Denmark’s Struer, the grande dame of sprint kayak manufacturers, has folded up shop. In a world of composite plastic boats, Struer continued to produce beautiful wooden boats, and their designs continued to win at the highest levels of competition.
I have restored a few of them, and paddled more miles in them than I can count. Paddling and portaging through Killarney in a single cockpit needle boat at over 80 km per day. Ducking under the willows on the Thames with my sweatheart after months of restorative work on the Tokyo Olympics double. Hammering down Ramsey in Sudbury’s K4, wind whistling and bodies panting, seeing just how fast it is possible to run a boat.
Struer’s boats were a wonderful blend of form and function. I’m sorry to see them close their doors.