Enter Your Vote for the Name It 2 Claim It

PLEASE NOTE: THE VOTING PERIOD HAS NOW ENDED AND THE WINNERS HAVE BEEN DECLARED. CONGRATULATIONS TO IAN LOCKETT OF ONTARIO, CANADA FOR HIS WINNING NAME SUBMISSION OF “LA BONGA”, AND CONGRATS TO OUR RANDOMLY SELECTED WINNER, JOE CADLE OF TEXAS, USA. THANKS TO ALL WHO SUBMITTED THEIR NAME IDEAS AND TO THOSE WHO VOTED FOR THEIR FAVOURITE.

HOPE YOU HAD AS MUCH FUN AS WE DID!

Well, we did it! It wasn’t easy as there was over 200 entries to choose from.  But thanks to Darren Bush of Rutabaga Paddlesports, Hap and Andrea Wilson of Cabin Falls Ecolodge, Kevin Callan (a.k.a. The Happy Camper), and Preston Ciere of portageur.ca), we finally narrowed it down to 4 possible names for the new Badger river tripping paddle. So now it is up to you to help decide the final name by casting your vote below. We would be incredibly grateful if you did. In fact, we’re so thankful for your time and input, we’re going to make every vote you make an entry for the chance to win the prototype paddle as seen in all of the Nameit2Claimit Contest images! So the person who submitted the name that gets the most votes, will win a special personalized river paddle, and a second random winner will receive the river paddle prototype. Can you dig it?!

Note: This portion of the contest is open to all residents of Canada (except for the province of Quebec) and the continental U.S.A. only. Entrants must be 18 years of age or over (or having reached age-of-majority where they reside). Those who are not eligible to enter may still vote and their vote will be counted, however they will not be able to receive any prizes and their vote will not be considered as an “entry” for the purposes of this contest. Read the full contest rules before entering here: Name it 2 Claim it Contest Rules and Regulations.

CAST YOUR VOTE BELOW AND ENTER NOW!

Badger Paddles’ Nameit2Claimit SHORT LIST OF PADDLE NAMES
….listed in no particular order, backstory included for each name selected…..

The Explorer

Entrant: Jason Rancourt, Ontario

Entrant’s Stated Inspiration:

The paddle is more of a digger – to power across lakes rather than to finesse turns

Badger’s Comments:
This one almost did not make the short list, but Hap Wilson included it in his top 3 picks so we thought about it again and we really do dig it! We also think it would go well with the paddle names in the Badger lineup, like Tripper, Digger, and Sliver…

The Nipissing

Entrant: Julia Belleghem, Ontario

Entrant’s Stated Inspiration:
The Nippising (of course! What else could it be called?) It seems that the inspirational canoe trip must be the name-source for this paddle. Seriously, I can not even see why this is up for debate. 🙂

Badger’s Comments:
Mike was very happy when he saw this entry come thru at the beginning of the contest, especially seeing it was his idea to name the new paddle The Nipissing in the first place! Fiona didn’t agree, and that is the reason for this contest. But not all Selection Committee members agreed with Mike, some expressing their dislike for it entirely, while others left it off their list of favourites altogether. Only three Selection Committee members suggested this name be shortlisted (and Fiona thinks it is because they just didn’t want to hurt Mike’s feelings 😉 ). Will this end up being the new name of the paddle after all? Well, now that it is in the paws of the voters, anything could happen!

La Bonga

Entrant: Ian Lockett, Ontario

Entrant’s Stated Inspiration:
La Bonga was a 6-foot-5-inch (196 cm) tall freed slave that carried 7 bales for one-half mile when applying to become a voyageur, a feat which trumped the usual requirement that voyageurs be short people.

Badger’s Comments:
Having never heard George Bonga’s inspirational life story before, Mike and Fiona were both taken with his tale. A couple of the Selection Committee members agreed and in the end we decided to put it on the short list because everyone should know about this amazing man’s spirit, his incredible feats and his fantastic strength! Apparently “La Bonga” is the name the french voyageurs used to refer to him. And so in honour of George Bonga and the voyageurs who travelled the rivers of our vast lands, we would happy to name this big and strong paddle La Bonga, as a tribute to a great and noble man.

The Temagami

Entrant: Bill Laffere, Ontario

Entrant’s Stated Inspiration:
I canoe Temagami area mostly.

Badger’s Comments:
This name almost didn’t make the short list either. But Selection Committee member Darren Bush brought it to our attention again. It would be a good name for this paddle as the blade shape is of the style that is popular for the area. Plus, Mike and Fiona had their honeymoon canoe trip there, so there is a personal connection. And having a personal connection to Temagami can be said about many paddlers from all over the world, including our Nameit2Claimit Selection Committee members!

ENTER YOUR VOTE BELOW, AND RECEIVE A CHANCE TO WIN!

[n2c_voter note=”ignore;needs to be here; builds form”]