Stohlquist Information

From the early days, Stohlquist has been a family company. Based in Buena Vista, Colorado the company operated in close proximity to the famous "Numbers" section of the Arkansas River. The focus ever since, has been on making the best possible product for comfort and safety in the wet and cold. As one of the first companies designing gear for paddlers and one of the few original designers left, Stohlquist continues to lead with innovative products designed for the true water-lover. A little Stohlquist background...you may already know us. Jim and Bonny Stohlquist live high in the Colorado Mountains in the remote headwater valleys of the Arkansas and Rio Grande. But before then, while studying Engineering and Business at CSU, and serving as president of the CSU Outing Club, Jim started a boat building business making 22-pound kevlar/s-Glass Vinylester-Epoxy whitewater playboats for the university club and members. Ultra-light/ultra-strong, nearly bullet proof, hand-made...expensive. To the boat-building Jim soon added a seasonal retail store in Buena Vista, and a year-round mail-order business he named Colorado Kayak Supply (CKS). Soon after graduating, Jim & Bonny married, and the focus shifted to the innovation in design that propelled the growth and development at Stohlquist WaterWare. There was very little available in the way of paddling gear available and the Arkansas river was always icy cold running off the nearby 14,000 foot mountain slopes. There were no drysuits or drytops early on, just gear borrowed from other sports...wetsuits and coated nylon workout suits, hockey helmets. On a cold February afternoon, Jim walked into a small, local cut-n-sew business in Salida, Colorado and shared his ideas for a special jacket,... "just for kayaking". They were making waterproof motorcycle rain-suits, had a great supply but lacking in distribution. Jim's first paddle jacket was a hit where ever it was shown, it sold well. One new design followed another and the rain-suit shop quickly transformed into a ...