A B I L L I O N B UT TS I N B O A TS
From his early days designing fiberglass surf-skis to his current efforts to bring kayaking to the world, Tim Niemier has always been motivated by a childhood love for the ocean.
Kayak Angler: How did you get into kayaking?
Tim Niemier: My family moved to Malibu in the late fifties. At that time the area was wilderness, there wasn’t even a grocery store. When I was 12-years-old, I borrowed my neighbor’s canvas and wood frame kayak and paddled out into the ocean. That was an amazing moment for me, I was really living. Even in the early days we would paddle past the break- ers and spear fish. Malibu is 25 miles from the nearest harbor so the fishing is really good because there is very little pressure.
KA: How did you develop the sit-on-top kayak?
TN: I was always into working with my hands and I did sculpture and au- tomotive bodywork. I took one of my surfboards and carved out a place for my butt and heels and added a small hatch. Then I started making hollow boards out of fiberglass. But I could never make them from fiber- glass fast enough to be commercially viable. So, I got out of the busi- ness, got married and found a regular job. But I couldn’t shake that ex- perience I had that first time I paddled past the breakers. I was working for a company that makes roto-molds when I made my first mold and my own oven for baking the mold. I built the first one at my parent’s house. When a friend heard what we were doing, she ordered 25 kayaks for her friends, which gave me enough money to make 50 boats. That was the start of Ocean Kayak. I didn’t invent the sit-on-top, but there was never a patent on the design that would stifle innovation. At the time people were mostly using my kayaks for diving, but fishing was catching on.
KA: How did you build a career in the sport?
TN: Ocean Kayak grew so fast. We started working out of my house and then moved to a small shop in the Valley. After making the first 500 kayaks, we put the whole factory on a truck and moved to Washington State where it was easier to do business. That’s when things really started to take off. We were growing 30 percent per year. Production was running 24/7; the factory doors rusted open. We grew out of our first location a year earlier than expected. Sales and production were at odds because we couldn’t make kayaks fast enough to fill orders. The guys even got into a wager—if production made over 100 kayaks in a week, I would moon Main Street. If they fell short, they would moon Main Street. Luckily, we made exactly 100 so no one had to drop his drawers. It was fun back then. From early on I saw the value of design- ing a kayak for fishermen. Fishing is one of the most popular sports in the world and a kayak is a cheap way to go fishing. Running a growing business forced me to do things that I’d never expected I’d have to do—like fire people. I’m better at starting things than finishing, so I sold Ocean Kayak. I tried to work there for a few years, but it was like being with your daughter after she’s married—I wasn’t the boss anymore.
KA: What are you doing now?
TN: I’m still designing kayaks, which is my passion. I helped design the NuCanoe, Diablo and KC kayaks. I think more people are going to move
“My mission is to give people that same experience that I had when I first paddled past the breakers.” —Tim Niemier
towards the canoe-based design because they are easier to stand in and rig for fishing. I see the sport moving towards motorized kayaks and even standup paddleboards. Thermoform kayaks are gaining popularity because they are light and shiny. I’m working on rereleasing the Scup- per as a thermoform boat. Today, I can design a custom kayak, make a mold for $5,000 and build as few as 30 boats. Simplifying design and production opens the sport to many more people around the world. We’ve only tapped the potential of kayaking. I’d like to see a billion butts in boats. My mission is to give people that same experience that I had when I first paddled past the breakers. That sense of living in the present—that’s reality.
www.kayakanglermag.com… 51
TIM NIEMIER
PHOTOS: COURTESY TIM NIEMER
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