The who, what, why and when of Ophion Paddles

Who?

Ophion is a paddle manufacturer based in a small village to the north west of Slovenia. This part of Slovenia has one of the most beautiful and wild rivers in Europe, the river Soča. The Soča offers the ultimate white water testing ground.

We have only one passion that drives us, and that is to provide the best possible paddle, using the best possible techniques and materials. 

What?

There is always a meaning behind a name. So what does Ophion mean? In Greek mythology, Ophion ruled the water world, and in its simplest terms that is our goal. We are continually testing and developing our paddles with the help of our Ophion paddle team, to ensure you get the best possible product.

Why?

"So how did it start, well  years ago while working as an Automotive Engineer, I decided that the concept of Aqua-planing could not only be used for the design of Car tyres, but also be applied to paddles. As my father was already a maker of paddles, I used his experience to guide my ideas. The difference between Paddles and tyres is that tyres need to disperse water and paddles need to catch the water to gain power, but they must also glide in and out with the minimal of friction.

When?

In 2005 after suffering a badly broken arm while  riding a mountain bike, I realised that what I had designed was a really good product and I should actually put my ideas into practice and start making my own paddles.

There was a gap in the market for custom made paddle, with so many different preferences in style, features and paddle responses, we decided it was time to fill that gap.

So here we are with a wide selection of options to put the perfect customised paddle into paddlers hands.

Saša Rejec