I was told today (but haven't confirmed it yet) that Eddyline has been purchased by Johnson Outdoors (Old Town, Necky, and Ocean Kayaks). To me that would seem to be a logical purchase for a big company (Johnson Outdoors) that I don't believe had yet started building any thermoformed kayaks of their own when several of their competitors had already jumped on the bandwagon. Why not buy the company with the most experience at it and avoid much of the learning curve. Can anyone help confirm this rumor? Matt Broze www.marinerkayaks.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
I've been informed that there is no truth to this rumor. Matt Broze www.marinerkayaks.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Paddlewisers, It may have not happened this time, but the purchasing of kayak manufacturers by large corporations seems to be a trend, one that I haven't been liking. It seems that more and more the kayak manufacturers, many of them now owned by large corporations, are looking for only more profits by selling mediocre designs and lay-ups for the mass public rather than sea kayakers. I see this trend making home designed and built kayaks more of an attractive alternative in the future. The cycle is coming close to being complete: In the past, kayaks were built at home because there weren't manufacturers, and in the future, kayaks will be built at home because the ones being manufactured are crap. Duane Stroaker Southern California www.rollordrown.com --- Matt Broze <mkayaks_at_oz.net> wrote: > I've been informed that there is no truth to > this rumor. > > Matt Broze > www.marinerkayaks.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Duane Strosaker wrote: >Paddlewisers, > >It may have not happened this time, but the >purchasing of kayak manufacturers by large >corporations seems to be a trend, one that I >haven't been liking. It seems that more and more >the kayak manufacturers, many of them now owned >by large corporations, are looking for only more >profits by selling mediocre designs and lay-ups >for the mass public rather than sea kayakers. > That's the way of the capitalist Duane, and the US society (are they not the same thing?) I don't know if the media is leading or following on this one, but I suspect leading. Notice how the first statistic reported about almost anything today is "how much money." Not home runs or ERA, not pounds of Pampers shipped, not how many disaster victims helped. So, when the only metric that "matters" is money, where does the focus go? What drives the decisions? Safety? Quality? Style? Only if it makes money. And if you make money, someone making more money is going to want yours. Not because they need it, because they want to improve their score, and the score is kept by ? Carey (paddling against the current, sometimes whacking it with my paddle.) *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
In a message dated 7/23/2004 6:22:25 AM Pacific Standard Time, cparks_at_fuse.net writes: So, when the only metric that "matters" is money, where does the focus go? What drives the decisions? Safety? Quality? Style? Only if it makes money. And if you make money, someone making more money is going to want yours. Not because they need it, because they want to improve their score, and the score is kept by ? Yeah, barter economies are always better. Tony Niilus *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
> From: Carey Parks <cparks_at_fuse.net> > Carey (paddling against the current, sometimes whacking it with my paddle.) I understand that's a good way to have your paddle pop up and hit you in the head. :-) Jackie *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
On Fri, 23 Jul 2004 06:48:29 -0700 (PDT) Jackie Myers <jackie_at_muddypuppies.com> wrote: > >I understand that's a good way to have your paddle pop up and hit >you in the head. That's the switch in marathon and outrigger paddling. I'm not sure if I nail my forehead with the paddle butt because I'm dumb, or I have become dumb by hitting my head with the paddle butt, but either way, a couple of times a season I catch a crab beginning the switch, and WHACK! *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Carey, if manufacturers make crappy gear and people buy it, then they get what they deserve. If buyers discriminate better and fork out the bucks for better gear, then those who make better gear will prosper. That's a market-based response: one where we can vote with our bucks to avoid that which sucks. -- Dave Kruger Astoria, OR ----- Original Message ----- From: "Carey Parks" <cparks_at_fuse.net> > So, when the only metric that "matters" is money, where does the focus > go? What drives the decisions? Safety? Quality? Style? Only if it makes > money. And if you make money, someone making more money is going to want > yours. Not because they need it, because they want to improve their > score, and the score is kept by ? *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Dave Kruger wrote: >Carey, if manufacturers make crappy gear and people buy it, then they get what they deserve. If buyers discriminate better and fork out the bucks for better gear, then those who make better gear will prosper. > >That's a market-based response: one where we can vote with our bucks to >avoid that which sucks. > > If only it were so simple. Those in the know are out-numbered by those not in the know, all creating "the market." To serve "the market" seems to mean get the most money from it, and since quality costs more (not the zero-defect type of quality, because that costs less, the better materials, longer process kind of quality that costs more) less quality gets more money from the market per unit time. So, that's what the market gets - exactly what most people spending money on kayaks deserve. What they deserve? Hmm. Maybe even ignorant people deserve quality. Maybe not stupid people, but ignorant ones at least. So they have time to become knowledgeable. Now Mark, don't confuse having a conscience or taking pride in a job well done with communism. I don't want any central authority controlling things. Or any other seat of power pointing to the one great truth for that matter. But it irks me that we have become so enamored by the buck "give me the buck, the whole buck, and nothing but the buck" as a way to measure and communicate "success" and that all other values seem to have been squeezed out of the mainstream. It's here that we're getting what we deserve. Not really lowest common denominator, but somewhere close to it in the larger market. And hey, good boats, and good boat companies exist. You can even have one custom built if you want. But these are eddies, not the main current. My rant here is about keeping score by counting only money. It doesn't end in a good place. Yes we need money, and it should influence business decisions. But "it ain't personal, it's business" irks me. If there's a person involved, it's personal. There's more to it than money (eh Matt?) Carey (The gentleman from Ohio yields the soapbox...) *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Duane said: >It may have not happened this time, but the purchasing of kayak manufacturers by large corporations seems to be a trend, one that I haven't been liking. It seems that more and more the kayak manufacturers, many of them now owned by large corporations, are looking for only more profits by selling mediocre designs and lay-ups for the mass public rather than sea kayakers.< Current Designs should be off the island any week now, having been bought out a while back, but just recently being told they are being moved to the USA, where _local government tax-break incentives_ reportedly lured the head company to make the decision to move the Canadian/BC operations plant. Likeminded tax breaks here in Canada? When hell freezes over. Kinda sad, but oh so Canadian. Doug Lloyd Victoria BC *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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