Thursday, January 27, 2011

Sneak Preview Part V- Testing New Canoe Prototypes



Hello Again Paddling Enthusiasts,

If you've been following us these last few months, then you know that Swift has been working on some big things for 2011. The feedback has been fantastic, and we're excited about what's in store the upcoming paddling season. In Parts I-IV of our Sneak Preview series we've given you a behind-the-scenes look at how new boat designs go from idea to water, and in Part V of our 'Sneak Preview' series we're going to show you the next stage in the evolution of a canoe: the testing stage.

Back in Part I we showed you how we design and engineer new canoe prototypes. Unbeknownst to everyone, however, was that David Yost and the Swift team were actually developing not one, but three new canoe designs, two of which you'll see right here. You can read all about the construction and development of the prototypes here and here. Now in Part V of Swift's 'Sneak Preview' Series, we're going to give you an inside look at how we test potential canoe designs before they reach the production stage.

A couple weeks back the Swift boys, along with our good friend Don, ventured out in search of some open water to test the new designs. Being that this is Canada in January, finding open water isn't always easy. Even more, canoeing in January isn't always warm either. But the boys strapped on their snowshoes anyway and went out in search of a testing ground. We took two new boats with us, the Prospector 15 and another prototype that shall still remain nameless (mysterious huh?). We found a great spot at the Muskoka River locks in Huntsville and put each boat through it's paces. Here's the scoop:


Swifty leading the charge




Look, it's Davey Crockett. I mean Bob, Store Manager of Swift South River. Lookin' good Bob.


The boats leaving on their maiden voyage


Bob in the first solo test for the Prospector 15. This boat has already gotten a tonne of positive feedback and has already gone into production. Bob loved it!


Bob testing the solo configuration of the Prospector 15. Looks good!


Bill testing the solo configuration of the unnamed prototype


The consensus amongst the crew is that the new prototype is unbelievable. You can expect to see this boat in production soon.


Tandem testing


Tandem testing. Are you cold guys?


Don and Bob heading out in the Prospector 15


The after-paddle focus group


You can expect more information about these designs in the coming weeks, so stay tuned to find out more. We've already begun taking orders for the Prospector 15 and 17, so if you'd like more information call us toll free at 1-800-661-1429 or e-mail us at swift@swiftcanoe.com

You can also check out our other online sources:

The Swift Paddling Database- a collection of awesome paddling articles and helpful information. You can also check out the new 2011 Swift Canoe & Kayak catalog here as well.

Swift on Twitter- keep up to date with all the latest Swift events!

Swift on Facebook- the hub for interacting with the Swift team. Check out pictures, articles, and interact with fellow paddlers.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

The 2011 Swift Catalog is Online!


Hey paddling people,

Swift Canoe & Kayak has been pretty darn busy this off-season getting ready for 2011. And as you know, we've already spilled the beans about some of the new things we're releasing this year. Well to make things easier for everyone (ourselves included), we also designed a catalog so we could read about the boats online and look at lots of shiny pictures (and occasionally drool on the pages). The 2011 Swift Canoe & Kayak catalog has all the information you could possibly want to know about our boat models, our laminate and construction processes, color and trim options, our store locations and facilities, everything! Check it out HERE.

And since you're already on the computer, you should check out our social media websites. They're full of awesome paddling information:

- Swift has started an online database of cool paddling articles. Read up on the finer points of paddling, learn new techniques, and uncover the secrets to becoming a great paddler!(www.Scribd.com/SwiftCanoe)

- Follow us on Twitter and keep up with all the latest happenings at Swift (www.twitter.com/Swift_Canoe)

- We're developing an online library of cool paddling videos, so check out our Vimeo page and tell us what you think (it's a work in progress). Check it out at http://vimeo.com/swiftcanoe


Happy reading paddling scholars!

Friday, January 7, 2011

The Toronto International Boat Show Starts Tomorrow!



Good day paddlers and paddling enthusiasts,

In case you didn't get the memo, the Toronto International Boat Show starts this weekend! This is THE biggest boat show of the year, and believe us, we'll be pulling out all the stops. We'll be bringing several new boat designs with us, including the new Aqua and Glacier kayak color schemes, the new Prospector 17 canoe, and a couple more little secrets we haven't even told you about yet.... (more on that soon). We'll also be bringing the new 2011 Hobie MirageDrive kayaks, Scott Canoes, Wilderness Systems Kayaks, and Perception kayaks, just to name a few.

The show runs from Saturday January 8th to Sunday January 16th at the Direct Energy Center in downtown Toronto , so if you're in the GTA (or frankly, even if you're not) you should come out and see what it's all about!

The Details:

The Official Toronto International Boat Show website- www.torontoboatshow.com

Every year, TBS builds a giant indoor lake inside the Ricoh coliseum. Check it out:

The demo area at 'The Lake'

The Sea-Doo demo at TBS 2010

http://www.torontoboatshow.com/features/indoor-lake/. From January 8th-16th, Swift will be performing Stand-Up Paddle Board demos everyday at "The Lake" where visitors can join in and learn how to "SUP" with the best of'em! Check out the lake schedule on the TBS link above.

Follow us on Facebook and keep up to date with the latest Swift news and events. We'll be updating regularly throughout TBS- http://www.facebook.com/SwiftCanoeandKayak

We'll also be running some contests and giveaways during the Boat Show, so follow us out on Twitter to get up to date information- http://www.twitter.com/Swift_Canoe

If you haven't seen some of the new toys we'll be unveiling this year, here's a sneak peak at a few we've already let out of the bag (and there's more coming too..)

1) The new Swift Prospector Canoe Series- http://swiftoutdoors.blogspot.com/2010/12/sneak-preview-part-iv-creation-of-new.html

2) The all-new Two-Tone Glacier kayak color scheme- http://swiftoutdoors.blogspot.com/2010/12/sneak-preview-part-iii-introducing.html

3) The all-new Aqua kayak color scheme http://swiftoutdoors.blogspot.com/2010/11/sneak-preview-part-ii-introducing.html

4) The creation of a new Swift Prototype (more on this little guy soon...)- http://swiftoutdoors.blogspot.com/2010/11/behind-scenes-new-swift-prototype-is.html

Hope to see you at TBS!