STERLING FIELD-TESTING AT SKOOKUMCHUCK RAPID. PHOTO: JAMES MANKE


FORGEDin FLAMES


S TERLING K AYAKS RIS ES F ROM THE ASHES BY ALEX MAT THEWS


On


November 28th 2012, kayak manufacturer Sterling Donalson of Bellingham, Washington’s Sterling


Kayaks was hard at work on his newest design. With over 300 hours invested in this latest project, the fruits of his labors were tantalizingly close. Donalson, 63, is a firm believer in extensive prototype


testing, and this new boat had benefited from over a year of scrutiny by many well-known paddlers, chief among them kayak pioneer and longtime Sterling Kayaks collaborator, Reg Lake. The pair wanted to produce a sea kayak as playful as their successful Reflection model, but with a touch more hull speed and scaled down to fit a smaller paddler. Many tweaks and modifications later, the design was


finalized and ready to go to mold. Within days, the very first Progression kayak would be completed.


Then, the unthinkable happened. Donalson recalls: “I’ve


got a very sensitive nose, and I noticed an unusual smell in the shop. I was looking around for the source when I saw smoke coming out of an electrical outlet. Then the outlet burst into flames.” Shouting “Fire!” in case his two employees were inside


the building, Donalson fought his way through the smoke. Exiting the shop he dialed 911, but by the time he hung up the entire building was in flames. Thinking quickly, Donalson and one of his employees


were able to wheel a trailer of demo boats sitting behind the shop to safety. The effects of the intense heat from the fire are still visible on several of these kayaks. Other boats and mold sets that were stored outside the building were rescued, with firefighters pitching in to help ferry items away from the blaze.


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