FGREG KETTERMAN A T HER O F
A lifelong watercraft innovator, Greg Ketterman developed Ho- bie Kayak’s MirageDrive. But he didn’t invent the pedal-pow- ered fins to catch fish, Ketterman was just trying to have fun.
Kayak Angler: What were you doing before you designed kayaks?
Greg Ketterman: In the late ‘80s my brother Dan and I developed a sailboat called the TriFoiler to break the world speed record. In 1993, we set a record of 43.6 knots for A-class sailboats. That record still stands today. Two years later, TriFoiler Inc. merged with Hobie Cat and I became part owner and vice president of engineering.
KA: How did you come up with MirageDrive?
GK: Dan and I also worked on a human-powered hydrofoil that would break the speed record for a human-powered boat. While we never set the record, operating an efficient pedal-powered boat was fun. For me, invention comes from keeping a lot of cool ideas in my head until they come together to create a cool product. Dan and I would test our model sailboats by holding the mast in one hand and the clew in the other, then swinging the mast. As the sail twisted it looked like a propeller blade and would produce thrust. I also remember playing on an air mattress in the pool. I could propel myself by moving my arms at the elbow and twisting my wrists to give my hand an angle of attack. At some point, we started trying to figure out how to get pedals to move the fins. After that, things just fell in place.
KA: What challenges did you face designing the MirageDrive?
GK: I tried to explain the idea to several people at Hobie, but they did not get what I was trying to do. They just said, “Go try it and let us know how it goes.” I am very fortunate that there is no hesitation from anyone at Hobie to support new ideas. The first challenge was designing the fins so they would twist and flex to assume the shape of a propeller blade. We made hundreds of prototypes before coming up with an injection- molded blade that had a stiff spine and softer core. Another challenge was designing the hull to respond to the forces of the MirageDrive.
KA: How have people reacted to the Hobie system?
GK: The paddling community reacted with everything from contempt to interest to excitement. Many paddling purists had no interest. People didn’t understand how it worked, so they thought it was a gimmick. We had to overcome the paddle wheel boat image, which was a ter- rible experience. However, the reaction of the fishing community has always been positive. Anglers appreciate handsfree operation and they just want to catch fish. We’ve made the drive tougher, easier to use and lighter. We continue to add features and make improvements. We always have a huge list of things to work on.
“For me, invention comes from keeping a lot of cool ideas in my head until they come together to create a cool product.” —Greg Ketterman
DIGITAL EXTRA: Click here to watch early video of the MirageDrive.
www.kayakanglermag.com… 53
H O BIE MIR A GED R IVE
PHOTOS: COURTESY HOBIE KAYAKS
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