50th Anniversary Splash Out! Kayak Manufacturer Gaybo Limited Celebrates Its Half-Centenary And Takes Ownership of kayak brand Wave Sport.
British kayak manufacturer Gaybo Limited (Uckfield, East Sussex, UK), marks a mile stone 50th anniversary with the announcement of the successful purchase of kayak brand Wave Sport from Confluence Outdoors (Greenville, SC, USA). Incorporated in August 1968, Gaybo Limited has been manufacturing kayaks for 50 years. The company operates out of its purpose built kayak factory in the South of England, UK.
Since 1986, Gaybo Limited has become well known for the manufacture and distribution of Perception Kayaks throughout Europe. The company remains a key Partner with Confluence Outdoors and will continue to work closely with them to grow Perception Kayaks in the marketplace.
Over the past ten years, Gaybo Limited has played an integral part in the success of Wave Sport. Initially starting with the manufacture of product for the European market and more recently to become the sole global manufacturer for the brand.
Graham Goldsmith, Co-Founder & Managing Director of Gaybo Limited, says: “It makes me very proud to think that Gaybo Limited has been continuously in business for 50 years. This makes us the “oldest”, that is to say, the longest established kayak manufacturer in the UK still under original ownership! What a way to celebrate with the acquisition of such a well-known brand. It is our intention to push Wave Sport and Perception Kayaks forward together at the forefront of our industry.”
Matt Byham, Marketing Manager at Gaybo Limited says: “We are excited to have completed the purchase of this iconic and well-loved brand. We are proud to announce that we will continue to place significant investment into Wave Sport. The completion of this deal means we can immediately proceed with projects that have been in development for a number of years… the first new kayak under the new ownership will be the ‘Phoenix’ – a Wave Sport whitewater kayak due for release later this year.”
To see the current range of Wave Sport kayaks, visit: www.WaveSport.com
More About Gaybo Limited
Gaybo Limited has a rich pedigree of exceptional achievements on the water with numerous first expedition descents, World Champions and Olympic Gold medal winning performances. A reputation for industry leading quality remains constant. In the pursuit of perfection, it has pioneered the use of some of the most important materials in the development of canoeing; for instance, introducing Kevlar in competition kayaks in the 1970’s and more recently introducing Superlinear Polyethylene into the roto-moulding market.
More About Wave Sport
More than 30 years on from the very first Wave Sport kayak, the success of this leading kayak brand continues. In 1986, founder Chan Zwanzig conceived a vision of creating innovative whitewater kayak designs to bring the energy and passion of other outdoor sports into the paddlesports realm. This vision has steered whitewater paddling as we know it, producing many iconic and revolutionary designs over the years. Today this ethos for passion and energy still stands true… it’s always been about more than just the perfect wave or the cleanest waterfall; it’s also about the journey.