We are hosting the Snow Days Contest on our Facebook page! To enter, all you have to do is submit your best photo from this winter before 11:59pm on March 13th, and you will be in the running to win a Dagger swag package. The package consists of a t-shirt, beanie, blu-ray copy of "Congo: The Grand Inga Project", stickers, key chain, and kayak multi-tool. The winner will be announced the following day (3/14). Good luck!
Dagger will be sponsoring the Banff Mountain Film Festival this year.
"The Banff Mountain Film Festival celebrated its 38th Anniversary in October-November 2013. Situated in the vast Canadian Rockies in Banff, Alberta, the festival celebrates mountain film culture. After the festival, which brings thousands to these majestic mountains, the films go on a world tour."
Throughout the next few weeks, the Banff tour will be making stops in the southeast (schedule below). On March 21, Dagger will be making a presence and raffling off a Katana in a kayak package that includes a Bomber Gear sprayskit, and Adventure Tech paddle.
Outdoor Nation, a national initiative that reconnects millennials to the outdoors; top paddle-sport manufacturers, retailers and stakeholders; Outdoor Retailer; and the National Park Service announced the opening of the 2014 Paddle Nation Grants. This initiative, in its third year, will award $2,500 to each of te 16 innovative paddling projects that connect young Americans to their waterways through recreational paddling.
"Paddle Nations Grants will not only get more young people outside and active on America's waterways, but it will also educate and elevate the importance of protecting these resources," said Chris Fanning, executive director of the Outdoor Foundation, the organization that started the Outdoor Nation movement. "As a result, millennials across the country will explore rivers, lakes and streams through a variety of different activites - from kayaking to stand up paddle boarding, while encouraging their peers to join them on the water."
Dagger’s 2014 sponsorships include events, expeditions, films and organizations that inspire adventure, support community initiatives, protect waterways, and promote kayaking at every level. Dagger will support a diverse lineup of paddling objectives, from the remote exploration of Arctic waters in Northern Sweden, to the world class rapids and competition on the Payette River in Idaho. The brand’s 2014 sponsorships show an unending commitment to passionate, motivated paddlers of every type, from beginner kayakers getting out on the river for the first time to professionals vying for the cleanest class V lines.
Dagger Katana Wins Outside's 2014 Gear of the Year Award
Posted: 04.10.2014
Dagger's Katana has just earned another feather to put in it's cap. Having already been named "The Do Everything Kayak" by Backpacker Magazine this year, the crossover boat has also won the coveted "Gear of the Year" award by Outside Magazine. Read the press release below:
GREENVILLE, S.C. (April 10, 2014) – Dagger’s new Katana™ crossover kayak this week was awarded the prestigious Outside Magazine 2014 Gear of the Year award in the kayak category for its versatility, maneuverability, stability, and overall comfort.
Outside testers write that the Katana is “a fun and truly versatile crossover kayak that’s as adept in whitewater as it is in flat-water,” making it an effective boat for just about every type of kayaker, from beginners looking for a stable ride that will inspire confidence, to seasoned paddlers needing extra storage space for self-support or multi-day kayaking adventures.
“After testing the Katana for months in lakes as well as rivers ranging from Class I - IV, we decided that this was the most balanced whitewater crossover boat we've ever paddled,” said Outside Executive Editor Sam Moulton. “Dagger nails it with the Katana. It’s nimble in whitewater and comfortable in the flats and has plenty of intelligent design details without being overbuilt.”
Outside’s editors gave the Katana’s stability a 5/5 rating and its maneuverability a 4/5 rating, stating that it was “plenty maneuverable for eddy hopping in Class III rapids” and that “beginners will appreciate the Katana’s primary stability, which inspires confidence in whitewater.”
Dagger’s market-leading design team wanted to create a boat that is ideal for any type of kayak exploration, from flat-water day trips to whitewater expeditions, and the multi-water Katana is the fruit of their labor. Efficient on the flats without compromising agility in whitewater, Dagger’s new crossover offers outstanding stability, forgiveness, all-day comfort, and plenty of storage.
“The Katana combines the greatest qualities of both whitewater and touring kayaks,” said Mark “Snowy” Robertson, lead designer for Dagger. “We set out to create the best multi-water kayak possible, and we are incredibly proud of this innovative design, so receiving the Outside Gear of the Year Award is a tremendous honor for our entire team.”
Dagger is sponsoring non-profit company First Descents for 2014. Founded by Dagger athlete Brad Ludden, First Descents offers young adult cancer fighters and survivors a free outdoor adventure experience designed to empower them to climb, paddle and surf beyond their diagnosis, defy their cancer, reclaim their lives and connect with others doing the same.
During the GoPro Mountain Games (June 5-8) and the North Fork Championship (June 12-14), Dagger will have a booths set up, and will be raffling off a kayak at each event. All proceeds from the raffles will support First Descents.
Dagger parent company, Confluence Watersports, has recently been acquired by private equity firm J.H. Whitney. Read the press release below:
GREENVILLE, S.C. (April 22, 2014) – Confluence Watersports, parent company to eight market-leading paddlesports brands, today announced that it has been acquired by J.H. Whitney Capital Partners, LLC (“J.H.Whitney”), a private equity firm based out of New Canaan, Conn.
The company will be re-named Confluence Outdoor and will continue in its commitment to the watersports market, with an expanded vision to grow the business into a full-service outdoor recreation company.
“We are very pleased to be brought into the J.H. Whitney family,” said Sue Rechner, who will continue in her role as President & CEO of the newly formed Confluence Outdoor. “Confluence has always been an active and invested member of the outdoor industry, and we are fortunate that our new partnership with J.H. Whitney will enable us to build upon our success in paddlesports as a platform for future expansion. Their respect for and commitment to our industry is well demonstrated, and I feel certain that our shared excitement will foster continued growth and achievement for Confluence and the industry.”
The company’s operations and facilities – including manufacturing, design and engineering, research and development, customer service, sales and marketing teams – will remain in its current Greenville, S.C., location. Confluence Outdoor will continue to invest and play an active leadership role in paddlesports and the outdoor recreation industry.
“We have had our eye on a partnership with Confluence for years,” said Paul Vigano, Senior Managing Director at J.H. Whitney. “The company has been such a significant and flourishing player in this space, and we have an immense respect for Sue and her team. J.H. Whitney has long been passionate about the outdoor recreation industry, and we are excited to support continued success and growth for the new Confluence Outdoor. I have no doubt that with our combined strengths and knowledge, we will accomplish all we’ve set out to do and more. We look forward to being a part of building that future, both for Confluence Outdoor and for the outdoor community as a whole.”
Please direct all media inquiries to Claire Rabun ([email protected]) of Verde Brand Communications: 970.259.3555, ext. 135.
Please direct all other inquiries to Cheri McKenzie, Chief Marketing Officer, Confluence Outdoor: [email protected].
About Confluence Outdoor
Confluence Outdoor is the result of the blending of eight unique watersports brands: Wilderness Systems®, Perception®, Dagger®, and Wave Sport® kayaks, Mad River Canoe®, Adventure Technology® paddles, Bomber Gear and Harmony® accessories. With a full representation of canoes, kayaks, and paddling apparel and accessories, ranging from touring and recreational to high-performance whitewater products, the Confluence brands are well suited to fully outfit paddling enthusiasts throughout all phases of their paddling life. For more information about the company, please visit www.confluenceoutdoor.com.
About J.H. Whitney & Co.
J.H. Whitney, established in 1946, was one of the first U.S. private equity firms pioneering the development of the private equity industry. Today, J.H. Whitney remains privately owned and its main activity is to provide private equity capital for small and middle market companies. J.H. Whitney is currently investing its seventh private equity fund, J.H. Whitney VII, L.P., for major endowments, foundations, pension plans, and high net-worth families. Investment activities are focused on small and middle market buyouts of market leading companies that are poised for growth in a number of industries including consumer products and retail, healthcare services, specialty manufacturing and business services.
The Nantahala Outdoor Center's annual Spring Fling is this weekend, April 25 & 26.
Celebrate spring in the Smoky Mountains with a free, family-friendly event in the Nantahala Gorge. Don't miss the Hometown Throwdown, a community freestyle event hosted by World Kayak, vendor fair and gear demos at NOC's Outfitter's Store, live music, and family-friendly activities.
Scheduled releases of the Cascades and Upper sections of the Nantahala River round out this Bryson City weekend.
The 2014 Whitewater Grand Prix bring 35 of the world's best kayakers together to compete in 6 events over 14 days on the powerful whitewater rivers of Ontario & Quebec.
There are a number of Dagger athletes that were invited to compete this year, including Aniol Serrasolses and Chris Gragtmans. Gragtmans recently wrote an article for Canoe & Kayak on the famed competition. Read an excerpt below:
"The Whitewater Grand Prix is a unique competition for a lot of reasons.
But the one that stands out most is the clear juxtaposition: On one hand you’ve got an extremely small, intimate event with no spectators; then you factor the design of an event geared toward its broadcast to the digital world. The energy is a type all its own with a structure more like a free-formed paddling trip than a typically regulated competition—and with all the proceedings captured by the best media pros in the biz. As a competitor in the inaugural 2011 event, a lot of my unforgettable memories stored away swelled back to the surface as I finished the long drive north once again. Last week’s practice sessions were a definite indicator that things are getting real in Canada. And as the two-week, multi-stage competition officially begins today, I can’t wait to see what this third Grand Prix installment has in store.Here are a few things to watch out for:
Water Levels. Eastern Canada has had a record snowpack this winter, and the rivers are guaranteed to be bigger than kayakers have ever seen them. The Ottawa River, where the event starts, is already near peak spring-flood levels, but the actual 2014 peak is probably still three weeks off. Farther north in Lac St. Jean (site of the final stages of the 2011 Grand Prix), there are still snowstorms occurring, and the melt has not really kicked in. All of that kinetic energy is waiting, buried under thick layers of snow; when the full brunt of this energy hits, it will be colossal. For the athletes, this translates to apprehension, excitement, innovation, and focus. The opening party on Saturday night was a good indicator of exactly that volatile emotional mixture: total unadulterated stoke.
Schedule. Event Stages 1 and 2 will be the Ottawa River freestyle (Big Trick Contest) and the Rouge River Boatercross, respectively. This weekend, we sat at an in-between level (too high for Mini-bus, too low for Big Bus and Gladiator), but as the water kept pushing its way through the reservoirs upstream, luck would have it that the legendary Gladiator wave reared its head for today’s first day of competition."
To read the rest of Chris' article for Canoe & Kayak, click here.
