IN 2013, MOST MANUFACTURERS SATISFIED A HUNGRY MARKET WITH UPDATED BOAT, PADDLE AND OUTFITTING DESIGNS THAT MADE THE PADDLING EXPERIENCE SAFER, SIMPLER AND MORE COMFORTABLE.
“In this economy, people get used to uncertainties. Someone
blows up a car in Iraq and that affects the economy here. It’s less predictable now but people are becoming resilient to that idea and continuing to spend,” says Bush. When asked what’s getting him excited in the paddling world right now, Bush is quick to respond: “As far as products go, boats are pointy at both ends. It’s the people that matter.”
who’s paddling
And the people on the water are slowly changing. Though pad- dlesports have been a traditionally male-dominated field, retail- ers and manufacturers are seeing more women get in on the fun, confirms David Hadden, watersports director for Johnson Out- doors, which oversees brands including Ocean Kayak, Old Town and Necky. Product development has helped that trend along. “More compact, lighter weight boats that are easier to car-top help push female customers and makes paddling a more viable form of exercise and outdoor enjoyment.” Across the outdoor industry, more Americans got outside in
2012 than ever before, according to the OIA. That increase has trickled down to paddlesports. Over the past three years, white- water kayaking has seen a participation increase of 13 percent, sea kayaking of 12 percent and rec kayaking grew 10 percent. Over the same time, SUP garnered half a million new paddlers, a 50 percent increase. Canoeing is the odd duck, participation having shrunk by a single percentage point. “Kayaking and SUP have increased because kids are more
drawn to that wow factor,” says Wade Blackwood, executive di- rector of the American Canoe Association. That wow factor is aided by digital and POV cameras, like GoPros, which are help- ing to drive new paddlers to the sport, he adds. “Paddlers now get to take pictures anywhere and everywhere.
They share it and new people see it and say, ‘I want to go there and I want to do that,’” says Blackwood. “It’s one of the best ad- vertisers for the sport we have.” Unfortunately, many new paddlers are making the mistake of not investing in quality equipment. In May 2013, Leisure
58 PADDLING BUYER’S GUIDE || Annual 2014
Not sure what it will be, but it should be on reducing weight without sacrificing safety, performance and durability.
CONFLUENCE WATERSPORTS
With the announcement that Royalex will no longer be available, sales will be strong as customers take advantage of their last opportunity to purchase. Look for continued strong fishing kayak sales as anglers continue to take advantage of today’s state of the art fishing boats that have reduced the gap between kayaks and traditional motorized fishing vessels.
SUE RECHNER CEO,
WATERSPORTS DIRECTOR, JOHNSON OUTDOORS
DAVID HADDEN
Trends reported that specialty shops saw a dip in the number of boats sold over the previous year, while chain stores saw an 11 percent increase. Mark Hall, sales director for Kayak Distribution and brands
including Seaward Kayaks, Boreal Design and Tahe Marine, agrees that many sales are happening outside of specialty shops, transactions that primarily represent the sale of less expensive, shorter boats. “Simply put, we are in the bottom end of a cycle,” Hall says.
Currently, the most engaged customers at skills symposiums and specialty shops are the Gore-Tex-wearing, carbon-paddle-hold- ing set who already own two kayaks, he says. Manufacturers need to focus on getting kids and parents on the water in accessible boats so they’ll get out of those 10-foot dinghies that few discover a love of paddling in. “That change could rapidly turn the tide of sales,” Hall adds. And that would be a good thing, because big box sales are causing a problem for more than just the shops.
PHOTO: RYAN CREARY
PHOTO: COURTESY DAVID HADDEN PHOTO: COURTESY CONFLUENCE WATERSPORTS
PHOTO: COURTESY ONTARIO TOURISM
WHAT’S NEXT?
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