Kayak Magazines on the Web: The Road Test
As anybody who has ever been through a large newsagents can testify, paddlers are well catered for when it comes to magazines. Some excel in the quality of their writing and photography, some in the usefulness of their articles, some for their news content and some offer a special interest - sea kayaking for example, or white water. They all have their own distinctive feel, their own identity.With the advent of the internet, magazine publishers have faced a serious challenge to their monopoly over readers' attention. The way they have faced up to this challenge has been varied.
Some have steadfastly used their online presence to do little more than extol the virtues of their paper titles - they'll tell you when the next issue comes out, what it will contain and very little else.
Others, following the lead of the newspapers, have basically put their magazines online.
A small handful have realised the web does not pose an either or scenario, but something completely fresh. The web is, in fact, another medium altogether. One that offers fresh possibilities for engagement with readers rather than another nail in an already struggling coffin. Multi-media content, instant interaction through discussion boards and blogs, rolling news updates - all of these things were never possible in periodical magazines.
Equally, there's much the internet cannot do as well as an old fashioned magazine. Great images, for example, always work better in print than pixel. And there's the feeling of having a magazine in your hand that even a new Mac Air cannot emulate.
The key for our much-loved kayak magazines is in offering two excellent products under the same strong brand. Get it bang on, and you'll grow your following, ooze with ad revenue and know you've done something good.
Is it world wide whitewater or world wide wobble? Kayak World decided to see how our favourites are getting on in the online world.
Canoe and Kayak Magazine (UK)
Canoe and Kayak Magazine has been going a few years now, and I've been buying it periodically for much of its life. I also remember its early online days. Because I've got some pretty flattering things to say about this website, I hope they won't mind when I say its earliest web versions were little more than a plug for the magazine.
The site as it now exists is a very different kettle of fish. Sure, it makes it pretty obvious they want you to pick up the magazine, but its crisp, clear and welcoming and not besieged by advertisers.
It is packed with features, reviews and news. The articles, of which there are many, are full length, absorbing and frequently useful or inspirational. It's event calendar, galleries (some of the pictures are a little small) and blogs are a great touch.
The clincher, for me at least, are the downloadable routecards. I know they published them in the magazine over a period of months, but now they're up on line and are a major resource for any paddler. More than that, they'll make sure I for one keep going back to the site before I plan my next weekend trip (and the one after that, etc). It's also got a packed list of clubs and canoeing businesses which are also a really useful resource.
Paddles
Remember what we were saying about multimedia content? Well Paddles has clearly taken up the baton with its excellent collection of uploaded videos. Video quality is maintained by a viewer voting system which gives you some idea of what you're getting before you click to download. I've spent a lazy hour happily watching these vids and it is a really great feature.Elsewhere on the site you'd easily discover much of what you'd expect to find - quality articles from previous editions, a news section, competitions and a reader's gallery with pictures. It's not the biggest site amongst its peers, but the video section in particular make it well worth a visit.
Canoe and Kayak (US)
This site - which is entirely separate to the UK version of the same name - is something of a gold mine. It has videos galore, inspirational routes, tips and techniques. It covers every conceivable aspect of paddling, from surf kayaking to open boat canoeing and has a wealth of product reviews.The layout is superb - pretty much everything you could want is easily navigable from the home page.
The news section is kept bang up to date and as such the whole site has the feel of a rolling living product. Feedback and engagement with the site - through comment boards to online picture and video competitions - is clearly something its webmaster takes very seriously. Picture quality is excellent - big enough to enjoy, small enough to keep page download times to a minimum - and the sheer range of articles makes this more of an online kayaking reference library than a mere magazine.
Overall, this is the site which has, for this viewer at any rate, combined the best opportunities of the internet to offer a rich and rewarding online experience.
Ocean Paddler
As anybody who has ever picked up a copy of Ocean Paddler knows, this is perhaps the most beautiful magazine you can buy. I'm not just talking paddlemags here, I mean any magazine on any subject anywhere in the world. It has not been going long, but has found a place in the market instantly - rather like two chaps called Mr Rolls and Mr Royce once did when they decided to try making automobiles. The pictures are sumptuous, the quality of writing very high and the layout seems the work more of an Old Master than a humble layout sub.
Unfortunately, the online experience offers little more than a simple message - buy the magazine. The news section keeps readers up to date with the current status of the magazine (whether its sold out or not) and what the new telephone number is - i.e news about the magazine.The shop sells Ocean Paddler merchandise. The dates section tells you when the magazine comes out and when the editorial deadline is.
Is that a bad thing? It might not be in the long term. They've got the Ocean Paddler domain so anything might happen in the future. You've also got to bear in mind that OP is not just another mag, it is a boutique product. I honestly don't believe the sumptuousness of the magazine would translate online - and if it did, it would put the magazine in peril. The Magazine works so well because of the ultra-specific nature of its content and the sheer beauty of presentation. It could have a stab at doing what the other magazines do so well online, but that would cheapen the paper product. My advice: buy the magazine (hang on, isn't that the same message as the OP site delivers?)
Sea Kayaker Magazine
Our talk about Ocean Paddler leads us neatly on to Sea Kayaker magazine. This is an online version of the magazine, with articles and all. But it is a little unusual. When you read an article, the text is not presented as one single stream but on a sequence of pages. I'm not sure whether the idea is to keep you yearning for more or to get you to give up, either way it makes for a somewhat cumbersome reading experience. Similarly, the kayak review list does not actually take you to a review but to details about the edition in which it appeared. I think they're missing a trick here - if they put all the reviews online they would trump the competition when it comes to sea kayaks.
What it does have, however, and I've not seen this anywhere else, are gear lists - checklists you can print off before embarking on an expedition. This is a really cool touch and, rather like the route guides offered by Canoe and Kayak (UK), gives the reader something actually useful. It also has a constantly updated events list and a really useful set of links to other sites.
Playak
Now then, I've cheated by including Playak. It is the only site listed here which does not have a paper-based big brother. It was started as, and remains, an online paddling portal. But it warrants its place for one simple reason - it rivals the very best of them. Playak is an internet feast. Its white on black feel won't be to everybody's taste (though it is distinctive and you know you're there!) but if you look at what it has to offer, its difficult to argue that this site is not one of the best.
Again, the news section is kept bang up to date, giving it that essential "live" feel. It's got product reviews, interviews with leading paddlers and a packed events calendar.
The area in which this site primarily stands out however is in its viewer involvement. It has a keen following who keep the posts coming. As such, it's a reader's site as much as anything else, a place where anything goes, shaped by those who love it.
