Ruby Creek Boathouse

Ruby Creek Blog has moved!

2011-07-31T11:55:00.000-07:00

For all things Ruby Creek Boathouse, you can now go straight to the Creek's web site. Clicking the logo below will take you to http://rubycreekboathouse.com/ :

All the cool stuff about new products from the best manufacturers, plus the Northwest's most awesome paddlesports races and festivals, in one spot with easy links to everything you need.

Thanks for following the blog, and we'll see you on the water!

Boat happy,
Bill

This paddling race is FREE! No kidding.

2011-04-04T10:44:00.001-07:00

If your competition budget is squeezed, this is the race for you. As George Bailey once said… “huh? That’s my trick ear. Sounded like you said ‘no charge’.”

That's right George, with many thanks to the Olympic Peninsula Paddling club, the 6th Annual Coho Dodge and Dash is set for Sunday morning, April 17^th, at 9am at Hollywood Beach in Port Angeles, over a 3.6 nautical mile course starting and finishing in front of the Red Lion Hotel. It's all part of the 11th Annual Port Angeles Kayak Symposium. The race is free, but please be there before 8:30am to sign in. No preregistration needed, just sign up when you get there and get going!

Competition is in 8 categories, with prizes provided by OPP and Olympic Raft & Kayak.

Since the race is part of the Port Angeles Kayak Symposium on the same weekend, ask for the Symposium discount when you call (360) 452-9215 for a room at the Symposim Host Hotel Port Angeles Red Lion. Rooms include the Roaring Start Breakfast Buffet! ...then take a quick walk to the beach and roar down the race course.

Learn to paddle the fast lane with Don Kiesling!

If you come out on Saturday for the Symposium, don’t miss preparing for the race in Don Kiesling’s “Racing Skills for the Everyday Paddler”, clinics #360 and #385, at the Symposium registration page .

Let's race! See you out there!

Guides needed for 2011 season

2011-02-22T08:41:00.001-08:00

Friend of Ruby Creek Ed Young at Whidbey Island Kayaking Company sent this yesterday…

Whidbey Island Kayaking Company is looking for qualified guides for our 2011 season. Although not required, we like to hire local people who have knowledge of Whidbey Island's natural history as well as local lore. A candidate should be friendly and outgoing, have excellent kayaking skills and knowledge of local conditions. To see a complete list of requirements go to www.whidbeyislandkayaking.com/employment.php

Race For Your Life Standings

2010-12-10T12:00:00.001-08:00

“You put her in WHAT boat class?”

Congrats to all the Deception Pass Dash racers who earned points in the 2010-11 Race For Your Life Series!

Recap: boat class winners receive points for the number of racers in their class, plus a two-point bonus, to a max of 12 points.

2^nd place gets the number of racers in the class, minus 1… 3^rd place, minus 2, etc.

All finishers get at least one point.

The next event in the Race For Your Life Series is the New Years Challenge, January 8^th in Seattle. Register now!

Current RFYL standings after the Dash:

WOMEN:

Sherri Cassuto 12

Susan Conrad 9

Terri Bedford 8

Kimberly Allen 7

Trista Bilmer 7

Heather Nelson 6

Maureen Peterson 6

Debbie Arthur 5

Ayu Othman 5

Suzy Cornell 4

Shawna Franklin 4

Barbara Gronseth 4

Kim Andersson 3

Nadja Baker Zimmerman 3

Cheryl Batty 3

Minnie Fontenelle 3

Vanessa Haycock 3

Theresa Knakal 3

Angela Knightley 3

Tracy Landboe 3

Pam Powell 3

Jodi Wright 3

Traci Cole 2

Alison Graham 2

Aubrey Rosenthal 2

Marianne Banks 1

Julie Beck 1

Cate Burnett 1

Setsuko Cox 1

Megan Kelly 1

Deborah Orth 1

Jennifer Peloquin 1

Sarah Roberts 1

Holly Rutledge 1

Robin Yakhour 1

MEN:

Karl Andersson 12

Troy Husband 12

Gabriel Newton 12

Alan Lipp 11

Beau Whitehead 11

Brandon Nelson 9

Timothy Niemeir 9

Douglas Peele 9

Chuck Curry 8

Drew Dixon 8

Joe Ferguson 8

Jeff Hegedus 8

Jeff Underwood 8

Timothy Burke 7

Larry Bussinger 7

Greg Gilbert 7

Wayne Horodowich 7

Ken Kroeger 7

Brian Page 7

Patrick Aio 6

Brian Boatman 6

Paul Clement 6

Eric Gerstl 6

George Gronseth 6

Warren Williamson 6

Ernie Wong 6

Morris Arthur 5

Thomas Hanny 5

Vance Hashimoto 5

Jiri Richter 5

Michael Riordan 5

Scott Vesey 5

Darrell Bednark 4

Andy Bridge 4

Tom Cartmill 4

Reivers Dustin 4

Blake Hanley 4

Jasen Kaya 4

Robb Nichols 4

Don Rice 4

Michael Woods 4

Brian Arndt 3

Kevin R Bowman 3

Windsor Cheney 3

James Clapp 3

James Doherty 3

Mike Gregory 3

Michael Hammer 3

Matt Hayes 3

John Holtman 3

Andrew Jaquiss 3

Nick Kappas 3

Jeffrey Knakal 3

Michael Lee 3

Robert Meenk 3

Thom Prichard 3

Aaron Rinn 3

Glenn Rogers 3

Peter Wells 3

Mathew Wendell 3

Jim Zimmerman 3

Greg Bawden 2

Geoff Briggs 2

Gary Cassulis 2

Tracy Clapp 2

Michael Cline 2

Robert Freelove 2

Jeff Gassen 2

Sean Gibson 2

Lance Kahn 2

Troy Nishikawa 2

Seth Albanese 1

Harry Allen 1

Gerardo Andaluz 1

John Anderson 1

Dan Baharav 1

Martin Barker 1

Jeff Bedford 1

Thomas Borst 1

Matthew Charles 1

Clement Corbiell 1

David Couvrette 1

Brent Couvrette 1

Carl Darmer 1

David Desertspring 1

Keith Doorenbos 1

Patrick Doyle 1

Andrew Elizaga 1

Peter Englander 1

Ted Eugenis 1

John Fiddler 1

John Flynn 1

Terry Fox 1

Ryan Gander 1

Michael Germani 1

Mark Greengo 1

Ed Hand 1

Fred Inman 1

Joseph Kaftan 1

David Kau 1

Don Kiesling 1

Sherman Krantz 1

John Kuntz 1

Paul LaPointe 1

Rick Lingbloom 1

Eric Long 1

Danniel Longboatshortboat 1

Alan Marshall 1

Ed Matkovick 1

Christopher May 1

Patrick McCarty 1

Perry McGinity 1

Eric Mead 1

Larry Obryant 1

David Ortland 1

Eric Paige 1

Mark Peele 1

Mark Peloquin 1

Dean Peterson 1

Bill Porter 1

Scott Prato 1

David Price 1

Henry Romer 1

Greg Routt 1

James Schultz 1

Rembrandt Smith 1

Chris Smith 1

Jerry Sowder 1

Sam Stroich 1

David Thompson 1

Matt Treat 1

Jesse Varsi 1

Marc Whitlock 1

David Willett 1

Ron Wright 1

Warmup victory... with a stick!

2010-11-10T06:58:00.001-08:00

Congrats to Wayne Horodowich, winner of the 6-mile race at Kayak Academy’s Greenland Week festivities on Lake Sammamish, November 6^th. Here he smiles for the camera with his stick paddle and blue ribbon… and he’s thinking how much faster he’ll go at the Dash with that awesome wing paddle.

Go Wayne! See you next month!

Deception Pass Dash is coming!

2010-11-08T14:19:00.000-08:00

Just a few weeks til the 5^th Annual Deception Pass Dash, on Saturday the 4^th of December. Last year's start (above) saw nearly 200 entries, and this year’s event looks awesome too with lots of great PR going out to the outrigger and SUP communities.

Fellow adventurer Steve Weilman just posted a couple of vids on his blog with highlights from the 2007 and 2008 races. Take a gander over there, stay tuned for more info, and sign up before November 15^th to get the early bird price of $45 for race entry, tee shirt and a hot meal. If you'd rather stand watch than race, join the safety kayak crew. 2007's brave and talented rescue team is shown above. Contact Blair Corson to join the crew, info@outdooradventurecenter.com or 425-883-9039. And we can always use a hand with check-in, timing, and results, so if you want to help out on land, contact Bill at deceptionpassdash@gmail.com or 206-940-6269.

Ruby Creek hosts the Hoedown!

2010-09-06T13:30:00.001-07:00

With many thanks to Dave King at Olympic Raft & Kayak, Ruby Creek has taken over ownership and management of the annual Hobuck Hoedown surf paddling festival in Neah Bay, WA.

The festival was founded in 2007 by Rob Casey, who's still a trusted valuable advisor. Rob wanted more time to compete and to shoot pics like the ones below so he handed it off to Dave and then to Ruby Creek.

Registration is at active.com, right here.

We've created the festival's own blog page, right here.

George Gronseth... it's a wet sport!
Ken Campbell, rippin' it on a SUP board.

A waveski paddler heads out through the break in the late-day sun.

Smilin' George Gronseth after another sweet ride.

Sample pfds available

2010-09-03T15:47:00.000-07:00

Check out the selection of Stohlquist pfds from the Ruby Creek sample stock. The vests here are listed below in the same order as they're shown on the video. Prices shown below are all at least 30% off MSRP, and this gear is clean, fully functional, and nearly new.

For full specs on each vest please see the Stohlquist Waterware web site. Model names shown in pink are specifically designed for women.

Not shown in the video:
1 Escape, blue, Youth size (50-90 lbs) - $35

Starting at the beginning of the video:

Nemo, blue, Infant size (<30 lbs) - $35

Nemo, red/yellow, Child size (30-50) - $35

Drifter, mango, Youth size (50-90) - $60

OSFA, 5 available, 1 red 1 yellow 3 blue - $45 each

Fisherman, 3 available - $80:
1 olive, L/XL
1 olive, S/M
1 mango, L/XL

Women's Getaway, periwinkle, M/L - $55

Getaway, mango, Men's L/XL - $55

Escape, yellow, Men's M/L - $40

Brik, red, L - $70

Women's Kitty, 3 available - $70:
1 sage, S/M
1 powder blue, L/XL
1 powder blue, S/M

X-Traxt, red, XL - $120

Women's Cruiser, 2 available - $70
1 powder blue, XS/S
1 pink, Plus

Women's Betsea, sage, L/XL - $70

A piece of paddling history comes home

2010-08-31T19:52:00.000-07:00

Looking a little forlorn and lonely on REI's shipping dock, Steph's Raven waits for a ride home.

When Steph Dutton set off to paddle from British Columbia to Baja California in 1993, he may not have known he was destined for fame in the paddling community. He was simply trying to raise awareness for people with disabilities who wanted to stretch their limits.

Steph's mantra, right where he could see it every day.

In an Eddyline Raven, Steph paddled the US Pacific Coast in 54 days, averaging 30 nautical miles a day. That’s a long way in a short time, even with a land support crew.

For many years since Steph’s adventure, his Raven – still sporting his compass, drogue (sea anchor), and numerous sponsors’ decals – adorned the lobby of the Seattle REI store. Now it’s back home where it started, at Eddyline’s factory in Burlington WA.

Here is Eddyline co-owner Lisa Derrer with a few more thoughts about this well-traveled boat's history.

Steph Dutton and Heidi Tiura now own and operate California’s Trinity River Adventure Inn, as well as Monterey Bay’s Sanctuary Cruises.

Eddyline serial number, clear as a bell after 17 years.

There's a story in that nick in Steph's rudder. Shark? Reef? Angry BCU Coach?

Steph's Raven took its place on the Ruby Creek delivery truck, a symbol of old and new next to two brand new Sambas and two Emotion AdvantEdges on their way to Mountain to Sound Outfitters.

Thick with years of dust, the Raven's journey home was a cleansing one in the Northwest's summer rain.

Excited to welcome an old friend, Richard -- who has worked at Eddyline for over 15 years, told me "I've met her before"... then showed off his shirt.

Paddle sale

2010-08-23T11:31:00.001-07:00

Ruby Creek is working through used sample stock to prepare for the 2011 season. All paddles here are in great shape and their good condition can be viewed in the video, where they’re shown in order as in the list below. That said, all sales are final and paddles are sold as-is. For further specs on construction and weights of these paddles please see web listings for Bending Branches, Aquabound, and Swift Paddles. Thanks.

Bending Branches wood Canoe paddles:

Arrow 56" - $45

Sun Shadow 54" - $65

Beavertail 57" - $45

Traveler 51" - $35

Twig 36" - $25

Sunburst 14 52" - $110

Espresso 14 52" - $65

BB Special 50" - $45

Viper Double Bend 54" - $95

Sun Shadow 14 50" - $65

Aquabound Canoe:

Odyssey 58" - $55

Edge 56" - $55

Bending Branches Wood Kayak:

Tailwind Evening 220cm - SOLD

Sun Shadow Bent Shaft Day 220cm - SOLD

Impression Day 220cm - SOLD

Sandpiper Evening 220cm - $85

BB Kayak:

Sunrise AL 230cm - $45

Glide SMALL SHAFT FG 220cm - $75

Glide STANDARD SHAFT FG 220cm - $75

Slice PLUS ADJUSTABLE 215-30cm - $75

Slice SMALL SHAFT 220cm - $75

Slice STANDARD SHAFT 230cm - SOLD

Aquabound Kayak:

Hammerhead kids WW 180cm - $65

4-pc. Shred WW Hybrid 196cm - $85

Shred WW Carbon 196cm - $110

Splat WW FG 196cm - $75

Sting Ray AL 220cm - $55

Manta Ray AL 220cm - $55

Manta Ray FG 220cm - $65

Sting Ray FG 230cm - $65

Sharkie kids touring 200cm - $65

Sting Ray Hybrid 220cm - $85

Eagle Ray Hybrid TLC 220cm - $85

Sting Ray Hybrid TLC 230cm - SOLD

Sting Ray Hybrid 220cm - $85

(BB Discontinued) Glide Carbon 215-30cm - SOLD

Manta Ray Carbon 220cm - $110

Sting Ray Carbon TLC - SOLD

Eagle Ray Carbon TLC 210cm - $110

(BB Discontinued) FG Breeze Evening SMALL SHAFT 220cm - $175

(BB Discontinued) FG Breeze Twilight SMALL SHAFT 220cm - $175

Spindrift FG SMALL SHAFT 220cm - $175

Surge Carbon 210cm - SOLD

Swift Kayak paddles

Mid Swift Flames 220cm - $175

Sea Swift Carbon 215cm - SOLD

Mid Swift 220cm - $175

Wind Swift 225cm - $175

Emotion Traverse SUP

2010-08-06T16:42:00.000-07:00

Barb Gronseth of Kayak Academy busts a move on the new Traverse.

Washington state is already a hotbed of Standup Paddleboarding. Now there’s a batch of paddling dealers with an amazingly inexpensive way to get on the water and into this awesome new sport. At just $399 MSRP, the Traverse SUP board from Emotion Kayaks is just over ten feet long, and 36” wide. It has a small hatch to store your valuables while paddling, four burly grab handles, and a flexible fin so you don’t bust it up on the rocks. It was designed by none other than His Awesomeness, Corran Addison, for Emotion Kayaks, and it really shines on the whitewater... But it’s not so bad on a beautiful Seattle evening on Elliott Bay, either.

Bottom and top of the brand new board design. Rob Casey photo.

If your local Emotion dealer doesn't carry the Traverse yet, tell him you're all excited about this new boat any they need to get 'em in! Or check out the board at any of these eight dealers, instructors and rental shops that already have it in stock:

LFS Marine in Bellingham

Popeye’s Marine in Everett

Olympic Raft & Kayak in Port Angeles

Leavenworth Mountain Sports in, of course, Leavenworth

Ross Lake Resort in the North Cascades

Alki Kayak Tours / Mountain to Sound Outfitters in Seattle

Salmon Bay Paddle in Seattle

Kayak Academy in Issaquah

Here are a few of them proudly showing off their new boards:

Dave King, Olympic Raft & Kayak

Jean-Luc and Adam at Leavenworth Mountain Sports

LFS Marine, on the water in Bellingham at Squalicum Harbor

Kayak Academy's Lake Sammamish location on a lovely summer day

Barb and Whende at Kayak Academy... it was love at first sight! Good thing I brought two boards!

On the red board, Greg Whitaker of Alki Kayak Tours gets the Traverse into the salty swells of Elliott Bay.

Let's Samba!

2010-08-06T10:45:00.000-07:00

Kayak Academy's Whende Keatts, smilin' & stylin' Eddyline's latest new boat

Eddyline Kayaks introduces its newest model, with performance features for everyone to enjoy.

At just under 14 feet, and 44 pounds, it’s a responsive, playful kayak designed to stylishly update the hugely popular Merlin LT design. I paddled this little guy, all 6’3”, 215 pounds of me, and loved it… wished the conditions were a little burlier than Lake Sammamish; even tried to flag down a passing ski boat to get a good wake to ride.

The boat is designed for the smaller paddler though. Whende and Barb jumped in it at Kayak Academy in Issaquah, and came away with big smiles.

Kayak Academy co-owner Barb Gronseth, dancing the Samba beat

Big, but not as big as the grin on the face of Samba Sue that evening at Alki Kayak Tours, where Sue and her husband Stu came by for a test paddle on their way to a romantic sunset dinner. Sue was the first potential customer to paddle the Samba, and she left her name on Alki’s wait list for the new boat! She loved it!

Smilin' Samba Sue

Speaking of wait lists, production is scheduled to start in a couple weeks, and the boat will be MSRP’d at $2,199. Color options are red, blue, yellow, white, and a limited run of Eddyline Orange. Hulls are white, or can be in color for an additional charge. Talk to your local Eddyline dealer today, and grab this new little bundle of joy!

Olympic Raft & Kayak, Port Angeles

Popeye’s Marine, Everett

Boston Harbor Marina, Olympia

Alki Kayak Tours / Mountain to Sound Outfitters, Seattle

Kayak Academy, Issaquah

Olympic Outdoor Center, Port Gamble

Seakayakshop.com, Anacortes

Ahhhhhhh….. just another lovely evening in paradise.

Tahoe SUP boards - sold

2010-07-13T06:40:00.001-07:00

These WERE sweeeeet boards... sold!

2009 Tahoe Woody, used for demo events for less than a year

2009 Tahoe Rubicon, paddled just a couple times

Located in my warehouse in Anacortes.

Demo Kayak Sale

2010-07-12T13:25:00.001-07:00

Ruby Creek is rotating the 2010 demo boat stock out for the season, so we can get a whole shiny new fleet next Spring! Now’s your chance to grab a good deal on a lightly used kayak. The links shown here go directly to the manufacturer’s web site so you can pick up all the specs. All of these prices are at least 25% under MSRP for these models when new.

Take a look at the videos below for an idea of the excellent condition of all these boats.

Please contact rubycreekboathouse@gmail.com or call Ruby Creek World HQ at 206-940-6269. Cash or checks only.

Eddyline Kayaks:

Eddyline Fathom LV (low volume), red over white --SOLD (MSRP new $2,669)

Eddyline Equinox, red over white --- $1,399 (MSRP new $1,999)

Eddyline Journey, light blue over white --- SOLD

Eddyline Sandpiper, light blue over white --- SOLD (MSRP new $1,349)

…and another Eddyline Sandpiper, NEW and still in the wrapper (shipping error, came back to us), --- SOLD .

Here's a new vid showing all 4 Eddyline boats for sale.

Emotion Kayaks:

Emotion Bliss, lime--- $345 (MSRP new $499)

Emotion Exhilarator, blue --- $370 (MSRP new $499)

2009 Emotion Mojo, yellow (w/o folding seat; older style hatch) --- SOLD (MSRP new was $649)

2010 Emotion Mojo, yellow (w/ folding seat) --- $490 (MSRP new $699)

Emotion Edge, blue – --- SOLD

Emotion Charger, lime --- $290(MSRP new $399)

Emotion Glide, yellow --- SOLD

Emotion Tandemonium, tangerine --- $499 (MSRP new $769)

Emotion AdvantEdge, tangerine --- SOLD (MSRP new $599)

Emotion Grand Slam, blue --- $590 (MSRP new $829)

Emotion Spitfire, red --- SOLD (MSRP new $250)

Emotion Comet, blue --- $200 (MSRP new $280)

Emotion Temptation, blue --- $440 (MSRP new $579)

You can pick these boats up at Ruby Creek’s warehouse at 9117 Molly Lane, Anacortes WA 98221 or we’ll work out a delivery.

Ruby Creek has a large selection of 1-2 season-old pfds and paddles too. Working on a list – check back soon!

Big props to Emotion Kayaks!

2010-04-11T22:42:00.001-07:00

Big Tom Strauss of Emotion Kayaks will not be photographed without that smile on his face.

Big Tom Strauss, he’s our man, and he’s come through again with an awesome display of generosity, support for a fantastic cause, and BIG LOVE for the kayak fishing community in the Puget Sound area.

Big Smilin’ Tom, President of Emotion Kayaks, agreed to donate a Stealth fishing kayak to the 2010 Anacortes Salmon Derby, which attracted 1,000 enthusiastic fishermen earlier this month. In its first three years, the Derby raised over $73,000 for Puget Sound Anglers’ scholarship program for young students pursuing careers in Fisheries Management and related areas.

Kayak winner Keith Hofkamp of Burlington WA told me "that's my picture... with the big ass fish". Yeah Keith, that's one big ass fish, and congrats on winning the boat! Dean Hislop photo courtesy of Anacortes Salmon Derby

Knowing that support for research and proper management of salmon habitat means support for the entire ecosystem, from our local endangered Orcas (who eat the big yummy salmon too) to the thick-forested headwaters of our streams where they spawn, Big Tom stepped up where it counts.

The lucky winner of the Stealth kayak was Keith Hofkamp of Burlington, WA, who caught a 21.6-pound Chinook Salmon. Congrats Keith! And thanks again to Big Tom Strauss for making it happen!

Here's the boat Tom donated and Keith won with his 21+-pound whopper... all in the name of helping another generation of young people get educated and keep our waters clean and our salmon healthy!

Emotion Kayaks are popping up in outdoor shops all over the Northwest, including Puget Sound dealers LFS Marine in Bellingham, Wholesale Sports at nine locations in Washington and Oregon, Popeye’s Marine and Grass Roots Outdoors in Everett, Mountain to Sound Outfitters in Seattle, Olympic Outdoor Center in Port Gamble, Ship to Shore Marine in Gig Harbor, Boston Harbor Marina in Olympia, and Olympic Raft & Kayak in Port Angeles.

FREE Movie premiere: "This is Canoeing"

2010-03-15T18:20:00.001-07:00

Justine Curgenven ("This is the Sea" series) brings you a brand new take on paddling adventure movies with "This is Canoeing". Sponsored by Esquif Canoes, Justine's newest film covers the world's greatest paddling destinations and shows an amazing variety of paddling skills, from graceful ballet to hardcore slalom racing.The Northwest USA premiere is happening at Cascade Canoe & Kayak in Renton, WA on Saturday the 20^th of March. Cascade’s Dan Henderson will fire up the grill at 1:30, serve some chow, chat about the movie, and get it on screen around 2:30.Check out the sweet video trailer here:http://www.cackletv.com/canoeing/this-is-canoeing/Please RSVP here if you're coming and we'll pass the info along to Dan, or call him at the shop at (425) 430-0111. Directions are on CC&K's site, http://www.canoe-kayak.com/locations/renton

Add - A- Buoy

2010-03-11T15:26:00.001-08:00

Check out the Add-a-Buoy air bladder for Stohlquist’s new Descent PFD. This hard core rescue vest gets another 5 lbs of flotation when the bladder is inflated. Without inflation the bladder sits flat in the vest pocket, and the air tube fits through a grommet to be stored in Stohlquist’s “garage” pouch at the top of the vest.

Paddling events on the Spring calendar

2010-03-09T17:34:00.000-08:00

You can tell it’s Spring when cool stuff like this is happening in Northwest paddlesports:

>>FREE<< “This is Canoeing” premiere -- Saturday, March 20: Justine Curgenven and Esquif Canoes present “This is Canoeing” (Click the title to see the sweeeeet trailer). The Washington premiere is at Cascade Canoe & Kayak in Renton, WA. Cascade’s Dan Henderson says we’ll fire up the BBQ grill around 1:30pm, then get the movie going when everyone’s finished eating. The show is free!

Port Angeles Kayak Symposium -- Friday-Sunday, April 16-18: Dave King and Olympic Raft & Kayak present the 10th annual Port Angeles Kayak Symposium, in front of the Red Lion Hotel. Admission to the demo beach is FREE with a donation to the P.A. Food Bank. Along with huge savings and great deals on boats and gear, the weekend features guest speakers, beach bonfires, skill & safety clinics, on-water demos, a Sunday-morning race, and as always the warm hospitality of your friends at Olympic.

WAKE Demo Day -- Saturday May 1^st: Whatcom Association of Kayak Enthusiasts presents another Annual Demo Day on Lake Whatcom. Keep an eye on their web site for details.

Unleash the Beast! -- Saturday & Sunday, May 8^th & 9^th: John Kuntz and crew at Olympic Outdoor Center in Port Gamble have combined sea kayaking, standup paddling, mountain biking, adventure-films and racing, and a beer garden to top it off, and stirred up “Unleash the Beast”. It’s a groundbreaking Adventure Sports Expo and features the Reel Paddling Film Festival, demos, clinics, a mountain bike competition, and Paddle the Dragon, a 6-mile paddling race presented by Paddling Dynamics.

Races – full info to be available soon, but mark your calendar now:

Paddle the Dragon, Sunday May 9th, Port Gamble

DeFuca Downwinder, Saturday June 12th, Port Angeles

San Juan Orca Challenge, Saturday Sept 11^th, Anacortes

Seattle Boat Show

2010-03-09T17:29:00.000-08:00

The Big Seattle Boat Show in February featured gear from Eddyline, Emotion, Stohlquist, Aquabound/Bending Branches, Hippo Patch and Rec Repair, well represented at booths from Popeye’s Marine, LFS Marine, and Hobie Cats Northwest. If you need any evidence that things are loosening up in our economy just a bit, you need look no further than the great results these dealers had at the show. Take a look at the great variety of gear on display below.

Many thanks to Zack and the whole crew from LFS, Dean and Bedelia from Popeye’s, and Kevin and Dan from Hobie Cat NW for your hard work getting all these great brands out there.

Popeye's Marine just picked up the RecRepair and Hippo Patch products a few months ago.

Clockwise from left - Comet, Stealth, AdvantEdge and CoMotion. All got lots of interest at the show, and helped LFS make some good sales.

Stacks of Spitfires! These and all the Emotion models appealed to yachters looking for something to keep on their deck that would be easy to get on and off their boat and into the water.

Dean and Bedelia brought an Eddyline Journey and this Fathom to the show and got plenty of impressed looks... and a few sales to go with them.

Popeye's got a little jacked around by management on their display space, but they made the most of it and got plenty of merchandise in there.

I'm not sure Dean really wants to sell this ActionFish kayak. It's way too pretty to go on the water, especially with this BB Tailwind stick.

LaPush Pummel 2010 wrap

2010-03-05T10:06:00.000-08:00

The LaPush Pummel was another huge success with beautiful weather and lovely waves. The shoulder still kept this paddler outta the surf but an awesome time was had by everyone who got out there. Gorgeous sunset, an easy & peaceful paddle through the relics in the harbor and upriver on the Quileute, and some great times with old paddling friends. All this sandwiched between breathtaking trips West- and Eastbound past Lake Crescent.

Gary Luhm’s web site shows the real action at the Pummel. Take a look, and keep in mind he’s an award-winning professional photographer, so please let Gary know if you’re interested in using any of his photos. His contact info is below.

http://www.garyluhm.net/lightroomwebstuff/lapush_2010/index.html

Gary Luhm Photography
Specializing in sea kayaking, kayak surfing, birding, mountain scenics,
tidepools
e-mail: gluhm@garyluhm.net
website: www.garyluhm.net
425-828-6594

Props for the paddle crew

2010-03-04T19:21:00.000-08:00

A year ago two top names in paddlesports came together – Bending Branches and Aqua-Bound – and they continue to inspire loyalty in their dealers and paddlers far and wide. Here’s a little feedback from our friend Peter Littler at Camp de Base in Pointe Claire, Quebec….

From: Peter Littler
Subject: Re: Camp De Base

Hello Rick,

I would like to convey my appreciation for the level of customer service that Bending Branches offers us as a retailer. The transition from Joe and the Aquabound team to Bending Branches has been seamless and business as usual in my opinion, and as you know Aquabound has always been hailed as one of the best companies to deal with in the outdoor industry.

Please pass this on to the Bending Branches/Aquabound team and thank you for all your hard work; keep it up.

Happy paddling from the Camp de Base team,

Peter Littler

Purchasing/Marketing Director

Rockpool's newest kayak

2010-02-27T10:15:00.000-08:00

“Hey I need a new boat… can I try yours?” is usually a recipe for a good day on the water, and this day was no exception. My buddy Wade was looking for a new kayak and wanted to put my Rockpool Alaw Bach TCC through the ringer. Since I’m just a little big for the boat at 6’3”, 210, and Wade is a little shorter -- not to mention a more skilled and aggressive paddler -- this seemed like a great moment to get some pics of the boat in action.

Photographic evidence: the boat looks sweet on the water…

…edges nicely…

…and by golly, check out the nice balance on its side.

Wade dug the boat and, last update, is waiting for his tax refund.

For a little more about the boat, check out this terrific video -- complete with great tunes, so turn up the volume -- from Daniel Arbuckle at Penguin Paddlers in California!

Comet Kayak hits the water!

2010-02-26T09:17:00.000-08:00

On one of our recent not-so-typical gorgeous winter days here in the Northwest, Matthew Ross of seakayakshop.com in Anacortes joined Ruby Creek for a demo of the first Comet off the first container shipped from Emotion Kayaks. A sweet, fun little boat for just $279 MSRP. The blowmolded shell is light weight and really durable; there's a float bag in the stern for emergency buoyancy; deck bungees including a paddle-park next to the cockpit; and adjustable footbraces so everyone from the kids to the tall old man (speaking strictly for myself here) can jump in and have a great time.

The Comet is available from any of your favorite Emotion Kayaks dealers, including:

Boston Harbor Marina in Olympia

Ship to Shore Marine in Gig Harbor

Olympic Raft & Kayak in Port Angeles

Popeye's Marine in Everett

Alki Kayak Tours/ Mountain to Sound Outfitters in West Seattle

LFS Marine & Outdoor in Bellingham

...and of course, Matthew's own seakayakshop.com right here on Commercial Avenue in Anacortes. Thanks Matthew for coming out to paddle the new guy!

Happypaddlin.com shows some very cool video of how well the Comet performs in moving water, as Ethan took the prototype for a spin last Fall. Take a look… then get on the water in the new Comet!

Matthew and I, both "larger men", still fit comfortably in this little boat, ready for...

...another beautiful day of paddling on our Salish Sea!

Costa Zane 580s... wear 'em!

2010-02-16T15:51:00.001-08:00

OK, JUST a little spendy. But oh man. What a pair of shades. Take a look at this review from www.overboardboater.com, an awesome place for reviewing all things watery. Like our sunglasses.

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(from overboardboater.com, Nov 10 2009 -- italics added by Ruby Creek)
REVIEW: Costa 580 Silver Mirror Lenses

For scientific purposes, on a recent fishing outing I took off my shades and stared at the water. Clouds rolled in, obscuring the surface with their reflection and magnifying the glare. I put the shades back on, a pair of Costa Del Mar Zane glasses with 580 Silver Mirror Lenses. The vegetation and underwater contours of the shoreline popped as if on a big flat screen HD.

The whole purpose of lens polarization is to reduce glare, caused by how light waves bounce off a flat surface like, say, water. These waves reflect back to your eyes along a horizontal plane. Sunglass makers combat this by making lenses with vertical polarization filters that block the reflected light, cancelling out glare. This can be done on the cheap by spraying a thin chemical film on surface of the lenses, like you'd find on drugstore shades. Or it can be encapsulated within the lens, as Costa does with its 580 glass lens technology.

Costa calls them 580 lenses because they block yellow light, the hardest for the human eye to process, at 580 nanometers. (Visible light ranges from about 390 to 780 nm.) The result is they enhance the remaining light and give you that feeling that the whole world is coming at you in vivid detail.

The 580 technology has been around for a few years, but what I noticed about the new Silver Mirrors is how well they worked in low light conditions. I could pick up things at dawn and dusk or on overcast days that I missed when I threw on other high-quality polarized glasses. Costa says the Silver Mirror lenses let in more natural rays, with 12 percent light transmission compared to 9 percent for other lenses.

In an age of ridiculous over-specialization, the 580 Silver Mirrors are also versatile. They served me well both on a lake and searching for pelagics 40 miles offshore, and in a variety of conditions. (I could actually see better with them on while driving in the rain.)

The nylon Zane frames, named after the Zane Grey Reef in Panama (named after, well, Zane Grey), are updated versions of the popular Fathom style. The price tag will scare people off; some will have a hard time shelling out $239 for an item they're guaranteed to lose, drop overboard, or step on. But the hi def view may be worth it.

For more information visit www.costadelmar.com

LaPush Pummel

2010-02-15T22:49:00.000-08:00

Pummel on! Got this from my buddies Ken and Ellen…

Greetings fellow surf lovers,
Two weeks to the annual La Push Pummel. Were hopping for a repeat of last
year's conditions , clear blue skies, 6'-7' glassy beauties ,with a slight
offshore. If you are interested in renting a cabin, contact the Quileute
Oceanside Resort @ (360) 374-5267.Let them know that your with the pummel,
if enough of us rent cabins they will give us all a discount. They also have
a deal, if you reserve for two nights, you get a third one for free.
We are not sure yet if the tribe will be up for doing a dinner for us on
Saturday night. It depends in part on how many of us there will be. Please
drop us a E-mail if you are planning on attending so we can get a count for
them. We have the club house reserved for Saturday night, so if the tribe
doesn't do a dinner , we will do a pot luck dinner ourselves. Hopefully the
tribal crab boats can go out ,so we can get fresh crab from them at the
dock. We will send out another E-mail as the time gets closer when we know
more .Tell your friends, bring your families, bring your beach toys and let
the fun begin.

Winter Paddlesports Races

2009-12-30T11:27:00.001-08:00

Info on Winter races below forwarded by Shane Baker. Thanks Shane!

Also don't forget the Sound Rowers races (http://www.soundrowers.org/) starting with LaConner on Feb 6 and Lake Sammamish on March 13. Lots of fun opportunities for racers this year.

Mark your calendar -- Here is an updated 2010 Winter Series Race Schedule.

In addition to this list below, there is an Annual Fox Island paddle around Fox Island at 10am on January 1st. At the Fox Island Bridge. contact Shane Baker at Kiwibaker@aol.com if interested for more details.

Happy New Year!

2010 New Year's Challenge - This Weekend!
OC-1/2/6, Surfskis, Kayaks, SUP'S and non-motorized watercrafts
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Race Starts at 11:00am
6.5 mile downwinder from Gasworks Park to Magnuson Park or vice-versa depending on winds

More details and info to come or see more details and RSVP, follow the link below:
http://www.facebook.com/n/?event.php&eid=185806376055&mid=17f9351G222b4f4aG3529d9bG7
Hosted by the Sail Sand Point Outrigger Canoe Club

Ruston Way Solo/Relay
Tacoma, Washington
March 20th, 2010
On Tacoma's Commencement Bay
Jack Hyde Park
Open to all OC's, Surfski's, Kayaks, SUP's and non-motorized watercrafts
10.5 miles Solo or Partners of 2 - 8 paddlers 2.6 miles per lap(4 total laps)
Registration at 9am
Race Starts at 11am
(special fundraiser for our 2010 World Sprint Paddler headed to New Caledonia)
Hosted by PNW-ORCA

2010 PNW-ORCA WINTER SERIES RACE SCHEDULE

January 16th - B.C. Canada - Jericho OCC - 11am

January 30th - Lake Union, Wa. - Hui Wa'a O Wakinikona - 11am

February 13th - Portland, Oregon - Mountain Home CC - 11am

February 27th - Silverdale, Washington - Hui Heihei Wa'a - 11am

March 13th - Portland, Oregon - Kai Ikaika CC - 11am

March 27th - B.C. Canada - False Creek CC - 11am

April 10th - Sand Point, Washington - Sail Sand Point OCC - 11am

Check www.pnworca.org for more details on race series and points

Please pass on to your paddlers

Mahalo and Happy Holidays!

Rockpool Kayaks Alaw Bach!

2009-12-28T13:38:00.001-08:00

Rockpool North America partners with Eddyline to build the first thermoformed British kayak
... and Ruby Creek can help you get your hands on it!

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF JESS WALKER

Chris Mitchell of Rockpool North America recently announced a partnership with Eddyline Kayaks featuring Rockpool's popular Alaw Bach kayak in Thermoformed Composite Construction -- the same burly, lightweight, affordable, space-age material made immensely popular by designers & innovators Lisa and Tom Derrer of Eddyline. Earlier this month, Mitchell stated on his web site:

"After many months we are pleased to announce that we are starting to ship the NEW Rockpool ALAW Bach TCC to our Reps across North America and will be filling a container for Europe later this month.

The TCC is a colaboration between Rockpool Kayaks of Wales, UK and Reed/Rockpool North America, LLC. We decided to build the ALAW Bach because we wanted this very popular boat to be more readily available to the many paddlers world wide that recognise the sophisticated design and expert craftsmanship of the Rockpool ALAW Bach. Instead of trying to find a cheaper source of labor we instead looked to a more modern technology that works smarter and to the same type of quality standards that Rockpool is famous for.

TCC stands for Thermoformed Composite Construction. We chose Eddyline Kayaks of Burlington, WA to partner with as they were the first and recognised leader in the field of thermoforming kayaks. We knew they would be able to bring this great design forward with their years of experience in kayak thermoforming."

Ruby Creek, as always in partnership with HappyPaddler Ethan Ebersold, is ecstatic to be a part of this arrangement. Distribution will be through dealers across the USA and Canada, some who are currently carrying Eddyline and some who are not. Check in with Ruby Creek at paddlazz@comcast.net to schedule your first test paddle and to find your nearest dealer! This is going to be a terrific seller. MSRP is $2,995.

The minimalist backband can be replace with something larger if you like. This one's nice though.

Christmas may be over, but Santa wants you to have a new Rockpool!

Emotion's First Comet!

2009-12-17T10:39:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-12-05T19:31:00.001-08:00

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

2009-12-03T09:52:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-20T10:56:00.001-08:00

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?

2009-11-20T10:39:00.001-08:00

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!

2009-11-20T00:30:00.001-08:00

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

2009-11-19T22:09:00.001-08:00

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.

SKU Rationalization Hitting Outdoor Specialty Channel

2009-11-17T09:28:00.001-08:00

Here's an article passed on from the Outdoor Industry Association News by Gregg Gunderman at AquaBound-Bending Branches. The point -- in today's economy, pick what works, commit to it, go narrow & deep with your sku selection, and by all means do NOT confuse the customer with too many choices. All good advice. Thanks Gregg for passing this along.

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SKU Rationalization Hitting Outdoor Specialty Channel

After years of assaulting shoppers with a growing array of SKUs, retailers are reigning in their product offerings and outdoor specialty retailers are no exception.

In a recent conference call, Costco told security analysts it had reduced its average store SKU count by 150 to 200, although much of it came from tobacco. Target has consolidated multiple private label sub-brands in its home furnishings area into a single brand. “We are editing the assortment and reducing SKU count to allow for cleaner presentation and to more clearly communicate the strength of this brand to our guests,” the company told security analysts earlier this year. Dick’s Sporting Goods reported this spring that they were dialing in their model stock and letting tertiary brands and SKUs go.

The SKU rationalization is part of the broader shift away from new store openings and toward improving operations at existing stores. In some instances, this allows retailers to secure better shipping rates and other volume discounts from remaining vendors

“We’ve stepped back from opening stores and are focusing more on comprehensive financial management of existing stores,” said Frank Pitts, franchise development manager for Fleet Feet, which has franchised about 90 stores nationwide, including just one new store this year. “We suggest they are better off going narrow and deep. That is part of our financial management advice.“

San Diego-based regional chain Adventure 16 has reduced its SKU count by about 5 percent for the upcoming holiday season, said CEO John Mead. “There will be more accessories, but a tighter more focused gift selection and many less lifestyle shoes.”

In Minneapolis, Midwest Mountaineering has reduced SKUs in camping by reducing the number of brands offered for some items from four or five to two or three, said owner Rod Johnson. The retailer has left apparel relatively untouched and increased its footwear SKUs.

The biggest SKU cut has come in paddlesports, where Midwest Mountaineering has eliminated some pricier kevlar and fiberglass boats most impacted by the recession. “We still have 130 boat models, so the choice is still overwhelming,” said Johnson.

Like Target, Eastern Mountain Sports trimmed back SKUs for its EMS brand in a move that actually enhanced EMS brand penetration in top categories.

The trimming at retail and tight credit markets are prompting manufacturers to rightsize their own operations. Johnson Outdoors, for instance, has been working to reduce SKU counts across the company by 20 percent as part of an aggressive cost-cutting program.

At The Alpine Store in St. Louis, MO, co-owner Lisa Hollenbeck is now concerned she may have cut SKUs too deeply as part of a 20 percent reduction in inventory from the fourth quarter last year. The retailer pulled back on color selection in women’s rainwear and eliminated duplication in several categories, while adding to its selection of gift socks.

SKU rationalization may seem counterintuitive at a time when consumers can go online and find exactly what they want. But it may already be bearing fruit. In the last week, U.S. news wires have carried several stories warning consumers that they will find less to choose from on store shelves this holiday season. That could motivate consumers to shop early and prevent a repeat of last year’s panic discounting by retailers.

Regardless, many in retail wonder if consumers are suffering brand fatigue.

“If you are offering everything out there, you are probably doing a disservice to the consumer,” said Dan Mann, a retail consultant. “If you offer me the same product across five different brands, that’s just confusing.”

Mann said he is questioning the “good, better, best” model of retailing. Perhaps specialty retailers should concede the low end of the market to mass and focus on better and best.

“I'd like us to go deeper with some of things we are committed to,” he said of outdoor retailers. “Don't confuse the customer with 17 other choices.”

If you are offering everything out there, you are probably doing a disservice to the consumer,” said Dan Mann, a retail consultant. “If you offer me the same product across five different brands, that’s just confusing.”

Mann said he is questioning the “good, better, best” model of retailing. Perhaps specialty retailers should concede the low end of the market to mass and focus on better and best.

“I'd like us to go deeper with some of things we are committed to,” he said of outdoor retailers. “Don't confuse the customer with 17 other choices.”

Alki Kayak Tours to open new location!

2009-11-16T22:49:00.001-08:00

That sign's coming down... soon to say "Mountain to Sound Outfitters"

Congratulations are due to Greg and Kara Whitaker, our friends at Alki Kayak Tours in Seattle, for taking the big plunge and opening a retail location in their home neighborhood of West Seattle, to augment the success of their beachfront rental operation on Harbor Avenue. Grand Opening is Friday, November 27th. Hope you can make it!

Psssstt.. top secret new exterior color. Won't be a secret long.

Operating under the new name of Mountain to Sound Outfitters, Greg says the shop will leverage our seasonal outdoor life in the winter as they emphasize snow sports sales, rentals, and tuning, with plenty of resources available for paddlers as well. When Spring comes, it’s full-on paddling. Come visit any time!

The new shop is at 3602 SW Alaska Street, just West of 35^th Ave SW. It’s convenient for anyone residing, visiting, or just passing through West Seattle on the way to the ferry. Evidently Greg and Kara, who are also expecting their first baby in the Spring, decided to get all the big steps in life out of the way at once.

These pictures were taken just a few weeks before the scheduled opening on November 15^th. That’s a lot of work to do, and everyone who knows anything about this operation knows it couldn’t happen without the butt-busting efforts of Alki crew like Avery, pictured here proudly dodging incoming shipments of skis, rental boots, and of course the very first kayak in the new inventory – an Emotion Glide. Good luck to this first-class bunch. You guys rock!

Presentation 11/20/09 in Anacortes: 1400 miles by kayak

2009-11-16T14:56:00.001-08:00

The Inside Passage -- 1400 solo miles by kayak

Please join Darrell Gardner of the Under Human Power expedition on Friday, November 20th at Village Pizza in Anacortes, for a slide show and discussion of Darrell's recent 1,400-mile solo paddle from Seattle to Skagway, AK, over two summers by kayak. The trip was one segment of Darrell's multi-year journey afoot and afloat from Mexico to the Arctic Ocean, chronicled on Darrell's web site: http://www.underhumanpower.com/ .

ADMISSION IS FREE.

Darrell's "trip of a lifetime" began at the US-Mexico border in 2004, and over the following summers he hiked to Canada, paddled the Skagit River, and kayaked to Alaska. His journey continues in the Spring of 2010 as he follows the gold rush trail over Chilkoot Pass to the headwaters of the Yukon River, and paddles the Yukon to the foot of the Brooks Range. This will set the stage for his final push over the Brooks and down the Colville River to Alaska's Arctic Coast, 50 miles West of Prudhoe Bay.

For a brief evening, Darrell will take you along with him. Admission is free, but Washington Water Trails Association will make a brief appeal for your support of efforts to reopen DNR facilities on Cypress and Strawberry Islands to year-round access and camping for paddlers.

Let's meet up at about 6pm and grab some pizza and refreshments. We'll head upstairs at 7pm for Darrell's presentation. Hope you can join us!

Village Pizza is at 807 Commercial Avenue in Anacortes. Call in advance if you want your food waiting for you -- (360) 293-7847

Deception Pass Dash has its own Blog

2009-10-29T23:51:00.000-07:00

Pretty cool news, the 4th Annual Dash has a blog page where we -- the OAC Crew and Ruby Creek -- will be posting news, sponsor information, updates, racer data, and volunteer opportunities throughout the weeks leading up to the event. Take a look here:

http://deceptionpassdash.blogspot.com/

See you at the Dash! December 12, 11am start, at Bowman Bay.

Standup Paddling grows again

2009-10-13T23:12:00.001-07:00

Just saw this link from Ruby Creek supplier Doug Erwin at Tahoe Board Works...

Check it out --

Sweet! Standup Paddle TV!

Green Travel Roadshow

2009-10-13T20:05:00.000-07:00

Lots of stuff calling itself green these days. If you want to know what's really green, and if your business is into green, sustainable activities, and you dig travel, get yourself to the Green Travel Roadshow on the 11th - 13th of November at the Cave B Inn at Sagecliffe on the spectacular Columbia Plateau.
The event is presented by Evergreen Escapes, partners in urban ecotourism with Ruby Creek's good buddies at Seattle Paddlesports, and it promises some cool learning opportunities about:

Why sustainable tourism is important to your success
The financial benefit to your business of “going green”
The myths & facts about sustainable tourism
How to create a “Green Team” within your organization
How to assess your businesses level of sustainability
Three things you can do now to be a greener organization

...and even some very special sustainable tourism while you're there:

Rock Climbing
Wine Blending
Kayaking the Columbia
Wild Horse Wind & Solar Generating Facility tour

Cost of the event is $95 plus accommodations. Pretty reasonable for a profitable experience learning how to be responsible with your Earth and make a few dollars too. Get there!

Dealers & Suppliers come together for planning & partying

2009-10-10T09:06:00.000-07:00

Our host gets set to grill up some of the 30 lbs of salmon provided by Don & Pam at Boston Harbor Marina.

Planning & partying...or was it the other way around? What a time at the officially-named "Pickin' & Paddlin' Retreat", and many thanks to my bro Ethan Ebersold for putting the whole thing together. Ethan's River House on the Cowlitz, which he maintains for events just like this one, served its purpose well for 5 solid days.

Training for a crucial boater skill... the 11-person shuttle in a 5-seat Land Cruiser.

Preliminary pictures are here (click to enlarge for a better look), provided by Tom "Big T" Strauss of Emotion Kayaks. Meeting Tom was a highlight of the event -- he definitely lived up to the hype -- and he was joined by industry giants Ed Vater of Aquabound/Bending Branches; Tom & Lisa Derrer from Eddyline Kayaks/Swift Paddles; Doug Erwin of Tahoe Board Works; and Stohlquist Waterware's Jake Wisse. Ethan's dad, Mike, helped out with grilling and general hospitality; and canoe instructor/Esquif pro boater Nick Jacob filled out the host crew.

This grin never left Big T's face.

Paddlesports dealers and outfitters from all over the Northwest and California joined in the fun for some dee-lectable food, two nights of rockin' to the Moon Mountain Ramblers, paddling in the unseasonably warm fall weather on the Cowlitz, and some gittin' down to business in the Ebersold showroom, all tricked-out in the garage.

Zack and Elizabeth from Bellingham's LFS Marine find shopping for paddling gear can be pretty fun when you bring along Big T.

If you were there, thanks for coming! If you missed it, enjoy the pictures (click any pic for better detail; more to follow) and stay tuned for the next River House function.

New friends, a festive beverage, and an awesome view of the river... yeah!

Ethan proves Tahoe Boards are rock solid!

Emotion's new Mojo, rockin' the eddies on the Cowlitz. Comfy and ultra-stable, even for a big dude. The 2010 version includes the integral seat back and a tad more width and a harder chine. Check it out.

Insane off-topic Husky victory

2009-09-20T12:40:00.000-07:00

OK so this blog is all about kayaking and outdoor stuff, and I'm using it to promote the Ruby Creek family of brands... but oh boy what a ballgame. My Huskies, who just last week broke a 15-game losing streak reaching back to 2007, pulled out a nailbiting, last-second freaking insane victory over the USC Trojans. From our seats high in the upper deck we screamed our way through the game and cheered our team and fellow fans as they celebrated on the field after the game.

As I left, I thought to myself, it's all worth it. All those games feeling like I was the only one cheering for the Dogs in my section, staying til the last play of every hopeless game, 15 straight losses and I can't count how many straight losing seasons, I'd sit through all of that again just to see another game like this. Drama this sweet, well, some people never get to experience it. How lucky we Real Dog fans were to be there... and how lame a hell of a lot of fairweather, stay-at-home-til-the-bandwgon-starts-rolling fans will be in years to come when they CLAIM they were there! Go Dogs!

Bark for Sark!

Be Sark-astic!

Dig the new Eddyline Shasta!

2009-09-13T21:40:00.000-07:00

Last week we hit the water in the new open tandem from Eddyline, the Shasta. Tom and Lisa Derrer, 30+-year owners and founders of Eddyline Kayaks, are still designing innovative boats after all these years, and this one will hit a sweet mark for people looking for something versatile, that does a little bit of everything while delivering the light weight, sleekness, and easy handling that everyone wishes for.

The boat was a comfortable, nice-gliding cruiser with a big fella in the stern seat and lightweight Lisa in the bow...

Or with two beautiful ladies powering past the camera...
Or with the designer himself paddling solo on the adjustable seat, throwing some fine strokes.

The new boat is 16 feet long, 28" wide and will be officially unveiled to your Eddyline dealer at the beginning of October. Take a look at the video Tom put together after he and Lisa invited my wife Cathy and me out for the christening, and hurry over to your dealer next month for a test paddle.

Hurricane Jimena Close to Home

2009-09-13T13:54:00.001-07:00

For many of our sea kayaking friends, the Baja Peninsula is a sweet place of refuge from the hurried pace of paddling in and near our US cities. It's also a place where sea kayaking has become a big part of the local economy, with paddlers coming from all over the world to enjoy the waters. Last week Hurricane Jimena, a seemingly mild Class 2-3 storm, devastated a large part of the peninsula, knocking out roads and bridges and leaving thousands of people homeless. This youtube video gives a quick glimpse of some of the wreckage...
Click here for youtube video

and our friend Joe Dryden, who lives in Alamos Mexico, in the mountains across the Sea of Cortez where his little town was crippled by storms less than a year ago, sent us this link to an article listing ways you can help out.
http://www.mexidata.info/id2402.html

Joe commented that "Baja's kayak touring businesses may be in for a quiet season this winter. The highway is totally gone in many areas and most all bridges are destroyed.", he says, so please keep an eye on the situation and help if you can, through the Red Cross or wherever you're able. The impact of the storm on the local economy is yet to be determined, but it's certain to be severe when local residents are left isolated from help, and without food or water or shelter.

SUP Round the Rock Race coming up

2009-09-11T20:52:00.000-07:00

Pretty cool news coming from Lake Washington this week... the first annual Round the Rock Standup Paddleboard race, and we heard about it from our new buddy Bobby Arzadon at Kirkland's Perfect Wave Surf Shop. Don't get distracted at Bobby's site by the Bikini of the Month, especially by Francesca modeling the Bending Branches WaveHound SUP Paddle...

...in fact you should go directly to the Round the Rock web site, and sign up for the race! Two courses, all ages and experience levels welcome, and, according to race director Jeff Underwood, plenty good schwag for everyone.

And stepping up big, with a sponsorship, booth on race day, and demo paddling for anyone interested in a test ride, is Tahoe Board Works' Ernie Brassard, who plans to race the event, along with my partner in Happy Paddlin', Ethan Ebersold who will be working the booth that day.

The big event happens on Sunday, September 27, and the long course goes the full 12+ miles around Mercer Island The 2.5-mile, out-and-back short course is for folks who are just getting into this incredible way to enjoy the water.

Get out there!

Ross Lake trip coming

2009-07-17T18:50:00.000-07:00

This classic shot of Colonial and Pyramid Peaks was taken by my daughter Jess on our visit to Ross Lake Resort in 2008.

Ruby Creek Worldwide Operations will take a break for a week starting 3am Sunday 7/19 when we return to the land, actually the lake, of our namesake. Ross Lake tributary Ruby Creek is a long deep canyon in the North Cascades, and my granddad loved to fish there. The family has returned there nearly every summer since he first visited in 1949, a year before the completion of Ross Dam.

Here's a sweet link to a page on the Resort's blog, showing a little of what we may find there this year.

Just saw this post from my friend Steve Weileman, with a cool video showing highlights of the trip he recently guided there. Here's another of Steve's posts with the full story of the trip.

Swift Paddles

2009-07-13T18:49:00.001-07:00

L-R: All-carbon Sea Swift; Translucent Wind Swift; Flame Fabric Mid Swift

Swift's Feather-lock ferrule System: the button is protected from accidental engagement by a raised flange; feather angle locks solidly into place in 15-degree increments.

Swift Paddles are made in Burlington WA by the fine folks at Eddyline Kayaks. Here's the Ruby Creek demo stock, available now. These prices are 25% off retail for barely-used paddles:

215cm Sea Swift, all-carbon, $247
220cm Mid Swift, flame fabric inlay blades, $239
225cm Wind Swift, blue fiberglass blades, $224

To purchase, please contact:
Ruby Creek Boathouse LLC
attn: Bill Walker
paddlazz@comcast.net
206-940-6269

Aquabound & Bending Branches -- together at last

2009-07-05T20:19:00.000-07:00

Every good outing has a great campfire story. Lacking any smoky ambience, Ethan memorably recreates Bill Murray and the Dalai Lama in the hotel parking lot. Wazzat got to do with paddles? You got me. Then again, you might think deep fried cheese curds are unrelated. Think again. Every fine stick from Bending Branches and Aqua-Bound comes straight to you from America's Dairyland, handcrafted in Osceola, Wisconsin.

A short trip to Wisconsin brought the Aqua-Bound family of paddles front and center for the Ruby Creek gear quiver. A year ago, Bending Branches purchased Aqua-Bound from founder Joe Matuska, and we're honored to be repping both brands now under the consolidated company banner. Two days of planning meetings culminated with seven miles of product testing on the gorgeous, mostly peaceful St Croix River dividing rural Wisconsin on the East and Minnesota on the West. Just an hour from the Twin Cities, this place is a world away from the rat race.

From BB's Whisper, at $60 an amazing light weight and durable paddle for the price, to Aqua-Bound's mainstream Ray series, to Branches' all-carbon Spirit set for transfer to the Aqua-Bound brand for 2010, to the SWEET kayak and canoe models in wood, these combined great names in paddling have it covered. In a factory tour, we met the crew who take such pride in their work that they can get your order off to your dealer in two days, over 90% of the time.

More amazing is the return rate of less than 1%. These guys make solid, safe paddles that are built to last. Ethan and I are proud and grateful to be a part of the family.

Ed and Jerry styled in a canoe, checking the sweet feel of the BB bent shaft paddles, while East Coast rep Tim Knight cruised the river with an all-carbon Spirit paddle, weighing in at 25 oz. in T-700 carbon, the tough, aircraft-grade fabric you'll see in Aqua-Bound shafts beginning next year.

Parting Shot -- The St Croix River gets a little Northwest love from Renton, WA's Cascade Canoe & Kayak.

Demo gear sale links

2009-07-03T08:40:00.000-07:00

Here's a summary of links to the Ruby Creek demo gear sale pages:

Eddyline Kayaks

Bending Branches Paddles

Swift Paddles

Stohlquist pfds

Combine items and you'll get a screamin' deal.

There are a few pieces of Stohlquist outerwear remaining, so check with me if you have questions. List to be posted soon.

Contact:
Bill Walker
paddlazz@comcast.net
206-940-6269

Bending Branches Paddle Demo Stock

2009-07-02T23:46:00.000-07:00

Back here at Ruby Creek after an amazing couple days in Osceola Wisconsin checking out the new vibe between Aqua-Bound and Bending Branches. Ethan and I are very privileged to have been awarded the Western territory for these two awesome brands. Pictures of the trip, including Ethan's Bill Murray impression in the parking lot, to follow.

Next year there will be some changes in models and in their division between the two brands, as BB/AB positions the brands for the best understanding of what they're all about.

Meanwhile Ruby Creek needs to move out some of the 2009 Bending Branches demo stock so we can take in some of the new models.

Here's what's in the house, with links to details from the BB web site. Please contact me directly at paddlazz@comcast.net if you'd like to pick up one of these sweet deals. All the paddles are in great shape with just a season of light usage.

The following prices are all 30% off MSRP.

See also the blog pages showing Eddyline Kayaks and Stohlquist pfds.

Kayak Paddles

Sunrise AS, 230, $56.00

Sunrise Glass, 230, $70.00

Sunrise Glass, 220, $70.00

Glide Glass/sm shaft, 220, $87.50

Glide Glass, 220, $87.50

Slice Glass/sm shaft, 220, $87.50

Slice Glass, 230, $87.50

Slice Plus, 215-30, $ 87.50

Glide Carbon Plus, 215-30, $140.00

Glide Carbon 230, $126.00

Breeze /sm shaft, Evening, 220, $178.50

Breeze /sm shaft, Twilite, 220, $178.50

Spirit, Evening, 220, $248.50

Wood Impression, Day, 220, $98.00

Wood Tailwind, Evening, 220, $126.00

Wood Sandpiper, Evening, 220, $126.00

Wood Sunshadow Crankshaft, Day, 220, $139.30

Canoe paddles

Twig Kids' paddle 36, $24.50

Traveler 51, $42.00

Arrow Straight 58, $52.50

Arrow Straight 56, $52.50

Explorer Plus Str 58, $66.50

Espresso Straight 58, $77.00

Sunshadow Straight 54, $77.00

Expedition Plus Str 56, $91.00

BB Special 14 Bent 50, $56.00

Espresso 14 Bent 52, $84.00

Sunshadow 14 Bent 50, $84.00

Sunburst 14 Bent 52, $126.00

SUP Brothers!

2009-06-23T23:38:00.001-07:00

So we just couldn't wait to get those SUP boards on the water, and sons Joe and Steve and I headed for Lake Washington on Monday to brave the seasonally chilly June choppy wind and spitting rain. First time for them, second time for me on a SUP and the conditions kept us from really pushing the envelope. Consensus, get a feel for this on flat water. Then move to chop, swell, current, and learn to race these boards. Keep working, it's going to be fun. Here's a few pics, and the link to Picasa where there's another 40+ out there... and note that the smartest thing I did was to use up the camera battery shooting the big fellas, before I got out there to paddle. Old age and trickery...

Step one, Steve checks out the sea state and performs risk assessment...

Step two, get on board...

Yeah baby, that's what I'm talkin' about...

Hey, remounting is a crucial skill in these conditions.

Brother, how you like it so far?

Maybe if I run over you...

Ready to race?

OK all together now...

Look y'all, I'm doin' it!

All good things must end.

Stohlquist demo pfds on sale

2009-06-22T22:41:00.000-07:00

Stohly's XTraxt-d rescue vest. Baaaad, dude. My XL is in red, lightly used, $113.75.
Updated 3/17/2010

Time to rotate out the old reliable demo stock of Stohlquist pfds, and get ready to bring in next year's jackets. Here's what we have at the Creek, waiting for loving homes... all are in excellent shape, zero to VERY minimal fading, all with "RCB" marked on the upper back.

These prices are 35% off the MSRP for each of these jackets. WA residents add 9% tax. You can pay me by check or cash; shipping is $8 for the first jacket and $4 each after that. Buy a used demo Eddyline boat, paddle, or any of the Stohlquist outerwear I'm rotating along with your pfd, and you might get a break on the total cost... that's up for discussion.

Click the pfd model name for a link to pics and descriptions on the Stohlquist site. These are the only jackets I have for this season, so if you want a different color or size please go to the Stohlquist site and find your nearest dealer.

Thanks,
Bill
Ruby Creek Boathouse LLC
paddlazz@comcast.net
206-940-6269

See also the blog pages showing Eddyline Kayaks and Bending Branches Paddles.

Model, size, color, price (this is 35% off MSRP)

M's Getaway L/XL Mango $ 52.00

Nemo Child Yellow $ 32.50

Nemo Infant Blue $ 32.50

Escape Youth Blue $ 32.50 (2 available)

Drifter Youth Mango $ 58.50

Wedge L Mango $ 65.00

Fisherman S/M Moss $ 78.00

Fisherman L/XL Moss $ 78.00

Fisherman L/XL Mango $ 78.00

Kitty S/M Powder Blue $ 65.00

Kitty S/M Sage $ 65.00

Kitty L/XL Powder Blue $ 65.00

Betsea L/XL Sage $ 78.00

X-Traxt XL Red $ 113.75

Escape M/L Yellow $ 39.00

W's TowMotion L/XL Powder Blue $ 97.50