Dave and Ben started out building kayaks in a garage. Over the winter of 2014 Ben designed The Feath We would make small changes then mold and paddle them.
FeatherWeight started over 5 years ago as a couple garage warriors. At the time the paddling scene was getting a fresh kick from a group of paddlers in France tearing their beautiful home waves apart ripping composite kayaks. The paddlers were exceptionally talented but there was a visible difference in the way the boats surfed on and reacted with the water underneath them. The stiff hulls and lig
ht weights made for faster surfing, bigger bounces and quicker rotations. Disappointed by the cost of importing boats from Europe, and the unavailability to buy them in Canada at the time, David Nieuwenhuis and I (Ben Fraser) began to make our own composite kayaks. (I also helped Anthony from Titan with a few prototypes when he was getting started) Dave's buddy Gergelly passed on some basic vacuum bagging knowledge, helped with the first couple boats a bit and lent us materials a couple times when we were hard up. Some years Ben Marr would come and help out to bring down the cost of his boat. The kayaks we built then were basically copies of our preferred boats of the time. As time went by we became more experienced with the tech aspect of construction and less satisfied with the latest available designs Thus began the slow process of creating our own boats. Each year we would make some changes and try them out, all this time later I am pleased to provide paddlers with the opportunity to paddle my unique design, "The Feather". Featuring a lifted Step Chine tech pulled from powerboat design that provides edges to carve with when needed but that are lifted out of the water when not. Conceived by a paddler for paddlers. Constructed of the finest aerospace grade materials and professionally built by a local company Ottawa known for making military grade composite components. No more working in cold garages, or trying to find time to produce boats between paddling missions, the company is now fully functional and able to meet the needs our customers in what is likely an industry setting standard of 10 days from order to shipping a completely custom composite kayak. While Dave is no longer helping to run the company (he is a new father and the proud owner of an organic sheep farm) he will continue to provide our trademark individualized artwork on each of the hulls. Each and every FeatherWeight hull is unique and built to a spec tried and tested by the best paddlers in the world. Designed with knowledge that only years of being on the river can provide. 100% Canadian made our boats last for many years. Quite a bit cheaper and greener than plastic in the long run. When you buy a FeatherWeight not only are you buying unique art and the finest kayak on the market, you are supporting local paddlers and businesses.
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