Press Releases
Wilderness Systems 2012 Pro Staff Roster Includes Industry Icons and Fresh Talent
By: David H. Johnston
Most of the names on the 2012 Wilderness Systems Pro Staff roster have long been at the forefront of the kayak fishing phenomenon. This year, new talent from every corner of the industry joins the ample experience and enthusiasm of the industry icons. As competitors, trainers and ambassadors for the sport, the Wildy Pro Staff is a crew of undeniable experts – accessible to anyone with an interest in getting on the water and fishing from a new perspective.
“I'm excited about what the 2012 Wilderness Systems Pro Staff has to offer,” said Chad Hoover, team manager and long-time Pro Staff member. “Our team consists of some of the best anglers in the sport with diverse skill sets. Our goal is to provide anglers of all skill levels with valuable insights and expertise to make their time on the water more enjoyable.”
Here is the roster for the 2012 Wilderness Systems Pro Staff:
- Chad Hoover (Norfolk, Va.): Author of Kayak Bass Fishing; host of NBC Sports Knot Right Kayak Fishing; Owns www.kayakbassfishing.com and jovially owns up to his nickname, “Knot Right.”
- Captain Dean Thomas (Aransas Pass, Texas): Guide, mentor, and non-discriminatory angler who will fish for whatever is biting.
- Jeff Little (New Windsor, Md.): Author, resident river smallmouth expert and undaunted by a little snowstorm when it comes to getting out on the water. Co-owner of ConfidenceBaits.net
- Jeff Suber (Crawfordville, Fla.): Adventure junkie and shallow water redfish fanatic, who co-organizes the largest charity kayak fishing tournament on the Florida Gulf Coast.
- Chris Fierro (San Diego, Calif.): Specializes in large species off the coast of Southern California and Baja, Mexico. When he’s not fishing with rod and reel, he’s spear diving from his Tarpon 160.
- CJ Siebler (San Diego, Calif.): At 24-years old, CJ is the youngest Pro Staffer and an unchallenged expert at rigging with advanced wiring and electronics.
- Chris LeMessurier (Berkley, Mich.): ACA-certified kayak instructor and record-holding angler. Owner of KayakFishtheGreatLakes.com and organizer of the popular NoMo Charity Fishing Tounrament.
- Bill Schultz (New Berlin, Wis.): Overall fitness advocate and smallmouth bass aficionado, Bill is the leading voice of fishing for smallies in legendary Door County.
- Joe Poole (Leander, Texas): Loves kayak fishing “because it is simple, silent and stealthy,” and shares that experience as a volunteer with Heroes on the Water.
- Erick Bell (Mooresville, N.C.): Splitting time between his Tarpon 140 and Ride 135, Erick focuses on competition fishing and the purity of landing a perfect cast from his boat.
- Captain Jason Stock (Madeira Beach, Fla.): Operates a private fishing charter company and known for finding fish year-round and even in the toughest conditions that South Florida can muster.
- Todd Llewellyn (St. Petersburg, Fla.): Loves the freedom of his Tarpon 160 for getting him to places where non-kayakers cannot reach.
- Chris Gorsuch (Walnut Port, Penn.): Primarily a river fisherman who grew up fishing the small streams of upstate New York and now defines a perfect day as one spent casting on the Susquehanna River.
- Tommy Samuels (Charleston, S.C.): Prefers the Tarpon 160 for Low Country, South Carolina, waters.
- Dave Easton (San Diego, Calif.): If you want to catch a white sea bass like the 60-pounders Dave has reeled in, follow his gear recommendations and paddle fast to keep up.
Check out full bios of the Pro Staff at www.wildernesssystems.com. We welcome you to join the Wilderness Systems angling community to share and learn tips and the latest news in kayak fishing. Also, join us onFacebook.
About Wilderness Systems:
Innovative designs tuned for performance, premium outfitting, and superlative quality have aligned Wilderness Systems boats with the most acclaimed paddling experiences in the world. Since 1986, Wilderness Systems has pushed the limits of design and innovation, by refusing to compromise. A Wilderness Systems kayak offers the ultimate in performance and design for the recreational boater to the expedition paddler. Taking that same drive into the angling market, Wilderness Systems fishing kayaks exemplify the ultimate experience for anglers. For the times you can’t be on water, experience Wilderness Systems at www.wildernesssystems.com and join the Wildy Community.
Kokatat Hires John Horsnell as Midwest Sales Representative
By: David H. Johnston
Kokatat announced today that John Horsnell has joined its sales team serving the Midwest territory including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
The 7th annual Reel Paddling Film Festival premiered last night at The Royal Cinema on College Street in Toronto, hosted by The Complete Paddler. The keen audience was treated to the first screenings of some of the year’s award winning films. The full list of winners are:
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Best Sea Kayaking Film: In Rescues – Sea Kayak with Gordon Brown, you’ll see exciting and practical rescue coaching sessions from one of the world’s top coaches.
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Best Canoeing Film: Tracing the Columbia brings together two historical moments: David Thompson’s charting of the Columbia River in 1811 and the 45-day journey paddling the river to mark the 200th anniversary of Thompson’s achievement.
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Best Whitewater Film: In Wildwater, journey into the places only river runners can go. It’s a visually stunning feast for the senses, and an expedition into new ideas.
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Best Kayak Fishing Film: ExOfficio Presents Kayak Fishing: Game On 4 Jim Sammons hooks up with Paul Harwood on the Fraser River in BC with the goal of catching one of the areas enormous sturgeon.
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Best Environmental Paddling Film: The Pipedreams Project follows 3 kayakers on their epic two-month expedition to oppose a $5.5 Billion pipeline project in British Columbia.
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Best Paddling Documentary: Chasing Water is the story of Pete McBride, a child of the Colorado River, as he decides to follow the water from his ranch in Western Colorado to see where it ends up.
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Best Amateur/Short Paddling Film: So Fine sees Zac Crouse develop banjo paddling with the help from a Muppet.
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Best Instructional Paddling Film: Advanced Classic Solo Canoeing with Becky Mason will leave you spellbound by the advanced strokes and maneuvers she shows and the stunning underwater camera angles.
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Best Stand-up Paddling Film: In Standup 4 Greatbear, Norm Hann takes us on a 400km SUP expedition through the Great Bear Rainforest, and along the proposed North Coast oil tanker route.
“We have more screenings in more cities than ever before,” says Scott MacGregor, Founder and Publisher of Rapid Media “With so many new paddling shops, clubs and events hosting the World Tour, we’re well on our way to blowing 100 showings right out of the water.”
Katie Mutton, Assistant Manager of The Complete Paddler, the host of the Premiere, said “we had over 190 people attend, with lots of prizes and giveaways from sponsors, this was definitely our most successful show yet. It’s nice to see the word spreading and more and more people taking part in this event.”
The premiere kicks off the Reel Paddling Film Festival World Tour, an international paddling film tour with 34 short-listed films screening in 100 cities hosted by paddling shops, clubs and events. Visit reelpaddlingfilmfestival.com for the most up-to-date tour schedule and to learn how to bring the World Tour to your city.
Austin Canoe and Kayak Receives "Best Online Retailer" Award
By: David H. Johnston
Austin Canoe and Kayak (ACK), announces the acceptance of the SNEWS/Backpacker “Best Online Retailer” award.
The award recognizes retailers who embody the spirit of entrepreneurship and who serve as visionaries for the outdoor market and leaders of the communities they serve.
“We are honored to have won this award, going up against the likes of larger companies such as REI and Backcountry.com makes this award extra special to us,” said Peter Messana, Austin Canoe and Kayak CEO, “it’s a validation that we are providing the best possible service to our customers and we look forward to continuing to deliver this service.”
Steve Messana, Austin Canoe and Kayak President, added: “We are proud of our entire staff for making this possible and most of all, we are grateful for those who voted for us. This award combined with the massive expansion of our product offering is legitimizing ACK as a full fledged outdoor adventure retailer.”
The winners were announced at an industry ceremony hosted by SNEWS, Backpacker and program sponsor Horny Toad during the 2012 Winter Outdoor Retailer Show on Thursday, January 19th, 2012 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
About Austin Canoe and Kayak
Founded over 20 years ago, Austin Canoe and Kayak (ACK) is an award-winning paddlesports and outdoor retailer based out of Central Texas dedicated to providing exceptional customer service and the widest selection of paddlesports and outdoor equipment. ACK operates three physical retail shops in Austin, San Marcos and Houston, Texas and an online store at www.AustinKayak.com.
If you’d like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Austin Canoe and Kayak, please call Roland Jimenez at 512.687.3010, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
MSR WhisperLite Universal Stove Named Backpacker Editors’ Choice
By: David H. Johnston
The MSR WhisperLite Universal stove has been honored as a recipient of a 2012 Backpacker magazine Editors’ Choice Award, the most prestigious award in the outdoor industry, given annually to products in recognition of their outstanding innovation in design, materials and/or performance.
Backpacker Editor-In-Chief Jonathan Dorn and his staff of editors and testers presented MSR with the award for the WhisperLite Universal stove at the annual Outdoor Retailer Winter Market in Salt Lake City, Utah on Thursday, January 19th.
The Backpacker Editors’ Choice Awards, bestowed annually since 1993, honor the products thatBackpacker editors have chosen as the best of the year based on months of trail testing by teams of highly experienced hikers and climbers. With no set categories for the awards and no set number of recipients, the products and the testing process drive the award categories.
The MSR WhisperLite Universal Stove was one of only 13 innovative products that have been honored with a 2012 Backpacker Editors’ Choice Award. The new stove is MSR’s first hybrid-fuel stove and combines canister and liquid fuel capabilities into one comprehensive package. Fuel-specific jets and fuel source couplers let it burn just about anything, from white gas and kerosene to unleaded gasoline, while an inverted canister improves performance.
"BACKPACKER gear reviews have many imitators, a few competitors, and no equals," said Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Dorn. "That's because no other magazine or website conducts in-depth field-testing as vigorously or impartially as the crew led by Gear Editor Kristin Hostetter. With a core team that has several centuries of combined trail time, along with first descents, decades of retail experience, and expertise in every backcountry discipline, Kristin puts new products through an unprecedented level of real-world abuse in every terrain and weather imaginable. She also oversees a transparent process that has earned an unrivaled amount of trust from readers, retailers, and manufacturers. The results are reviews that lead consumers to smart, durable products that consistently prove their worth with years of best-in-class performance."
“Since MSR’s inception in 1969, we’ve been committed to quality, local manufacturing and innovation. The WhisperLite Universal is the result of years of hard work and, at long last, easily powers globe-trotting expeditions by working with numerous types of fuel,” said Drew Keegan, Division Director, Stoves and Cookware for Cascade Designs. “We’re huge fans of Backpacker, their scrupulous testing methods, and their expertise in the outdoor industry. We’re honored.”
The Backpacker Editors’ Choice Awards are the gold standard against which all outdoor products are measured, and are a seal of approval that can help put an outdoor company or product on the proverbial map. Each year at the Outdoor Retailer show, retail buyers use the awards announcements as a must-buy shopping list, knowing that their customers will be asking for these products in the spring.
Since their inception, the Backpacker Editors’ Choice Awards have come to be regarded as the most sought-after award for outdoor equipment and apparel found in the industry. The impeccable outdoor credentials and rigorous field-testing standards of the Backpacker staff guarantee that these awards are an undisputed mark of quality for the companies and products selected.
All winners must excel under extensive field-testing conducted by Backpacker’s team of editors, who take hundreds of new products every year into the backcountry to put them to the test. This rigorous process ensures that the performance of the winners is truly worthy of distinction and meets the guiding principle behind the program: gear that is of real value to the readers ofBackpacker magazine, who are very active, long-term outdoor enthusiasts.
The complete list of Backpacker 2012 Editors’ Choice Award winners will be officially announced to the general public in the magazine’s April Gear Guide issue, on newsstands March 6, 2012.
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David H. Johnston
