Royak
Encyclopedia
A Royak is a sit-on-top Kayak
(as it is called today) that integrates the features of a surf board with a kayak.
It was invented by Roy Grabenauer in 1968 after years of experimenting with a variety of designs and innovative technologies, although Tim Niemier is credited as having popularized the craft with the rotomold
process. He and his wife were using everything from innertubes to surfboards as their platform until his wife developed back problems, and the search for an alternative became imperative for them to continue to enjoy their sport.
Grabenauer worked as a chief electrical engineer for the Sacramento
Department of Motor Vehicles
and began experimenting with a boat fabricated from an airplane wing tank. The result was a torpedo-shaped craft that, to quote an article in National Fisherman from April, 1978 "...resembles a topless kayak going backwards."
The Royak of today is a hybrid kayak, meaning it blends features of sit-inside and sit-on-top kayaks. These attributes of being low and stable combined with an open cockpit provide for a versatile multi-sport design.
Kayak
A kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double blade paddle.The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler...
(as it is called today) that integrates the features of a surf board with a kayak.
It was invented by Roy Grabenauer in 1968 after years of experimenting with a variety of designs and innovative technologies, although Tim Niemier is credited as having popularized the craft with the rotomold
Rotational molding
Rotational molding, also known as rotomolding, rotocasting or spin casting, is a molding process for creating many kinds of mostly hollow items, typically of plastic....
process. He and his wife were using everything from innertubes to surfboards as their platform until his wife developed back problems, and the search for an alternative became imperative for them to continue to enjoy their sport.
Grabenauer worked as a chief electrical engineer for the Sacramento
Sacramento
Sacramento is the capital of the state of California, in the United States of America.Sacramento may also refer to:- United States :*Sacramento County, California*Sacramento, Kentucky*Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta...
Department of Motor Vehicles
Department of Motor Vehicles
In the United States of America, a Department of Motor Vehicles is a state-level government agency that administers vehicle registration and driver licensing. Similar departments exist in Canada...
and began experimenting with a boat fabricated from an airplane wing tank. The result was a torpedo-shaped craft that, to quote an article in National Fisherman from April, 1978 "...resembles a topless kayak going backwards."
The Royak of today is a hybrid kayak, meaning it blends features of sit-inside and sit-on-top kayaks. These attributes of being low and stable combined with an open cockpit provide for a versatile multi-sport design.