L O O K B O O K 2 0 1 5

E N G L I S H

www.spadekayaks.com

L E T ‘ S S PA D E !

4 | The ace of spades

No two rivers are the same, every paddler has his own preferences. Is »perfect« even possible? We were keen to combine as many positive features as possible into one boat. It should be light-footed and sporty, yet also forgiving and reliable. We want dynamic paddle fun on easy whitewater rivers, but also need a boat which inspires confidence when the going gets tough. Many years of paddle experience have been fed into our ace of spades – without losing sight of the needs of beginners and ambitious paddlers alike.

O U R S M O O T H A C EBefore developing the Ace of SpAdeS , we asked ourselves one question: What do we expect from a perfect whitewater boat?

A RELIABLE PARTNER The ace of spades feels just as good in steep water as it does on the upper sec-tion of the River Oetz in Austria at a high water level. It accelerates with little effort, retains speed over drops and holes whilst keeping »true to the line«. It does not go astray in crossflows and forgives small mistakes when things occasionally don’t quite go to plan.

HALF ROUND, HALF FLAT The hull shape of the ace of spades combines the advantages of a round and flat bottom: When paddled flat, it is agile and

The goal when developing the ace of spades was to combine as many positive

features into one boat.

The ace of spades | 5

Lean? Boof? What the heck, the main thing is air-time!

6 | The ace of spades

turns with little effort; when edging, it pulls very dy-namically into the eddy. However, the edges of the ace of spades are not aggressive like those of a flat-bottomed boat but react smoothly if you touch a rock in steep water or use an adjacent rock to boof.

WITH EASE We placed great importance on ensur-ing the ace of spades is an all-round boat: Chang-ing edges is effortless and quick, the upper hull is optimised for predictable surfacing from under water. The hull’s moderate rocker line makes for easy boof-ing without the boat losing final speed.

BIG, BUT SLIM Despite its volume of 320 litres, we designed the knee area of the ace of spades to be slim and smooth in order not to hinder an upright and active paddle technique. The cell around the cockpit and the back of the boat also provide a lot of freedom for movement. So paddlers weighing less than 70 kilos also feel at home in the ace of spades although when checking the specs, you could gain the impression that the boat is designed for larger paddlers.

Paddlers weighing less than 70 kilos also feel at home in the Ace of SpAdeS although when checking the specs, you could gain the impression that the boat is designed for larger paddlers.

THE ACE OF SPADES

LengTh: 265 cmwidTh : 67.5 cmVoLume : 320 literscockp i T s ize : 90 cmweighT : approx. 22.5 kgcoLour : burnt orangepaddLer we ighT : 65–110 kgreTa i L pr ice : 1,390.00 euro

The hull shape of the ace of spades combines the advantages of a round and flat bottom

The ace of spades | 7

Stiffer and firmer

B L O W - M O U L D E D N O T R O TAT E DBecause the ace of spades is designed to meet high demands, we use high-density thermoplastic for the boat’s shell which is blow-mould-ed at high pressure. That makes the ace of spades stiffer and firmer than a boat manufactured by rotational moulding – a fact not only reflected in durability, but also directly in the handling dynamics.The high-performance thermoplastic is also recyclable, so even excess material and leftovers from new boats can simply be fed straight back into the moulding process.

Matze testing the materials: Do you notice the difference between boats manufactured by rotational molding and blow-moulding? YES, definitely!

The shell of the ace of spades is

blow-moulded

8 | The ace of spades

THE FULL -HOUSE SEATING SYSTEM When fitting out the boat, we focussed consistently on ergo-nomics and weight optimisation: Thanks to the smart design of parts, we have created a sturdy cockpit for a direct and ergonomic interface between the pad-dler and the boat’s hull. The footrest, thigh braces, seat, hip pads and back-rest are all tailored to the ergonomics of a paddler for an untiring day on the river.

Thanks to the smart design of parts, we have created a sturdy cockpit for a direct and ergonomic interface between the paddler and the boat’s hull.

Our fittings have been designed with the er-

gonomics of the human being in mind.

The ace of spades | 9

10 | s i T T ing weL L

We have measured and questioned paddlers of all shapes on sizes. And we have compared and ver-ified our results and findings with orthopaedists in order to create a seat which directly connects the paddler to the boat but which does not result in a tiring, cramped and forced posture.

That means the pelvis and spine are supported in their upright position ( phoTo 1) , because whoever slouches in his kayak with a relaxing curved spine as if on a couch inevitably restricts the radius of move-ment of his spine – and active paddling becomes al-most impossible.

The seaT she L Ls of our boats therefore feature hori-zontal surfaces for the ischial tuberosity – or sitz bone

The ergonomics of a paddler

W H Y S I T T I N G C O R R E C T LY I S S O I M P O R TA N T

The seating in a kayak is the key factor which determines whether a paddler’s power is transferred to the equipment in an ergonomic, untiring and precise way.

1 A curved spine (upper photo) restricts the movements of the spine. Only an upright pos-

ture (lower photo) promotes an active paddle style.

In order to fully utilise a boat’s potential, a good connection between the sportsman and his equipment is important. Similar to a ski boot when skiing, the seating in a kayak is the key factor which determines whether a paddler’s power is transferred to the boat in an ergonomic, untiring and precise way.

siTT ing weL L | 11

3 Seats including horizontal surfaces and a height-ad-justable backrest promotes an upright posture.

2 In a relaxed position, a foot is at an angle of approx. 100° to the shinbone. The angle of our fooTresT is designed to reflect that.

4 The upper legs bed in perfectly between the upper thigh braces and lateral outer supports.

90 degrees

100 degrees – ( phoTo 3) and are positioned very slightly higher than the heels (because the lower the feet are in rela-tion to the hips, the easier it is to sit upright). The soft but yet stable backresT is height-adjustable so that it can be set precisely to the iliac crest (curved superior border of the ilium).

Our Th igh braces are adjustable inwards and out-ward in order to support the desired width between the knees which promotes comfortable outward hip rotation. The upper legs rest on ouTer supporTs ( phoTo 4 ) which optimise power transfer from the body to the boat and in doing so reduce the forces acting on the hip flexor, gluteal muscles and ultimate-ly also on the sciatic nerve. The outer supports also promote better relaxation when in the rest position.

For an untiring posture with a reduced risk of injuries, it is also important that the joints are near to their central position. This particularly applies to the an-kles, because in the event of a head-on collision in the boat, these absorb an enormous amount of energy via the footrest.

Such an incident is particularly unpleasant when the ankles are »at the limit« – far away from the central position. And the central position is not basically that when stood vertically (see phoTo 2) . To visualise the situation, you can lie comfortably on the couch with slightly bowed legs and look at the position of your feet.

So our fooTresT beds the feet at a relaxing 100° an-gle to the shinbones and distributes force away from the toes to the entire sole of the foot ( phoTo 2) . That not only means you are less cramped, but that the an-kles can therefore absorb the forces of a blow without pain because they are not overstretched at the outset.

12 | s i T T ing weL L

Our fooTresT distributes pressure to the whole of the sole of the foot which reduces the risk of injuries. All elements of the seat can be adjusted individually

The footrest can be adjusted widthways and therefore adapted to the respective setting position.

Hip pads should provide support, not hurt!

siTT ing weL L | 13

A photo book of the formation of a company

F R O M PA D D L E R S,F O R PA D D L E R S

January 2014: Olli and Matze making

the final touches to the first prototypes.

The idea had been around for a while, and has been reality since 2014: spade kayaks was founded »by paddlers, for paddlers«.

The first prototypes of the fittings are made in the home workshop with the help of a 3D printer.

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March 2015: The ace of spades is

in serial production. Olli is stoked!

spade kayaks is the brainchild of Hans Mayer, an incurable optimist and motivator. At a time when a large majority of the whitewater kayaks weigh over 25 kg and innovation has to mainly satisfy marketing and profit tar-gets, Hans recognised the opportune moment to found a company to build boats for paddlers with aspirations.Hans has been a paddler for over 30 years and spends a lot of time on the water with his La Ola Canoe School. Kayak Session describes Hans like this: »Mayer has an eagle eye for new trends in paddle cultur. And he has the energy to transform his visions into action.«

More about Hans: laolakanuschule.at

H A N S M AY E RFounder & CEO

The first blow-moulded proto-

types are ready for use.

Poodle Quinn thinks they’re hot.

Paddle-Expo 2014:

»Hello, here we are!«

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Olli is a legend. Not only because he became freestyle world champion in 1995 and his textbooks can today be found in every paddler’s book-shelf. No, also because he is an untiring advisor offering advice and analysis. Olli can talk in detail about the effectiveness of combinations of paddle strokes, or the tactics for approaching complex cataracts. Or about the choice of the correct length of paddle, or the materials his paddle jacket is made of.Olli has been influential in the design of boats such as Dagger’s RPM or the Necky Blunt, and due to his kayak courses, he knows the demands ambitious paddlers place on their equipment. Olli’s scientific view of kay-aking and his experience are reflected in all aspects of spade kayaks .

More about Olli: olligrau.de

O L L I G R A UProduct Design & Sales

Olli cannot hide his excitement

in Lofer: a wicked boat!

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M AT Z E B R U S T M A N N Product Design & Chief Tester

Matze is one of the world’s most respected white-water paddlers but also likes to backflip over 10 metre cliffs in winter on his skis. Whether in the boat or on skis, Matze is sure of his lines like no-one else, and has an inner calmness comparable to that of a Buddhist monk.Whilst radiating energy and optimism when making sport, when mu-sic-making he tends to be rather quiet. Commenting on his band Balloon Pilot, the newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung wrote: »A minimum of sounds, with maximum effect«. This keynote also describes Matze’s contribution to spade kayaks : When a product fulfils his technological and aesthetic requirements, then it is good enough for the greatest tasks which the sport has to offer.

More about Matze: balloon-pilot.de

»Master Matze« at work

in Norway: Store Ula Nr. 4

Rissbachklamm. Yeah!

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Product Design & 3D Modeling

Jan even designed and built countless kayaks during his studies, he is our Gyro Gearloose and 3D wizard. A graduate industrial designer, his skills enable us to shape kayaks perfectly according to our ideas – and to simulate ideas however unorthodox they may be – and to push them through our rigorous checking procedure and maybe once again finally scrap them. Jan conducts research at the forefront of plastics techno-logy for the car industry. Similar to Olli, he is a specialist in his field, and having started to explain polyamide vacuum infusion resin transfer molding, he usually cuts short after a few overly complex sentences with »That would be too complex at this stage«.

More about Jan: haluszka.com

J A N H A L U S Z K A

Robert Machacek from the

V-Boyz taking the ace of

spades out for a spin in South

Tyrol: The Reinbachfälle.

Jan devising smart solutions at home: All parts are made and optimised in 3D before being fitted.

Thumbs up!

Boby Frieser in Lofer, Austria.

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Jens admits having no idea about boat-building. Or about the right mate-rials to use for them. And he is not really a gushing optimist or visionary either, sometimes even the little pessimist in him comes to the fore – but maybe it is just that quality with which he rounds off the team.As a photographer, when it’s all about reducing things to the essentials, Jens is on a par with the development team. His photos often radiate clarity which does justice to the perfectionism of spade kayaks. That’s why Jens is responsible for the visual appearance of the company.

More about Jens: jensklatt.com

J E N S K L AT TGraphic Design & Photography

Jens is – and always will be – an outdoor photographer.

Ian Garcia, who chooses to be in Chile most of

the time, didn’t take long to be won over by the

ace of spades : »You guys nailed the design!«

Matze on the cover of Kayak Session: Mummy is proud!

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SPADE KAYAKS GmbHPfarrangerweg 199971 Matrei Austria

TaLk: 0043 664 4297498TexT: info@spadekayaks.comweb: www.spadekayaks.com