Struer Doc.Pdf

SO MANY WINNERS “We did not expect anything. as the glue which wasn’t BORN IN A SIMPLE If only we could have a waterproof. The vessels fell BASEMENT tolerable livelihood, we were apart quickly when they were satisfied,” Svend Helge launched,” Gerhard Kobberup stated. Sørensen said in an interview. The smiles were those of The two friends – and now indulgence. The reactions partners – had for several The reason for their were those of disbelief. The years, whilst working at collective interest was that words were rather comforting Bang & Olufsen, where they the couple at one time had than encouraging. installed radios in cabinets, come to the locale kayak used their spare time on club in Struer. Peter "You can always come back their hobby in Kobberup’s Sørensen, who is son of here if things doesn’t work kitchen. The very first kayak Gerhard Sørensen, explains: out," Gerhard Sørensen and was built in 1933, during "They had heard so much Svend Helge Kobberup were their apprentice time at N.P. about the club that they told, as they left Bang & Lundøre, in the attic of the enrolled. At the same time, Olufsen for the last time. carpentry. Subsequently, they expressed a desire to they started building small They didn’t just leave a good, build their own kayaks. At kayak models in Kobberup’s permanent job - they left that time there were only kitchen. Struer's leading company kayaks made of canvas built B&O. It was nothing but a hobby around the hull of the kayak, They were cabinetmakers, back then. Something they and they were heavy as born in Struer, grew up felt passionate about and for heck. They were painted and together and trained their own use. Besides, what tightened like a drum skin, alongside each other at the did they know about building but they weighed 18-20 local carpentry. But now they a kayak? They were kilograms. They weren’t easy wanted to build kayaks. cabinetmakers. Both were to drag around,” Peter just interested in the sport Sørensen explains. “People looked at us like we like so many others, but they Heavy or not, Svend Helge were mad, and our wives, possessed a special talent, Kobberup still managed to they too weren’t enthusiastic it would turn out: They had become a champion of about our experiment. They the ability to wonder and be Jutland in kayaking. had to earn a living by taking curious. on extra work at the waffle bakery and B&O,” Gerhard However, that did not mean, Sørensen would many years they couldn’t fail in the early later tell a locale magazine. beginnings. It wasn’t just the surroundings "Alongside some other folks that, understandably, did not we produced a large dare believe in the two template out of cement, and friends' dreams. They hardly with the help of it we did so themselves. “pushed” three to four kayaks out of it. But the success lasted only as long THE MOSQUITO AND a better option to make hulls silver gray dope,” Peter THE KAYAK in veneer. The principle was Sørensen concludes. the same as in constructions The hull was made of veneer with plywood: one long outer consisting of four thinly diagonal support and then a joined plates of veneer, three No one needs kayaks in a transversal layer. Afterwards of which were mahogany time of war. World War II was a third layer on the outer and one of the soft, light no exception. diagonal support and then a African woods Abachi. diagonal transversal layer. What the war couldn’t put an The fourth and last layer as end to, however, was the "We started our factory a diagonal layer. This way curiosity of two men. Gerhard together at a favorable time. you can achieve the same Sørensen and Svend Helge We discovered that the strength as plywood. But Kobberup were fascinated by market was good. But we there should also be a the British Mosquito aircraft - had to work hard. There was shutdown on such kayaks, a twin-engine combat aircraft no such thing as working and it became a canvas that became crucial during eight hours per day, like deck. The cover was made the war because of its high “normal people” would, and of linen, regular linen as the speed. With its lightness and to this day we still can’t. I one you could buy at the thus high speed, the plane myself have been working on local store in Struer. The proved beneficial for fast kayak construction since linen was then “doped” with precision attacks or as a 1932,” Gerhard Sørensen a special grey lacquer, pathfinder prior to the major many years later told a which was sprayed on. bombings. newspaper. Once it had settled over a When everybody saw the few hours, it was as tough Mosquito aircraft as a war as a drumhead,” Peter machine, Sørensen and Sørensen says and strikes a Kobberup saw something drum roll on the table. quite different. They saw the To go along with that drum plane for what it was. A roll Kobberup and creature unlike others, Sørensen's creation because aircrafts at the time deserved a fanfare too, typically were made from because they had created a aluminum. The Mosquito, on winner. A kayak, the sport the other hand, distinguished had not seen alike, and a itself by being made from kayak which structure and wood, and so they thought to way of production would themselves: if a mix of influence the sport through plywood and balsa wood the 1950s. could be the star of the sky, why couldn’t it also be that of "It was very smart. Then you the water? had two parts of the kayak, front and rear deck - it was a “It did not last long – both canvas deck that was being trained carpenters - painted or sprayed with before they figured that it was LIMFJORDEN AND THE brought out through the Sørensen first had slid their HEALTH INSURANCE door.” bodies into. FUND Once again, they needed to Struer was on to something, use their imagination, and but little did it help when few this time around luck played knew what Struer was and It may seem easy to get an an equally big part. what the new business had to offer? idea, but much harder to put it "It was fortunate that at that into use. And it nearly time there were something The breakthrough came to occurred that the kayaks from called light boxes, which be called Karen Hoff. She Struer never came into were small windows in was a talented rower in existence. basement level. Luckily, kayaking. She had started Physically, the kayaks were they could hasp off the light with the sport in Randers in heavy at the time because it boxes and slide the kayak 1942 and soon after won started with a template that out that way, but it was both the Jutland and Danish was built of concrete. But it somewhat of hard lesson to championship. Besides that, wasn’t until Kobberup & start with, considering they there was not much of Sørensen left Kobberup's could not get their very first anything else on her victory kitchen and got a real place to kayak out. They simply had sheet - World War II had put work that everything nearly not thought about it because an end to all international capsized before it even got they were so obsessed by competitions - but when the started. their idea,” says Peter first Olympic Games after the Sørensen. war took place in 1948, Their first production facility Karen Hoff sat in It didn’t go painlessly, but was under an old health “Limfjorden” - in London. Struer Kajak's very first child insurance fund, a basement Despite being considered was born at last, and it soon in Kirkegade in Struer. The somewhat of a nobody in an proved to be both talented room had just enough space apparently thinly occupied and about to put its mark on for one kayak, and the field - only 10 women the world. cabinet makers worked participated in her discipline, extremely hard until the very In other words, "Limfjorden" the 500 meters - Karen Hoff first kayak one day was (1948) was born. would show that she and finished and good to go. "Limfjorden" belonged in a It was a kayak made for Through their hard work, they big way; in London and the competition that not only record books. had only missed one thing, was formed by an Peter Sørensen explains: unprecedented material in In the initial heat, she would “When they had made the the sport. It was also a put up an Olympic record first kayak, they could not get lightweight weighing just 12 and duplicated the feat in the it out! They could not get it kilograms, which is the finale where she had finished out through the door, because minimum requirement for with almost a second down the kayak was 5.20 meters competitions - and a far cry to number two in the long and they had not from the 18-20-kilogram competition. versions, Kobberup and considered that there wasn’t And then there was Frederik room for it to be turned and Kobberup Andersen, the brother of Svend Helge. He Sørensen absolutely worthy 100 kayaks, but at the same too participated in London of obtaining this diploma as time the owners had to and fought his way to second an appreciation of their hard acknowledge that with such place in his kayak, made by work that has been a high demand it was difficult Struer Kajak naturally.

Load more