Interview:
Peter Tranter

Photos:
Sven Tosch
(@toschigraphy) &
Grayson Bourne

A chat with… Grayson Bourne

After competing in five Olympic Games, winning two ICF World Championship medals and 68 national titles, Grayson started KayakPro after moving to the US following his retirement from competitive sport. Designing his new machines around kayakers and producing his high-quality ergometers, Bourne enjoyed quick success as paddlers around the world discovered his equipment. So, naturally, we thought it was high time we caught up and take a look at his background and what lies ahead for the future. Take it away, Gray…

The first question we always ask is – how did you get into paddling, and when?
Just randomly lucky! There was an after-class option at my rather rough secondary school, which was to take French or build a kayak. No contest.

And how did you specifically get into kayak racing and sprinting?
With the boat I had just built (an Avoncraft Gnat), I needed a place to store it – so I went to Chelmsford Boating Club. A great group of young guys, a little older than me, had just started racing, so I started at a local race too – quickly followed by the DW. Luckily, I won my first age group race.

How did your first ergo machine progress into what is now a very successful career as the owner of KayakPro?
The first was a replication of a Lawler ergo – just after I moved to the US, but prior to that, I had built many other exercise machines previously at Chelmsford Canoe Club, so I had a history of this.

Do you design other paddling equipment?
Not too much, as the ergometers are all consuming these days we manufacture eight different types of ergometers, primarily for watersports and sell between 500-600 ergometers a year. So, it’s quite a business – from a small humble beginning. I must say I am just incredibly grateful for the kind support from our clients. We also make EZ Vee roof racks; this is a well-tested design – not by me, and there was a need and, therefore, a viable market for these in the US.

You travel the world with your KayakPro business – which are your favourite destinations and why?
I really like Sevilla – Andalucia, Spain. However, last year it was taken by Luxor in Egypt. I plan to revisit!

What makes KayakPro’s products stand out from competitors?
Gosh, I think there are many reasons at this point – fundamentally, the designs are superior to anything else in the marketplace, replicating precisely the sports modality they are designed for. It has been a continuous process of evolution, development, and refinement; I learn something new each year and try to incorporate it. Without wanting to get too technical, our rope management system reduces oscillation (a killer of most ergometers). The customisable features – adjustable carbon shaft and a large range of adjustable resistance on the flywheel all contribute. So, athletes feel ‘at home’ on their Ergometer. This is key.

Then, over the last two years, the Bluetooth technology I have incorporated to make our ergometers ‘smart’ ergometers – is a game changer – virtual paddling, programmable training, and connectivity to a whole range of performance and recreational apps. It is the future. I have recorded over 150+ Interactive videos from locations in all parts of the globe to facilitate the KayakPro virtual paddling experience – from home, connecting our clients via the internet to anyone anywhere.

How does KayakPro support beginner paddlers versus elite athletes?
I think our price point is the single biggest help – we sell at a price which is the lowest in the marketplace – making it (relatively) affordable. So it’s the best price but for the best machine available. There have been and will be many ‘cheaper’ machines – start-ups with cheap prices and cheap production, but in the end, this is a costly lesson for clients when buyer’s remorse is the result. It takes the 22 years KayakPro has been in business to refine the design, so it is ‘just right’.

Small differences like our adjustable shaft – when compacted – make it easier for young athletes to find a resistance level that accommodates them. I think elite athletes, the Olympic Games and NASA all understand the benefits of our machines, I am so grateful for their loyalty and support. Good friends too.

How do you ensure your products accurately simulate actual paddling conditions?
Being a chief tester myself helps! Continual evolution and development are critical. I think no one has spent more time on an ergometer than I have. Feedback from clients is also incredibly useful. Sometimes, they come up with things I never thought of.

What’s the most exciting innovation you’ve introduced to your products?
Bluetooth technology – and the ability to connect machines to each other for indoor racing and/or group training – is the new revolution.

Coaches can set training for a room of athletes or even remotely via the internet and train together. Last year, the ICF held a Virtual Indoor World Cup using our technology and ergometers. Hundreds of participants took part on all five continents.

You settled in the United States. Was that by design or through the KayakPro business?
It was just a personal choice; for winter training for many years, I had trained in Florida. The warm temperatures and quality of life in the US seemed better than in the UK.

What’s the most unexpected or creative way someone has used a KayakPro ergometer?
Not exactly creative, but rather funny. We went to a show once in LA, and a client got on the Kayak Ergometer backwards – I advised accordingly – but the customer is always right, not wanting assistance, and he continued to paddle the machine backwards unhindered – couldn’t help but laugh.

If you could capture just one ‘feel good’ moment in your times of competitive kayaking – which would it be and why?
Winning something always feels good in a ‘mission accomplished’ sense, so winning the World Championships with Ivan Lawler was good – I still get goosebumps when the videos pop up on social. However, I think more than this, I was addicted to the Olympic Games. My first Olympic Games in Moscow at 18 years old, was a direction-changing experience. You cannot un-forget this experience. It is intensely motivational.

Which was your favourite event as an athlete?
500m. Weirdly, I liked I liked it because it was so hard. I still recall the post-race pain after all this time. The 10Ks were also plenty of cat and mouse fun – a chess game in boats. I have super-nice memories of these, from The Royal CC Paddling Challenge and many World 10Ks with Ivan.

How often do you now go out paddling nowadays?
Every single day – seven days a week without fail – I paddle 9k each morning either on the water or on the Ergometer. With 35 minutes in the afternoon. Living in Florida makes this all possible. For sure, I couldn’t do this if I lived in the UK. I believe this regimen is the ‘elixir of life’ and the fountain of youth!

I’m a paddler and going on vacation. Where would you recommend that I go?
Florida Keys – It’s my happy place! It’s like nothing else. I go often – it’s just two hours from my house – endless flat, calm water, spectacular tropical scenery, and so many other activities to do. It is the perfect paddling destination. Paddling there with dolphins and manatees is priceless, but MasterCard can take care of the rest.

You travel far and wide with your son; what’s his favourite place to be?
Thanks for asking, so I just asked him! He says he loves Wales best, and that was a surprise for me! I guess home Is always home. We are from Crickhowell originally – our second favourite place is Mexico. Mexico is easy too, and it is always quite the experience just a one-hour flight away.

Any body of water you haven’t been to would be on your bucket list, and why does it flick your switch?
Mmm… After an extended trip to Egypt last year, I had a desire to paddle the Nile just for historical context. Maybe one day. I intend to go back. For some reason, I cannot get enough of ancient cultures and find it incredibly motivating.

What do you do in your leisure time?
That is a relatively rare commodity. I try to travel – get a real ‘buzz’ out of it.

Do any other sports interest you apart from kayaking?
I love Tour De France – not to race but to watch. It reminds me so much of our 10K races, cat ‘n’ mouse and all. I love the strategic element. The athletes are so tough.

Tell us something people might be surprised to learn about you.
Oh, when I was 14 ½. years old, I couldn’t afford a racking kayak; we were not so well off, so from 14 ½ to 16 Years old, I skipped lunch every day to save the lunch money to buy my first racing boat – £67 from Kirton kayaks. A Red Ranger.

If you could create any new paddling product with unlimited resources, what would it be?
Right now, I have all the resources I need through loan funding, so this is not a limiting factor. I like the fact that I need to fund KP developments – so that it keeps the focus on cost-true viability.

Do you have any regrets?
No regrets exactly, but I wish I could spend and have spent more time with those who are no longer with us and that I loved.

What’s your vision for the future of KayakPro in the next 5-10 years? 
To keep doing what I am doing and embrace technological advances. The world is changing quickly in this respect. I see my mission as manufacturing for others what I would have liked to have had as a young kid [with limited resources] – just desperate to paddle. That is what I can contribute. KayakPro will be at the forefront of all technological developments.

Quickfire questions:

If you could paddle with anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would it be?
My good friend Milan Janic (Serbian Multi-world champion.) who passed away many years ago – I want to chat, float and laugh with him. He was a rare kind… My Dad used to say, “They always take the good ones first.” He was a good one.

An ideal night out for you is?
Simple dinner out, good food, good company and an inappropriate adult bottle of red wine, straw optional.

What one luxury item would you take with you on a desert island?
Starlink and tablet. We have enough ‘Wilson’ coconuts in Miami already.

What do you get angry about?
I don’t really get angry; it’s not in my nature, but the massive volumes of discount requests can become a little frustrating.

What would you prepare for us if we came to your house for dinner?
The BBQ and lobster, It’s Florida! It’s abundant, inexpensive and very, very tasty. When are you coming?

What’s in your fridge right now?
A cornucopia of healthy foods!

What is your favourite sports team?
Jumbo/Visma rent a bike (Tour de France).

What two words would you use to describe you?
Tenacious and resilient – despite the odds.

Huge thanks, Gray, for all your help and for taking time out of your busy schedule – we appreciate it.