60 years Prijon kayaks made in germany
DEAR PADDLERS
"We're a sporty family and you can recognize our enthusiasm in our products. I think it's very important, that all of our kayaks are made by hand manufactory without piecework. Furthermore it's very important for me, to keep the value chain in the country. We do our best to source supplied products and commodity from regional suppliers. By doing so we have short ways, save energy and can have more influence on the quality. We see ourselve as a modern company knowing where our roots are."
Since the formation of the Prijon GmbH we place importance to sustainability, respect of humans and nature and a fair treatment of our partners. Being responsible for what we do isn't a trend for us, but has ever been an obviousness instead. Our wish to spend time on the water with a good feeling in the heart, spurs us to pollute the nature as less as possible. With the alps in view and the Chiemsee in reach we see a huge responsibility for sustainable thinking and acting.
A childhood dream becomes reality
What's easy to realize for paddlers these days, has been hard pioneering some decades ago. The way to Prijon becoming a world known term for kayak sport is an example for continuous development.
Anton Prijon sen. was born 1929 in Görz, Italy and grew up near the Soca river. In 1946 he began zu write history in the kayak sport. He manufactured his first ever kayak in Slovenia, won his first races in his selfmade kayak and continued making racing kayaks, folding kayaks and paddles until he moved to Germany in 1957.
In 1957 he left Slovenia, came to Germany and started working at Klepper. His sporty home was the Kajak Klub Rosenheim, where he also was a honorary member. One year later, Anton Prijon won the German downriver championships on the Ammer river. In 1958 he also became downriver world champion on the Vésère river in southern France.
Anton Prijons run to the world champion title in his selfmade folding kayak and paddle:
"You have to enjoy the agony and get the best from oneself."
With this principle Anton Prijon became world champion in his selfmade kayak and paddle. Back then, Anton Prijon was the best kayaker in the world, an exceptionally gifted constructer of kayaks and tinkerer. He invented the "Knickspant" and the "Abrissheck", patented the guiding grooves in paddle blades, invented the oval paddle shaft and countless other things, which we take for granted nowadays.
As he had reached the zenith of his career, he founded his own company in 1962 together with his wife Lotte and by this the foundation stone for a worldwide concern was laid.
He started a family at the Innlände in Rosenheim and established a craft business as a master carpenter. Prijon paddles and kayaks were in great demand in the kayak business back then. The days of folding kayaks were gone in the 60s and Prijon entered the business of plastic kayaks. Because Anton Prijon sen. was not only one of the best and successful sportsmen of his day, but also an exceptionally gifted constructer of kayaks and tinkerer. He became famous for his wins at the german and world championships 1958 and 1959. During these days also the first trys of making kayaks out of Polyester took place. Toni Prijon sen. took this chance to realize his own ideas and to manufacture his desired kayaks. In 1962 he founded his sport workshop in Rosenheim together with his wife Lotte. This advantageous combination of being a manufacturer of kayaks and competitive sportsman in the same person was the successful basis for creative peak performances.
A new era started with the development and production of blowmolded kayaks, which are made in Prijons own factory in Rosenheim ever since.
When the Taifun was introduced to the market in 1982, it was the first ever blowmolded HTP kayak and sparked off a revolution in the kayak sport. This new material raised the limit again for a long time. The Taifun set new benchmarks in whitewater.
During the last decades innumerable slalom and downriver world champion titles were won with Prijon kayaks, as well as multiple gold medals at the olympic games.
TONI AND RITA PRIJON
In 1992 Anton Prijon sen. passed the management to his son Toni and his wife Rita. Like his father, Toni Prijon is a highly gifted kayaker and won the slalom world champion title on the Isere river in 1987. The ingenuity he inherited from his father.
"Toni Prijon is a man, that does more than you could expect in many areas", says Rosenheims mayor Gaby Bauer during the conferment of the economy prize of the town Rosenheim in 2006. She appreciated the relentless inquiring mind of the Rosenheim based company, as well as our engagement for the enviroment and the origination of new jobs and apprenticeship places. When you see how many long-term workers Prijon has, you know that the work climate is right. Since more than 60 years Prijon kayaks swim down all rivers of the world and we can proudly say, that Prijon is one of the biggest and best manufacturers of kayaks in the world.
Toni Prijon sen. passed his love for watersports to his children and grandchildren. All family members are active on the water. Toni Junior won the world champion title in canoe slalom in 1987. All of the grandchildren have fun when paddling. Grandchild Isabel won the silver medal and the Junior worlds in Nantahala and Severin is a successful Slalom and whitewater kayaker.
Meanwhile, the small craft business for paddles became a world known manufacturing for kayaks, led by Toni Prijon jun.
ANTON PRIJON SEN. IN THE "HALL OF FAME"
Company founder Toni Prijon was honored a pioneer of the kayaksport and admitted to the hall of fame of kayaksports in 2007. After the "poet in the boat" Herbert Rittlinger and the world-class canoeist Gisela Grothaus-Steigerwald he's the third German in this hall of fame.
No one has influenced the kayak sport scene for 45 years than him. His seminal developments in kayak construction influenced several generations of paddlers, it was said in the justification of the jury.
To bring it out: a production of kayak in Germany can only persist by offering excellent quality. That's why all of our kayaks are manufactured by hand without piecework. Since the formation of the Prijon GmbH we place importance to sustainability, py tribute to human being and nature and deal fair with our partners. To be responsible for what you do isn't a trend for us but has ever been a naturalness instead. Our wish is to paddle the river with a good feeling in the heart and it stimulates us to avoid hurting the nature. Seeing the alps through our office windows and having the Chiemsee lake (the Bavarian sea) close to us, we feel a heavy responsibility for thinking sustainably. Waste avoidance and garbage separation, energy efficiency measures and further measures to reduce traffic, heating and cooling costs - we do not only talk about it, but practice sustainability instead.
LAPTOP AND LEDERHOSE SUIT US
Our workers are enthusiastic. We have our own dragon boat and running team and the boss is part in both of them. "With my kayak-addicted kids the third generation is already growing up. It's nice for me, to look back to 60 moving years with my family."
Toni Prijon
We're already looking forward to the next 60 years together with you!
PRIJON KAYAKS - MADE WITH PASSION IN GERMANY SINCE 1962
