When innovative companies collaborate, the result is synergy: a combined effect greater than the sum of their separately impressive efforts.
For Hobie®, innovation has been part of our culture, set in motion by Hobie Alter himself. Hobie’s mantra was always to try to make things work easier, perform better, and better yet just be more fun. Either accomplished through design or the use of cutting edge materials, Hobie has continued to push those innovative boundaries in stand up paddleboarding.
Much like Hobie, Quickblade has always strived to keep the innovative fire burning, and has become an industry leader in design and performance. Quickblade’s paddle designs are used by many of the world’s top paddlers.
In an ever changing high performance world, collaborations are important. They are where designers can think out of the box, and not be bound by industry norms or pre-determined factory specs. What started as a fun collaboration, some really complex discussion about the use of composites, and a general appreciation for design has now flourished into a design collaboration that both brands can be proud of.
“We have always had a mutual respect for Quickblade and Jimmy’s approach to innovation and design. When Jimmy first approached us about building some custom paddles to complement some of our custom boards it was simply a no brainer. Fast forward six months and that initial collaborative ground swell has now produced something that both Hobie and Quickblade can embrace and be proud of,“ says Mark Johnson, head Hobie board shaper and designer.
The result is an unparalleled collection of stunningly beautiful and functional hand-crafted stand up paddles, the Hobie / Quickblade Performance Series. The series features the introduction of the H-Blade. A new paddle blade designed for Hobie, by Quickblade.
“When I first started experimenting with some unique custom materials such as vector-net hybrid aramid fiber, I thought first of Hobie as they were the very first board brand to use these materials in their boards. We made matching paddles this past Spring that were shown at Surf Expo alongside of the innovative Hobie boards and they were so well received that we’ve decided to work together to produce a similar paddle for their production paddle offerings in 2017” says Quickblade’s Jim Terrell, a four-time Olympic canoeist also known affectionately as the mad scientist of paddle design.
Available through Hobie Stand Up paddleboard dealers for the 2017 model year, the Quickblade Performance Series features two models, the HQ-Surf and the HQ-Performance. Both use the proprietary new H-Blade designed by Quickblade. The 90-square-inch blades are 18.5 inches long by 7.5 inches wide, with 50-50 carbon fiberglass shafts and carbon handles. They are lightweight and strong, with an ideal balance of stiffness and flex.
