Off the Tongue
DECEPTION PASS, WASHINGTON.
PHOTO: SCOTT MACGREGOR
PADDLING CIRCLES
It didn’t make sense to me. That was, until now. For 15 years we’ve been giving paddlers their own magazines.
Whitewater paddlers get Rapid. Sea kayakers get Adventure Kay- ak. Canoeists, of course, read Canoeroots. And kayak anglers get Kayak Angler magazine. I’m often asked why I just don’t roll them all into one magazine.
I’ve always believed that it made more sense to keep things separate and if readers are into canoeing, whitewater, sea kayaking and kay- ak fishing they will read more than one magazine—and many do. Seven years ago I took this strategy to the web, building a web-
site for each magazine. As Rapid Media has matured, and the web has evolved, we’ve learned that we don’t have to be bound by my give-them-only-what-they-want model. In fact, it’s probably held us back. How many of you didn’t realize we had other websites? Or other magazines? It’s time to come together. Not with joo joo eyeballs or monkey
finger, but with a new paddling website, new weekly newsletter and this new digital monthly paddling magazine. Land at
Rapidmedia.com and you now get all the latest pad-
dling news and articles. One click deeper and you’re on familiar ground, immersed in whitewater, canoeing, kayak fishing or kayak touring photos, videos, tips and techniques, each powered by core, industry-leading enthusiast magazines. Maybe you’ll always live at the deeper level because that’s who you are. Many readers say they jump around and get more of all that the paddling world has to offer. They enjoy more of our award-winning writers and pho-
10 PADDLING THIS MONTH || March 2013
tographers. They look outside their own paddling world into new rivers, lakes and oceans. When I talk about this, I draw circles in the air, circles of read-
ers, each circle representing people who read a different Rapid Me- dia magazine. The middle, where the circles come together, is the group who already read every issue. The new
Rapidmedia.com, our weekly newsletter and this new digital monthly, all-in-one pad- dling magazine are expanding the area of those overlapping circles. As the first paddling and fishing magazines available in iTunes
for the iPad, we are on more than 85,700 Apple devices and have just recently launched our Android apps. Another 51,600 people read every new issue online. Don’t worry; we’re not going to mess with your magazines. But
we are bringing paddling together in this new monthly, delivered on the web and Apple and Android tablets and smartphones. It also brings together the best of magazines and new media. It is designed like a magazine, full of breath-taking photos, fea-
ture stories and timely longer-format news coverage. We’re taking the best of magazines and adding the benefit of rich digital media, like embedded links, video reviews, Rapid Media TV interviews, paddling films and extended photo galleries. Ten years ago I didn’t think I’d ever see a 50-foot waterfall and
bass fishing in the same Rapid Media magazine. Then again, I didn’t think I’d be turning the pages in a magazine with a click or a swipe. Scott MacGregor is the founder and publisher of Rapid Media.
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