FOLDING KAYAK INNOVATION !
Our aim is to create the most innovative design of folding kayak built with the latest materials and unparalleled craftmanship.
Builder profile
MASAHIRO TAKASHIMA
SHIZUOKA university BE in electoronic engineering
- Participated in the Australian solar bicycle race WSCC 1996 Darwin to Adelaide. Continued to Australia Continental Bicycle Journey. Made the folding kayak on Tasmania Island, traveled a Tasmanian coastline, circle around macquarie harbor, murray river 1700 km.
- Won the Shinpusha Publishing Award for the text “A Journey on the Wind of the Sun.“
- Worked at a shipyard in Himeji, Yoko Co., Ltd. I participated in construction and test voyage (between Osaka and Guam) of yacht “Corrasa 70” aimed at alone non-stop round the world . Learned shipbuilding technology.
- Made Bamboo frame folding kayak and won the AMAMI SEA KAYAK MARATHON 2000 competition in 2 person folding kayak category.
- Invented idea of cockpit pod. Founded butterfly kayaks in 2008.
MEDIA
- Kobe Newspaper「HARIMA-BITO」
- Kansai Television「yooi-don tonari no ningenkokuhou-san」
- Liart「setouchi-ryojyou」
- MBS「catch!!」
- Nihon keizai newspaper
- Asahi Newspaper「kinki-no-sokodikara」
- Youtube「ProcessX」
- Kazi publishing Canoe world「Visit kayak builder」
EVENT
- 2008 Started Butterfly Kayaks. Exhibited at Boat Show Yokohama for the next 5 years.
- 2014 Developed a folding kayak for adventurer Yasunaga Ogita’s challenge to reach the North Pole on foot alone and without supplies in the extreme cold.
- Crusoe 460 is used by professional adventure racer Youki Tanaka for the “One Hundred Famous Mountains of Japan in One Stroke” crossing from Naruto to Wakayama.
- Crusoe 460 Transformer will be used for photographer Tetsuo Kogai’s expedition to the Porcupine River in the upper Yukon River.
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
- 2015 Crusoe 500 was used by professional adventure racer Yoki Tanaka for the “Japan’s Two Hundred Famous Mountains in One Stroke” crossing from Shikoku to Okayama.
- Exhibiting at PADDLEEXPO 2015 in Germany for the first time.
- Crusoe Tandem 460 used in Mitsubishi Motors’ RVR Active Gear catalog
- 2018 Crusoe 500 was used by professional adventure racer Youki Tanaka for his “Japan’s 3 Hundred Famous Mountains in One Stroke” crossing from Okayama to Shikoku.
- Crusoe 460 with waterproof zipper on display at YKK fastening creation 2019.
- Crusoe 500XPOD will be used for the 2020 deepwater Daisuke Mori’s Setouchi crossing party.
- Crusoe 500XPOD will be used by Takeshi Hirata of Island Stream for his 1000 km solo expedition to Grande Terre Island, New Caledonia in 2022.
Company profile
Butterfly Kayaks co.,Ltd.
saisho 325 himeji HYOGO 670-0981 JAPAN
TEL : (+81) 79-227-3066 FAX : (+81) 79-298-1964
Mobile : (+81)90-5124-5974 E-mail : info@bfkayaks.com