Meet the TRAK Pilots

April 27, 2023

In light of a recent major announcement at TRAK Kayaks, our Pilot Ambassador Program is now preparing to support a full season of TRAK 2.0 deliveries, test paddles, training, and their own unleashed trips on the water.

As paddlers with a penchant for sharing their passion, our TRAK Pilots are in your corner as new TRAK owners, and are often the source of many of our customers first TRAK experience via-a TRAK demo on your shared local waters.

With their impact felt around the globe, it begs the question - who are the TRAK Pilots, and what do they really do?

The Pilot Ambassador Program is built around three core pillars:

I - Educating the TRAK Community

A global reach comes with certain responsibilities, and we believe it to be imperative that TRAK fosters paddler training and kayak skills progressions for new owners of our kayaks. This takes shape in various ways, but all paddlers require a foundational skill set to have the competence and confidence to have fun and kayak safely. TRAK Pilots are your guides through our TRAK Foundations Course - an online video and .pdf resource platform that delivers training on how to master your TRAK 2.0 kayak, as well as a skills progression within a level 1-inspired skills curriculum. All paddlers can create a free account and explore that course, whether you’re a TRAK owner already or thinking of becoming one later.

With portable boats that can go anywhere in the world, the seas are ripe for exploration from the seat of a TRAK. Pilots are the leaders of our various camps and tours around the globe, each designed to impart valuable knowledge and practical skills that will serve paddlers in their home waters and future trips abroad.

As avid paddlers of the TRAK 2.0, Pilots support new TRAK owners in their local areas by providing Discovery Day owner training when new boats arrive into a community. Learning from the masters on how to build the TRAK, outfit and customize it for your comfort and control, and how to pack this boat for expeditions is the best way to get started as TRAK paddler, and bring down any learning curve in mastering your own skin on frame kayak.

II - Expand the TRAK Community (when appropriate)

Along with training, introducing the TRAK 2.0 to interested paddlers is another huge focus of the Pilot Program. Many paddlers worldwide have received their first introductions to TRAK at a Test Paddle event on their local waters, where they can get hands on experience building the TRAK and paddling it with people who understand the boat inside and out.

Test paddles occur regularly through out the warmer months of the year, so what are you waiting for? Request your TRAK 2.0 Test Paddle today!

We believe that a guided process to exploring this boat is the most helpful way to become well-informed ahead of ordering your own. Newer paddlers can really thrive with the TRAK 2.0, and enjoy this as a boat they'll never outgrow.

Experienced paddlers are encouraged to meet the Pilots to put the TRAK 2.0 "through its paces" on the test paddle, where you're welcome to practice your rolls, re-entries, and other wet drills.

III - Unleashing the TRAK Pilot

The most unique aspects of joining this owner-ambassador program are the perks, incentives, and personal development opportunities available to the Pilots. Pilots carry a bit of responsibility when they're entrusted with paddlers on a training excursion or at a test paddle, and we believe that the rewards need to match that level of responsibility.

Paddling is a lifetime pursuit with no end-destination, at least as far as our skills and capabilities are concerned. There are an ocean of ways to learn and hone your chops as a paddler and leader on the water, and the Pilot Program has a deep culture of progression within it. As Pilots go from "weekend warriors" to qualified leaders, the opportunities for developmental work and mentorship in our industry are plentiful for those ready to take that journey.

Some Pilots have more of a "show, don't tell" attitude with their paddling, and have taken their boats to the ends of the Earth and back. There is nothing cooler to the TRAK team than to see our boats used to the maximum of their potential in the trusty hands of ambitious and adventure-hungry Pilots. If the Pilots have an idea for an expedition, our response is: "how can we help you make that dream real?"

Perhaps the greatest thing about this unique owner-ambassador program is the community which has formed around it. Strong friendships have been forged through collaboration on oceans, lakes, and rivers, from flooded cockpits, warm fire-circles, and with the shore at our backs and nothing but water ahead. The trust and awareness that you're a contributing team member, all pushing toward a common goal, unleashing yourself and others along the way.

You're part of a global tribe when you become a TRAK Pilot.

Are you inspired by this program? Paddlers of all backgrounds and skill levels are welcomed to apply to join this unique owner-ambassador program. Become a leader in your local paddling community, make a deep impact on the experiences of others, and enjoy the reciprocity that comes with helping the TRAK Team achieve its goals worldwide.