How is this year’s world’s largest paddlesports expo?!
Any new gear? Interesting presentations? Photos?
Thanks for sharing any experiences with those of us who didn’t make the trip this year.

First of all, attending the BWCA.com dinner with YetiJedi, the first one for both of us, was great. Good fellowship and it's a lot of fun to meet members and put faces together with posting names. I enjoyed the settling of the annual Packers vs Titans/Chiefs bet between Jackfish and OneMatch. More than OneMatch being forced to don a "cheesehead" this year, there was an abundance of warm camaraderie and friendship.

The show was high quality, as usual, but I may be biased as it's always the happy "first day of spring" for me.

My highlights:

Jackfish's Quetico presentation. It was very helpful in terms of northern entry ideas for newbies or for folks like me who have typically entered at PP or Cache Bay. Lots of good practical information (RABC situation, etc.) and encouragement. Lots of great data/reasons to pick the Q like 1/10th the visitors of the BW, fishing opportunities, and, even a great joke about the opportunity to practice digging cat holes in your neighbors' yards before you go (you want be a hundred yards from camp, after all). It was a packed house, standing room only.

SylvanSport: High quality creatively engineered trailers with pop up campers. They are exceptionally well made, very versatile including a low trailer (even with the pop up) with lots of storage underneath and a rack for boats/bike on top. The trailer can be reconfigured with or without the pop-up to fit taller gear like standing bikes or boats underneath, or can be made into an open-top trailer for a load of wood or moving appliances, etc. Best I've seen in this category.

Enlightened Equipment: The Winona, MN, manufacturer that makes ultralight down jackets and down bags/quilts, among other products, that are #1 rated by Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trail through hikers. Amazing stuff. Cool people. All made in Winona.

Pine Island Paddles: Super nice (durable, beautiful) paddles made by a young man who last year completed a 4400 KM paddle (the distance from LA to NYC) from northern MN to the Arctic Sea west of and ABOVE the top of Hudson Bay. Two guys in a canoe, 105 days. He had one of the actual trip paddles on the display and it was still looking great.

Orgs: The regular groups plus a number of new conservation, non-profit and club groups. Lots of great folks doing great things. Most meaningfully to my wife and me, Friday evening in the lobby we saw an older man and woman by a small card table. They were collecting signatures for a petition in support of protecting NPS, USFS and other fed employees and services. They were still going strong late Saturday. The man told me he met the woman 30 years ago kayaking and they kayaked the Apostle Islands together every year since. They were struggling with wanting to do something and committed to this. By the looks of it Saturday, they already had many hundreds of signatures.

My 3rd year going with my friend and was able to get 2 more buddies to join. We love Canoecopia. For us, it's the sign that the camping season is just around the corner.

This year, I was able to pick up a CCS screen tarp (last one they had!) which was on my list. Really excited to add this piece of gear as I've had my eyes on it for the past couple years. Always helps being able to buy gear at a discount.

Some beautiful canoes and kayaks on display and for sale....one year I might pull the trigger!

This was my first time at Canoecopia and I really enjoyed it. Can't speak to what was new but I enjoyed all the presentations I went to, the dinner was a lot of fun, and it was like a big Border Route Challenge reunion. My husband is happy I didn't buy yet another boat, but I did spend more money than plan...

It was a great show this year. For those of you that don't know me, I usually work a few shifts each year, setting up the show, and loading boats on cars for Rutabaga. We moved plenty of boats. Seemed like a good turnout.

It was great seeing cliff before the show started. He was making his rounds around the floor, catching up, and waving to everyone, with the biggest smile on his face. I was fortunate enough to attend his last ever presentation, and it was absolutely wonderful. It ended with a standing ovation from the attendees, and you could feel the emotions in the room. Congratulations Cliff! Enjoy your retirement.

I was able to catch a couple of amazing performances once again by Jerry. As always, Jerry and Amanda were great.

Mostly the same vendors, but there was some extra energy in the Wenonah booth. They revealed their new Intek Infusion layup, and it caught quite a few people's eyes.

Noticeably missing this year, was Nova Craft, and Portage North. I was hoping to get a new ball cap from Portage North. As my old one is badly sun faded. So I'll be sure to hit up their website.

As for me I finally pulled the trigger on a new Ruby Red Northwind 17 with ash gunnels. Bear and Ted were great. And I appreciate Bear helping me, and answering all my questions.

With the Clarion being closed for renovations. The Holiday Inn moved us all across the street to their hotel, they really stepped up and took care of those who were staying for the weekend. It was a great time catching up, and meeting everyone in the lobby after the show both nights.

There's my report. Can't wait for next year!

Cliff Jacobson's final presentation was historic. He was classic Cliff and we all discovered some interesting previously unknown things about Cliff - such as he was sent to military school at 6 years old. Lettered as a rifle sharpshooter in high school ROTC, lost his 1st wife to cancer (and even talked about the grieving process) and somehow tied it all to his passion for canoeing. I wasn't the only one who got a little misty eyed at it. Both his daughters were there and were clearly having the time of their life.

On our Saturday presentation I had the pleasure of doing a musical tribute to Cliff with Cliff joining us for a goofy song and Kevin Callan coming up for some additional shenanigans. I will treasure the moment this photo was taken of the three of us on stage that day.

OneMatch: " "

That's a great picture Jerry!