Kanoshop started in 1972 under the name Tiekano, but the former owners had already been in business many years at that time. In 2005 the name Tiekano changed to Kanoshop Holland, that year we took over a shop of the same name, which had been located in Geldrop (same location as supplier Double Dutch/D2 Sports). Since 2005 we have grown quite a lot, and our main goal is to promote the overall growth of paddlesports. As a company/shop we are doing all we can to support the sport and lifestyle; mainly by organizing lot's of events! Our employees are all fanatic paddlers, having their own specialties. The kayak business is changing every day, so we are always busy adjusting our assortment of product to best suit our customers and dealers, and at the same time trying to establish a long term relationship with our suppliers.

 

 

Being able to support and help the growth of the kayak industry as a whole! Every day we get to work on kayak articles, travel and promote canoe and kayak events. Being able to make your living from your favorite hobby is fantastic!

 

 

We see a lot of new brands who are trying to get a piece of the action. We get a lot of requests from companies who want to do business with us because they're new or have a new product. Furthermore, I think that there are a lot of manufacturers who produce too many products, thinking that by doing so they have the full market covered. This can be disturbing for customers, many of whom are new to the sport and have difficulty choosing a boat.

 

Maybe this is one of the reasons that we like working with small companies that produce a limited number of products for the kayaker who already know what he or she wants. These companies mostly produce the high-end boats for competition or for the advanced touring paddler. Furthermore, we notice in our shop that there is a group of kayakers interested in going faster, and using their kayaks for fitness purposes. And, there's also a group of kayakers with a lot of experience who are looking for a new boat to paddle for years to come, that they never have to move out of. Because a lot of houses are built next to water in the Netherlands, a lot of those customers want to have a recreational boat for the whole family. They want these boats to have an easy entry/exit and a high level of stability.

 

 

We hope to see more companies who produce quality instead of quantity. It's getting harder to convince a customer that, for instance, a composite boat is stiffer and more efficient than a polyethylene model. We believe that in the end it's better for everybody if there is a limited number of models for customers to look at; and that boats are produced with the accessories that are really needed instead of "pimping" the boat to sell it faster. In that way it's easier for the customer to decide and understand where they want to go in the sport. What you see now is lot of boats sold for very low prices and these will eventually flood the second hand market, and lower the prices even more. A lot of people will notice this and they might think negatively of the sport because of the big surplus in second hand products. That will be a shame for the beautiful life of kayak and canoe sports!

 

 

Like I explained in the previous answer, Epic is a company that offers quality with a limited number of products. This is very clear for the customer, but also for the people who are going to sell it! It's easier to explain why the boats are built the way they are because of the philosophy behind the complete range of Epic Kayaks. We are just starting with the Epic brand, but are very glad to have the boats in our store; and we're also very glad with the support we've had so far from Boyan Zlatarev and Oscar Chalupsky, who both have visited us a couple of times already. For our store the boats represent a complete new line that fits perfectly into our program, and into the new developments of kayak performance, fitness and freedom on the water!

 

 

I think and believe that Epic is one of the few companies with a very fresh and clear view of the future of paddlesports. They make products built on their principles, with their way of thinking about efficiency, lightweight, stiffness and so on. And of course Epic already rings bells when mentioned among customers because of the things they've been achieving as a company, and of course the history of the designers/owners.

 

I want to end by expressing our high hopes for our growing relationship with Epic Kayaks. We look forward to working together, and having lots of satisfied customers in the Benelux!