The Global Paddling Community

Corran Addison has been a close friend of Playak since early 1997 (just after Playak started in 1996). No wonder we closely follow what he's up to. And that's something rigorous again today. He's leaving Riot Kayaks to start yet another new kayak brand called DragoRossi. Italian design a la Don Corranleone, try 2imagine that...

What happened

Corran, it was clear that you were gradually detaching yourself from Riot's daily business during the past couple of years. You were concentrating more on surfing, making videos etc. Still we know that deep within, your real passion is making provoking designs. Were you just waiting for a perfect opportunity to leave Riot or did this come as a total surprise to you as well?

Well, I never intended to leave. It was purely the fact that I have very solid ideas of how the business should be run, and what the focus should be. These conflicted greatly with my partner. In the beginning, all was well, and sales were great, image was great and we had both customer and dealer support. As the business grew, I had less time to oversee all aspects, and I concentrated on the design, and the "business and marketing" became progressively out of my hands. Along with this, was a slow but obvious decline in sales, and general image. You'll remember even on Playak how every year for years riot was voted the most innovative and cool company. Within a year of my not heading up the Marketing and business efforts, we no longer were considered that. Then, my partner started to meddle in designs too, telling me how and what to design, and the boats went from innovative and great, to cookie cutter "just like every other kayak in that class". Yes, good designs, fun designs, which every company needs, but nothing like what I could have produced given my way.

Finally I got the shits, and we broke up. Not a divorce, but a rethink. Since we could no longer operate this way, someone had to leave. Jeff had the money, and most of the company. I didn't. So I was the one that had to leave. And so I left the company, but kept my shares and worked as a contract designer for 2 years, but I had absolutely no decision making ability, and things just got worse and worse. I realized that without my decision making control, the company, and therefore my own reputation, was doomed.

And since then: everywhere I turned they were making business decisions that I felt deep down were wrong, and then last year I realized that I had two choices: Cut my losses and leave while I still could, or come back in with more influence than in the last three years. They wouldn't have the latter, so my choice was made for me.

When exactly did you leave Riot then? Looks like that was a while back already and the world just didn't know.

Yeah, January 2001 is when I left the company. They still hired me to produce ads, and sometimes I got to do what I wanted (the sheep and wolf ad) and sometimes I didn't. I was contracted to design 3 boats a year and still "act" like I was just as involved as before, but I wasn't and it's quite easy to see the slide after I left. The contract was for 2 years, and when it became time to re-negotiate, I made it clear that several new things would be necessary, one of which was absolute control over the design process. I was de facto declined. So that was the end of it. I don't want to go into details because I'm not at all bitter, and I wish Riot the best of luck. Most of the people there are my friends, including my ex partner-Jeff, and they all deserve to make a good living and be successful. But I just didn't want to be associated with the company anymore because it was no longer a representative of my dreams and philosophy.

Anyway, we all still talk and chat and go out. It was important to leave as mates because I live in the same town and we're going to see a lot of each other, just not in business. But I have totally sold out now and no longer have anything to do with Riot Kayaks at all.

What's next

Despite this slow detachment from Riot, it wasn't until this spring that I actually started talking to anyone. I met my Italian friend Diego Zanga and the owners of Rainbow kayaks (Eurotank). They were ready to start something really special and also have amazing machinery with lots of capacity. They just needed someone to spark the innovation, i.e. me. And so we created a new kayak company called Drago Rossi (Italian for Red Dragon). Since then we've been working extremely hard. As a result, we now have a complete portfolio lined up.

How do you see the future of Riot without Corran? It seems that in the early days many Riot customers were actually 'Corran Designs' customers. They followed you from Savage. Is it likely that something similar will happen this time or is Riot too big already for that to happen?

I think it will happen. I was the driving force behind Riot - Designs, marketing and even business ideals. Sure, they have wandered from this, but in doing so they have also lost significant market share since I left. But my fans had no other option (thought some already have left their loyalty to my designs because they knew they were less and less "mine". But now that they have a new option, now that I'm the one who has total and absolute control and say over all things pertaining to design, these people can once more get into a kayak that paddles and feels the way they like, and the imagery and ideals of the company will be much more aggressive than Riots is currently. But its not my company, Dragorossi is owned entirely by someone else, but what is so exciting is that they saw what Riot once was, and they know why it was that way and they see the opening for a new company to pick up this slack. Pierro and Diego both have vision, and are really open minded, and this is refreshing. I think Riot will quickly disappear from the whitewater industry and get wholly into touring and recreation where vision is unimportant - conformity and numbers crunching are the most important factors.

You got Arnd Schäftlein on board with Riot a while back. Will he be filling in your place as Riot designer?

He'll most certainly be involved for sure. To what degree remains to be seen. he's certainly proven himself as a designer, but I think he's going to run into the same obstacles I ran into with regards freedom to design (the reason he left Eskimo in the first place). On the other hand, maybe my departure will be Riots wake up call, and they will suddenly and miraculously begin to do all the things that I have been pushing for for so long. Time will tell. But I suspect their new designs will begin to resemble copies of other kayaks (not graphically, but certainly in shape, size, volume, rocker etc).

Riot has a cad-cam guy that specializes in scanning boats that they feel like are doing the job they need to, and then under the direction of pro paddlers, they make the necessary changes. There are also some very capable pattern makers there who have vision and with whom it was a pleasure to work in the past, but again I suspect they will be faced with the same corporate restrictions that I had... and I was a shareholder so I had the ability to fight for what I believed in... and I lost.

So Arnd will be doing much the same as he has been doing in the past I suspect. I have been unable to discuss this with anyone so far... This is in fact the first time anyone has even known that there was a split between Riot and me, so even the team paddlers didn't know until today. I'm sure they'll be calling though ;-)

With Rainbow Kayaks and Drago Rossi both belonging to Eurotank, will Rainbow Kayaks continue to exist as a parallel company and brand?

Rainbow is a great company as far as quality/price goes. There is certainly a place in the market for a brand like this that brings a good product to the customer for a fair price. It's needed to compete against the other general kayak brands out there, in both whitewater and touring. But it's as far on the opposite end of the spectrum as DragoRossi as you can get. So they'll maintain that brand most certainly, thought how much I'll have to do with it remains to be seen. Most likely very little.

It seems like a waste for them not to use your expertise for the Rainbow designs as well.

Perhaps. I'm not cheap and Dragorossi can afford that, but when you have a product that is based on the quality/price ratio... that's a problem. Also, I can only do so many designs a year if they are going to be great designs. I'd rather do fewer designs and they be great, than try to do too much.

Rainbow Kayaks is a rather 'European' brand. It seems like your new designs will be targeted at a very global market. Global marketing can cost a lot of money though.

Yes it can. Pierro (owner of Eurotank) knows this and he's willing to do what it takes to get this going. We're probably not going to play the same old tried and proven marketing methods though. I doubt we'll hire an extensive highly paid pro team, and concentrate rather on getting a good dealer network, and also more grass roots type marketing - almost like Riot was in the early days, but with more pizzaz. We're definitely global.

When do you expect the first DragoRossi kayaks in the shops?

By mid May at the latest in Europe, and shortly after that in North America and elsewhere. The production capacities are second to none with the highest tech ovens I've ever seen. I was blown away by the factory. I've never seen a place like it, and I've seen them all. The first molds are already back now for the Fish and the Mafia, so now we just need to get them online and get all the little bugs in the fit sorted out.

Which will be the first designs to hit the market?

Both the Fish and the Mafia, followed by the Squashtail and Swallowtail surf board, and then the Pintail in August.

The Pintail?

No comment yet. I want to concentrate on the boats that are available now.

Could you tell us a bit more about the DragoRossi designs and why I would want one at any price? After all, you compare DragoRossi to Ferrari, i.e. the kayaks are meant to become status symbols, so they will certainly be quite expensive.

Ha ha... well, because I designed it and my designs work. As a magazine review once said: 'Corran is known for always producing solid designs that work, and this is no exception" (paraphrased - I think it was Rapid Magazine. I forgot). But as it says at length on the web site, we totally started from the ground up. We didn't look at what designs were working, and what the small issues were that needed to be fixed, but rather started with a totally clean slate - from kayak design to outfitting. So, combine this attitude with designs that simply work, and work really well. Trust me, paddle one, you'll love them.

Plus they will be absolutely unequalled top quality: design, production, image, innovation, materials, outfitting etc.

Is there any 'vaporware' (a la Saiko) in the portfolio? It seems like the Swallowtail 6’4” is maybe not quite ready for the market yet (or vice versa :-).

No it's real. I was surfing it this weekend and was testing it in Costa Rica this winter.

Will you be developing a C1 boat as well? If yes, what will set it apart from existing C1s?

Ahhhh.... I'm surprised you asked this. No comment ;-)

Will you be moving back to Europe? If yes, will Katie come as well and how does she feel about the move?

No, I'm staying in Montreal with Katie here. Montreal is my home for many reasons, Katie and the Lachines being just two of them. I love the culture, the life... all of it. And I'm in a new phase of life... time to start thinking ahead, family and all that too. This is where I would want to have a family, and Katie is the woman to have it with, so I think I'll stay. But I will be traveling to Italy often. Good food, great fashion, good people. It's always fun.

You are not investing in DragoRossi, yet you have complete freedom to design and throw out on the market whatever you like. What would you have to do to get fired?

Errr... I suppose design a series of flops in a row... But have I ever done that? Not all my designs are total winners of unprecedented proportions (Grind), but they have all always worked well, and they usually outperform anything else in the same class, so I think chances of that are slim to none.

Well, it looks like you got yourself into a huge pile of work. Will you still have enough time to paddle, surf and party?

Yeah, that's what insomnia is for! I live on 3 to 4 hours of sleep, so that leaves a lot of time to work and play. I've been surfing and paddling 2 to 3 hrs a day every day since the thaw, and got about 30 ski days in this winter, so that's not bad.

Corran, thanks for this interview and may all your further dreams come true.

PS. Feel free to use the Playak comment system (see below) to react. This is an Internet-exclusive interview by Playak, so Corran will very likely be reading and answering your questions here (well he finally went to get some sleep I think, but after that anyway :-).

PS2. The DragoRossi Kayaks website will be available on www.dragorossi.com. In case you can't find anything under that domain yet, you may try the temporary subsite of 2imagine.net.

[This exclusive PLAYAK interview by Jeroen, April 20 2004]