+

= Awesome

Howdy Paddling People!

In case you didn't know, Swift has entered the Twitter universe (and what a glorious universe it is). So if you fancy yourself as an ultramodern paddling aficionado and social media butterfly, you should totally join Twitter and stay in touch with us. We'll be updating regularly with show info, special offers, and our quirky yet lovable observations about the life and times of the paddlesports biz. You can check us out HERE. Join us, wont you?

The Toronto Outdoor Adventure Show Is This Weekend!

What's Up Paddling People?

In case you've been buried under snow for the last few months and unable to leave your house (which would suck), the Toronto Outdoor Adventure Show is this weekend! It's a great way to shovel yourself out of that winter funk and get excited for the upcoming paddling season. OAS is always a great show, and it's jam-packed with stuff for every type of outdoors person there is. From canoeing and kayaking, to hiking and camping, OAS is a great event for outdoor adventurers. And of course, Swift will be there in full regalia with awesome boats and great off-season deals. So if you're in the GTA (and even if you're not), don't sit around and pray to the weather gods for spring, come on out to OAS and get pumped up for the upcoming season!

Here are the details:

http://www.outdooradventureshow.ca/toronto/visitor/index.html

Get 2-for1- Admission!

http://www.groupon.com/deals/the-outdoor-adventure-show-toronto

Hope to see you there!

Sneak Preview Part VI- From Prototype to Production

The Prospector 17 Is Here

Hello again paddling enthusiasts,

In Parts I, IV, and V of the Sneak Preview Series, we showed you how a canoe goes from just an idea to a full-fledged prototype. We've brought you along so you can see how we build and test each new design. Well, now it's time to see the finished product. As we announced in January, Swift has designed two new additions to our Prospector series, the Prospector 15 and 17. These new designs are now complete with finished moulds, and the first boats have already gone through production. With that said, Swift is proud to show you the first Swift Prospector 17 ever built:

Moments after coming out of the mould. It still needs trim, interior wood, and decals, but it's beginning to take shape.

The boat was made in Kevlar Fusion, with our Carbon-Kevlar trim, in champagne white, with cherry wood interior. The Swift factory team finished the boat this week and it immediately headed out for it's maiden voyage.

We decided to take the boat down to our good friends at Bay Creek Paddling Center in Rochester, NY. The gang decided on Irondeqouit Creek, a tributary of the larger Irondequoit Bay that feeds into Lake Ontario. It was a cold, snowy day but Dave and Morgan from Bay Creek braved the weather and put the boat through its paces. We're going to make them honorary Canadians for being such good sports. According to them, the boat paddles exceptionally well and is very maneuverable for it's size. It's also got tonnes of cargo capacity and glides nicely through the water, even with a light load. Here they are in action:

They've even got their toques on. Yes, it's a toque. It's not a hat, or a cap, or a chapeau, it's a toque eh!

A nice day for a test paddle. Kinda.

Like a couple of seasoned voyageurs

The Prospector 17 will be making its debut this weekend at the Outdoor Adventure Show, going on at the International Center in Toronto. Stop by the Swift booth and check it out!

In cased you missed it:

The Sneak Preview Series

Part I- http://swiftoutdoors.blogspot.com/2010/11/behind-scenes-new-swift-prototype-is.html

Part IV- http://swiftoutdoors.blogspot.com/2010/12/sneak-preview-part-iv-creation-of-new.html

Part V- http://swiftoutdoors.blogspot.com/2011/01/sneak-preview-part-v-first-test-of-all.html

How To Outfit A Whitewater Canoe

Do you like to whitewater canoe? Ever wanted to learn how to turn your regular old canoe into a whitewater paddling machine? Swift will teach you.

We've been slowly writing and contributing some of our paddling knowledge to a database we started just for paddlers. It's a cool collection of articles about paddling, boat design, engineering and construction, and other neat factoids. It's also full of great tips and advice like how to properly store your boat over the winter, or how understand weather patterns when you're on the water.

Check out our step-by-step guide to whitewater outfitting, or read up on some other other interesting stuff we've put up.

It's all right HERE

Paddlers Wanted: Swift is Hiring for the Upcoming 2011 Season!

The Swift Squad at Paddlefest!

Hello Paddlers and Paddling Enthusiasts,

Swift is gearing up for a big summer in 2011 and we're looking for some paddlers who want to join our team. Here are all the details:

Positions:

- season retail employees (from May to October at all Swift locations- Muskoka, Georgian Bay, Algonquin, and South River)

Description:

- educate customers about all aspects of paddling (boats, gear, trips, etc)

- help customers to find the right canoe or kayak to suit their needs

- work with the Swift team to run the retail outlet- opening and closing the store, organizing displays, helping customers, etc

What we're looking for:

- people with a passion for paddling

- people with paddling experience, especially in Swift canoes or kayaks (although not mandatory)

- excellent verbal and written communication skills

- loads of enthusiasm!

- ability to work flexible hours

If you live or summer in the Muskokas and love to paddle, we want to hear from you! If you'd like more information you can:

- call us toll free at 1-800-661-1429

- e-mail us at swift@swiftcanoe.com

- fax over your resume to 705-687-5587

- drop off a resume to either Swift Muskoka or Swift South River

Come work for Swift this summer!

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.

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!