Autumn so far

I feel like it has just begun, and I feel as if it's almost over - autumn. Days are getting much shorter. Early mornings are dark and evenings get darker every day.

It feels like yesterday we had the rolling festival in Vestfossen.

After rolling festival, I've been doing different practical projects in the workshop.

I've made a bunch of paddles. For customers, and new variations of old paddle designs by myself. I'm in the process of rethinking all my paddles for the future. With that comes experimenting with new shapes and sizes, finishes, woods, colors and more.

Harpoon and Aleut style paddles for Bjørn i Tromsø. All special and unique.

New epoxy edges on women's paddles, and below a cross between my reinforced and "special" Greenland style paddle. Maybe we'll have a "reinforced special" paddle in the future :).

I did a little restoring job on this pre-1960 kayak for a customer in Oslo. A very nice kayak that really needed some care. We added a sea sock to make it even better and safer, and I just got very positive feedback on the performance. The owner loved it!

I finally had the new sign for my church (workshop) made. My good friend Alexander designed it a while ago, but I finally had the time and money to get it printed and installed in the old message board that used to hang on the outside of the church.

Another "little" job I've been working on is a rolling kayak for a French customer. He wanted a red kayak, and he'll get a red kayak. The kayak is spruce/oak frame and nylon/polyester skin. 

Finally, I also had the time to work on a kayak from this winter. I's an old-style baidarka made for racing by me and my friend Jon David Jensen, the rolling champion. Since this picture was taken, it has gotten ribs and stringers, but is still not ready for the water.

Today was a beautiful, warm and sunny day. Jannie and I went to the water to test the newest paddle board I've made and not tested yet.

A really positive surprise, that was!!! Fast, stable, well tracking and yet very maneuverable. We both agreed that this was the best board I've ever built...

Beautiful and light weight too :)

Now there will be no workshop time for the next two weeks. Tuesday I'm going to USA to do a kayak building class there. Jannie joins me helping with the class, and we'll end our stay at the Delmarwa Paddler's retreat. Lots of work and hopefully lots of fun too :).