Freya Hoffmeister joins Point 65 Kayaks Sweden
Posted: June 29, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Freya, Freya Hoffmeister, Kayak, Nigel Foster, Point 65, South America Leave a commentFreya Hoffmeister, world famous or her circumnavigation of Australia joins Point 65 Kayaks Sweden
Point 65 Kayaks Sweden is proud to welcome Freya Hoffmeister, the world-renowned expedition kayaker who is currently circumnavigating South America. Freya brings unparalleled experience and expertise to the Point 65 team which will be extremely valuable in developing great kayaks. Her first design project is the POINT 65 FREYA, an 18-foot expedition kayak that Freya will use for her long-distance expeditions.
The adventures
In 2009 Freya circumnavigated Australia becoming the second and the fastest person ever to do so and the first woman and unassisted paddler to complete the unbelievable trip. In January 2008 Freya circumnavigated the South Island of New Zealand, again unassisted and again the fastest to do so. She was the first woman completing this achievement as well and, she also completed her circumnavigation of Iceland in 2007 as the fastest, male or female, to do so.
South America
In August 2011 Freya began her circumnavigation of South America, a feat never before achieved or even attempted. Her plan is to paddle in three steps.
She finished the first 8000 km from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso in May 2012, rounding Cape Horne—the difficult way—on what must be one of the greatest paddling adventures in kayaking history.
After a summer break Freya will resume the trip in September 2012, paddling north past Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia and through the Panama Canal. Then heading south, past Venezuela, she will finish the second 8000 km leg in Guyana. On the third and final 8000 km leg, starting in September 2013, she will paddle past Suriname, Brazil, and Uruguay, returning to Buenos Aires in time to celebrate her 50th birthday on May 10, 2014.
The new POINT 65 FREYA Expedition Kayak
In September 2012 Freya will start the second leg in her custom designed Point 65 FREYA 18-foot expedition kayak, designed in collaboration with Swedish designer Magnus de Brito (Porsche, Agapi Marine, Pirelli Boats, Point 65). The FREYA compiles all Freya’s experiences from years of extreme long-distance expedition paddling, and the result is a kayak with unbelievable speed vis-á-vis stability and comfort. It is designed to consume miles of paddling with extreme ease and speed while being totally safe, comfortable and stable in the worst and scariest conditions. The FREYA is packed with several groundbreaking innovations and will be unveiled at the Outdoor Retailer trade show in Salt Lake City on August 1st, 2012. The FREYA will be available in limited edition and on special preseason order.
“We are very proud to have Freya on board! Her trust in our products and her commitment to developing the POINT 65 FREYA says a lot about Point 65’s manufacturing quality and innovative capabilities. Freya’s experiences from multi- year expeditions circumnavigating continents, is completely unique. Nobody can better assess and advise on what abuse a kayak has to withstand. Freya is an incredible addition to Point 65.”
Nigel Foster, Point 65’s VP of R&D and head
of the Point 65 sponsored paddler program
“I’m extremely happy to become a part of the Point 65 family where I can play a role in influencing the products I use. Point 65 has proven unique innovative design skills as well as commitment to quality which will make my expeditions so much easier. With Point 65 and Thule, I have two Swedish leading brands as main sponsors, which is more than a coincidence.”
Freya Hoffmeister
L.L. Bean and Point 65 to creat kayak with 100 L.L. Bean Employees
Posted: May 31, 2012 Filed under: Paddlesports, Sea Kayaking | Tags: Freeport, Guinness World Records, Kayak, Kayaks, L.L. Bean, MAINE, Paddlesports, Point 65, Sea kayak, Snap Kayaks 1 CommentL.L.Beanto attempt getting 100 employees into world’s longest modular kayak in celebration of its 100th Anniversary during Annual PaddleSports Weekend, June 1-3
The event will also feature free boat testing, demonstrations, clinics, kid’s activities, guided kayak tours, free oceanside cookout, live music and great deals.
FREEPORT, ME.—As part of its ongoing 100th Anniversary celebration, L.L.Bean will attempt to get 100 employees into a uniquely built kayak that is nearly 500’ long during their 31st Annual PaddleSports Weekend. This could be a world-record for the longest modular kayak ever and if successful, L.L.Bean will submit it to Guinness World Records for consideration. The unique kayak being used for the attempt, the Point 65N Modular Kayak, is able to be joined together in sections, thus creating a kayak that will be approximately 500’ long–possibly the longest ever. The attempt will be made on Saturday, June 2nd at 11 a.m. at the L.L.Bean Paddling Center on Lower Flying Point in Freeport, Maine. The public is welcome to attend this event as well as all of the other family-fun activities at the Paddling Center over the weekend. Free shuttles will be available to take people to and from the Flagship Store all weekend long.
“What a perfect, fun way to infuse the essence of our 100th Anniversary, as well as our outdoor spirit into this event,” said Scot Balentine, L.L.Bean’s senior developer for outdoor equipment. “The 100 employees that are taking part are very excited to be sharing in this fun and historic moment. To set a new world record would simply put an exclamation point on what will no doubt be an already exhilarating experience.”
Other event highlights for the PaddleSports Weekend include a variety of waterfront activities at the L.L.Bean Paddling Center just minutes from the store on Saturday and Sunday, such as a free oceanside cookout, free boat testing with hundreds of kayaks, stand-up paddleboards and canoes. Plus folks will have the chance to speak with industry vendors and experts. In addition, there will be live music with the Eric Bettencourt on Saturday and Putnam Smith on Sunday, craft making for kids and more. Free shuttles will be running all weekend long to and from the Flagship Store and the Paddling Center.
The L.L.Bean Outdoor Discovery Schools will also offer 90-minute kayak tours of beautiful Casco Bay for only $35 and an Intro to Stand-Up Paddleboarding course for only $29. The L.L.Bean Outdoor Discovery Schools will also be offering their Kayaking Discovery Course all weekend for only $20. Space is limited, so please call 888-552-3261 to reserve your spot.
At the L.L.Bean Campus of Stores in downtown Freeport, there are even more terrific events such as demonstrations and clinics on everything from how to get into stand-up paddleboarding, selecting the right paddle, paddling techniques, as well as non-profit guests, vendors and much more. Special promotions start Friday and include 20% off the purchase of kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, canoes and Thule® car racks. L.L.Bean will also be offering a free extension middle section from the world record attempt (up to a $500 value) with the purchase of a Point 65N Modular Kayak while supplies last, For more information, please visit www.llbean.com/freeport, or call 877-755-2326.
About L.L.Bean, Inc.
L.L.Bean, Inc. is a leading multi-channel merchant of quality outdoor gear and apparel. Celebrating its 100th Anniversary this year, the company was founded in 1912 by Leon Leonwood Bean and began as a one-room operation selling a single product, the Maine Hunting Shoe. While the business has grown substantially, the company remains committed to the same honest principles upon which it was built–a focus on the customer, continuous product improvement and innovation, respect for people, preservation of the natural environment and a 100% satisfaction guarantee. The 220,000 sq. ft. Flagship campus of stores in Freeport, Maine is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and welcomes more than three million visitors each year. L.L.Bean can be found worldwide on www.llbean.com, L.L.Bean Facebook, L.L.Bean Twitter and L.L.Bean YouTube.
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