Interview : Peter Tranter Photos : Ainsworth Paddles
Younger readers may think of Ainsworth Paddles and maybe think that ’ s where the story ends : a company manufacturing excellent paddles . However , owner , Andrew Ainsworth has a long and fascinating history in producing equipment for the paddlesport industry and props for a certain genre of films . Since I published Canoe Focus in 1995 , Andrew has supported each and every magazine paddling we ’ ve produced . So , not before time , take it away Andrew .
PADDLER 105
A chat with …
ANDREW
AINSWORTH
Interview : Peter Tranter Photos : Ainsworth Paddles
Younger readers may think of Ainsworth Paddles and maybe think that ’ s where the story ends : a company manufacturing excellent paddles . However , owner , Andrew Ainsworth has a long and fascinating history in producing equipment for the paddlesport industry and props for a certain genre of films . Since I published Canoe Focus in 1995 , Andrew has supported each and every magazine paddling we ’ ve produced . So , not before time , take it away Andrew .
Where and what was your first paddle on the water ? The first paddle I made was made from the spare pieces of material at the pointed ends of the oblong sheet used to make the vacuum formed plastic kayak in 1974
How did your first paddle progress into what is now a very successful career as a paddle manufacturer ? So the blade had a vacuum formed spoon shape ; I glued a Hickory backbone to the plastic ( ABS ) and joined the blades to a Glass / Phenolic tube that I sourced from a military scrap yard . The tubes were composite aerials left over from WW2 . If I hadn ’ t run out of the aerials . I probably would still be making them today .
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