Necky Kayaks, an industry leader in the performance kayak market, is proud to announce that its Eliza kayak has been named ‘Best Women’s Kayak’ in Sea Kayaker Magazine’s newly minted Readers Choice Awards. The Readers Choice Awards, featured in Sea Kayaker’s December 2011 issue, are based on the results of a six month poll administered through the Sea Kayaker website from January through June 2011.

“Any time you’re awarded a Readers Choice award its cause for celebration and to receive this honor for the Eliza is both humbling and inspirational,” said Sara Knies, Director of Marketing for Necky Kayaks. “The touring kayak market is a mature one, filled with savvy paddlers who know what they require out of a boat and we couldn’t be more pleased than to deliver on our consumer’s expectations.”

As the magazine points out, ‘a good kayak is one that fits’ and the Eliza was specifically designed to fit women. The deck of the Eliza is designed to shed water and minimize windage, while allowing better stroke clearance for paddlers with narrower shoulders. Advanced female paddlers can appreciate how the low profile and cockpit dimensions of the Eliza allow flexibility for rolling, bracing, surfing and spirited paddling. One of the lightest production kayaks on the market, the Eliza is both easy to load and a joy to paddle.

Available in a number of models including a new composite with rudder, the Necky Eliza boasts a roomy cockpit, padded thigh braces for superior handling and control, and a Necky touring seat with supportive back band for all day comfort. Other key features include bow and stern hatches with sealed bulkheads, adjustable foot pedals and reflective deck rigging for added safety.

Since the Eliza was first launched, Necky Kayaks has donated 1% of the Eliza gross sales to the Breast Cancer Fund. The Breast Cancer Fund is one of the leading national organizations focused on identifying the environmental causes of breast cancer and preventing the disease.

Necky Eliza kayaks are currently available through authorized specialty dealers throughout the United States and Canada. For more information on Necky’s family of kayaks please visit us at www.neckykayaks.com, http://www.facebook.com/NeckyKayaks or http://www.youtube.com/neckykayaks.

Necky® kayaks is part of the Johnson Outdoors family of innovative, market-leading brands. The company designs, manufactures and markets a portfolio of winning, consumer-preferred brands across four categories: Watercraft, Marine Electronics, Diving and Outdoor Equipment. Visit Johnson Outdoors online at www.johnsonoutdoors.com.

Congratulations are in order to Johnson Outdoors for their 40th Anniversary. There are not too many companies that can say they have been around for 40 years; especially in the outdoor equipment market.

Did you know that Johnson Outdoors was once part of the S.C. Johnson (A Family Company? Yes, that little gang that happily sells us Ziplock, Windex, Pledge and those cute little Scrubbing Bubbles.

In the 1970’s they spun off an outdoor equipment business known then as Johnson Camping Inc. which turned into $315 million a year company owning some of the largest outdoor brands including Necky Kayaks, Old Town Canoes, Eureka! Tents, Silva Compasses, Minn Kota (fishing motors) and Hummingbird.

So what is Johnson Outdoors doing to celebrate their big date? It isn’t a night out to the movies no sir. They decided to do something nice and help their local community. The 1,300 employees are marking the occasion with food drives to help those in need. All non-perishable items collected by employees in each location will be donated to free food banks in their respective local community.

“My father used to say that money didn’t make things better, people did. That’s why giving back to our communities is not just be measured in dollars, but more importantly in service - giving one's time and talents to help make every place a better place because we are there. Theda and John are great examples of how individuals can make a big difference to make the lives of many others better,” said Ms. Helen Johnson-Leipold, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

The numbers tell a sobering tale. According to the National Cancer Institute, one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.

As we head into Breast Cancer Awareness Month with these statistics in mind, it’s important to note that while October is annually a time of education, understanding and support, the battle against this deadly disease is waged twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, three hundred and sixty-five days a year. As part of their commitment to eradicate breast cancer, Necky Kayaks and Ocean Kayak donate one percent of the gross sales from their women’s specific kayaks to the Breast Cancer Fund, the leading national organization working to identify and eliminate the environmental causes of the disease.

Posted on the Sweetwater Kayaks site in Florida:
Due to the uncertain economic climate, we regretfully will not be having our annual symposium this coming February.

Watch for an announcement of a symposium the following year.

Derrick over at KayakQuixotica asked earlier today if people are going to slow down on attending symposiums over the next year. Reader left interesting comments posted after the article. Dominique Sellier noticed that the Sweetwater Symposium is taking a year off but Michael from Ecomarine in Vancouver said that November was a banner month for them.

Ferndale, Wash. (July 7, 2008) Necky® Kayaks, a recognized leader in the development of performance kayaks, is pleased to announce that the popular Looksha 17^TM Advanced Composite (AC) kayak is now available in a carbon layup.  A premium touring kayak in every sense of the word, the Necky® Looksha 17^TMcarbon is crafted from proprietary materials and is built for distance, performance and speed.

Ferndale, Wash. - Necky® Kayaks, a leader in the design and development of performance kayaks, is pleased to introduce two new additions to their popular Looksha^TM kayak collection, the Looksha 12^TM and the Looksha 12 Si^TM.  Designed primarily for day touring and recreational paddling, the Looksha 12^TM models are easy to paddle, stable, maneuverable and fun.

Johnson Outdoors Inc. (Nasdaq: JOUT), a leading global outdoor recreation company, today announced increased net sales and earnings for the 2007 fiscal fourth quarter and full year. Net sales for the seasonally slow fourth quarter ended September 28, 2007 were $87.7 million, an increase of 9 percent compared to $80.3 million for the prior year quarter. Net income for the quarter was $1.5 million ($0.16 per diluted share) versus a net loss of $0.9 million ($0.10 per diluted share) for the prior year quarter. For the full year, the Company reported record annual net sales of $432.1 million compared to $395.8 million for fiscal 2006, representing 9 percent growth year-over-year. Net income for the year was $9.2 million ($1.00 per diluted share), a 6 percent increase compared to $8.7 million in the prior year.

RACINE, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--JOHNSON OUTDOORS INC. (Nasdaq: JOUT), a global leader in outdoor recreational products, today announced the Company's Necky® Chatham^TM Advanced Composite^TM Carbon kayak was awarded the prestigious 2008 "Best of Adventure Gear" by the editors of NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ADVENTURE magazine and "Gear of the Year" honors from MEN'S JOURNAL magazine. The awards, which were both announced on November 15th, recognize exciting new products in the outdoor recreation marketplace.

Johnson Outdoors, a global leader in outdoor recreational products, today announced the launch of www.johnsonoutdoors.com, the Company's new on-line destination point for outdoor recreation enthusiasts.

The new website reflects the spirit of adventure on which the Company was founded in 1970 by the legendary Sam Johnson, and which flourishes today under the leadership of his daughter, Helen Johnson-Leipold, Chairman and CEO, Johnson Outdoors Inc. Visitors enter recreational sections of the site thru adventure postcards that invite them to explore outdoor recreation pursuits - from paddling to fishing and boating to camping, even scuba diving and waterfront living. www.johnsonoutdoors.com seeks to enhance the outdoor experience with useful "how to," "when to" and "where to" tips from experts. The JOHNSON OUTDOORS JOURNAL also provides an on-line portal to connect the website's visitors with the global community of outdoor recreation enthusiasts.

RACINE, Wis.- (Business Wire)-July 11, 2007 - Johnson Outdoors Inc. (Nasdaq: JOUT) today announced the Company, along with seven other unrelated vendors, has been tapped for a contract covering a variety of military shelters, trailers and other military supply components. This marks the third year of the contract, originally announced in September 2005, under which total combined orders could range from a minimum value of $25,000 to a maximum cumulative total value of $96 million across all eight vendors combined. No orders have been placed with Johnson Outdoors under the renewed contract.