Kara and John Weld at their Immersion Research location in Hood River. IR was founded by the Welds in 1997 in Confluence, Penn. John’s interest in creating top-of-the-line kayak gear with Kara’s professional kayaking career helped jump start Immersion Research.
Immersion Research wants to create gear that can be easily repaired, so they make early every article of clothing and kayak gear by hand. The company moved from White Salmon, Wash. when the opportunity arose to have a bigger shop.
Kara and John Weld at their Immersion Research location in Hood River. IR was founded by the Welds in 1997 in Confluence, Penn. John’s interest in creating top-of-the-line kayak gear with Kara’s professional kayaking career helped jump start Immersion Research.
HOOD RIVER — The Columbia River Gorge is a mecca for recreation sports like skiing and snowboarding, but few are aware that the Gorge is also known as one of the premiere spots for whitewater kayaking in the world. Co-founders of Immersion Research, John and Kara Weld, are revolutionizing kayaking, one stitch at a time. Their downtown Hood River store attracts some of the greatest from around the world.
“We had literally one of the world’s best kayakers in our office yesterday helping us design products,” said John about Benny Marr. Known for his daring sense of adventure, Marr was named the 2013 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year and in 2018 he was honored as the Rider of the Year by the Whitewater Awards.
John and Kara built Immersion Research on the idea that you can create gear which can be used heavily and repaired easily.
Immersion Research wants to create gear that can be easily repaired, so they make early every article of clothing and kayak gear by hand. The company moved from White Salmon, Wash. when the opportunity arose to have a bigger shop.
Noah Noteboom photo
“One of the things you can run into when you start making stuff overseas is you make stuff needlessly complicated,” said John. “And when we start designing our gear, we’re making it so that it can be repaired as easily as possible.”
John learned to sew in the basement of his Pennsylvania home when he began making board shorts for his friends and family. As he built a name for himself and his gear, John started selling to local sporting goods stores, and he purchased five sewing machines and an old schoolhouse as the company began to grow. They hired 50 sewers and joined the sport as popularity began to rise.
John, a self described “kayak bum,” also worked as an instructor at the Riversport School of Paddling, where he met his future wife, Kara. Her parents owned the paddling school which is located on the Youghiogheny (Yaa-kuh-gay-nee) River in Confluence, Penn.
Behind the scenes of the 4,000 square foot Immersion Research location in downtown Hood River.
Noah Noteboom photo
At the turn of the century, kayaking and canoeing was growing in popularity across the country and Kara had been kayaking ever since she can remember. She earned the opportunity to compete for the U.S. Kayaking Team. She won three national championships, a bronze medal at the 1991 World Championships and was seconds away from a spot at the 1992 and 1996 Olympics. Twice she was beaten out for the final spot to represent Team USA and missed the cut for both trials by tenths of a second.
“That was a huge disappointment,” said Kara, although her time with the national team gave her an opportunity to network with other kayakers. Her connections laid the foundation for Immersion Research and helped the marketing department.
“I would say, ‘Oh I know a guy in Durango and I know a guy in Carbondale.’ We call him up and they’re like, ‘Yeah, I’ll take a dozen shorts,’ you know, and that’s really how it started,” explained Kara.
Testing a new line of seam tape to prevent water from seeping into the gear.
Noah Noteboom photo
Last December, John and Kara moved their family and business across the Columbia River from White Salmon to Hood River.
“When we moved here (to the Gorge), it helped our brand as a kayaking manufacturer because it’s like living in Jackson Hole if you make skis,” said John.
Their downtown Hood River store is located at 105 Fourth St., and the 4,000 square foot layout is perfect for what they offer. They hand craft most of the gear and apparel that they sell. But their gear has been in Hood River for a while.
John and Kara sold their gear at the old Kayak Shed. Unfortunately, the store burned down in 2017.
Five years later, John and Kara saw an opportunity to sell their products in Hood River.
A specific type of sewing machine is used to stitch handles onto what will become a dry bag when work is finished.
Noah Noteboom photo
Sewing machines are visible from the sales floor and water enthusiasts can get their gear repaired by hand. The small team behind the scenes work hard to create, test and sell top notch kayak gear. Protective wet suits are available and John says their focus is to totally prevent water from getting inside the suit.
“Staying dry is a big deal to those who like to kayak year round,” said John.
The winter is prime kayak season. Paddlers come from far and wide to tackle some of the best class five whitewater in the world.
John and Kara said some of their favorite spots are along the Hood, Klickitat, White Salmon and Little White Salmon rivers.
“The water is really beautiful and it’s really clear. A little cold, but they have a pretty reliable water season during the winter,” said John. “This is like the North Shore of surfing for kayaking.”
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