As a young man, Mark Eckhart trained to be a fire fighter and worked at a station in Westminster, near Denver. He had an interest in creating his own gear for firefighting and eventually started making gear, then bags for the department but when time allowed, his passion was for adventure, specifically kayaking adventures.
Since it’s unlikely that you could check a full sized kayak at the airport luggage counter, it makes sense that a folding version would be available for long distance adventures. Mark acquired several, German-made, Klepper kayaks which he, his buddies and his future wife, Kimberlee took on several trips to Baja, Mexico and north to Alaska. Over the years, Mark learned to make repairs on these kayaks and also pondered ways to improve their construction, based on his first-hand experience.
Mark became the U.S. repairman for Klepper boats and in 1998, applied for a distributorship. About that same time Mark, his wife Kimberlee and their two children moved over the mountains to Cedaredge. The area has access to a wide assortment of outdoor activities and it’s a great place to raise kids. Kimberlee is an OB/GYN nurse and helps deliver babies at the Delta hospital and when the Klepper distributorship didn’t come through Mark decided that his experience with kayaks provided a business opportunity. He knew boats, he knew how to fix them and he had ideas on how to make them better. So he did!
Mark considers the boats that he builds as, “a piece of art”. He says, “They can’t be made in China. They can’t be made cheaply. They can’t be made if you have huge overhead and they can’t be made if craftsmanship isn’t the FIRST priority.”
Using American or European made parts is important to Mark. He is meticulous about not allowing any junk into the construction of his kayaks and he uses as much local labor as possible. The birch parts are cut on a special Computer Numerical Cutting machine in Grand Junction. Some of the metal parts are manufactured in Cedaredge and he makes all of the ash parts himself, in his woodworking shop.
Long Haul Folding Kayaks manufactures over 100 boats a year and employs 4 people, one as an apprentice. Mark, himself, works about 60 hours a week because he still loves the work.
Mark and his family have settled into the Cedaredge lifestyle and in his spare time he describes himself as a “civically minded trouble-maker.” He serves on the Delta/Montrose Electric Assn. Board of Directors and in 2016 he made a run for a county commissioner seat. He didn’t win and “that’s OK,” he says, “The Commissioners work a lot and it would have been hard to do both.”
Mark cares about where he lives, he cares about the county and he cares about the future. He’s disappointed to see craftsman skills de-emphasized in today’s educational choices. He believes they’re needed and it makes him sad to see that the schools no longer provide wood shops, metal shops and sewing shops. But in spite of the changes in the world that push us away from craftsmanship, Mark still loves what he does and his apprentice, Matthew Haynie, is very optimistic. He’s learning a trade and a craft from a master. He says, “It is an honor to continue this art; it would be a shame if the world didn’t have these boats.”
Building his boats in the high desert area of Colorado may seem unusual but shipping is not a problem…they ARE folding kayaks, after all.
Since it’s unlikely that you could check a full sized kayak at the airport luggage counter, it makes sense that a folding version would be available for long distance adventures. Mark acquired several, German-made, Klepper kayaks which he, his buddies and his future wife, Kimberlee took on several trips to Baja, Mexico and north to Alaska. Over the years, Mark learned to make repairs on these kayaks and also pondered ways to improve their construction, based on his first-hand experience.
Mark became the U.S. repairman for Klepper boats and in 1998, applied for a distributorship. About that same time Mark, his wife Kimberlee and their two children moved over the mountains to Cedaredge. The area has access to a wide assortment of outdoor activities and it’s a great place to raise kids. Kimberlee is an OB/GYN nurse and helps deliver babies at the Delta hospital and when the Klepper distributorship didn’t come through Mark decided that his experience with kayaks provided a business opportunity. He knew boats, he knew how to fix them and he had ideas on how to make them better. So he did!
Mark considers the boats that he builds as, “a piece of art”. He says, “They can’t be made in China. They can’t be made cheaply. They can’t be made if you have huge overhead and they can’t be made if craftsmanship isn’t the FIRST priority.”
Using American or European made parts is important to Mark. He is meticulous about not allowing any junk into the construction of his kayaks and he uses as much local labor as possible. The birch parts are cut on a special Computer Numerical Cutting machine in Grand Junction. Some of the metal parts are manufactured in Cedaredge and he makes all of the ash parts himself, in his woodworking shop.
Long Haul Folding Kayaks manufactures over 100 boats a year and employs 4 people, one as an apprentice. Mark, himself, works about 60 hours a week because he still loves the work.
Mark and his family have settled into the Cedaredge lifestyle and in his spare time he describes himself as a “civically minded trouble-maker.” He serves on the Delta/Montrose Electric Assn. Board of Directors and in 2016 he made a run for a county commissioner seat. He didn’t win and “that’s OK,” he says, “The Commissioners work a lot and it would have been hard to do both.”
Mark cares about where he lives, he cares about the county and he cares about the future. He’s disappointed to see craftsman skills de-emphasized in today’s educational choices. He believes they’re needed and it makes him sad to see that the schools no longer provide wood shops, metal shops and sewing shops. But in spite of the changes in the world that push us away from craftsmanship, Mark still loves what he does and his apprentice, Matthew Haynie, is very optimistic. He’s learning a trade and a craft from a master. He says, “It is an honor to continue this art; it would be a shame if the world didn’t have these boats.”
Building his boats in the high desert area of Colorado may seem unusual but shipping is not a problem…they ARE folding kayaks, after all.