It’s Happening!
It’s official - the TRAK 2.0 kayaks are starting deliveries in early 2019! After my recent trip to our production facility in December, I can report that the recent efforts have brought the kayaks that much closer to landing on doorsteps and getting out on the water. There are close to a thousand TRAK 2.0s that will ship around the world in 2019 to every continent, and the first 250 kayaks are literally lined up to begin shipping in March.
We want to share this because it is very monumental on the path of the entire TRAK 2.0 project, which was conceived of more than 3 years ago, and released to an overwhelming response on Kickstarter last May. We continued to pre-sell the TRAK 2.0 over the last half of 2017 and during 2018. It has been a challenging path, as we’ve had to overcome many obstacles during the manufacturing development phase. We’ve tackled the issue of taking innovative carbon fibre ribs from prototype to production, as well as overcome a very difficult aluminum sourcing problem. Through all of this, our team and partners have been resilient and unrelenting. Bringing the TRAK 2.0 to fruition has been a Rubik's Cube of managing these issues along with the expectations of the TRAK community. This has ultimately been a very rewarding puzzle for us to solve, and, like a Rubik’s Cube, it’s all coming together at once.
What does this mean? Well, it means we are now set up to deliver more than 500 kayaks early in the first half of 2019, with just about as many in the last half of the year.
Maybe this timeline can help put some of this into perspective for you.
TRAK is blessed to have a 6+ year partnership with a world-class production facility in the Philippines, a locale we share with other companies like REI, Mountain Hardwear, Arc'Teryx, Gregory, and Patagonia. Our team there is laser-focused on completing the frame production this month and next, and starting shipments of the first 250 kayaks by mid-January, with hydraulic jacks and carbon fibre ribs meeting the same timeline. Other components for the first 250, such as the kayak skin and bag systems, are ready to go! Shipments are going to Canada/USA, Europe, Singapore, Japan, Thailand, and Australia, to name a few.
Start planning your 2019 paddling season!
The TRAK 2.0 can go anywhere - with so much freedom, it can be bit overwhelming to decide how to get started. There will soon be a robust online learning program available exclusively for TRAK owners to aid you in getting from “bag to boat” in 10 minutes, while also providing a progression of skills modules that you can practice on the water.
As part of our commitment to push the boundaries of sea kayaking, we have designed a whole series of foundational and skills progression opportunities for a global community of paddlers. TRAK Pilot experts and Dealers will be hosting Discovery Day training events across the globe to help you nail down some foundational TRAK skills and put you on the path of paddling skills progression. These experiences make for a great way to connect with local paddlers in your area, and are completely free for TRAK owners. More of these events are landing on the calendar regularly, so check back in February to see the fully fleshed out event schedule! 
To push your skills further, we have designed a series of skills progression camps and tours, including Baja Mexico (March 2019), Tofino Canada (May 2019) and Bay of Fundy Canada (September 2019). These camps are a great place to pick up your new TRAK 2.0, so contact our team to discover community discounts and possible earlier delivery times!
Our team loves connecting with fellow paddlers, so please don’t hesitate in booking a coaching call with our HQ & Pilot team. We’re ready to address delivery concerns, product questions, and paddling aspirations.
Happy paddling!
Nolin Veillard, Founder & Managing Director
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