Working Smart/Smart Working

Welcome, Guest Blogger Angie Berman of Werner Paddles!

I had the pleasure of attending my Werner Sales Meeting in beautiful Orondo, WA this past weekend and I have got some things to share.  Angie Berman, who heads up Human Resources at Werner Paddles gave a great presentation called, Working Smart/Smart Working.  There is something all of us can take away from this.  Please share it with the floor staff too!

Basic Organizational Skills

                - What is the #1 thing you do to stay organized?  

                                - focus on what is important

                                                                - long term goals

                                                                - daily priorities

                                                                - keep photos of your family or inspirational pictures                             nearby

                                - Use Outlook

                                                                - use alarm and reminders

                                                                - ENTER all commitments

                                                                - don't use multiple tools, use one that is integrated.

                                                                - schedule meetings so the time and date is set

                                - Make Lists

                                                                - daily, weekly and monthly

                                                                - review daily priorities at the beginning of each day

                                                                - always have your computer or phone with you for 

                                                                  entering notes

                                                               

                                - Manage Your Time Well

                                                                - don't do what you're good at, get good at doing what's

                                                                important

                                                                - work smart not hard

                                - Use Deadlines to Get Things Done

                                                                - make an action item after a meeting or seeing a dealer

                                                                - set realistic time frames for tasks

                                                                - use TASKS in outlook, deadlines are easy to set

                                - Managing Your Mail and Phone Calls

                                                                - sort incoming mail into categories by priorities or action

                                                                - How do you sort your INBOX?

                                - Stay Organized

                                                                - reduce clutter, focus on priorities

                                                                - keep electronic files organized, it's easy to save in odd 

                                                                  places

               

Email Etiquette

                                                                - be concise and to the point

                                                                - read thoroughly, answer all questions

                                                                - use proper spelling, grammar and punctuation

                                                                - answer as quickly as possible

                                                                - do not attach unnecessary files

                                                                - use proper layout and structure

                                                                - do not overuse the high priority option

                                                                - Do not write in capitals

                                                                - Don't leave out the message thread

                                                                 - Read the email before you send it

                                                                - Do not overuse Reply to All

                                                                - take care with abbreviations and emoticons

                                                                - be careful with formatting

                                                                - do not copy or forward a message or attachment with

                                                                permission

                                                                - use caution emailing confidential emails

                                                                - use a meaningful and relevant subject line

                                                                - use cc sparingly.

                                                                - don't email to avoid personal contact

                                                                - use email trailers for confidential emails

                                                                - be sparing with group emails

                                                                - wait to fill in the TO email address (no accidents)

Phone Etiquette

                                - SMILE!!!  (you can tell)

                                - State your name

                                - Have a purpose and an agenda for your call

                                - Know the caller (casual vs. professional)

                                - leave short concise messages

                                - slow down

                                - know their names

                                - LISTEN

Jackson Kayaks - the Cat's out of the Bag!

 

Jackson Kayak has some pretty exciting product to introduce to our dealers at the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in just 9 short days.

The fishing category has been explosive for us with great thanks to professional kayak angler, Drew Gregory.  

Check out Drew's interview with my friend and media mogul :), Scott MacGregor of Kayak Angler Magazine discussing the Cuda 12!

AND we would be remiss to not share with all our avid SUP (stand up paddling) enthusiasts,  Jackson's move into another growing category.  Come by our booth at the Summer Market Outdoor Retailer Open Air Demo on August 1st to try out and learn more about our 2 new SUP boards.

Don't forget to drop by the booth during the show too.  It's #216420, safe travels to the show!

Werner Paddles Dealer Webinar

For all you Werner Paddles Dealer's you will be getting an invite in the coming days for our 2013 new product line up webinar.

Save the date - Monday July 30 11 am PST (15-20 minutes)

Jackson Kayak Journey Review by Sea Kayaker Magazine

Check out the latest issue of Sea Kayaker Magazine (August 2012) for their review of the Jackson Kayak Journey.  
Tech specs HERE

The issue can also be purchased on line for reading on your iPad or tablet device.

 ***the full review will be available to our Jackson Kayak dealers in a PDF format once the September issue is out***

 

2013 Kokatat and Werner Line Up

Kokatat Watersports Wear and Werner Paddles Sales Meetings are just around the corner.

At these meetings we discuss the upcoming season and beyond.  What do our customers want, where do we want to go and how do we execute our plans?  

If you had the ear of the R & D crew or new product teams at Kokatat and Werner what would you share with them?

Post your thoughts here and I will personally deliver them.

Watch for new product information here on our blog towards the end of July.

Want a little sneak peek from Kokatat....check it out HERE

Maximus Prime PFD

SUP Paddles: Why Use a Bent Shaft?

I have been getting some additional inquiries lately about the Werner Paddles SUP Bent Shaft and I thought to myself, this will make a good blogpost so here it is…

Coming from our expertise in Whitewater and Touring it only made sense for Werner Paddles to introduce the Bent Shaft and the philosophy behind it to the Stand Up Paddle market.

Target customers are Performance Enthusiasts and Ergo-conscious paddlers looking for less-impact on their bodies.  This paddle benefits entry level recreational users as well and ultimately the features of the bent shaft paddle play to both of these groups.

Key features of the bent shaft:

-          The alignment of the lower hand/wrist/elbow on the bent shaft places less stress on those parts of the body, so it is more comfortable and less taxing.  The wrist is straight, relaxed and in alignment. This prevents fatigue and injury and most important allows you to enjoy your time on the water longer.  For those with existing arthritic or other medical issues the bent shaft typically relieves some of these symptoms that flare up during paddling.

-          Paddlers may hold the shaft with full fingers without making the ok sign; this allows more control on the lower part of the shaft during the catch phase. 

-           Paddlers will like the extended reach for the catch and the torque provided by the bend to “lift” the board during this phase.  Those extra inches in your forward stroke, add up over miles in a race and give you that competitive edge.

-          Both performance enthusiasts and recreational paddlers will appreciate that the bend allows a more neutral position when ruddering and bracing.

The image below helps illustrates some of what we are talking about:

Great overview of the bent shaft by Matt at SUP Global http://www.supglobal.com

http://youtu.be/wF-9NEMj91Q

Vacation

Hi folks, I will be taking a short break from my blog and all things social media for a few days of stay-cation!!

Find me on-line again Monday July 16th!!

THANKS for continuing to keep tabs on us on-line.

Eastslope Kayak Fishing Classic RECAP by Stephen Laurie

The 2nd annual Eastslope Kayak Fishing Classic is now officially in the books. This year’s event was a great success seeing growth of more than double the number of registered participants from last year. The last minute change of location due to the oil spill on Gleniffer Lake just two weeks in advance of the tournament definitely posed some challenges but with the help of Alberta Parks an alternate location, Phyllis Lake, was found, approved and ultimately turned out to be a great spot for the tourney. The BBQ social prior to the Captains meeting on Friday proved to be one of the highlights of the weekend with plenty of attendees who enjoyed meeting each other and talking shop.

Captains Meeting

BBQ Social

Quite a few of the participants showed up as early as Thursday to pre fish and camp at the Lake making for great company and a nice extended weekend spent with Kayak Anglers from all over Alberta. The anglers hit the water at 6 am tournament day and were welcomed by almost nonstop rain but toughed it out which led to some pretty impressive overall numbers coming in at judging time. Quite a few of the participants limited out with all 25 fish caught including 5 White Sucker which in the end turned out to be the difference that separated the top 4 to 5 anglers from the pack.

On the water

The 2012 Eastlope Kayak Fishing Classic saw repeat winners with brothers Jay and Matt Maciejewsky, both in Jackson Coosa’s, again claiming 1st and 2nd place respectfully and saw them go home with some of the top prizes including A Kokatat T3 Super Angler Dry Suit, Werner Paddles and gear from Yak Attack and Settles Bridge Supply House. First time tournament participant Jim Kind’s third place finish showed that the hours he spent pre fishing were not wasted and earned him a top notch Fly Fishing outfit from Amundson, Exoficio, and Buff Headwear. 

Parking

With the generous donations from our sponsors all our participants were able to leave with top quality prizes and gear from some of the best companies in the kayak angling world. The most exciting moment of the awards ceremony was the highly anticipated draw for a Jackson Kayak Cuda ,a top of the line kayak fishing machine, kindly donated by Jackson Kayak one of our featured sponsors which was won by Wayne Westbury an avid pontoon fisherman who may now be a convert to the world of kayak fishing. With promises from participants to return and with the growing interest in kayak fishing next year’s event is sure to see increased growth and be bigger and better yet again. I’m already working on plans for next year and can’t wait to see both familiar and new faces . 

Wayne Westbury winner of the Jackson Kayak Cuda with event director, Stephen Laurie

A special thanks to all of our sponsors for their genorous contributions and helping to promote the growth of kayak fishing.  

Jackson Kayak, Kokatat, Werner, Settles Bridge Supply House, Undercurrents,Yak Attack, Kayak Angler Magazine, Jackfish Lures, The Fishing Butler, The Fish Grip, Exofficio, Buff Headwear, Pure Fishing, Amundson ,Cabela’s, Glenbow Flyfishing, The World Fishing Network, Kayalu, The Bow Habitat Station, Valhalla Pure Outfitters, Scotty, Tie Boss, Kayak Fishing Supplies, Campers Village and Greenfish. 

MEC Vancouver Paddlefest THIS Saturday!!

The sun has finally arrived on the south coast and we are stoked for this weekend's 

MEC Paddlefest Vancouver

Saturday, July 7, 2012 at Jericho Sailing Centre

 Check out the schedule of events HERE

We will be in booth #19 representing the following brands with DEMOS:

Kokatat Watersports Wear

Seals Sprayskirts

Jackson Kayaks

Werner Paddles

Don't forget the on water clinics provided by our friends from - Ecomarine Ocean Kayak Centre, Deep Cove Canoe and Kayak and SKILS.  Check out clinics HERE.

Also in attendance will be our dealer from the Fraser Valley, Western Canoeing and Kayaking - all things paddlesports!!!

Waves, Rapids and Rivers

Welcome, Guest Blogger, Mike Darbyshire of Deep Cove Outdoors

This past weekend I got the opportunity to share my neck of the woods with a couple of Starboard Team Riders, Nikki Gregg and Dan Gavere. After much planning and a weekend of racing and some grueling paddles I was stoked to get some surfing done.

The plan was to spend two days up at Skookumchuck Rapids surfing the standing wave that forms there on a large flooding tide. For those who aren't familiar with the wave, it is a smooth glassy wave that forms over a rock shelf during the flooding tide. The wave is clean, glassy and green up until about 10 knots of current. When it gets above 10 knots the wave foams out and is not as easy to ride.  Above 10 knots the whirlpools, boils and waves also get considerably harder to deal with if you fall off the main wave. For the brave few, the wave also greens out again at around 14-15 knots but the mess behind the wave gets pretty scary....maybe next trip.

We made the trip up to Egmont the night before our surf day and camped at the put in at the Backeddy Resort and Marina. From here it's about a 30 minute paddle into the wave...or a 45 minute walk.....or a 2 hour trek through the woods on a mountain bike with 4 boards on a homemade trailer. 

See video! (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=3821072438752)

I paddled into the wave on a Starboard Coast Runner towing my 9'0" Starboard Converse which worked out very well. We had a tough headwind but we made it there much faster than Dan on his bike. When I arrived on my board the wave was just starting to form. It's amazing how fast the current builds, one minute you would think you were in Deep Cove on a glassy morning and the next minute you start to see eddy lines forming and boils and whirlpools beginning to form downstream.

The glassy wave is best surfed on a Sea Kayak or SUP so we shared the wave with a few sea kayak friends from Deep Cove. I started the session waiting for the wave to get bigger so I decided to try surfing the Coast Runner. 14' of board was a little bit challenging to move around but once I got it on the wave it held pretty well.

Mike surfing a 14' Coast Runner photo: Chris Emerick

As the wave built to the max current speed of 9.2 knots we had a nice steep wave that held some shorter boards in very nicely. We even got a little bit of sunshine to dry us out.  My board of choice on the wave is my 9'0" x 30" Starboard Converse. I feel like it has just the right amount of stability and maneuverability.  Other boards that worked really well were the Starboard Whopper 10'x34", the Starboard Element 9'8"x30" and when the wave was steep we had some fun on the 8"5x29 Starboard Pro.

After an awesome day of surfing we spent the evening at the Backeddy Resort and Marina...(and Pub).  I went to bed ready for another day of surfing and an even steeper wave. I awoke to torrential rain that wouldn't let up. After a quick breakfast we packed up and got on the water. The rain still hadn't stopped and I was glad to have my Kokatat Drysuit instead of a wetsuit. I literally lived in my drysuit for 2 days and managed to stay warm and comfortable in some pretty ugly west coast weather.

We surfed our way through the rain and had some awesome surfs. The wave foamed out pretty quick but there was still a small pocket of green wave that we could stay in. Dan was working the little pocket really well, carving in and out of the foam.

The sun finally decided to show itself after about 11 straight hours of pouring rain and we had a nice paddle back from the wave....The only downside being that now we had 3 people and 6 boards to paddle out. Chris towed one board behind the 11' Starboard Slick he was on. I managed to stack my 9'0 onto the 10' Whopper and paddle them out together. Dan put together his Search and Destroy Rig which consisted of a 14' Coast Runner, drybags, camera bags, rolling luggage and an 8'5 Starboard Pro duct taped to the nose.

As if two days of surfing wasn't enough, we decided to get back to Vancouver and run the Capilano River the next day. The Cap was running at a lower level which made it a little bit rocky but there was enough water to have a lot of fun through some of the rapid sections. The Starboard Astro Whopper was the right tool for the job here, very stable and could handle getting bounced off the odd rock. There aren't too many Stand Up Paddlers running rivers yet up here in BC yet but I can see some potential for the sport to grow. It was very challenging but a lot of fun and I was very glad to have Dan in front of me so I could follow/copy everything he did.  I'm stoked to get out there some more and hit up some more rivers.

Overall, it was an awesome weekend hanging out with some top paddlers in the industry. Thanks a lot to Dan Gavere and Nikki Gregg for coming up to see what BC has to offer for Stand Up Paddlers.  Also a huge thanks to Chris Emerick for shooting photos all weekend, hanging out and paddling. And a big thanks to Starboard SUP, Werner Paddles and Kokatat Watersports Gear....without them I would be naked, cold, wet and swimming.