Danny Brown of Whiskeyjack Paddles
Montana based craftsmen Whiskeyjack Paddles are creating stunning natural looking and high performing paddles. We caught up with owner and operator Danny Brown to run us through the process of manufacture, benefits and models to choose from in their wooden paddle range.
(This feature originally appeared in the Summer 2012 issue of SUP International. Print and digital subscriptions for readers worldwide are available HERE.)
How long does it take you to make a paddle?
It takes about 3 hours to make a paddle over the course of about 10 days. All of our paddles begin as rough sawn lumber. We hand select the best of our stock and mill the wood into 1/4” strips. We then glue the strips back together in the rough shape of a paddle. Each paddle has about 25-30 individual pieces of wood. After it is glued together we hand shape and hand sand the paddle. Then, we fiberglass the blade for strength and varnish the paddle. It’s a real labour of love.
How does the feel of your full-wood paddles compare with a full carbon model?
Nothing beats wood for long days on the water. Our paddles have a great gentle flex that acts like a natural shock absorber on the joints which is really great for people with shoulder or joint problems. A true oval shaft is something that is also unique to our paddles. An oval shaft fits much more comfortably into the hand than a circular carbon shaft. People are also surprised by how light an all wood paddle can be. Just a few ounces difference between us and a carbon paddle.
Does your local environment influence your paddle design?
Our local scene (flatwater and whitewater river) really doesn’t affect our design decisions. We live in a very remote and mountainous part of the US in a state roughly twice as large as Great Britain but with only 900,000 residents, so we really try to accommodate the broader market. Most of our paddles end up in warm weather states with ocean access, Florida, California, Hawaii…
Crikey – tell us what the bull castrator is used for…
Ah… an essential tool in paddle making. Only in Montana, right? Well, it’s used to stretch out the tubing we use to cover seems where wood meets carbon in our hybrid lines. After stretching out the first few with our fingers we realized we needed a tool. One of our craftsmen grew up on cattle ranch and knew of the perfect tool for the job.
Which paddle would you recommend for the following: surfing double overhead Cloudbreak / 27 mile Molokai race / mellow exploration
and cruising?
Double overhead – Whiskey Bootlegger. 27 mile Molokai race – Whiskey Shakedown. Mellow exploration - Whiskey Ocho.