That was the week that was. SUP gone mad, and Yosemite here we come.

That was the week that was. SUP gone mad, and Yosemite here we come.

This year is turning out to be a little bizarre isn’t it? And that’s the understatement of the year!

Before lockdown we were desperately trying to get gear out to our SUP schools and partner companies in a timely manner before any (unlikely) good weather hit.

Obvs, things have changed and schools/clubs etc are no longer quite so keen for new kit. So we thought we’d be in the doldrums with lots of excess stock for most of the year.

And then BOOM! Government (England only) issues new advice, that means people can paddle again. On their own gear, as long as they’re not away from home overnight. That explains why things have gone a little bonkers in the UK.

But it doesn’t explain why McConks has just gone GLOBAL! In the last two weeks we’ve had enquiries from…

Hawaii, California, South Carolina, Nederlands, Finland, Iceland, Vancouver (Canada), Greece , Norway, Sweden, Austria, France, Denmark, the Gambia, New Zealand and Tahiti.

And we’ve actually finalised sales to California (A not for profit company in Yosemite National Park , Finland, Hawaii (the spiritual home of SUP!), Sweden, Denmark, France and Norway.

So thanks to all of you who have been reading, enjoying, hating, and sharing our content – it all helps to spread the GoInspire message, and helps us grow our brand. We never actually want to dominate the world. That’s not the kind of company we ever want to be. But having not for profit companies around the world want to work with us… That really is what we want to do and where we want to help.

So sorry if we’re a bit slow replying to comms at the moment, but we are a little overwhelmed!

Yosemite here we come

This is something we are beyond excited about. We’re not actually heading to Yosemite ourselves, although, maybe in the future. But we were contacted out of the blue by an outdoor and wellness company based in Yosemite National Park. Here’s the text of our first contact

“Hi Andy, Do you ship to the US? I am an instructor and studio owner, with retail space. I’m shopping for my fleet, and retail ISUPS. I am located just outside of beautiful Yosemite National Park and the environment is very important when considering my investment in a company. I love what I have read about your company!  I realize shipping to the US might not work, and may defeat the purpose of buying sustainable ISUPS. I’m still researching companies, but don’t seem to find any that have your values and transparency.”

Well, when you get an email like that, you get a mix of emotions. Surprised, proud, humbled, excited even. We’ve been talking to Catherine for the last week or so, to see how we could do this sustainably, to check that our ethics and principles really do align, and now Catherine has the long wait for the slow boat between China and Carolina to arrive. But when it does, there will be 11 brand new McConks Go Explore 11’4 being used for adventures and SUP yoga. We CANNOT WAIT to see the photos!

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A post shared by EchoCooperative (@echocooperative) on Jun 13, 2019 at 11:53am PDT

For the data geeks

Our headline numbers from Google Analytics gives an indication of how things have gone bonkers.