Recently, Becky and I were at the Outdoor Retailer Trade Show where we were testing out new kayaks and canoes that we were considering carrying here at the shop. It was exciting to see the new innovations from Native Watercraft, Wilderness Systems and all the other boat lines out there. But as we tested boats, something we weren’t expecting took us back to a place in our past that we will always treasure.
During the demo, we began to test the Hobie Mirage Drive kayaks. The ease of moving across the water with leg power was fun and addictive. But what kept catching Becky’s eye was the beautiful red Adventure Island Kayak/Sailboat hybrid.
The Adventure Island was sitting off to the right side, and every time it would go out, Becky would watch it longingly. Soon she was wading through the waist deep water to hop onto the 
sleek, beautiful craft. What many of you may not know about Becky and I is that probably the only reason we met was sailing.
In those days (1984), P&P sold Hobie sailboats and Windsurfers. Becky grew up in Lake Charles and spent every free afternoon during high school sailing on the lake. While we were dating and early in our marriage, we spent countless hours Windsurfing and sailing many different types of boats. Since living in Lafayette, neither of us has been on a sailboat – and the Adventure Island was calling her strongly.
As Becky pedaled the boat out of the test area and onto the open lake, I could tell she was in love. She unfurled the sail, and a puff of wind set her skimming across the water.
Afterwards, we talked about our time out on the sailboat. There’s something about sailing and pedaling these Hobie kayaks that took us back to our early days of windsurfing and Hobie Cat sailing. I’m not sure if it’s the feeling of freedom, the exhilaration and speed, the ease and fun of the boats or simply the fact that there’s nothing to do but to sit, relax, explore and enjoy our time on the water.
We look forward to sharing the world of pedal driven kayaks and kayak sailing with you!
The new sail crafts sound interesting and fun. I want to see it in action when we get home.
Phil & Midge