Thank you for taking a moment to learn a little bit about Novorca.

Novorca is a name which I made up with the intention of having it represent a ceramic arts company I wanted to start up. The name loosely translated from Latin means “to make a new pot.” However, I am no expert on Latin so it is likely that I created gibberish. Nonetheless, I thought it was a good idea at the time.

So what’s this bit about ceramic art? Indeed, I studied fine art at the University of Minnesota throughout the 1990’s. My area of focus was in ceramics. So for about 4 years straight I was all about ceramics and fully intended to go on to teach. However, life doesn’t always conform to one’s wishes and I found myself leaving college to return to industry and tool and die making. Yes, I was aware that a degree in fine art was “one of those degrees.”

Tool and Die making you might say is in my blood. My father and grandfather both worked in the trade and I too answered the calling when the time came. The time came when I returned to Minnesota after serving 4 years in the United States Marine Corps. I spent a few years at Dunwoody Industrial Institute in Minneapolis learning my trade. Things were looking promising but this was the mid-eighties and the economy was changing and a lot of jobs were beginning to go overseas. Tool and Die making, specifically plastic injection mold making, was a trade which was to shrink to just a few specialty shops locally. By the year 2000 I found myself working exclusively in product development driving 3D CAD. I got a lot of design experience with some pretty sophisticated CAD software as well as exposure to a number of different manufacturing technologies. Among these technologies were composites.

It was also at this time I began to take up an interest in kayaking. At first I was strictly a recreational kayaker solely interested in finding a few moments of serenity out on the lakes. Within a few years I began to expand this burgeoning passion into week long expeditions on lake Superior, pool sessions in the winter and Greenland style rolling. It was the Greenland style kayaking which fascinated me the most and my entry into it was to learn a few different rolls. Since a Greenland stick was a prerequisite for this venture, I set out to carve my first paddle from a piece of western red cedar. This paddle served me well and it was only natural that I’d want to have a few more for myself. So I kept carving. Some of the Greenland style rolls are difficult. In the process of learning some of these rolls my poor technique translated into a lot of unnecessary stress on my body and on my paddle. Something has got to give and lucky for me it was the paddle and not my shoulders. All the same, I wound up with a couple broken paddles.    

Now I am the kind of person that likes to make stuff. My education and life experience as an artist along with my career work as a product designer and builder of models and prototypes has given me some unique experiences and gifts. These experiences and gifts along with the inspiration of seeing a few carbon fiber Greenland paddles gave me the impetus to think about making my own “unbreakable” stick. When it came time for me to build a better paddle for myself, I thought that composites might be a good direction to look in. Indeed, there is no doubt that carbon fiber is miraculously strong material. When this material is married with the other top quality materials the result a really nice paddle.

 Well, I was going to make pots but I decided to make paddles instead. I guess I liked kayaking and Lake Superior better than going to art galleries and hours of esoteric conversation regarding ceramic objects. Indeed, carbon fiber Greenland paddles are a bit less abstract and a bit more functional than art pottery. Instead of filling my workshop with kilns and buckets of clay slop I have filled it with carbon fiber, peel ply, vacuum pumps and epoxy. I have designed and built a CNC machine to help me create my paddle designs which are born in the world of CAD (computer aided design). Being the perfectionist that I am, I doubt that I’ll ever be completely satisfied with what I’m doing. However, I’ve learned that my “good enough” is your perfect paddle.

 A Novorca paddle is a unique paddle. Each one is a little different because they’re essentially handmade. Yes, I use some modern technology to help me out along the way but all of the constituents are married together with my hands and hard work. I think that you’ll be pleased with one of my paddles. There’re not many things that you can still buy that are made in the USA which are still handcrafted by an artisan. My paddles are one such item and I can assure that the prices are very fair. I look forward to the opportunity to build a paddle for you. Give me a call or drop me a line. I’ll be happy to talk to you about your paddle needs.

 Cheers,

 Ron

“Crafted – not Manufactured”