Re: [Paddlewise] ?? for old salts and old farts...

Karen H. wrote:
> 
> I'm enjoying all the bios and am impressed by all the experience we've
> got on this list!
> 
> I was wondering, and maybe you people who have been involved with
> kayaking forever can tell me... is there any person, or any
> technological advance that's made a major contribution to the sport, or
> changed it in a big way? In other words, is there a kayakers "Hall of
> Fame"? Are there names or events we newbies should become familiar with?

Good question, Karen.  In the folding kayak realm I would thing these
three pivotal figures who I know personally and my reasons why:

1.  Dr. Hannes Lindemann.  His crossing of the Atlantic in a Klepper
double in the mid-60s was not only a major feat that put a kayaker on
the front page of a then major world wide magazine, LIFE, but also gave
a great impetus to selling folding kayaks in the US and other countries
for 20 years afterwards.

2.  Dieter Stiller.  Dieter ran Klepper's US operation for several
decades until 1995 or so.  He introduced thousands upon thousands of
people to the sport and was a conduit to the great number of military
sales here and in other NATO countries.

3. Doug Simpson.  Co-founder of Feathercraft in the late 1970s and early
1980s.  He worked for MEC (the Canadian REI) and had an idea of a better
folding kayak.  He built his first prototype using aluminum tubes and an
adjustable set of wooden crosspieces to test various shapes; the
prototype's skin was made from dress material by a girl friend.  He
started production as a squatter in an abandoned industrial area in the
middle of Vancouver (fascinating story).  Doug's designs and innovations
have spouted out a number of Feathercraft models that have helped
folding kayaks get a great deal of respect.

In the hard shell world I can cite two individuals who I know well here
on this coast:

Chuck Sutherland.  Chuck lived in New York and now resides near
Philadelphia. I consider Chuck a kind of Johnny Appleseed for paddling
on the East Coast as he has done much to popularize the sport and to
promote safety.  He once ran the SeaKayaking subcommittee of the ACA. 
Was instrumental in starting Anorak, a seminal kayaking newletter here
on the East Coast.

Ken Fink.  Ken was one of the originators of the first sea kayaking
symposium...the LL Bean Symposium.  He also was one of the early
importers of British kayaks.  A great instructor and speaker.  A highly
respected individual and often controversial...very strong in his
opinions.

I am sure there are more but these guys make any list, I think.
 
> And what do you think... is kayaking (as a sport) still in it's infancy,
> and what changes might there be in the future? (The bike pedaled
> sit-on-top comes to mind... I think it's a Hobie.)

It probably has plateaued.  I doubt that there are more than 200,000 sea
kayakers if that.  Compare that to other major recreational sports and
the figure is quite modest.  One way you can figure out the universe for
a sport is to take the leading publication, if has been around awhile,
and say that it has probably penetrated 10 per cent of the readership. 
I think Sea Kayaker has around 20,000 to 25,000 readers (the figure has
to be published as part of a statement of ownership and circulation). 
So that figure.

The sea kayaking trade had its own trade group but for reasons of
membership and costs, it recently merged with a more general paddling
trade association. This is either a sign of just not having the numbers
to support an industrial group or that the organization wasn't doing its
job.  I think it was (I was a member for awhile) so you see...the
industry isn't all that big.

ralph diaz
-- 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter
PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024
Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com
"Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

***************************************************************************
PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List
Submissions:     paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net
Subscriptions:   paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net
Website:         http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/
***************************************************************************