South Sound Traditional Inuit Kayaking Symposium (SSTIKS) with GEARLAB Athlete Jake Corrington
SSTIKS is Northwest’s premier event devoted to traditional kayaking skills and culture
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts: Mike Shih | GearLab | mike.shih@gearlab.com.tw
Communications: Beth Cochran | What’s UP PR | Cochran@whatsuppr.com
South Sound Traditional Inuit Kayaking Symposium (SSTIKS) with
GEARLAB Athlete Jake Corrington leading clinics
TAIPEI, TAIWAN, May 31, 2018. – Award-winning design company GEARLAB, a coveted high-performance open water expedition paddle company will participate as a supporting brand for fundraising in for the upcoming non-profit SSTSIKS symposium in Washington state, June 8-10.
SSTIKS is Northwest’s premier event devoted to traditional kayaking skills and culture. The Symposium is held in June every year in Twanoh State Park on the beautiful Hood Canal in Washington. SSTIKS is a family-friendly event featuring some of the best mentors in Greenland-style kayaking. SSTIKS is a volunteer-run event.
Jake Corrington, a GEARLAB athlete will help represent GEARLAB paddles and explain the benefits of Greenland-style paddles. “At my first SSTIKS event, I was wide-eyed with my crooked wooden stick in hand. I was a Euro-paddle user by default. By lunch on the first day I had a roll, and I knew I was never going back.”
The South Sound Traditional Inuit Kayak Symposium, or SSTIKS, came to be in 2002, when 75 traditional paddle users gathered on the Puget Sound. The first traditional kayaking skills event in the Northwest, 16 years later SSTIKS continues to attract paddlers from B.C., Washington, Oregon, and beyond.
Corrington explains the value of the event, “many paddlers learn their first roll at the event. Some come with a roll, and leave having learned 4 new ways to come back up. But SSTIKS isn’t just about rolling – there are traditional paddling strokes and maneuvering, as well as paddle carving classes and other on-land activities.”
Pioneered by the Inuit for long expeditions across open water, Greenland Paddles are known for their high level of performance, which combined with a low swing weight, create a smooth and efficient paddling experience. Designed by a team of experts in industrial design, GEARLAB’s carbon-fiber Greenland paddles are remarkably strong and lightweight. While wider blades are designed for rivers and whitewater, long, streamlined Greenland blades are innovated for the ocean.
About GEARLAB:
For past seven years GEARLAB has designed and manufactured Greenland-style carbon-fiber paddles for ocean kayakers around the world. Created by a team of award-winning industrial designers and outdoor enthusiasts, the paddles are adapted from indigenous Inuit designs. Greenland paddles provide the longest range, efficiency and precision while reducing injury and fatigue. Made from 100% continuous carbon-fiber material, GEARLAB perfects thousand-year old ergonomics with advanced material strength and durability. GEARLAB paddles will open up a new realm of adventure for both weekend kayakers and professional. Info: gearlabpaddles.com
