Attention Colorado (and other Rocky Mountain) suppers: This season you’ll see charismatic paddleboarder Ken “Hobie” Hoeve paddling the state’s rivers on a Surftech board. Hoeve, one of the biggest personalities in the paddlesports world who’s had stints with everyone from Dagger to Jackson, has signed on with the Surftech team. A local weatherman, kayaker, surfer, snowboarder and event announcer, execs says he’ll be a great fit with the Surftech global team…
“Ken is one of those rare individuals whose diverse background and life experience has given him a unique perspective on the sports he’s involved with,” says Surftech VP of sales Ryan Guay “He has a very personal way of engaging an audience by telling great stories and sharing the moment through the images he captures. He’s really come to define the adventure athlete and is the perfect representative for us and our company.”
Part of the relationship will have Hoeve testing new gear for Surftech and working directly with their product development team to develop new products and improve existing ones. “Ken plays hard and he is very hard on his equipment,” .adds director of product development Mike Pilgrim. “He’s a big guy paddling in very extreme conditions and traveling a ton, so his equipment gets tested hard which is exactly the kind of testing we are looking for.”
Info: instagram @kenhoeve , FB @kenhoeve or visit www.surftech.com
About Surftech
Surftech, “The original board manufacturing company,” was established in 1989 in Santa Cruz, California by Randy French. A pioneer of composite technologies, Surftech was the first company to introduce composite manufacturing to the surfing, paddling and SUP industry. Surftechs business model has always been about giving board builders a way to scale and expand their businesses with a seamless solution that would complement their existing lineups. In the early 90’s, Surftech partnered with a world-class international factory that matched their commitment to excellence, providing unparalleled capabilities, strong environmental practices, unmatched craftsmanship and most importantly could scale to meet demand. Surftech brands include Channel Islands, Donald Takayama, Bob McTavish, Robert August, BARK Paddleboards, Softop, Blacktip and is the North American Distributor for the NSP brand (Nature, Science, Passion).