RE: [Paddlewise] Confessions of a Granola Paddler

On Behalf of Paddler Magazine:

I believe Paddler does a great job of balancing content to provide something
for all paddlers.  Criticism of the advertising is a bit unfair, since the
glossy ads are the product of the companies who make our boats, lifejackets,
paddles, paddling jackets etc.  I would hope that these companies know how
to successfully market their products to hardcore paddlers.  Otherwise they
probably would not be in business.  It is not reasonable to expect that
Paddler can dictate ad content (beyond basic safety and decency issues).

While it is clear that the young whitewater rodeo paddlers have influenced
the market, those glossy, hip ads enable Paddler to provide us granola
paddlers with some great reading.  Just take the last two issues for
example.  The March/April issue had articles about paddling the Arctic
Refuge's Kongakut River, poling, a 1914 Siberian kayak "expedition," and a
sea kayak journey through Vietnam.  The May/June issue had articles about a
canoe expedition through Canada's Barren Lands, a North Pole expedition, the
top 10 sea kayak expeditions, and two articles comparing the relative
advantages and disadvantages of lightweight canoe camping.  The Paddler
folks are probably getting an earful from the rodeo crowd about not enough
whitewater.

Just like the old Remington razor ad said "we liked it so much we bought the
company."

Dave

David E. Jenkins
Director of Conservation and Public Policy
American Canoe Association
(703) 451-0141 ext.20

-----Original Message-----
From: Dave Kruger
Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Confessions of a Granola Paddler

"Doug Lloyd" <dalloyd_at_telus.net> wrote:

> Of course, as per usual, Paddler took the bit-of-a low-brow approach and
> highlighted the accomplished bunch as "Psycho Sea Kayakers," but I suppose
> this fits in with the hard-core WW contingent of their readership. All in
> all, not a bad issue. The yuppie-adjusted advertising doesn't bother me.

In response to Old Greybeard:

> >When I opened the first copy of ACA's Paddler magazine my new membership
> brought me...Glitz, glam, intense bright ads, packaging for its marketing
> impact, and nobody lookin' gritty or dirty, smelly or sweaty.<

I guess I was a yuppie at one time, although my buying habits belie the
notion.  Got nothing against commerce or bright stuff.  I buy things, and
have a mango dry suit (but do not wear earrings or have piercings or 'toos).
Objectively, Paddler needs to sell ads to publish.  And, the
high-dollar-return merchandise sector is new paddlers, not folks who already
have their gear.  So, it is no wonder that what I see in magazines is not
pitched at me -- I have pretty much all the gear I need, and paddling for me
mainly demands a differing menu (and Metamucil in my future, I bet).

What's interesting to me is that the paddling ventures I most like to read
about or hear about are serious collisions with Ma Nature.  Epics, as in,
"The polar bear decided we were lunch -- so we left."  Or, "Dumping
ourselves ashore through small surf, we spent the night huddled under
shelter, listening to the wind and hoping our boats did not get blown away."

An illustration:  Doug and I had a really pleasant paddle when he visited
two years ago -- a bluebird day on tame, lovely water surrounded by shores
of verdant, craggy beauty.  But, to turn his crank, he needed to go out the
next day and paddle through the waves on the nastiest "point" within 200
miles:  the North Jetty of the Columbia River.

Small wonder I react to the airbrushed view of our "sport" which
merchandisers think they need to use to sell stuff.  I'd strap 'em on Doug's
 hull for a few days and then see what ads they produce ... or maybe
sentence them to a couple hours of the "air" surrounding a skanky wet suit
to see what atmosphere it generated in their brains for an ad campaign.

In plain language:  the ads form depictions which are nothing like paddling
reality for most of us.  But, if they sell gear, then they must be good, no?

--
Dave Kruger
Astoria, OR (not on Metamucil ... yet)
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