Eian Fritid Kayak Shop in Norway
7-minute read
Eian Fritid is Norway’s oldest kayak shop, established in 1989 by Hege Eian’s father, Stein. It remains a family business, now run by Hege and her mother, Inger Line.
According to the Eian Fritid website, “Stein Eian was a pioneer in Norwegian kayaking and paddling. He designed, developed and manufactured the legendary Svalbard kayak in fiberglass in the 80s.” It was the first composite fiberglass kayak in Norway.
After he and his wife founded their shop to sell kayaks and canoes, it didn’t take them long to realize they also needed to provide the paddling-related gear to go with the boats.
Together, and then with the help of their daughter Hege, they grew Eian Fritid into a paddling center known throughout the country and beyond. Stein passed away in 2013, unfortunately. But Hege stepped in to partner with her mum in what is now a woman-owned business.
Hege is a trained NPF instructor and certified British Canoeing Sea Kayak Leader, which qualifies her to lead trips under four-star conditions. She is also a canoeing activity leader and course instructor through the Norwegian Paddling Association.
Eian Fritid offers hundreds of paddling-related products, both online and at their physical location in Mjøndalen, near Oslo. When you visit, you can test their gear and boats on the Drammenselva River, which eventually flows into the Oslo Fjord.
A peek inside Eian Fritid
Hege took some time out of her busy life to answer a few questions for us about their shop and her life there in Norway. Here’s our interview with Hege Eian:
AQUA BOUND: What is the average ratio of your customer base between the paddling disciplines?
HEGE: Sea kayaking/Touring is the biggest market for us in Norway. It's trending with whitewater and canoeing, and we would like to contribute to getting the ratio more equal. But for now, it's more 90% sea kayaking, 5% whitewater and 5% canoeing.
AB: Tell us about the guided tours you offer.
HEGE: Many consider Norway an outdoor paradise. Our country has the second longest coastal line in the world, 100.915 kilometres (including islands), only beaten by Canada.
The country is surrounded by the Barents Sea to the north, Norwegian Sea in the west and North Sea and Skagerrak in the south. In addition, there are an estimated 450,000-plus lakes and a multitude of rivers. Not to mention all the beautiful fjords.
Hege sea kayaks in her native Norway
Outdoor recreation is a vital part of Norwegian cultural heritage. For centuries we have been free to use the countryside for outdoor activities, no matter who owns the land. This includes woodlands, meadows, rivers, lakes, coastal areas, islands, mountains and summits.
In addition to access, all are free to fish for saltwater fish and harvest, i.e. wild berries and mushrooms. In most cases, freshwater fishing is also available for a reasonably priced permit.
Guided tours domestic
To give paddlers access to this outdoor paradise, Eian Fritid has developed a range of guided tours. Our aim is to have options for beginners, intermediate and advanced. We offer tours for sea kayakers and canoeists. Through our network of experienced tour guides, we are also able to offer tours meeting specific customer requirements.
Weekend tours Friday to Sunday in the Oslofjorden, with overnight stays in tents on some of the beautiful islands, have become very popular. They are attended by beginners and more intermediate paddlers. Getting good advice and sharing the experience with others is seen as a good base for future adventures alone or with friends.
From one of the guided tours in the Oslofjords. Hege said, “It's about the adventure you share with the people.”
For experienced paddlers, we offer tailored tours to the fjords on the west coast with a duration of up to one week. The last few seasons, we have, among other destinations, been visiting the most southern Norwegian bird island, called Runde. This island is home to a wide variety of nesting seabirds, among them large populations of puffins. It is also spectacular sitting in the kayak, watching hungry sea eagles hunt birds in the sky.
Guided tours abroad
Although paddling opportunities are many in Norway, we have seen a growing demand for trips abroad to experience warmer climates, different sceneries and cultures.
To meet this demand, we have teamed up with Tramuntana Kayak in Palamos, Costa Brava in Spain. Together, we offer one week of paddling and visiting historical sites at this beautiful coast.
Both Eian Fritid and Tramuntana Kayak are members of the Nigel Dennis og Sea Kayaking UK International network of certified expedition centers. Eian Fritid also coordinates trips to Nigel Dennis Sea Kayaking UK in Anglesea, Wales.
AB: Tell us about the courses you offer through Eian Fritid.
HEGE: Eian Fritid provides courses in the portfolio of the Norwegian Paddling Association, Norges Padleforbund (NPF). These courses cover sea kayaking, whitewater kayaking and canoeing. NPF is the equivalent of Paddle UK (BC) in the UK and the American Canoe Association (ACA) in the US.
Hege coaches at an annual symposium in Anglesey
The sea kayak courses range from introduction, base and technical skills to the leader course. For canoeing, we offer the base course and the same goes for river/whitewater kayaking. To fill the gaps and be able to offer the high-end courses that require specialized instructor training skills, we team up with other training partners and run joint courses.
We also run courses outside the NPF schedule, i.e., kayaking in sub-zero temperatures during winter and nighttime navigation in the dark. During The Wave Festival, we run courses focusing specifically on mastering surf, waves and rock gardening/ocean play—from basic to more advanced levels. We also have different tracks on how to master the Greenland roll.
AB: What is The Wave Festival?
HEGE: Eian Fritid has been running The Wave Festival in mid-October since 2017. Over the years, the festival has become the highlight of the season for many kayaking enthusiasts all over the country. In excess of 200 kayakers gather, making it one of the largest sea kayaking festivals in Norway. Many kayak clubs join and we have also seen participants from abroad.
Participants of The Wave Festival
The location of Gurvika Camp in Nevlunghavn, just outside the city of Larvik, is a perfect site for a festival that focuses on mastering the waves, surf and ocean play. Gurvika is in the south where the Oslofjord meets the open sea in Skagerak. The inner area is protected by smaller islands, while at the same time has ample opportunities to move further out into the ocean to experience more challenging conditions.
Safety (HSE: Heath, safety and environment) has always been a key element in running this festival. Highly experienced instructors have been engaged and run the different courses and workshops. All necessary routines have been established and documented in case of emergencies. They have stood the test and proven to work well.
As the festival grew we decided in 2022 to engage the Norwegian Paddling Association (NPF) as co-organisers. The festival has since been run as a joint venture.
AB: What was it like growing up in a kayaking family?
HEGE: For me, it hasn't been another way. We always had producers visiting us at home, and they became part of our everyday lives. During the summer holidays, we would travel around Norway visiting races, symposiums and our dealers. And often we had visits from producers that came along on a week of canoeing.
Hege and her mum with their very first container of canoes from Canada (above)
A family canoe trip one summer (below)
It's more of a lifestyle than work, so it didn't feel like we were dragged along at Mum and Dad’s work. I have so many good childhood memories from this time to look back on. And I was 16 years old when I knew I wanted to be a part of the business.
AB: Where is your favorite place to kayak or canoe?
HEGE: I find beauty in so many different sceneries, so it's hard to name one.
I love some of the small waters we have nearby, where we have a tradition of going camping with my boys once a year at the beginning of the summer. We have canoes and kayaks for the boys, and fishing and playing help them enjoy being on the water.
But we also have such a long coastline that is so different from area to area. So for me, it’s more about the people and the setting than the coast. Because that's beautiful anyway. But I like to explore new areas and am always seeking new adventures.
AB: What would you like our readers to know about paddling in your part of Norway?
HEGE: As I stated previously, Norway is in many ways a paddler's paradise. Regardless of whether you want to go for an after-work evening, weekend or longer vacation trip, you will find easy access to the water almost everywhere.
AB: What is your favorite Aqua Bound paddle?
HEGE: I must say the Tango. And the color in the Northern Lights pattern is so beautiful. So that's been a favorite since it came on the market. But I have been so lucky to try the new Tetra, and I must say it's fighting hard against the Tango 😊
Inger Line and Hege Eian, mum and daughter
(All photos courtesy of Eian Fritid)
You can learn more about Eian Fritid on their website (Google Translate works well if you’re not fluent in Norwegian), their YouTube channel, and on their Facebook and Instagram pages.
What paddling questions can our friendly Customer Service team help you with? Contact us at 715-755-3405 or sales@aquabound.com
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