Emotion's First Comet!

Tom "Big T" Strauss gives one of his big trademark holiday smiles posing with the first-off-the-line Comet, the sweetest little 8-foot piece of paddling fun you'll ever meet. In the first week of the new year, Ruby Creek will receive a container load of Comets and their sensational sister sit-on-top Spitfires. Reserve your first shipment right away!

Boathouse transformation!

My old buddy (since we were both 14... that was a damn long time ago) Doug Dago Day showed up at the Boathouse yesterday at noon. As usual the place was not pretty, pfds, paddles, dry suits wherever there was room, and of course boats everywhere, stacked neatly but taking up most of the floor space.

A few hours later the change was evident. We'd put up enough racks to store the 44 Emotion Kayaks still in stock from 2009 at the 'house, with room to spare. Just in time to put them all on dealer super-special for Christmas!

By 3pm today (in time for me to be home for kickoff of the Husky game) we'd wrapped up enough rack space for all 150+ Emotion Comets and Spitfires arriving in a container at the end of the month. (Click to see my boy Ethan paddling a Comet right here)

Speaking of the Huskies, what a sweet spanking they laid on the Cal Bears.

Thanks Dago! Dig them power tools. Nail guns, chop saws and rotohammers rule!

Alki transforms to M2S

Many further congrats to Greg Whittaker and the crew at Alki Kayak Tours, firmly established as Mountain to Sound Outfitters in their new retail location at 3602 SW Alaska St. in lovely West Seattle. Skis, boots, a mountain shuttle service and a tuning shop dominate the winter scene, to be replaced in Spring by Tahoe SUP, Eddyline, Emotion, Bending Branches and Stohlquist gear for the paddlin’ season. Check out the transformation in less than a month from this…

To this…

And inside from this…

To this happy holiday scene with visitors mulling over what to buy their loved ones…

The heater in back that wanted to wack you in the head…

Still works and will still wack you in the head but it takes a little effort to get back there amongst all the cool stuff…

Greg and crew are waiting to greet you!

Tahoe SUP boards

Standup paddling is a little like Facebook. It's gone from "huh? What are those kids doing now" to "wow, look how cool I am trying something new" to a mainstream thing that everybody's doing. And the hottest part of Standup is the touring, flatwater board style that's being led by Tahoe Boardworks.

Happy Paddlin' with a Dog!

Starting with the speedy Zephyr that's been winning races and turning heads, to the gorgeous Woody that looks like it should be in a gallery, to the durable, not-so-pricey, carbonlite-skin Rubicon crafted by the thermoform masters at Eddyline Kayaks, Tahoe took off in 2009 and made a big footprint in this growing market. New for 2010 will be the Grom kids' board, and the Bliss for the ladies. Along with the hottest boards, Tahoe's paddles and accessories fill out the selection of goodies that go along with this great line of gear.

Washington's first Tahoe dealer, Chris Fry (R) of West Bay Paddleboards in Olympia, joins Doug Erwin (L) from Tahoe and Bryon Dorr from Next Adventure on the Cowlitz River. Yes you can do it on moving water!

Dealers benefit from low minimum orders, sweet deals & long dating on demo boards, and reasonable shipping rates. Paddlers dig the speedy, stable ride... and being part of this big hot wonderful thing to do on the water. Don't miss it!

Happy Paddlin', even on his head... Ethan thrills the fans.

Rec Repair or The Hippo Patch?

The potential for breakage and field repairs to your gear can pose a dilemma... what patch stuff to carry, how much to carry, how expensive is it, what kind of repair to be ready for. Ruby Creek represents a couple of awesome solutions. Check em out.

Here's a quick, permanent repair that stays flexible and waterproof and never cracks when you apply it to neoprene, plastic, canvas, nylon, glass, wood, even concrete. and doesn't cost much. The Hippo Patch comes packaged in six easy-to-display sizes from 2"x24" strips, to 4"x24 foot rolls. Easily cut with scissors or a knife, it adheres to nearly any clean surface and can even be applied underwater.

This is the 4"x24" patch material, folded up for easy display. Maybe I could use it on those wrinkles in my hand.

Ruby Creek is proud to be the Washington representative for this innovative stuff. Grab a pack of Hippo Patch for your dry bag, one for your backpack, one for your tool box. If your favorite outdoor shop doesn't carry the Hippo Patch, give them a link to this page and let them know we'd be happy to help them.

Hippo Patch dealers love the strong margins, attention-grabbing display, low inventory investment to get started, and convenient, easy-to-order multipack cartons. Users dig the low-cost means to get their repair done quickly and get back to whatever they really want to spend their day doing.

If a field repair needs structure -- a tent pole, kayak paddle, cooler, or a big crack in your boat -- go for Rec Repair patches. They are simply heated with a heat gun, or over a fire or cookstove and shaped to the material being repaired. To avoid wondering whether it's hot enough, paddlers & backpackers can carry Rec Repair's Emergency Kit with a chemical heater included.

Here's the 4x6 RecRepair patch, ready to display in your shop.

Here's the RecRepair emergency kits with a chemical heater included.

Rec Repair comes in black or white, in 4 packaged, precut sizes, bulk patch cut to order, and even keel strip and skid plate material for canoes and kayaks. Dealers can get going with a starter kit that contains a little of everything, then fill in as needed to replace their big selling items.

These are terrific additions to any retail shop's product lines. Ruby Creek has dealer applications and order forms right here at World HQ, just waiting for you.

Costa del Mar shades!

Along with making the best shades out there, Costa del Mar finds time to document the decades-long fight over a highway proposed to cut through a wild Alaskan wilderness.

The heritage of this awesome sunglass line lies with a band of hard-core offshore fishing outfitters in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. Along with sunscreen and a nose for the big one, a durable, dependable pair of shades is essential for this lifestyle. So today, Costa offers a 100% polarized, lifetime-guaranteed line of some 50+ frame styles, multiple lens choices, stainless steel hinges that don't rust or corrode, and innovative nose & ear pieces that actually get grabbier on your skin when you sweat.

Take a look at the whole product line.

Customers say things like... "Whoa. Check out the fish... I never knew I could see in the water like that". "Look at the colors, man!" and best of all, to paraphrase Will Smith in Independence Day... "I GOT to get me some of these!"

Dealers say they love the margins, the quality of the product, and the excellent returns they get from a small footprint of real estate in their shops. Orders start as small as just a few pairs.

From the stylish, light-as-a-feather Ballast to the tough as nails Zane, your only dilemma will be which style you like best.

Ruby Creek has a good stock of samples so you can see for yourself just what it's all about. Just be sure to invite me out on a sunny day.

Crescent Moon Snowshoes

It's all about the fit, the easy single-pull binding... and a host of other great stuff.

Time for some winter adventure!

It's a long way from paddlesports, but when you're on water, even if it's
frozen, it's all related. And for most of us, GREEN matters, whether the
water is white or blue.

What's so special about Crescent Moon?

Well first, you get to go to their web site and meet founder Jake Thamm in person.

Snowshoers enjoy the unique, comfortable, easy-fitting single-pull binding -
the sweet feel of the teardrop shape - the green manufacturing process
that's powered by wind, uses no PVC parts and recycles all their waste - and
knowing the smiling US work force is building their shoes in Boulder CO.

Dealers dig the great margins, top-notch customer service and the logical,
easy-to-understand model and price structure that makes it easy to train
sales staff on the bennies of the brand.

Want to be a dealer? Talk to Ruby Creek about a dealer app. We'd love to
show you some samples.