Tutjak Kayak is a Quebec manufacturer of composite sea kayaks.
For over 20 years, our kayaks have been handcrafted in our workshop in Trois-Rivières. Our kayaks were born from the expertise of a passionate man who tested hundreds of material combinations to achieve a perfect recipe that combines performance, lightness, and durability.
History
Pierre Tessier's passion for fiber was born from a request from his brother, who was then the president of the Trois Rivières Canoe Club. His brother dreamed of a versatile kayak for young people that did not require adjustments from coaches. Pierre took on the task and developed a K1 that adjusts in 15 seconds. The prototype was suggested to be taken to the Olympic basin in 2003 for the national trials, where coaches, including Jan Kruk, fell in love with it. Following his success with the Olympic team, Pierre Tessier became a developer for Simons Rivers Sports. He founded Kayak Saint Laurent (KSL), where he developed several kayak models, mainly focused on long trips and large cargo capacity.
The first Tutjak was made in 2010. At that time, Pierre was looking for a name that would pay tribute to the Greenland type, that is, a low, versatile kayak with directional stability to maintain its course while being agile enough for rolling and easy course changes. In homage to the Inuit craftsmanship, Pierre named his kayak Tutjak, which means "making its way" in Inuktitut.
Materials, a concentration of technical knowledge
Thanks to his experience in the construction of Olympic kayaks, Pierre Tessier has developed over the years an assembly of fiberglass and carbon fiber fabrics that is increasingly lightweight and resistant.
The acquisition of Tutjak Kayak, a successful business transfer story
François Faisy purchased the company from Pierre Tessier, the founder of Tutjak and an eminent sea kayak designer for over 30 years.
The transaction was completed in early 2020.
After spending nearly 25 years in various management positions within multinational companies in the energy sector in India, France, and Quebec, serving as CEO of the Siemens Transformateurs factory in Trois-Rivières for the past 15 years.
Despite his experience in administration and manufacturing management, he still had to learn to master the world of composite materials like fiberglass and carbon used to manufacture Tutjak's high-end sea kayaks. He spent over a year with Pierre to acquire knowledge in both manufacturing and design criteria for sea kayaks.
The effects of the pandemic on the company
Just a few weeks after acquiring the company, COVID forced the closure of non-essential businesses for a period of 6 weeks. Of course, startup companies could not benefit from any government assistance...
However, after reopening, the company greatly benefited from the pandemic due to health restrictions. As people couldn't travel abroad for vacations, there was a resurgence in popularity for outdoor sports, especially water sports.
The future of the company
After optimizing production and acquiring new contracts outside the nautical sector to be less dependent on the seasonality of the activity.
Tutjak developed 2 new models in 2022-2023
The Sulka - which means "feather" in Scandinavian language - is a 15 ft sea kayak designed for smaller paddlers. With a weight of only 36 lbs in the FDV version, it is the only sea kayak designed exclusively for smaller paddlers who want an agile and easy-to-transport kayak.
The Missinak - "Master of all sea creatures" in Scandinavian language - is intended for larger paddlers, for whom little or no choice is offered in the composite sea kayak market.
With a weight of only 53 lbs in the FDV version, offering 4 watertight compartments, it is undoubtedly the best and safest kayak for larger
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