In April we saw Oru Kayak founder Anton Willis speak at Struktur, a creative conference for outdoors-focused design held each spring in Portland, Oregon. Learning the humble, garage workshop-based origin story from the man himself—a quirky and neurotic architect turned kayak designer—gave us a newfound appreciation for the brand making fold-style watercraft. Oru is not just an origami-inspired gimmick, but an ongoing attempt at making life on the water more accessible for folks with limited storage space who live in urban areas. And their latest design is now available in a limited edition Topo Designs colorway.
The color blocked, red and white Topo Designs x Oru Kayak builds on the Beach LT, the easiest collapsible boat in the world to put together—capable of going from box to boat in roughly three minutes. Available exclusively in limited numbers, the collab package includes a custom blacked-out base plate, and thankfully, a paddle too.
The Beach LT itself is made extra wide (28") to increase stability—helpful for novice paddlers—and features an adjustable backrest, 140 liters of storage space and can hold up to 300 lbs. You can even treat it as checked luggage on an airplane for water-based vacations. Pretty cool stuff, you guys.
