The Stern Fathers

In today's modern world, a child still looks upon nature as a great mystery but with an immense disconnect. Good fathers put a child in the bow of their canoe and steer the investigation to ensure that immutable link to our natural world is established and understood. These are the "Stern Fathers".

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"Must we always teach our children with books? Let them look at the stars and the mountains above. Let them look at the waters and the trees and flowers on Earth. Then they will begin to think, and to think is the beginning of a real education." ~ David Polis

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Daddy-Daughter Canoe Session with Fat Paddler from Fat Paddler on Vimeo.
Awaking in the dark, daddy and his nearly 7 year old daughter head off for a canoe adventure in the nearby Ku-ring-gai National Park. An adventure of discovery, bonding, and of course a hot breakfast out in the bush!

Proudly brought to you by FatPaddler.com and BADGER® Paddles.

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Your deepest roots are in nature.  No matter who you are, where you live, or what kind of life you lead, you remain irrevocably linked with the rest of creation." ~ Charles Cook

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So paddles up in gratitude to all the Fathers (like Poppa Badger!) who took their place at the stern and escorted us to those wild places, and who taught us that Nature is our teacher. A special thanks, also, to Sean Smith (a.k.a. The Fat Paddler) and his adorable daughter Gracie for sharing one of their very special and inspirational adventures, all the way from Australia, in honour of Father's Day. Plus an extra special thanks to our Mike for being Makobe's special friend, his protector, and his teacher - you are an exceptionally kind and loving Father to a boy with many exceptionalities. You, Mike, are truly a hero to me... and to your son.

Written by Fiona Westner-Ramsay

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day Poppa!

NEW Badger SPLASH Cub WaterColours at Algonquin Outfitters

Our Badger Cub WaterColours have proven to be popular with the kids for obvious reasons. They just love the vibrant colours and the fun they bring to the paddling and cottage experience.

But this year, our Cub WaterColours have become even more colourful and original with our new series of "SPLASH" paddles! Exclusive to Algonquin Outfitters, these one-of-a-kind paddles are individually handcrafted and hand-tinted with a unique rainbow splash of colour!

Badger Cub WaterColours "Splash"
Canoe Paddles for Kids 'n Cubs
only at Algonquin Outfitters this summer!
(image courtesy of the AO Huntsville store)

Reminiscent of nature's spectrum, our colourful Cub WaterColours SPLASH paddles, are like the beautiful arch of colours like those formed in the sky. After all, who doesn't "dig" a rainbow?!!

Want to see more pictures? Visit Algonquin Outfitters for details and all your Algonquin Park needs this summer!!!

A Paddle is Still a Paddle by Any Other Name

One of the more fun tasks we had when creating our line of Badger Canoe Paddles was naming the paddle blade shapes.


We've been asked: Why the "Nomad" or "Digger"? And what is the difference between a "BadgerTail" and a "BadgerPaw" anyway?


Badger's Blog digs up the answers to your queries...

Note: Images are not to scale

Nomad
We'll start with the Nomad.  The shape of this blade is based on traditional Voyageur style paddles with wide shoulders narrowing to a more tapered end.  Because, historically, Voyageurs lived a pretty nomadic lifestyle, and we were looking to honour their traditions and place in Canadian history, we named this paddle the "Nomad".

Digger
Next is the "Digger".  This is the widest blade shape we offer to paddlers.  It really pulls alot of water for super powerful strokes.  Badgers, the animal, are known to be extremely powerful diggers and so we called this paddle shape the "Digger" to symbolize it's powerful digging action when being used for the power of self-propulsion on the water.

Sliver
The Sliver on the otherhand is our thinest blade width.  It's very narrow. It's name is pretty self explanitory in that an actual sliver is a long and thin stick. The Sliver is a popular paddle for solo canoeists, especially those who like "Canadian Classic Style" where the canoe is leaned over when paddling.

Tripper
The Tripper is the second most narrow blade shape Badger Paddles currently offers.  It is a smaller version of the BadgerPaw in that it is more narrow and tapers more much like a traditional modified otter tail shape.  The BadgerPaw and the Tripper are in the same family of paddle shapes in that both are ottertail blade styles.  We called this paddle the Tripper as it is an all around use or versatile blade shape for canoe trippers.

BadgerTail
The BadgerTail and the BadgerPaw are two names that are easy to confuse except if you remember the following:  the BadgerTail is shaped more like the tail of an actual badger (the animal) or can be likened to a modified Beaver Tail paddle blade shape.  Where the BadgerPaw is shaped more like our Tripper - but a bigger blade surface.

BadgerPaw
This larger modified "otter tail" shape is designed with the very paw of the badger in mind. "American badgers are built to dig. They move dirt faster than any other mammal, including a person with a shovel! Strong shoulders, sturdy claws, and partial webbing between their front toes allow them to scoop soil out quickly."*  This larger blade with added surface area pulls lots more water... much like the paw of the badger animal... then it's sister the Tripper. The BadgerPaw is one of our most popular blade shapes.

And finally... the ever popular Cub!

The Cub is a pretty obvious one as well.  The "Cub" is a child's paddle and because a young badger animal is called a kit or a cub, we thought the name fit perfectly.  It was also the "Cub" that inspired the "WaterColours" series as shown.  Wanting to make paddling more fun for kids (and cubs too!) we began to tint the paddles with vibrant colours - every colour of the rainbow! Thus Cub WaterColours were born!!!


MORE ON WATERCOLOURS:
After the introduction of our Cub WaterColours, we began to offer our vibrant WaterColours finishes in adult sizes too as we found out there are many paddlers who are young at heart, and were soon demanded by boaters of all ages! They also have been proven to have a practical application for Paddling Instructors.  The vibrantly coloured blades are easier for students to see when the stroke is being performed by the Instructor's paddle underwater. Not to mention how easy it is to spot one in an emergency boating situation.  Our WaterColours come in lots of colours and can also be personalized (like Ella's above - Ella collects & loves elephants!).  The WaterColours for adults come in Ash only.


For more information about our paddles, please visit website at www.badgerpaddles.com/

*Source: www.switcheroozoo.com/profiles/badger.htm

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Kids love Cub WaterColours - Badger Canoe Paddles for kids!

Aloha from Hawaii!
Pictured above are twin boys Keola and Kanoa (3 1/2 years old)

and their dad, Kirk, enjoying some stand up paddle time with their new Badger Cub WaterColours paddles!

We think the above picture speaks for it's self.... Cub WaterColours, our colourfully tinted Badger Canoe Paddles for kids, gets kids 'n cubs EXCITED about paddling!!!  Children of all ages naturally gravitate to our colourful paddles, keen to own one in their favourite colour.... and with a choice between blue, turquoise, pink, green, yellow, purple and orange and more.... they are sure to find the perfect hue.

At only $40.00 (MSRP in Canadian funds*), your kids 'n cubs will be delighted with their Cub WaterColours and you can be satisfied to know that once they have outgrown their paddle, their fondness for their colourful paddle (and the memories that went with it) will be sure to be a souvenir from their youth and hang on a wall... until one day they have a little "cub" of their own!  Plus, the novelty of a colourfully tinted paddle will be sure to fit any kid paddler's decor!

And, don't worry - our WaterColours come in adult sizes too!  See our website for details and pricing.

Our Cub WaterColours can be found at Swift Canoe & Kayak and Algonquin Outfitters this coming season (note:  Swift has some in stock now!).  Be sure to stop in and watch your kids 'n cubs get excited about owning a paddle... and getting out on the water... with you... this summer!  For more information about our Cub WaterColours or our natural cub paddles visit our Kids 'N Cubs page now.  Adding your child's name and personalization is available!  Visit our website for more details.

Just for kids 'n cubs:  download our free colouring page featuring a paddling Badger named "Digger"!  Click here to check it out...

Thanks to Kirk for the wonderful picture he sent us of him and his boys all the way from sunny Hawaii!  Send your photos and Badger Paddle action shots to Badger and you may see them here, on our website or one of the social networks like Badger on Facebook or Twitter.

*not including taxes or shipping where applicable.

The NEW 2010 BADGER CATALOG is here!

Download the new Badger Paddles Retail Catalog for 2010 in PDF format here.

Full of colourful pictures and information at a glance, this (2 MB) catalog is a great representation of Badger Paddles for this season and next. Some highlights include Cub Water Colours, featured web promotions, our unique hand-rubbed varnished blades and paddle refinishing.

You may print it if you wish but it is best viewed electronically. Download the Badger Paddles Retail Catalog 2010 here: (web address: http://files.me.com/myasmar/nyg9pc)

If you are having trouble downloading from the site, please email us at info@badgerpaddles.com and we will send you a copy.

And.... if you dig our catalog - be sure to share it with all of your paddling friends!

Thanks everyone for a great season... see you on the water!

NEW COLOURFUL CUB PADDLES FOR KIDS!!!

Paddling for kids just got more fun!!!

Badger Paddles loves to get kids (and cubs) excited about paddling and the outdoors ... That is why we now offer our cub paddles in different COLOURS!

CUB WATER COLOURS...

Our cub colour stains are water-based, non-toxic and fun!

Blue, Green, Pink, Purple, Turquoise and other variations available. Each colour and paddle will vary due the properties of stain and the natural variations in wood. Just like kids - No two alike!

Kids ‘n Cubs have a long reach to the water from a canoe so our paddle sizes come in 46” and 48” lengths for a more comfortable and positive paddling experience.

Our cub blades are approx.5” at the widest point and 22” from the end of the blade to it’s neck.

Our Cub Paddles and Cub Water Colours are Varnished. Note: Oiled is available in “Natural” only.

For more information about Badger Paddles, please visit our website at: Kids n' Cubs Water Colours




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