We are proud to announce the official sponsors of the Girls at Play Summer Tour 2011! We are grateful for their generous support. We are super psyched about continuing our longtime partnerships with Dagger Kayaks, Kokatat, AT Paddles, Shred Ready, and Smith Optics. We are also very excited about our new relationships with Eddie Bauer First Ascent, Luna Bar, and Emergen-C. We’d like to give them props and tell you why we love what they do and what they make!
Dagger has been a proud supporter of women in kayaking for many years. They have sponsored Anna as an athlete since 1999 and have supported and sponsored Girls at Play since its inception in 2003. Dagger makes high quality kayaks from rec and touring boats to river running and river play kayaks to steep creekers. We highly recommend the Dagger Axis for rec/easygoing river crossover. The Dagger Mamba is our favorite pick for beginners and river running — followed close behind by the Axiom. And, the Nomad is by far our fav for class IV and V creeking. Dagger kayaks are comfortable, durable and just plain awesome! We’ll have Nomads, Mambas and Axioms to demo during the tour.
Kokatat, besides the fact that we love the name (a Native American word meaning ‘into the water,’) is our absolute favorite gear company. We love them because they make gear that works and because they have supported women in all aspects of kayaking for many, many years. Kokatat’s drytops and drysuits actually stay dry and nothing beats the performance of their Gore-Tex jackets and suits. Kokatat gear we can’t live without includes the Ronin Pro, the Rogue Drytop, the Trinity Shortie Drytop, and the Innercore layers. And the Meridian Drysuit has transformed our cold weather paddling experience from unpleasant to amazing! We’ll have Ronins, Misfits, Rogues and Helixes to demo during the tour.
AT Paddles rock! Many years ago a friend of Anna’s told her that once she tried an AT paddle she wouldn’t be able to paddle anything else. She was skeptical, but he was right. There is something about AT paddles, especially their bent shaft paddles that feel so right! Anna’s favorite paddle is the AT2 Superlight while Mary Frances’ paddle of choice is the Eddy. We’ll have AT2s, Eddys and AT4s available to demo during the tour.
Shred Ready designed the Vixen helmet, our favorite one out there to protect our heads. We love the sleek and strong design and the locking system that tightens at the base of the back of your head. We also love that they print our Girls at Play designs so we can all be styling on the river. Look out for a new design in the fall! We will have Shred Ready Vixens to demo during the tour.
Smith Optics makes super stylish sunglasses that we love! They have provided Anna with fashionable and performance sun protection for many years. Some of our favorite pairs include the Method and the Heyday. Smith has generously donated a few pairs of sunglasses to our Summer Tour Giveaway.
Eddie Bauer First Ascent is a Eddie Bauer’s line of high performance expedition gear for all of us adventurous folks. They have provided us with several of their very high quality pieces of gear to wear on the tour. We have already started wearing them, and are very happy to say they are some of the best out there. We’ve been enjoying the Downlight Vest and the B-C 200 Jacket and the Cloud Layer Fleece 1/4 Zip since they arrived. Each piece has been perfect for the spring breezes and showers we get here in Asheville. First Ascent has generously donated a piece of gear to give away to one lucky participant of the Summer Tour!
Luna Bar has given Girls at Play Luna bar samples to keep all of you ladies nourished and energized while you paddle. Luna Bars are delicious and nutritious and we love that they are designed just for women!
Emergen-C has given us packets of the wonderful Emergen-C vitamin drink mix to share with you! The powerful blend of vitamen C, 24 nutrients, 7 B vitamins, antioxidants, and electrolytes supports your immune system, increases your metabolic function, and enhances your energy level to help you feel good.
