WHITESELL CANOES
I started designing and building my own white water canoes in the 70's because at that time there were only racing designs or flat bottom recreational canoes. No one was designing open canoes as white water play boats. My original Piranha design was the 1st real white water canoe designed to be playful, dry running, stable and respond easily to control strokes. My emphasis on the secondary stability promotes paddler confidence in pivot turn maneuvers and gives the canoe a forgiving nature, an easy roll and stable handling while filled with water (Everyone makes a mistake taking on water once in a while). But most importantly, a hull that responds to the surface characteristics which are on every river so these surface features can be used like "power steering" to do the work for you. That same Piranha design still represents 1/3 of our sales! I never intended starting design trends. My sole intent was to design and build canoes that preformed for my enjoyment as a paddler. Although I must admit, it has been quite flattering to see my design ideas incorporated throughout today's mass-produced white water canoe industry. I'm proud to continue introducing new innovative designs as well and continue assuring you the quality, durability and value you've come to expect of WHITESELL CANOES.
Nolan Whitesell
Designs and outfitting systems are proven- many times over. The boat of choice for many FIRST DESCENTS.
- 1984 First Descent of the Grand Canyon without lining(running every rapid) the first tandem run the following year.
- Great Falls of the Potomac on the outskirts of our capital.
- Big Splat in the Mountains of West Virginia
- North Fork of the Payette, Idaho
- Niagara Gorge at 150,000 cfs Really Big Stuff.
The canoes making these spectacular runs are exactly the same as what we build for you. Every Whitesell is built to withstand "limits of the envelope" exploratories, as well as racing or just plain fun playing. Light-weight, dry running, responsive, maneuverable, stable and easy to roll have become buzz words in many ads; but to actually GET THAT PERFORMANCE, Whitesells are the only ones with the DESIGN and SETUP to deliver .
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