ThePADDLER 36
When did you first start paddling , who provided the motivation and who was it with ? My dad was training for an event at the PGL centre on the River Wye , and he popped me in a boat and let me float around . That was 1984 , I was about nine , and I loved it ! I spent most of the time pretending to be a battleship hiding in the reeds .
Do you have a preferred discipline of paddling ? I used to be far more snooty about one or another discipline , but now if it gets me on the water , I ’ ll take it . I prefer surf kayaking or creeking , though .
When did you start work with Palm Equipment , and who interviewed you ? I started paddling for Palm in 1999 and was chatting with Palm ’ s owner Andy ( Knight ) about designs at the Lyon River festival in 2003 that kicked things off . I started the following summer .
How different was the watersport industry back then ? It was the tail end of the rodeo boom , so whitewater , like other disciplines , was in transition . Many of the early paddling brands were starting to become more business-minded , for example , moving garment manufacture to Asia or pushing the surge in recreation that at the time was sit-on-tops . So quite a melting pot period , but still very dynamic and exciting .
Was marketing something you always wanted to do ? No , at school , I wanted to drive a tractor ! I ’ m not a marketeer by trade , just someone who has energy , drive and interest in the activities I represent – and I enjoy being able to tell others about them . I trained in design at college and worked as a schoolteacher , a combo that lets me understand products and explain their benefits and values to others .
You have a great working relationship with Andy Knight . Do you have an insight into what makes Andy tick ? The man is a dynamo ! Christ , it can be exhausting at times , but he never stops wanting to tinker or improve something . He ’ s a classic self-made and dedicated entrepreneur – like so many of the founders of brands in the outdoor industry .
Despite now running a bigger business , he still approaches everything as if he is making the gear for himself ; and that rubs off on the people he employs .
What are Palm ’ s core focus points , and why ? We are always focused on making better equipment , and our mission is simple ‘ gear for paddlers ’. Making equipment as safe and enjoyable as possible and respecting and protecting the water environment through the way we operate are core to achieving this .
That might look like a jacket such as the Terek , which has a softer , quieter feel and utilises recycled nylon yarns . Or designing a new kayak for Islander that ’ s family-friendly but can meet the rigours of a centre hiring them out three times a day . And it might just be checking our different courier companies to see who is carbon offsetting their vehicles and moving more shipping to them .
But coming back down to the ground , right now , our focus is on supply and making sure we have the equipment available so people can get out paddling more !
What ’ s your paddling kit of choice and why ? We ’ ll I ’ d like it to be perpetual summer , so a Neoflex top , VE Flyte paddles , Horizon shorts and either a Dagger Rewind or Ride Eclipse kayak … depending if I ’ m surfing or on a river .
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HOW DO YOU SEE PADDLESPORT DEVELOPMENT ? WOULD IT BE FAIR TO SAY THAT PADDLESPORTS IS RIDING A WAVE AT THE MOMENT , AND DO YOU SEE ANY DRAWBACKS ? It ’ s amazing , with so many people outdoors and being active . I tip my hat to SUP for being a driver – being so fresh and without historic preconceptions , it ’ s been able to create a very attractive , healthy and accessible image for paddlesport . Hopefully , these new folk will learn to view paddling as a lifelong journey , with all its different facets and levels that let you explore the outdoors in different ways .
The drawbacks I see are it ’ s a bull market right now , and with that , there are many clamouring to get a piece of the pie . It will lead to a lot of incoming brands who are perhaps not fully invested in paddlesport . With this , there is a greater risk of poor advice for participants delivered by those without much experience . It ’ s why we work with groups like Water Skills Academy to help provide quality know-how .
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