When I started Riot Kayaks in 1997, I did it because I loved to paddle and wanted to create products that would allow me and others to share the joys of being on the water. The kayak industry sure has grown a lot since I first got into it and I’ve been impressed and sometimes disappointed with what has become available to paddlers. My gut feeling is that as an industry, we need to get rid of the tricks and the gimmicks and focus on the true measure of success: people happily using our products. Naturally, the real value of our kayaks is not in the store, but out on the water. That’s why I‘ve focused our designs on the single purpose of providing you with the best possible paddling experience.

With these realities in mind, we have only added features to our kayaks that we deem necessary to the kayaking experience. Skegs and rudders are standard on most of our models, with emphasis also on features that make your time on the water more enjoyable or safer: like sealed bulkheads and reflective lifelines. What we didn’t add are features that might look nice in a brochure, but that don’t actually do much for you on the water. In short, we outfitted our boats with the single purpose of providing you the best possible experience on the water – so enjoy.

I also believe that, like many industries, we are finally waking up to the fact that the kayak industry has a responsibility to reduce our impact on the environment. With goal front and center, Riot continues working hard in terms of reducing our environmental footprint and I’m proud this year to introduce kayaks made from our own recycled resin.

Throughout the kayak design process we’ve made a lot of careful choices. Our choices insure that when you buy a Riot kayak, you are getting a boat designed and built to enhance your paddling experience. We’ve made a choice to manufacture a kayak made with true purpose. Now it’s time to make yours.

Sincerely,

Jeff