Gold for the THAYA Kayak: The New Czech Kayak Appraised by Global Experts

The new THAYA kayak from GUMOTEX is the new king of inflatable boats. From the largest European watersports trade fair traditionally held in German Nuremberg, the Thaya arrived home to the Czech Republic with gold medal aboard. The new product took first place in the Paddlesport Product of the Year Awards. It impressed the jury with its new technology that delivers perfect stability, improves driving characteristics and is environmentally friendly.

The new kayak is equipped with solid bottom made using the Drop-Stitch technology, which is more commonly used especially in paddle boards. The bottom is reinforced with thousands of fibres that connect its inner sides. Natural and synthetic rubber, which is then applied on woven fabric in several layers, remains the basic material. The whole creative process took place under the roof of the GUMOTEX works in Břeclav. The company has thus secured both the development of the new material and the actual production of the kayak itself.

The THAYA kayak is highly resistant to scratching and abrasion as well as aging and UV rays. Unlike boats made of PVC, it is relatively lightweight, easily foldable and easy to repair. Because it is made from natural sources, it is also more environmentally friendly than PVC boats. The THAYA kayak can comfortably accommodate 3 people and can be used on calm waters with difficulty level 2.

“We are absolutely thrilled to be honoured by such a prestigious award. People who tested the new kayak were praising especially the bottom, which is so strong that you can comfortably stand on it. Thanks to it, the kayak can boast perfect stability. It would take some really serious effort to overturn it,” says Magdalena Zhánělová, brand manager from the Gumotex company. The award-winning THAYA kayak will be on sale from January 2019.

The award ceremony for the traditional competition completed the three-day Paddleexpo trade fair in Germany, which was held at the beginning of October and attended by a number of producers and distributors of boats and other watersports equipment. The Paddlesport Product of the Year competition, which forms a traditional part of the fair, aims to highlight products that are unique in their innovations, performance or design.

Besides the new THAYA kayak, GUMOTEX introduced another new product at the fair: the RUBY XL canoe, an enhanced and enlarged version of the three-seat RUBY canoe that can be fitted with an engine. Among other unveiled products were also the innovated SOLAR kayak and a prototype of the innovated SWING kayak, which features—similarly to the award-winning THAYA—a Drop-Stitch bottom and additional gadgets.

The GUMOTEX company has been producing boats for more than 50 years. Its PALAVAcanoe, the evergreen of Czech rivers, has been in use ever since the times of today’s canoeists’ grandparents. Even today, it is one of the best-selling boats in the Czech Republic. The portfolio of GUMOTEX presently includes inflatable boats designated for use on calm waters as well as wild rivers, or for touring. The products are widely imported to Germany, France, Italy and other European states. In the USA, the Gumotex boats are distributed under the INNOVA brand.