Not the Outdoor Retailer episode, sort of …
Posted on 06. Oct, 2009 by admin in Making a Difference, podcasts
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Catching up with what happened – or didn’t happen – at the Outdoor Retailer Trade Show. And what that means…or doesn’t mean…for whitewater.
Didn’t make it to the show this year so I catch up with Bryon Dorr, buyer for Next Adventures in Portland to talk about what it’s like to be a retail buyer for whitewater. David Weber and I do our annual half empty/half full analysis of what it’s all about.
And, there’s a swim….
Thanks for listening!
Hi Jeff,
The OR show is always about innovations in the industry. I’m a Colorado kayaker, and I can tell you that just about every creek boater out here is looking for a de-evolution in the kayak manufacturing process. I’m not sure if it’s nearly as prevalent in other parts of the country, but here it is commonplace for most dedicated creek boaters to break 1 or more boats a season just from normal wear and tear. In fact, no Colorado kayak shuttle discussion is complete without a discussion of broken shells, plastic molding processes, and welding tips.
Old school kayakers tell tales of old Wavesport crosslink boats that would last forever, and some people still stick to old, inferior Prijon or Eskimo designs that can withstand any level of use and abuse.
It would be really interesting if you could address the issue of plastic strength and what manufactures are doing (or not doing) to address the issue. Most manufacturers have adopted a very curious relationship with their warranty for creek boats. They seem to acknowledge that their boats cannot hold up to their intended use (running creeks), and therefore replace the hull either for free or for the cost of shipping. However, despite acknowledging the defect, they will only replace 1 hull, and when the replacement breaks, you must buy a new boat. In effect, they are saying, “yes, our boats are defective, but we can only afford to replace it once with another defective hull, so take it or leave it.” This strikes me as a unique agreement between buyer and seller in comparison to any other product.
Anyway, I think it would make a great topic in a future show.
Thanks for producing a fantastic podcast. I always look forward to new episodes.