Aside from that suave plaid drysuit, IR is still cranking out the Union Suit. For anyone who doesn’t have one, this may be one of the greatest pieces of layering apparel of all time (author’s opinion). Ben Franklin wishes he could have come up with something this brilliant. Especially the part about the Women’s model having a drop seat. Let’s have a listen:

SUP has been making a name for itself in the paddlesports industry in the last year and with good reason. Surf Tech has introduced an inflatable SUP to help you learn, travel, and have a great time on the rivers or in the surf on a budget. SUP is a great way to get exercise and spice up your local mellow rivers, or go tackle Hawaii’s North Shore, as seen in LVM 31. We’ll let George from Surf Tech will explain more:

Ok, this thing has been described as a Ben Franklin and his twin brothers, but we had to cover it. I’ve seen footage from these and its better than any helmet camera out there. There’s tons of it in the Demshitz Movie, so check that out. We’ll let Go Pro tell us more:

Kokatat has some nice offerings here. First up is the Outer Core layer which we feel honors the Ben Franklin both in its sub $100 price and its use of recycled materials that don’t smell as bad. I’ll let Kokatat’s Matt Porter explain:

Check it out here, more at Teva’s Website:

In lieu of the current economic recession and in honor of The Ben Franklin, we’ve decided to make the theme for OR coverage the hottest new products under $100. We’ll cover the big ticket items as well, don’t worry, but we want to show you what’s new for 2010 on a budget.

With that out of the way, here’s our first product spotlight: the Werner Sprite.


This paddle retails for $80 and is a great way to get your young’uns on the water. Constructed with Werner’s continuous weave fiberglass blades, this is a legit touring paddle scaled proportionately for kids. Check it out and stay tuned.