There’s a reason why specialty paddling shops thrive. Great customer service, product knowledge, up-to-date river conditions, and special events make them a valued resource in the community.

When you step into a great shop, you’ll find staff who have experience using the products they sell, keep them in stock, and have likely been on the water recently using them. Makes sense, right?

We believe that specialty retail shops are integral to our success, and yours on the water.

Meet Mike Donovan, Owner and Founder of Sunshine Sports in Billings, Montana. Mike’s rafting career started many years ago when he and his two brothers won a raft in a local contest at the age of 10. The rest, as they say, is history.

“I have rowed countless days with all the best-selling brands of oars and, at this point in the journey, I now row with the Sawyer SquareTop Dyno-X Shoal Cut oars.

I believe the innovation and performance of a Sawyer oar cannot be matched by any of the competing oar brands. Sawyer offers the greatest depth of oar models, each offering different performance characteristics.”

So we asked Mike how the Sunshine Sports staff makes the customer experience stand out.

“We use an interactive demonstration comparing the varying flex and whip of different shafts and blades. It really drives home the differences and helps a customer choose between the many models.”

At Sawyer, we call this the unduplicated feel and progressive flex that only a tapered wood shaft delivers.

The added strength of a carbon fiber braid wrap and the oversized SquareTop section from the handle to the rope wrap provides a counterbalanced feel without compromising flotation.

Yes, a counterbalanced oar that floats flat on the water.

Mike stressed that his staff are pros at explaining the benefits of comfort and forgiveness when rowing an oar with more uniform flex. They also help customers understand how a better-balanced oar can reduce the fatigue of lifting an unbalanced oar thousands of times per day.

That’s music to his customers’ ears, and we agree.

Until next time, Eddy Out!