Let's Samba!

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.

Big props to Emotion Kayaks!

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.

Comet Kayak hits the water!

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!

Dealers & Suppliers come together for planning & partying

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.

Boston Harbor Hospitality

That is some rental fleet, eh? Boston Harbor Marina is devoted to the locally-built, insanely durable, easy to paddle Eddyline brand.

Last week I was privileged to hang out for an evening with the Boston Harbor Marina crew, plus a staff sales clinic on Eddyline, Stohlquist, and Bending Branches the following morning. Not only did everyone come out and participate with some awesome questions and comments that focused on how every guest can leave happy and eager to come back, but I spent the night sweetly dreaming on Colin's parents' sailboat at the end of the marina dock. What a way to decompress for a few peaceful hours in the midst of a pushy road trip.

Devoted exclusively to the Eddyline product line, Boston Harbor had sold a couple of the new Eddyline Journeys, and I got to be the guy who delivered the new boats. They've been in use in BHM's rental fleet already, and the model is really taking off with folks who are seeking a solid, stable ride like the Equinox, in a stylish, longer and faster boat that will remind you of the Fathom.

Many many thanks to Don, Pam, Clayann, Colin & family, and the entire BHM crew for your time, attention, and friendship. Just one more reminder why so many of us are addicted to being in this business... the amazing people we meet along the way.

I awoke to this view from the deck of the sailboat where I spent the night. Tough life.

Hank Heron, calm and cool ruler of the dock.

Dig my Costa del Mar Shades... and a trip to Boston Harbor

I just spent the last two days piloting the Ruby Creek rig around Western WA after a major snowfall. The weather was sunny and beautiful, and all the more so with my Costa del Mar Fathom shades. How do I dig these beautiful specs? About 350 sunny, normally snowblind miles worth of eyes that ended up fresh and ready for more. On my road trip I took no pictures... couldn't let go of the steering wheel since my knuckles were a little whitish on the icy roads... but I met some cool new people and got to wish a Merry Christmas to some old friends in this awesome business.


Tom and Lisa Derrer at Eddyline were digging out from the first couple dumps of snow, with another soon to follow, but they got me loaded up with four new Equinoxes (or is it Equinii?) for Don, Pam, Clayann and the crew at Boston Harbor Marina. Before heading South to drop off their boats, I continued North to Belingham and checked in with Chris Gerston at Backcountry Essentials. Chris has been in business almost three years and he's doing an amazing job serving the climbing, backpacking and ski communities in B'ham. Stop by and say hello at his place on Holly Street, just a few blocks before you get to my favorite Mexican eatery, Jalapeno's.


A "potential killer" storm was scheduled for 4pm today, so I headed South for Olympia in the morning, hoping to beat the next layer of snow on the roads and get Clayann's boats off my racks and into their shop. If you haven't visited Boston Harbor Marina, get out there! Even on a snowy December day, things were hopping by the water with happy folks warming up around a warm fire, downing a cup of chowder and sharing some cheer. I can't wait to run back down there again in the warmer months and actually see the islands that they told me are out there. Thanks for your hospitality, crew, and I'm sorry I bugged out so quick.

Merry Christmas everyone, and thanks for reading!