 0.41 seconds, is a reference to me.
It’s a line from an article by Malia Wollan in The New York Times. Here’s the bullet citation: “July 26, 2018 — To maintain balance, relax your body. ‘Let your hips roll with the canoe,’ Raffan says. Be mindful of the fact sound carries particularly….”
What else is there to know? There’s my name written down in glory. The expert source, according to Google. The sex-in-a-canoe guy. Son of a perch! Maybe I should have been out paddling the day the reporter called.
James Raffan is an author, explorer, canoodler and Director of External Relations at the Canadian Canoe Museum.
Don’t come knocking when the canoe is rocking. | Feature photo: Michael Hewis and Jeff Priest
CHAPEL HILL, NC // DEC 2022 – LoPo Diveskins is pleased to announce the launch of its website and first five products. The first four offerings—dive skins, rashguard, and two legging styles—are the results of years of research and planning to create flattering and comfortable garments made by women for women using U.S.-sourced materials and manufacturing that is sustainable as well as protective of our oceans and environment. The latest addition is a simple headband using scraps from production of the specially-ordered fabric.
LoPo Diveskins was founded by two sisters, Jill and Kelly Newbold, alumni of the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, when they were unable to find a well-designed, quality-made, durable, and flattering dive skin. To help protect the ocean they love, they decided to use fabric made out of ocean-bound plastic bottles, a new fabric by North Carolina based Unifi, Inc. REPREVE Our Ocean fiber is made from bottles collected within 50 kilometers of coastlines in countries or areas lacking formal waste or recycling systems.
“We’re excited to finally bring these products to market,” said LoPo CEO and co-founder Jill Newbold. “The passion and joy all of our partners have exhibited in creating our first garments has been inspiring and we can’t wait to build a LoPo community that exhibits a similar enthusiasm for our beautiful oceans, lakes and rivers. The focus on women water enthusiasts who do what they love on (or under) water is a real draw to our why. Being a part of a solution is empowering and impactful.”
LoPo Diveskins is partnering with a U.S. garment manufacturer focused on sustainable, small batch manufacturing for creation of its styles. They source all thread, elastic, zippers, and other components from U.S.-based manufacturers. Each garment will be sustainably manufactured in small batches to avoid excessive overstock, thereby reducing the possibility that any excess inventory may end up in a landfill. LoPo products are also Berry Amendment Compliant.
LoPo Diveskins is currently taking preorders on its first run of garments at https://lopodiveskins.com and is planning initial deliveries to customers in early 2023.
Chapel Hill, North Carolina based LoPo Diveskins creates thoughtfully designed performance apparel made from bottles at risk of polluting our oceans. For investment opportunities or media inquiries, please contact Jill Newbold at jill@lopodiveskins.com.
Houston, Texas – RAILBLAZA, manufacturer of premium quality, user-friendly mounting systems and accessories, announced today the launch of its new C-Tug R with Kiwi Wheels.
The RAILBLAZA C-Tug R with Kiwi Wheels is the next evolution in the world’s best-selling kayak cart. Compatible with all the vessels the original cart suited and more, the RAILBLAZA C-TUG R now fits a wider selection of hull profiles including pontoon hulls like that on the Hobie Pro Angler and Hobie Outback, to name a few. Building on the bestselling innovations of the C-Tug range, the new C-Tug R features a pair of 20-inch hull rails allowing users to easily secure the cart for perfect positioning, to optimize loading/unloading, reduce pulling load and get on the water faster.
The C-Tug R assembles and dismantles in seconds and stows easily in a kayak or canoe hatch and allows users to leave gear onboard their craft while loading on and off the cart without the need for an extra pair of hands. C-Tug’s Kiwi Wheels are like nothing else on the market—puncture-free with hi-grip rubber tread, they are super durable, roll freely and designed to soften the ride.
“As kayak hull designs grow and evolve, we have matched that evolution with a range expansion and innovation of our own,” said Andrew Moczygemba, president of RAILBLAZA USA. “Our new C-Tug R with Kiwi Wheels is the perfect complement to the latest kayak models, and we’re confident it will greatly enhance any kayaking adventure.”
The new C-Tug R is lightweight, coming in at only 8.8-pounds with a 220-pound loading capacity. Constructed of reinforced composite material and stainless steel, reinforced axles, the C-Tug is constructed to last no matter what users throw at it. For secure transport, the C-Tug includes a strap with cam-lock buckle and an adjustable kickstand for easy use. C-Tug Kiwi wheels have a diameter of 10.3-inches and a width of 3.6-inches for excellent maneuverability over almost any terrain. Backed by an industry-leading five-year warranty, the RAILBLAZA C-Tug R with Kiwi Wheels is available through RAILBLAZA’s network of dealers for MSRP $169.99 USD.
For more information on RAILBLAZA, C-Tug, or their full line of mounting products, please visit www.railblazausa.com.
Hold everything… with RAILBLAZA StarPorts and an extensive range of mounting accessories. The RAILBLAZA system lets you multitask the space on your boat, ATV, RV or trailer… Making your outdoor life one to hold onto. What sets RAILBLAZA apart from its competition is the simplicity of our StarPort mount, the ease with which people fit it, and the diverse range of situations it’s used in. Super strong, all RAILBLAZA parts are made from high quality, UV stabilized, engineering polymers, stainless steel and anodized aluminum. Where extra strength is required, the polymers used are fiberglass reinforced.
We’re committed to making people’s lives easier, by providing diverse, flexible and user-friendly mounting systems and accessories to the marine, RV and farming sectors internationally. We have proven this commitment by a process of continuous refinement of our product line, and excellent customer service. Since dispatching our first shipment in March 2010, people the world over have discovered how useful RAILBLAZA products are, we now sell in nearly 50 countries. www.railblazausa.com
RAILBLAZA holds several patents and other IP registrations for the C-Tug range with more pending. Please refer to the website or product packaging for more details.
From entrepreneurs and explorers to game changers and artists, the wide world of paddlesports is enriched by those who see a need and step up to fill it. Whether welcoming underserved communities, mentoring new paddlers or protecting waterways at risk, here’s who (and what) is changing paddling for the better this year.
America’s only full-time industrial strength river cleanup organization
What started as a project on one river, picking up one piece of garbage at a time, has turned into a full-time industrial strength organization cleaning up the big rivers of America with the help of more than 120,000 volunteers.
“All you need to do is change your world. That’s how the world changes,” according to Living Lands and Waters founder Chad Pregracke. Growing up near the Mississippi River, Pregracke was appalled by the amount of garbage dumped in the water. So in 1997, Pregracke single-handedly removed more than 45,000 pounds of trash from the Big Muddy. The following year he founded Living Lands and Waters. In the 25 years since, the organization has worked on 25 rivers in 21 states and removed more than 11 million pounds of trash from U.S. waterways, including the Mississippi, Illinois and Tennessee rivers.
A full-time crew lives on a house barge, traveling port to port up to nine months a year, hosting community-based river cleanups, tree plantings, invasive species removal events and educational workshops for educators and students. They have five barges, two towboats, five workboats, seven trucks, a crane, an excavator, a bus and two skid loaders at their disposal.
“In response to the devastating tornado that hit Mayfield, Kentucky, in December 2021, Living Lands and Waters helped with the relief effort to remove debris from Kentucky Lake and the Cambridge Shores area for nearly six months. It has been our largest effort in a single cleanup, which resulted in the removal of over 1.2 million pounds of debris to ensure the lake is clean and safe for all to enjoy,” said Pregracke.
In July, Libby Tobey, Hailey Thompson, Alia Payne and Brooke Hess reached the ocean after paddling the length of the Salmon River while promoting the removal of the four dams and a moratorium on the Stibnite Gold Project to save Idaho’s rapidly dwindling salmon populations. Along the way, they paddled 1,000 miles, organized community members to write thousands of letters to congress to protect the river, and raffled off one coveted date with pro kayaker Benny Marr.
Connecting adventure and science to protect the last wild rivers of Europe
There are proposals to build more than 2,700 dams on the last free-flowing rivers of Europe. The Balkan Rivers Tour was born as a rebellious promise to paddle all these rivers and show the world what is at stake if they’re dammed for hydroelectric projects. Since the first trip in 2015, the annual Balkan River Tour has spawned the largest direct-action river conservation movement in Europe.
Last summer, a Balkan River Defence crew of four kayakers paddled Slovenia’s entire Sava River in 11 days. “During the descent, we sampled water for an environmental DNA study and performed the first complete water bird census during nesting season,” said core team member Carmen Kuntz. “We now have two complete sets of data we can use as ammunition to protect the river from the 10 dams proposed.” The crew also premiered the documentary, One for the River: The Sava Story, and released a paddler’s guidebook for the river to encourage tourism.
Balkan River Defence hopes to shift the public perception of dams, directing the conversation towards energy alternatives. “We hope Balkan River Defence doesn’t have a reason to exist in the future,” Kuntz added.
Mural artist painting from his paddleboard for ocean conservation
Los Angeles-based artist Sean Yoro uses his paddleboard as a platform to paint semi-submerged murals on the side of shipwrecks, abandoned docks and sea ice. On these unlikely canvases, he paints portraits of women and hands bursting from the water’s surface, revealing themselves fully only at low tide. Then, they slowly disappear over time with the rising and falling sea.
“Environmentalism has always played a huge factor in my passion for art. In Hawaii, we call it our kuleana, or responsibility in society,” said Yoro. “I always wanted a more important message than just a nice-looking painting.” Yoro’s viral murals have helped raise awareness about dying coral reefs, climate change and sustainability. The impermanent nature of his works often underscores Yoro’s environmental message.
“At first, I hated not being able to create permanent artwork out in nature, especially when you work on these for weeks on end,” said Yoro. “Since all materials had to be 100-percent eco-friendly, it was impossible to make anything permanent. But once I let go of this variable, I surprisingly found more satisfaction and visual impact. The artwork disappearing added to the message.”
Yoro grew up surfing in Hawaii, “So, initially, my 11-foot-long paddleboard felt like a boat. It was a huge learning curve to get the same techniques I paint with in studio while on the board,” he said. The most challenging factor in creating the murals is working with the currents and tides, and knowing what sections he could paint when and at what speed.
“There are always new issues needing to be advocated for, so it keeps me busy with future projects. I hope viewers at the very least get a quick glimpse at a different perspective with my art,” Yoro added.
Kayaking scientist on a missionto create a Street View of threatened rivers and coasts
Armed with a 360-degree GoPro Max camera and fishing kayak, Earthviews founder Brian Footen is paddling for conservation. The former fisheries scientist turned entrepreneur is creating immersive digital maps of vulnerable waterways to engage the public, collect scientific data and create a powerful visual record of regions undergoing significant changes due to development and climate change.
Footen first documented Puget Sound. He paddled 10 to 15 miles a day, just 10 to 30 feet from shore. His camera mounts on his kayak and takes 360-degree panoramic images every 10 seconds. His kayak is also equipped with a water quality meter logging data at the same intervals, and a recording device geolocating his dictation of animal sightings. The result is an immersive Google Street View-like map with data for everyone to explore the current conditions of Puget Sound.
Although Footen still has about 700 miles of Puget Sound to map, he has also begun surveying the Great Salt Lake, Lake Tahoe, Lake Mead, Lake Powell and the Rio Grande to document the effects of the historic drought gripping the American West.
“You know, as a scientist, I published research papers, and they were read in journals by my colleagues and then put on a shelf somewhere. Rarely did they move policy,” said Footen. “Most of the people I presented to involved in policy, their eyes glaze over when you talk about charts and stats. But people remember what they see. The impact of photographs sets in people, so by turning charts and graphs into imagery, we can connect with people about these places. And with the conditions not improving, it’s more important now than ever.”
EarthViews has surveyed more than 6,000 miles of waterways so far, including almost 30 locations across the United States and the Okavango Delta in southern Africa, where EarthViews collaborated with a National Geographic project to create maps from researchers’ footage.
Want to survey your local waterway? It’s as simple as mounting a 360-degree camera on your canoe or kayak and paddling your favorite route. Get more details under the citizen science tab on EarthViews.
More than 120,000 youth have helped Living Lands and Waters clean up America’s rivers. | Feature photo: Courtesy Living Lands and Waters
Burnaby, BC – Last week, Jason Leggatt, president of Mustang Survival, and Andrew Branagh, CEO of The Wing Group, announced that Jason has resigned from his daily management position as president. Jason has provided valuable guidance to the senior deadership team, accomplishing notable strategic achievements, including transitioning Mustang Survival to new ownership with The Wing Group, and subsequently acquiring MTI Life Jackets, the assets of Ocean Rodeo Dry Wear division, and the assets of the Stearns Government & Professional division.
Jason built and now leaves an exceptionally talented team in place, and the business is positioned for continued dominance and growth in its field as the most technical and authentic waterlife brand in the world. With Jason’s ongoing passion and commitment to Mustang Survival, he will become a member of the board following his departure, enabling him to provide the board counsel and strategic guidance for The Wing Group and the Mustang Survival business in a governance role.
The Wing Group/Mustang Survival has commenced the search process for a new business unit president engaging the executive recruiting firm Boyden Canada. On an interim basis, VP finance, Juanita Killen, has been appointed acting president. The board wishes to express appreciation for Jason and his contributions to the company and wish him every success in his future.
Jason joined Mustang Survival in 2000 as an Engineering co-op student from the University of British Columbia. With strong technical acumen and a quick student of new ideas, Jason achieved many successes in product development, engineering, project and program management. As time progressed, Jason realized his true passion was developing customer intimacy, identifying and solving real problems for users, and ultimately leadership.
Over the last 22 years, Jason developed a wide cross-section skill set holding positions in military business development, marketing and sales, VP research & development, chair of the Life Jacket Association, and general manager and president of Mustang Survival. He is widely respected in the industry for his extensive background and tenure at Mustang Survival.
Pioneer in the design and manufacture of lifesaving solutions since 1967. Mustang Survival is committed to the protection and enhancement of those who push themselves to extremes, whether for work, duty, or to escape the daily grind.
www.mustangsurvival.com
The Wing Group is the world leader in inflatable boats, life rafts, flotation, drysuits and other tactical and survival solutions for recreational, commercial and military customers.
Built on 200 years of combined experience, The Wing Group and its companies (Wing Inflatables, Henshaw Inflatables, Patten Company, FabTek Industries, and Mustang Survival) have developed an unparalleled reputation for highly technical, high-quality customer solutions—whether it’s a private yacht deploying an expeditionary craft, a fighter jet pilot requiring an aviation life raft, a rescue swimmer requiring protection in arctic conditions or a special forces unit depending on high-performing combat rubber raiding craft.
The Wing Group delivers confidence to the world’s most demanding marine and aviation users through innovative and high-quality technical solutions—on, over and under the water. www.winggroup.com
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This article was first published in the Fall 2022 issue of Paddling Magazine. 
This article was first published in the Summer 2022 issue of Paddling Magazine. 
