The Tour is Complete! Time for some R&R!

After 15,000+ miles, 75 days, and 33 states, the Nu Frontier Tour is complete!  Deanna & I are now off for a vacation….no cars, no phones, no hotels, no trailers, and, unfortunately, no Kobe.  We are taking a 7 day cruise from Miami to Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Roatan, & Belize City.  We are certainly looking forward to some rest & relaxation!

We posted a few Frontier videos this morning that detail the Gear Vault, Universal Seat Bases, Freedom Track, and Crate Space.  We’ll have more pics & videos to post upon our return!

Have a great week!

Blake & Deanna

A Loop Through Florida

Well, I didn't do a good job keeping the blog and schedule up-to-date during the Florida leg of the Nu Frontier Tour, but it was a success nonetheless!

Our first stop came during the Thanksgiving weekend at Sunjammers in Panama City Beach, FL.  Brad squeezed us in to his busy weekend, but he didn’t except our visit to take long.  Upon seeing the Frontier in person, his interest grew with everything he learned.  Within an hour, Brad was excited to become the NuCanoe dealer for NW Florida!  We’re glad to have Sunjammers on the NuCanoe team!

Sunday afternoon we drove through some serious rain storms en route to Jacksonville.  On Monday we made the rounds in Jacksonville, seeing All Wet Sports, Black Creek Outfitters,and Strike Zone Hunting & Fishing.  All were impressed with the Frontier and saw it as a great boat for the Jacksonville area.  We are confident we’ll have a dealer in this area by next spring!

Tuesday we met briefly with Mike Kogan, organizer of the largest kayak fishing tournament in the country, the Jax Kayak Fishing Classic. Mike loved the boat and is eager to have NuCanoe back on board for the Classic.  And we think it’ll be the perfect venue for hundreds of kayak anglers to see and try the Frontier 12’!

In the afternoon we drove south to Sebastian, FL to meet with Mike & Kristin from the Florida Outdoor Center.  It is located with Captain Hiram’s resort in beautiful Sebastian.  Fortunately for us, they wanted to get out on the water for a full evaluation, so we got to enjoy the beach afternoon sun!  For the next hour, Mike, Kristin tried the Frontier in every way possible:  solo, tandem, standing, sitting, paddling, trolling, and more.  Mike was so impressed with the turning he took to slaloming through the pier pilings!  The conclusion?  The Frontier is a perfect fit for their rental business.

Tom from Kayaks by Bo contacted us about dealer opportunities a few months back.  Wednesday we were able to meet him and show him the Frontier.  It was a great stop!  I’m not sure who was more excited…Tom about the Frontier, or us about having Kayaks By Bo on the NuCanoe team.

We then dashed across the state to the Cape Coral to see Jory at Florida Paddlesports.  They are a new dealer, so it was great to meet them and show them the Frontier.  Business will certainly be growing in SW Florida in 2012!

The final weekend of the Nu Frontier Tour was well spent at the St. Pete Boat Show with West Coast Kayaks.  Jerry & Kate have a great story and are very enthusiastic about the brands they sell...which now includes NuCanoe.  We were able to fitness our first retail sale, as West Coast Kayaks pre-sold a Frontier to a gentlemen (pictured right) who had been waiting for the perfect boat.  He found it, and he'll be among the first Frontier owners in Florida!

Through the Red River Valley

Monday morning we left Fort Smith, AR en route to Beaver's Bend Getaways in Broken Bow, OK.  Being a bit futher south, the leaves were colorful and plentiful as we wound through the mountains.  We met with NuCanoe Dealer Joe Silk and his son, Isaac, and went to Beavers Bend Lake for a test paddle.  Both Joe & Isaac were impressed...particularly with the stability and the slide track.  (The only downside to our vist with them was that I got a few fire ant bites...leaving my foot itchy and swollen for a few days.)



The drive to Dallas took us over the ever-winding Red River as we crossed into Texas.  Monday evening we went to dinner with Deanna's family friend, Dwaina, and her husband Bob.  We ate some good Tex Mex and enjoyed the change of pace from dinner on our own.

Tuesday we drove across to Ft. Worth to meet with Robert at Texas Outdoors.  They've been a NuCanoe dealer since the start of the year and are looking forward to 2012.  Their store is located right off the biggest round-a-bout I've been through...a great high visibility location!  Robert was quite pleased to see the changes and features in the Frontier.  All he needs now is some rain to fill up the lakes and rivers to people can get back out on the water!

From there it was back to Dallas and to Mariner Sails.   They've been eyeing NuCanoe boats for a year or two, but had a few concerns.  Upon learning about the Frontier, Aris & Mike were happy to see they'd all been addressed.  After seeing their store and going through the details on the Frontier, we went out to White Rock Lake for a demo.  We had a nice crowd out to see and try the Frontier...it's always great to meet current and future NuCanoe owners!  Mike took the Frontier for a spin and came back raving about the improvements in initial stability and tracking.  The other folks were equally impressed with the Frontier.  A great way to spend a warmer than average Dallas afternoon!

Hawksbill Crag

While at Lewis & Clark Outfitters, we asked Sam to recommend a good day hike in NW Arkansas.  He said Hawksbill Crag near Huntsville was the place to go.  After seeing a picture of it, we were convinced.

The directions looked simple enough.  Go to 21S, take County Rd 5, go 6 miles, and you'll be at the trailhead.  Once we got there, we quickly learned that County Rd 5 was no ordinary road.  First off, it was rock and gravel, and about as wide as 1 1/2 normal lanes.  Second it was steep.  So steep.  I thought I might have to drop the 4Runner into four wheel drive to make it up some of the hills.  And over the edge of the road was an abrupt dropoff.  Not for the weary!  And to top it off, we started out with less than 1/4 tank of gas as there are no gas stations any where nearby.

About 20 minutes later, we arrived with no incident.  The hike to the crag was an enjoyable 1.5 miles.  Not too challenging, which afforded us the opportunity to take in the scenic landscape.  We'd have been perfect to be there about 2 weeks sooner for the fall colors.  The orange leaves remained...but mostly on the ground. 

We turned a corner and saw the crag jutting out over a vast valley and rolling hills.  Quite the impressive scene!  On the crag, there is a nice little sitting ledge just at the point, leaving on to sit back, relax, and ponder the impressive view! 

Well worth it all.  Thanks, Sam!

Four Days, Four More States

The Tour made a brief stop on Tuesday afternoon in Corinth, MS to meet with a prospective customer, Brad H., and walk through Lonnie's Sporting Goods.  Brad tried to make it to the Nashville River Bassin' stop this summer, but it didn't work out.  He invited a couple friends out to check out the Frontier with him.  All were impressed...and Brad is already planning his trip to Riverside Fly Shop to pick up a Frontier in February.

Wednesday we made the rounds in Memphis visiting three of the four Outdoors Inc stores.  They have been a dealer for a couple years and have seen interest in the NuCanoe boats really grow in the past year.  They've also seen the kayak fishing segment start to boom.  Given that, the staff at each store were excited to see the Frontier...and after learning about it, even more excited to get them in next spring.  We are pleased to have a great retailer representing NuCanoe in western Tennessee!

Wednesday night we went down to Beale St for a little Memphis fun.  What is normally a packed & crazy street was pretty chill on a crisp November evening.  We stumbled into J Money & his entourage upon entering BB King's Blues Club, enjoyed a little blues, and had some good Memphis ribs.  A nice midweek outing!

Crossing the Mississippi river bridge from Memphis takes you from city to farm country in the blink of an eye.  We cruised through eastern Arkansas, which was a little reminiscent of the Nebraska with its endless fields, to the duck hunting capital of the world.  And in the middle of Stuttgart lies Mack's Prairie Wings, a huge and impressive store in a small town.  It's existence is a testament to the huge duck hunting region that surrounds Stuttgart.  We met with Adam Davis and learned more about the region and their store.  Adam was impressed with the Frontier- for both hunting and fishing purposes.  The only problem is we won't have them available in time for this year's duck season.

Next up was Ozark Outdoor Supply in Little Rock, AR.  It is a nice and fully equipped store in a surprising nice city.  We had no idea that Little Rock would be so interesting.  We enjoyed our visit with Joe at OOS and the evening in Little Rock.

The Northwest of Arkansas is a beautiful region with loads of great outdoors activities.  If we'd arrived a week or two sooner, the fall colors would have been brilliant and bright.  The falling leaves and fading colors were scenic enough though as we made our way to Lewis & Clark Outfitters in Rogers & Springdale.  We had shown the staff renderings of the Frontier on our previous trip in August, so they were excited to see the real deal.  And they were not at all disappointed!  With their growing fishing market and emphasis, the Frontier will fit in great in 2012.

Springfield, MO was our last stop in the Midwest before heading to Texas.  We met with Brad & Scott from Marine Repair Center and Dennis & Pat from our Midwest Rep Group.  We went out to Lake Springfield to all could take the Frontier for a test paddle.  Once again, minutes after launching, everyone was standing, paddling, and smiling!  Another successful Frontier demo!

Sweet Home Alabama

Our first stop on Phase 2 of the Nu Frontier Tour was Coosa River Adventures in Wetumpka, AL.  Owner's Chris & Therese Carter have built a great business on the shores of the Coosa River.  When they purchased the property, the trees were so dense they didn't know a 100+ year old house sat in the middle of it.  After years of constant work, that house is now their store and showroom. 

Coosa River Adventures has been a NuCanoe Dealer for three years, and they are excited about the Frontier model.  Scupper holes, the wider deck floor, and integrated storage are they think will really appeal to their customers.  And Chris said the kayak fishing is on the cusp of booming...hopefully the Frontier can help push that growth even faster!

Winding through from Auburn country to Alabama country, we arrived in the sad city of Tuscaloosa, two days after their loss to LSU.  We were hoping for a win and continued festivities, but it wasn't to be. 

Woods N Water sits atop a hill overlooking Tuscaloosa.  On game days, I'm sure the roar of the crowd from Paul Bryant stadium can be clearly heard from their parking lot. Woods N Water picked up NuCanoe this year and is off to a great start.  Their fishing department staff (Dennis, Fox, & Jake) are all huge NuCanoe fans. They were all impressed with the Frontier and like how it fills the gap between kayaks and fishing boats.  It is a great fit in their fishing and hunting focused store...and we are happy to have a great crew to serve NuCanoe customers!

On Tuesday morning we drove through the hills to Riverside Fly Shop near Jasper, AL.  As the name implies, their shop is right off the river coming from Smith Lake Dam.  It is the only cold water river in Alabama, thus it is the destination for trout fishing.  Brandon Jackson and his wife own RFS.  His dad Randy is and almost three year old daughter Lela were helping out at the store on this morning.  They have a great fly shop, do guided fishing trips, and have a fleet of NuCanoe boats for rentals. 

Joining us a Riverside Fly was Gary Hanson, an avid angler from Anniston, AL, that I connected with via Twitter.  We launched the boats in the crystal clear river and went for a lazy paddle upstream.  While paddling, we learned all about the work being done in the river to improve conditions for the trout.  Gary told us great stories of going after monster stripers in Anniston...that'll have to be on the agenda for the next time through!  Lela was talking constantly, having great fun sitting, standing, and leaning over the gunwale to check out the fish.


Brandon, Randy, Lela, & Gary were all impressed with the Frontier.  Brandon and Randy said it addressed everything they'd like to change with the NuCanoe, while preserving all they liked.  Gary figured he just found his next fishing craft!

The Next Leg Begins

Our break from the road was quite welcome.  We sure enjoyed being able to sleep in the same place more than one night, eat home cooked food, and see friends & family.  The Frontier was put through the tests on the white sand beaches at Ft. Walton Beach, FL.  In fact, it was ridiculously fun and its my new favorite.  Check out these videos from the beach in front of Deanna’s mom condo:

During the week, I made the trip back to Bellingham to check in on things at the home office.  We are blessed with a great team.....Donna, Robby, James, & Ian have done an awesome job keeping business humming and preparing for the Frontier.  It was fun to be back, sort out plans for the next few months, and start gearing up for the new year.  Deanna stayed in Florida to take care of preparations for the next phase and relax.

Monday we’ll be off again…working our way from Alabama to Memphis, then into Arkansas and into Springfield, MO, before heading towards Texas.  We’ll round the state then shoot back to Florida along I-10.  If we’re coming your way, we’d love to see you out at one of our stops.  Check the Nu Frontier Tour Schedule for details.

To the Beach!

Today marked day 1 of week 7.  A good time to take a break!

We hit the road early to get to NuCanoe Dealer Adel Outfitters in Adel, GA by lunchtime.  Adel Outfitters recently moved to a bigger store right off I-75...a great location and perfect home for NuCanoe in South Georgia.  Chad liked the Frontier and is ready for a couple boats as soon as we can get them to him.

Heading west from Adel we made our way to Dothan, AL.  My last time through Dothan I saw a nice outdoors store right off the highway.  So I looked it up and found The Sportsman's Outfitters.  We stopped in despite not having an appointment or knowing who to talked to.  The folks there were friendly, and we chatted with Danny for a bit.  He and Jamie then came out to see the boats and were impressed.  Jamie thought it a great fit for their hunting and fishing customers...and loved that it could go in lakes, rivers, and the saltwater.  We hope to have them on the team in 2012!

And from there it was a 2 hour drive to Ft. Walton Beach, to Deanna's mom's home, conveniently located on the beach.  The tour goes on break as we recharge and I head back to teh home office for 4 days.  When we resume on November 7th, we'll have 2 1/2 weeks going through Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, & Louisiana.  We'll be back to the beach for Thanksgiving, then off again for 2 weeks through Florida. 

It's been a great journey...and we're looking forward to the rest!

On to Atlanta

We were now down to three days left on the first phase of the Nu Frontier Tour.  Come Friday evening, we'd be on the beach near Destin, FL relaxing at Deanna's mom's condo.   We'd be off the road for 10 days, although I'd be flying back home to the office for 4 days.

We visited longtime NuCanoe Dealers Terry & Gin Tucker at Talespinner's Outdoors in LaFayette, GA on Wednesday morning.  They were impressed with the Frontier and are anxious to get some in come spring.  We chatted for a bit, and Terry told some great stories about life in Georgia.

In the Atlanta area, we had four stops and a demo.  Wednesday afternoon we met with Willie at The Fly Box Outfitters in Kennesaw, GA.  The Fly Box has been a NuCanoe dealer for six months and they already have a customer lined up for the Frontier. 

Thursday we started at Adventure Outdoors in Smyrna, GA.  They are in the process of moving to a huge new store, providing much needed space as their current location is more than full.  Eric saw the NuCanoe 12 in the spring, and was plenty pleased with the new and improved Frontier 12.  We're looking forward to having ADventure Outdoors on the NuCanoe team in 2012!

An drive hour on 401 North took us to The Outside World in Dawsonville, a premier paddlesports retailer in Georgia.  Brent saw & demoed the NuCanoe 12 in the spring, and while he liked it, he also thought it was missing something.  Upon first glance at the Frontier, he was sold.  Brent plans to bring the Frontier into their Dawsonville store and Columbus, GA store.  We are excited to work with them!

Next up was NuCanoe Dealer The Fish Hawk in the Buckhead area of Atlanta.  The Fish Hawk crew took turns checking out the Frontier and learning all the features.  Most of the concerns they had heard about the NuCanoe 12 were addressed, and they are figuring on selling a lot of Frontier 12s in 2012!

Thursday afternoon we went to Azalea Park on the Chattahoochee to meet up with a couple NuCanoe owners and potential owners.  They went for a test ride and were impressed.  After that, Deanna & I paddled around a bit...we even let Kobe have his own boat!  Until he jumped in the water trying to chase the birds....

Tennessee

On Sunday we went to Huber Farms & Winery in Indiana on a tip from Adam.  The drive in was beautiful, winding through hills colorful trees.  The farm was full of fall festivities - pumpkin patch, corn maze, farm fresh foods, and lots of people.  We enjoyed a bottle of wine while taking in some interesting music and watching the crowds.

Monday we were off to Nashville for a demo day at Long Hunter State Park with Team NuCanoe member Kevin McCullough.  We met up with Kevin during the River Bassin Tournament Trail stop in June and floated the Stones River.  We had a nice crowd of folks out to check out the Frontier on a perfect fall afternoon.  One gentlemen, Joff, was in work clothes but went for a test paddle anyway.  He was reluctant to stand up in the Frontier, but with a little encouragement, he gave it a try.  Five seconds later he was saying, "Wow, this is easy.  I can even walk around on the deck."  Yes, you can!

The next day we made the short drive to Lynchburg, TN to see Rhonda at Tim's Flies & Lies.  It is literally 100 yards from the Jack Daniels Distillery.  We missed the epic Jack Daniels Barbeque Festival by three days...probably a good thing since the crowds would have made getting around just about impossible.  Tim's has a been a NuCanoe dealer for 4 years and has introduced countless people to NuCanoe thanks to their prime location, including current dealers in Iowa and Australia.

We followed Rhonda to Tim's Ford Lake for an on water demo.  Current NuCanoe owners Warren Patterson, Denny Edwards, and Pat Neese made it out to see and try the Frontier.  (See them in the video Duck River Fishing.)  All were mightily impressed.  Warren, who was a tournament Bass Angler back in the day, would hardly sit down in the Frontier, and he never fishes on his feet in his NuCanoe 10.  He figures once he gets the Frontier, he may start fishing the lakes as much  as the rivers.  Another gentlemen, Joe, came out to try the Frontier as he is in the market for a new fishing craft.  He's glad he did as the Frontier is now on the top of his list!

Yak Angler + Canoe Kentucky

I first connected with the guys from Yak Angler in late 2010.  Adam Hayes posted an article about the NuCanoe 12, I read it, contacted him, and we started chatting. Just like that, a great partnership was born.   We supplied Yak Angler with a NuCanoe 12 Bass Angler, they passed it around to other kayak anglers, and let people fish out of it (a 7 year old girl even won a kayak fishing out of this NuCanoe at the River Bassin stop in Frankfort!).  They introduced us to Canoe Kentucky.
In June we met up with Adam and Mark Watanabe at a brew pub in Louisville.  Over food & drink, we chattaed about paddling, fishing, and business.  We then shared our plans for the Frontier 12...and Adam & Mark were quite impressed.  The only way we could get them to keep quiet about it was to promise to visit them again when we had prototypes.

So on Saturday morning we met up at Canoe Kentucky for a Frontier Demo Day.  We first went to Beaver Lake for a bit of fishing, then back to the Canoe Kentucky store to meet up the folks that came out to see the Frontier.  We took the boats to the Elkhorn Creek near the shop where the water was flat and slow.  The Yak Angler crew and the demo'ers put the Frontiers through the tests...and then some.  Paddling, trolliing, standing, rocking, 180 jumps, tandem 180 jumps, triple SUP'ing, and more.  Best to check the videos!

To wrap up the day, we floated the Elkhorn from the Canoe Kentucky put-in down to their store.  While it was mostly flat water, we encountered one fun section of rapids and a tricky corner known as The Claw.  Mark rarely sat down and provided us some great video!

To cap it off, Adam & Mark joined us for some eats and refreshments back in Louisville.  And while we were there, the gentlemen whose daughter won the kayak fishing from the NuCanoe came by to check out the Frontier.  So out in the parking under the street lights, we showed him the boat.  And the Frontier 12 was added to another wish list!

Mahoney's Outfitters & Fall Colors

The drive from Hickory, NC to Johnson City, TN on Friday morning was beautiful as can be.  The fall colors were vibrant, the sky blue, and the crispness of fall was in the air.   I am more certain than ever tha October is about the ideal time for traveling, no matter where the destination.

Fortunately for us, our destination was Mahoney's Outfitters.  Founded in 1960, Mahoney's is still in the family, owned and operated by Dan Mahoney.  The boast a great selection of everything for the outdoors:  hunting, fishing, camping, backpacking, paddling, apparel, and more.  And starting in the spring of 2012, Mahoney's will be the home for NuCanoe in eastern Tennessee.

Blake & Brandon from Mahoney's

We stopped in to visit Brandon, Jimmy, and Mike in June with the NuCanoe 12.  They were impressed and figured it be a great addition to the store.  Upon learning about Frontier, they were more excited than ever. We had quite the crowd gather around during our show & tell at the store.   They've seen the fishing side of paddlesports start to boom, and are confident next year will be a breakout year for kayak fishing....led by the Frontier 12!

Along with the Mahoney's staff, NuCanoe owners Mark Hutchison and Cecil Jones made the trek to meet up with the tour.  We enjoyed chatting with them and are pleased they are both excited about the Frontier.  Hopefully next time around we can join them on the water for some fishing!

Cecil & Paul drove 3 hours to see the Frontier!

Frontier Demo Day @ Outdoor Supply Company

Charlie & Rick at Outdoor Supply Company put together a great Frontier demo day on Thursday afternoon at the Wittenburg Access Area on Lake Hickory.  The weather was a bit cooler than usual, but we had no rain and the wind was minimal. 

The Frontier was put through the paces solo, tandem, paddling, trolling, and standing up.  We had paddlers old and young...big and small.  And the results were great!  Proof being that Charlie wanted to know if he could revise their pre-season order to get more Frontier boats! 

Thanks Charlie & Rick for the great event!  

Winding Through South Carolina

Tuesday night we navigated through the back highways of South Carolina to Anderson, SC for our meeting the next day with Grady's Great Outdoors.  For over 50 years, Grady's has been the premier source of outdoor gear in the Anderson area.  Today, they have fishing, hunting, paddling, outdoor apparel, shoes, and more.  Sounds like a great home for NuCanoe boats!  

Owner John Phillips was certainly impressed by the Frontier. He already liked the versatility of the NuCanoe 10 & 12, so the Frontier's added features and space really appealed to him.  The timing is great too, as they are planning to have more room for boats and outdoor equipment in the near future.   And while we'd love to have NuCanoe boats fill some of that space, certainly the anglers & hunters in the region won't leave them on the store racks for long!

From there we made our way to Sunrift Adventures in Travelers Rest, SC.  Sunrift has a great selection of hiking gear, boats, clothes, camping gear, and more.  They started carrying NuCanoe boats at the start of this year as they saw the growth and opportunity in kayak fishing.  When they had NuCanoe boats rigged up and ready to fish on the showroom floor, it got lots of attention.

Upon first glance at the Frontier, Josh, the paddlesports manager, was loving it!  The wider deck, slide track for the seats, and built in storage were all high in his NuCanoe wish list.  He is anxious to get Frontiers in ahead of their demo day in the spring...and let their customers put it to the test.

Wednesday night we stayed in Greenville, SC and ventured downtown for some dinner.  It's a great city with a nice downtown area.  We settled on the Carolina Ale House for eats and drinks.  The food was great...the only downside being about half the draft beers were out, thanks to the Greenville Fall Festival the prior weekend.

Thursday morning we were on the road to Carolina Fresh Farms in Rock Hill, SC.  While the core of the business is in sod and landscape supply, by listening to their customers, their Rock Hill store has grown into a leading supplier of hunting feed, outdoor gear, and sunglasses.  Seeking to round out their outdoor equipment offering and take advantage of the pond behind their store, Mills Grant began looking for a line of boats.  After looking at many options, he remembered NuCanoe, which he saw at a show a few years ago.  Fortunately, he got in touch ahead of the SC leg of our tour, so we were able to visit them.

We met with Mills, Byron, & Chris, and they are all full of great ideas for building the outdoor gear business at CFF.  And best of all, they are excited about using the gear they carry for themselves.  And that includes NuCanoe boats...particularly the Frontier.  After taking it for a test ride in the pond, they were sold.  And thinking forward to the spring when customers could stop by for a demo anytime.  We are excited to have CFF on the NuCanoe team in 2012!

Bass Fishing with Ken Ziomek

Ken Ziomek lives in Aiken, SC.  He first found NuCanoe in the spring of 2010 when looking for a better fishing platform for a "guy his age."  He quickly fell in love with his NuCanoe and started customizing it for his needs.  He also started sharing his opinions and experiences with others who were interested in a NuCanoe.  He joined Team NuCanoe in spring 2011, and I've had the pleasure of fishing with him twice before.

Tuesday morning we met up with Ken to let him try out the Frontier 12.  We went to Magnolia Lake set up the two Frontier boats, and hit the water.  It only took 60 seconds for Ken to comment on the vastly improved stability and tracking of the Frontier.  And about 10 minutes for him to land his first bass.  Over the next couple hours, we fished, paddled, and chatted.  Ken caught the big fish of the day, Deanna caught a couple, and I had a few that didn't get away.  Good times!
















Afterwards, I asked Ken what he liked and didn't like about the Frontier.  Here's what he said:

In regards to Ken's "things to improve":

• The seat base is being redesigned to be stiffer
• Frontier owners can install any type of mount in the Mount Docks

Ken mentioned he could stand and fish...here is proof!