On Monday the 3rd October 2011 we shipped out a Nucleus 60, Arctic Raider and a Nordkapp.

Thus ends, for the company,  36 years of kayak production.

For the next few weeks the skiing takes first place. By clicking on the link below you can access my performance on Mt Hutt this last Friday. Make sure that you scroll down to witness my place on the Leader Board. Then proceed to read my message of thanks to the manager of Mt Hutt, David Wilson.

https://www.mypass.nzski.com/spring/public/home?execution=e3s1

Thirty six years ago I built my first kayak. I built it for my own use. It sold before I could launch it. The next morning by 11am we had nine further kayak orders. Kayak #12 was mine. My light engineering  / invention development business became by accident a kayak manufacturing business…………..By 11am the next day we had 9 kayak orders.

I have enjoyed the past 36 years. Making kayaks was certainly not a dull vocation. At times very exciting.

Last December I built a huge batch of kayaks. The market looked good. I invested in some more time saving plant. Maybe kayaking will weather this recession as it had in the past – because of its simplicity and low entry costs? When compared with power boating.

But the kayak market died. Totally! No just Sisson Kayaks – Lots of other kayak businesses were rearranging their ‘deck-chairs’.

At 69 years of age I was certainly not interested in advertising and marketing – just to increase market share from a dead market. I know how it is done. The boom years 1987 through 1995 coincided with our nation-wide marketing efforts.

I chose to stay at home at Anakiwa. The Methven factory lawns grew knee high as I abandoned my usual summer trips South to build batches of kayaks. Instead I tried out the life of retirement. Yeah right! Never been so busy in years. It was nice to have the time to catch up on projects that had been stalled for 15 years – since the factory fire in 1996.

I am here in Methven casting an eye at Mt Hutt as I set about building that last batch of kayaks. All of these nine kayak orders were received just recently. I find it amusing that my last batch of kayaks is equal in number to the orders received on day one.

The Methven farmland now has a For Sale sign on it. Our Farm Clearance  auctioneer CRT, will move in October, at any cost, in a September Clearance Sale, all of the stuff associated with the kayak business, plus my 6 ton tip truck and JCB digger. Yeah – I admit – I like digging holes. Whew – says my wife Lynda – no more holes to fall into.

I still have time to make a few more kayaks in this last batch. So – if you want one of the last of a huge line – place your order now. I promise to make the last one the very best one. SORRY – NO MORE ORDERS WILL BE ACCEPTED – WHEN THESE NINE KAYAKS ARE FINISHED I AM GOING SKIING

I must thank all of those thousands and thousands of nice customers who have made my lifestyle possible. Thank you.

The future? The Sisson Kayak company will likely trade on, but with a different name. It started as Sisson Industries Ltd. At home at Anakiwa I have the most amazing workshop and I will be developing some crafty alternate energy devices – the prototypes for ourselves. Maybe some of these may end up being sold by other companies by arrangement. I am not retiring. Just heading off in the new exciting growth direction.

Grahame Sisson

Some photos following

There is a rumour out there in kayaking circles that I no longer build kayaks. Lies lies and more lies! Absolute lies.

Who would start such rumours? My wife Lynda comes to mind. She thinks that after 36 years I deserve a change – or a rest. But sadly the trail of mis-information seems to lead back to certain kayak retailers who cannot access my products.

Thirty six years ago there was no such thing as a kayak retailer. Maybe the problem (lies) may be almost resolved. The current economic depression is causing kayak builders and retailers to close up and dissappear into the clouds.

So – just to confirm – I made the first real New Zealand sea kayak in 1977. I made the first real multisport kayak in 1987. I made the compact Gap 1 kayak in 1975 – which Anne Dwyer of Kiwi Kayaks took to the USA – and changed kayaking forever. If you do not believe me – click here    http://www.paddlinglife.net/article.php?id=394

Sadly I no longer make the Gap One kayak (but I still use one). The good news is that I still custom build all of the current kayak models listed here on this website. Just send me your orders.

Last November / December I built the largest batch of kayaks since 2007. Huge! But honestly – since mid November I have secured just one kayak order – for delivery in July 2011. This is the worst order taking in 36 years. A massive sort out is taking place. Other manufacturers are closing, or retrenching, or combining production. They all seem to be chasing the surf ski market. Yeah right!

Kayak retailers are closing. Many were just opportunists who just pushed the latest fads. The Christchurch kayak retailer that I am friendly with – PaddlerZone are trading along nicely. We actually joke that soon – if this kayak business carnage continues – we will be the last-men-standing. Wow! Shades of 36 years ago. The ‘good-old-days.

An admission. Since mid December 2010 I have been fully retired. Which is why I can be open and honest about the market condition. The break from work has been nice. But also busy. Not really sure how I ever fitted work into my days. But a problem looms. Lynda has found that having me messing up the house decor 24/7 in not really too rosy. Lynda requests that you send me some kayak orders so that I am not under her feet in the house. Please help me!

Cheers Grahame

On the 19th June 1996 the Sisson Kayaks factory, and everything in it, was totally destroyed by fire.

Lynda and I were in Rotorua with a trailer load of demo kayaks. These kayaks were later used to make our post-fire moulds.

The frost was hard. the pipes were frozen and the staff were working. Our alarm monitoring company in Wellington knew that the smoke detector had activated. Four minutes later the 111 call was lodged.

Up until then insurance was something that we bought – but hardly ever claimed on. We had never met an insurance assessor (AKA Loss Adjuster) until 20th June 1996. Wow – this is different!

Loss Adjusters are trained since birth to always make their adjustments in one direction. In favour only of the insurer.

Even though our insurance had been updated and everything was covered, our payout did not cover the total losses. Fortunately we had made a solid net profit the previous year, and our Loss of Profits policy made the rebuilding of the business worthwhile.

But none of the above happened automatically.

An insurance policy is a contract between the insured and the insurer. Initial meetings with the Loss Adjusters lead to early realisations that they were working only for the insurance company – not us. Things looked bleak.

This is what we did

1. Retired to our Anakiwa holiday home with all of our relevant insurance policies
2. Read each policy at least 5 times – every word
3. Using Post-it notes – littering the document with ‘this is what this means’ notes
4. re-read each policy 3 more times
5. Called a new meeting with the Loss Adjuster

What a difference! These people do not read your policy. They operate on certain assumptions – based on industry wording averages. They are surprised to learn that you can constantly make them look like – well – beginners.

Sisson Kayaks was paid every dollar that we were legally entitled to. Beyond that our insurers paid X-Gratia amounts beyond what we were entitled to. These extra payments were possible because in the end our insurers accepted that we were all unified and a part of the same team.

Have you ever heard of an insurance claimant ‘firing’ a Loss Adjuster? I did. The sub-human Auckland based moron that our insurer employed to administer our Loss of Profits payout thought that he would make his bonus easily. Instead he was heading back to Auckland on the next plane. And after that I demanded to only deal face-to-face with the local manager of this company.

Not all Loss Adjusters are bad. One showed human compassion. And 10 months after the fire, when all looked impossible, this man cleared the Nelson City Council paper-work log-jam. Paul Kinghorn made it possible for us to enter and trade from our newly re-built factory.

Christchurch people. Go grab some Post-it notes. Take a break away to somewhere peaceful. Read and re-read your insurance policies. Settle with insurance payments that are fair.

Methven Mt Hutt Village is a truly “Amazing Space” (100% honest Methven marketing slogan). Great people who really get behind their very special town. And in the South Island, thanks to the efforts of Methven farmer Simon Hampton, Methven is alive with Multisport events. Sort of like a South Island Multisport rescue Ark!

About 5 years ago, when our Methven property was still a clover paddock, our next door neighbour introduced me to her son, Glen Currie. Despite the age difference, five years on,  we have great friendship. So it was nice to receive the following email two days ago.

Hey Grahame,

Had a successful race in the weekend in the Frostbuster.Was a good turn
out I think Simon had over 200 people there which was awesome to see.

I wanted to give it a decent nudge so went out hard on the run with the
plan to give it everything on the bike.  I managed to do so by doing the
quickest bike time by four minutes, this put me in a good lead getting
into the boat.  Although I was stuffed the omega did as planned and ticked
along nicely, in the end it was ticking along faster than I thought and I
managed to post the third fastest paddle time (teams results included)
finished with an eight minute leadl over everybody, teams and individuals.So was stoked!

Glen

I see several parallels between Steve Gurney and Glen Currie. Both have survived life threatening illness’s – and come out the other side stronger in all ways. Both are very pleasant to be around. And both are capable of crafty race strategies, as can be witnessed above.

In 1997 when my original website went online I had a special page to run what would now be called a blog. It was widely read.

And then two things happened. I redirected my energy to making some solid capital in another business. And Bill Gates stuffed up my $2000 version of his FrontPage. Then I changed to Mac computers and ended up with Contribute as an editor. I hated it.

This new website is powered by WordPress – and I am loving it.

Stay tuned in as I master more functions.

Grahame

Otherwise know as river kayak anti-swimming insurance. Or – keeping your event competitors alive a little longer. Or – if they do survive – hoping that they will return to future events. Many dont. They have been scared witless after learning the true force of the river water – and withdrawn from the expensive event by the provided Jet Boat – suffering hyperthermia. Very very sad.

The NZ Multisport Association has been trying to work out a better way to the future. Their intensions are honourable. I remember when some of them were beginners too. They clearly forget how it went for them.

It is a fact that in 1987 Anna Keeling (in full jest) ordered a 67 km long kayak off me. She quite rightly figured that she would be better to run the Waimak gorge – along the deck. And Nathan Fa’avae, was much the same when I was his friend, mentor and sole support crew at the 1993 Mountains to the Sea race. He had the choice of a loan Trident or an Eliminator. Testing proved that Nathan, at that time a tramper who excelled in mountainbike racing, was faster in the ‘slower’ boat. Not unusual at all! He used an Eliminator in the event.

My bank manager in his Eliminator - he did not swim

Being a beginner can be terrifying. I still remember my first Lettman Slipper trip on the Buller – Coal Creek to Mangles River – 17 swims and some amazing tree climbing out of some very ugly willows.

For many Grade 2 instructors there is a problem. They live where real rivers are 500km+++ away. How can their clients learn about big-river currents like I did on my Buller River saga? The very best instructors can be hampered by lack of water. And the poor instructors may have the water – but just be driven by $$$$ signs. “Pay me $900 and in 3 days you will be Grade 2 qualified”. MMMMMM. MMMMMMMMMM. Tui Breweries said it first – Yeah right!

The prime reason that beginners swim in the Waimak is the fact that they are not in beginners kayaks. In fact – most multisport kayak manufacturers are the same as Anna and Nathan. They cannot remember what it was like to be a beginner. Their beginners kayaks  looks similar to a Sisson Kayaks mid-range boat – Nucleus or Centrix.

How many other multisport kayak manufacturers make a model comparable to our Eliminator? And we used to make a model that was even more stable – but just as fast – The Delaware.

Why do these true beginners kayaks not sell like they used to? Some people substitute them for similar plastic sea kayaks = drag = slow. Some people need to have long-and-sleek-and-carbon on the roofrack – outside their local cafe. Sadly many people have absorbed  the false advise written in the outdoors magazine multisport suppliments. Like “The Eliminator is only just fast enough not to be laughed at”. Disgusting mistruth – that has played a large part in .

My advise to all beginning Coast to Coasters – buy yourself a true beginners multisport kayak. Take some instruction on the strange ways that river currents work. Do some surfing at the beach in 400mm high waves – just to get used to the terrifying (but harmless) noise. Relax and go and enjoy yourself. Preserve your energy in the kayak – and have a strong final bike ride to the finish. Above all – finish. Dip your toe in both oceans!

It woke us in our caravan at Ohau Lodge. Our only communications were only weak texts. We later went to the top of Ohau Ski field to phone our family. Then Lynda had an accident – and the true extent of the earthquake was beginning to become clear. We headed to Methven. Our kayak factory is unharmed. And the aftershocks are well spaced and soft – when compared to the activity just the other side of the Rakaia River. Lynda’s dislocated shoulder is now healing.

By day two the news media were telling the world that the effected business people of Christchurch will be OK – because they will all be insured. The fire of 1996 taught us a lot about total loss – and I was motivated to do a post on www.interest.co.nz – which is shown below. This speaks for itself – and it was nice to see my thoughts moved on to where they could be useful.

I have also offered to do some free mentoring on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce. Many Christchurch business people have lost their home and business.

by Grahame Sisson | 06 Sep 10, 11:30am

The real extent of the true losses to Christchurch business’s will take months to unfold.

I have a gut feeling of thousands of family business’s shattered. In much the same way that our own family business, Sisson Kayaks, suffered when it was 110% (10% gaps in policies) destroyed by fire in 1996. But this Christchurch event is for each family much much worse. Read on – I have an important point to make.

Sisson Kayak’s  stock and plant policies had not kept up with inflation. Fortunately we still owned a surviving bike factory next door – so we some infrastructure. And we still had a warm home to retreat to. Still – the situation was terribly bleak – and we would never want to re-live it.

But in the midst of our carnage – our Business Interruption Policy kicked in. We had made a handsome profit the previous year. The resultant monthly shower of dollars made re-instatement of the business worth while.

I fear for the small business people of Christchurch. Many will have been in a trading-loss situation awaiting the much promised ‘upturn’. Their Business Interruption Policies may in fact return them zero – reflecting the performance of their most recent reporting period.

This possibility needs to be addressed at a high level within the next few days. Insurance companies and banks need to be collectively dealt with on behalf of Christchurch business – right now. Not in 6 months time. When it will be too late to save these family business’s.

And the city of my childhood needs these family business’s. Without them the city will be nothing.

Grahame Sisson, Sisson Kayaks Ltd, Methven, Canterbury. (zero EQ damage in our kayak factory)

• reply

by Wolly | 06 Sep 10, 11:50am

Good point GS…how far back do the insurance calculations for trading loss go?

• reply

by John Grant | 06 Sep 10, 11:59am

I agree – this will be a huge issue for the small and larger business community. Many have been trading in a loss or at break even through the financial crisis. It would not be fair to look at only the more recent trading history.

I will speak to a few insurers and see how they plan to deal with this and also talk to Chris Ryan and the Insurance Council.

Something needs to be done or it could kill many small businesses that are crucial to the economy of Canterbury and NZ.

• reply

by Grahame Sisson | 06 Sep 10, 12:37pm

The best advise that I can give to the typical ChCh family business is this:-

Pull out your insurance policies

Read them

Read them again – every word.

Read them again – every word – and making numerous notes using Post-It’s – “this is what this fine-print really means”.

Read the whole lot again 6 times.

Make sure that you understand the meaning of every clause – before the meeting with the assessor.

Realise that the happy negotiation must be initiated by your own policy knowledge.