Klepper

Klepper is a German folding kayak brand. According to the company's own history page, in 1907 the Rosenheim master tailor Johann Klepper acquired the license from Alfred Heurich, originator of the modern folding-boat idea, for sole manufacture of the Delphin boat type. The Klepper Faltbootwerft GmbH was founded in 1919, and when Hans Klepper took over the company from his father in 1929, Klepper folding boats had taken over market leadership. The company's official shop describes Klepper as the world's most noble and oldest folding-boat manufacturer from Germany, founded in 1907, and presents the Klepper Marlin with carbon frame as a new development.

According to Klepper's own history page, in 1907 the Rosenheim master tailor Johann Klepper acquired the license from Alfred Heurich, originator of the modern folding-boat idea, for sole manufacture of the Delphin boat type. The founding of Klepper Faltbootwerft GmbH in 1919 began a wave of success. When Hans Klepper took over the company from his father in 1929, Klepper folding boats had taken over market leadership. Captain Franz Romer crossed the Atlantic in a 6.4 m long, 1 m wide special Klepper construction, described as the first known crossing of an ocean in a kayak, taking 58 days from Lisbon via the Canary Islands to Saint Thomas, US Virgin Islands. Hans Klepper (1903-1967) expanded the product range and exported Klepper folding boats worldwide; the Hans Klepper Corporation in New York, USA, is cited as an example of a subsidiary. At the 1936 Berlin Olympics there were 2 folding-boat disciplines in which Klepper kayaks won all six medals. In the mid-1950s the Klepper Aerius came onto the market, introducing Klepper's snap-on connection system and air sponsons; it quickly became the best-selling Klepper boat and is still built today in improved form. Dr. Hannes Lindermann successfully crossed the Atlantic with a standard Aerius II 520; his 72-day journey remains the smallest-boat ocean crossing ever undertaken by humans. The name "KLEPPER" has become a registered trademark for the USA.

Described on its own website as the world's most noble and oldest folding-boat manufacturer from Germany.

• Klepper Marlin

  A compact, reliable single-seat folding boat with carbon frame, 380 cm long and about 20 kg.

• Klepper Aerius

  Introduced in the mid-1950s with snap-on connection system and air sponsons; became the best-selling Klepper boat.

1. 1Klepper Lifestyle Onlineshop - Faltboote, Zubehör und Ersatzteile online kaufenklepper.de
2. 2Klepper Geschichteklepper.de