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Heliconia
In Awards, Best in Class, PaddleTV

PaddleTV Announces 2022 “Best in Class” Award Winners

PaddleTV’s second annual Best in Class awards have been announced by world-renowned paddler, instructor, television host, and YouTuber, Ken Whiting. Ken spent the summer testing and creating gear review content around some of the most interesting paddle crafts and paddling gear on the market. To recognize the products that stood out for enhancing the paddling experience in some way, Ken has awarded them his coveted ‘PaddleTV Best-in-Class Awards’.

A natural evolution from PaddleTV’s Buyer’s Guide YouTube series, the Best-in-Class awards celebrate the “best of the best” in paddlesports. Produced by Heliconia, the Best-in-Class awards are an authentic and unbiased celebration of the top paddlesports products that Ken tested in 2022. Each Best-in-Class video features the top products within a specific category. For each product featured, Ken discusses why he has chosen it as one of the top products of the year, and who should consider purchasing it.

The awards are being released to over 100,000 subscribers through Ken’s industry leading PaddleTV YouTube channel, and also being shared to his 135,000 followers on Facebook, Instagram, and on in4adventure.com, a new online resource focused on getting people outdoors, and ensuring those experiences are as great as possible.

Without any further ado, the 2022 PaddleTV Award winners are:

BEST PORTABLE KAYAK

  • Sea Eagle 385ft Fast Track the best portable kayak
  • TuckTec Folding Kayak is Best Entry-Level Portable Kayak
  • Pakayak Bluefin 142 Best Performing Portable Kayak 
  • Isle Switch Inflatable SUP/Kayak is Most Versatile Paddle Craft

BEST KAYAK

  • The Swell Watercraft Scupper 14 is the Best Sit-on-Top Kayak
  • The P&H Sea Kayaks Leo HV is the Best Touring
  • The Sea Eagle 330 Inflatable Kayak is the Best Gateway Kayak
  • The Jackson Kayak Rockstar V is the Best Whitewater Kayak
  • The LiquidLogic Saluda 12 is the Best Recreational Kayak

BEST PADDLING GEAR

  • Astral PFD & Webber Sandals
  • NRS Guide Shirt
  • Rapid Pure Water Filter
  • Level Six Pack
  • Suspenz Cart

Brands interested in having products considered for PaddleTV Awards in 2023 are encouraged to reach out to Ken Whiting directly at ken@helipress.com. For more information about PaddleTV and Heliconia’s various paddle-focused media projects, visit www.heliconia.ca.

ABOUT HELICONIA: Heliconia’s goal is simple – to get more people outside and to help them become lifetime outdoor participants. The award-wining video production company does this by showcasing outdoor adventure and adventure travel through inspiring and educational content with industry-leading influencers. Heliconia currently produces six unique media projects, providing authentic storytelling opportunities for every adventure and every destination. These series include: Epic Trails, Facing Waves, Adventure Cities, Great Family Adventure, Chad Hoover Fishing, and Road Trip Angler. Heliconia has a proven formula that marries inspiring video production with guaranteed television and digital distribution, ensuring that your message is heard in a unique and impactful way. For more information, visit www.heliconia.ca.

Heliconia
In Awards

Heliconia Wins 7 Medals at the 2022 Telly Awards!

Heliconia, the acclaimed adventure-travel video production company, was a big winner at the 43rd Telly Awards, bringing home seven statues in recognition of its excellence in television and digital productions.  

Established in 1979, the Telly Awards celebrate the top productions in the TV, film, commercial, and digital space. Last year, with the world in ‘pandemic mode’, the Telly Awards shone a spotlight on those overcoming the challenges posed by COVID-19. This year, the awards are honouring the re-emergence of the industry in a world transformed by the pandemic. Awards winners were shown to have “embraced a new global point of view” and demonstrating “tenacious creativity”.

Heliconia was a top winner in the 43rd Telly Awards, bringing home seven statues for four different media projects, including the new television series Adventure Cities. Other media projects that won big include Epic Trails, Great Family Adventure and Paddling with Ken.

SUMMARY OF AWARDS:

Adventure Cities: Geneva and Québec City won GOLD for General-Travel/Tourism for Television

PaddleTV’s Best in Class (Paddling with Ken) won SILVER for Series-Webseries: Non-Scripted for Online

Trackin’ Dirt: Hiking to the Mountain Gorillas in Uganda won SILVER for General-Nature/Wildlife for Online

Great Family Adventure: Rock Island, Tennessee won SILVER for General-Entertainment for Television

What Makes Zürich a Luxury Lovers Paradise? (Adventure Cities) won BRONZE for General-Travel/Tourism for Promotional Video

PaddleTV’s Buyers Guide (Paddling with Ken) won BRONZE for Series-Webseries: Non-Scripted for Online

Epic Trails: Backpacking Urban California won BRONZE for General-Travel/Tourism for Television

A great big congratulations goes out to Heliconia’s entire team for their incredible effort in bringing these productions to fruition, as well as to their tourism and brand partners without whom these projects wouldn’t be possible.

For more information, please visit www.tellyawards.com to check out all the incredible winners in the class of 2023.

ABOUT HELICONIA: Heliconia’s goal is simple – to get more people outside and to help them become lifetime outdoor participants. The award-wining video production company does this by showcasing outdoor adventure and adventure travel through inspiring and educational content with industry-leading influencers. Heliconia currently produces eight unique media projects, providing authentic storytelling opportunities for every adventure and every destination. These series include: Epic Trails, Epic Trails: Mountain Biking, Facing Waves, Adventure Cities, Great Family Adventure, Chad Hoover Fishing, and Road Trip Angler. Heliconia has a proven formula that marries inspiring video production with guaranteed television and digital distribution, ensuring that your message is heard in a unique and impactful way. For more information, visit www.heliconia.ca.

Heliconia
In Awards, Epic Trails, Heliconia

Heliconia Seeks Tourism Destination for its Epic Trials Short Film Giveaway

Eric Hanson - About Epic Trails

Behind every great trail is a great story. A story about the people who built it…about its inhabitants and its habitat…about the cultures it has shaped and the lives it has changed. 

Heliconia, the award-winning production company behind the popular television series Epic Trails, Facing Waves and Adventure Cities, is excited to launch their first ever Epic Trails Short Film Giveaway.

Heliconia is looking to tell the story of the world’s most remarkable trails. The adventure travel production company invites Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOS), Tourism Boards, and Agencies, to share what makes the story of their trails, whether they are renown or yet unknown, so special. The winning region will receive the full creation of a short film by Heliconia, including story writing, film production, editing, exposure through film festival entries and a digital campaign in support of the film’s launch. The contest is open to trail destinations world-wide.

“We are storytellers here at Heliconia, and as such we are constantly on the search for tales that encourage people to get outside, enjoy the outdoors, and embrace adventure,” explains Tourism Partnership Manager, Stefanie Manton-Ward. “With COVID-19 and the global restrictions that were placed on travel, our story-telling capabilities were hindered. Now that things are beginning to open up again, we are excited for the opportunity to create a film festival worthy show-piece and support tourism destinations who have been so hard hit by the pandemic.”

Destinations interesting in submitting their trails for consideration to the short film giveaway may enter the contest online at www.heliconia.ca/epicshortfilm, or by calling 1.613.582.7154 from 9 am to 5 pm EST. Heliconia will be considering locations throughout the next couple of months, and will work with the winning destination to come up with a filming date that works best for both parties, with the aim to have filming wrapped up by summer 2022.

ABOUT HELICONIA: Heliconia is an award-winning video production and marketing company that helps destinations and brands reach the US adventure travel audience. The company produces eight unique media projects, providing authentic storytelling opportunities for every adventure and every destination. These series include: Epic Trails, Epic Trails: Mountain Biking, Facing Waves, Adventure Cities, Great Family Adventure, BA Fishing, Chad Hoover Fishing and Road Trip Angler. Heliconia has a proven formula that marries inspiring video production with guaranteed television and digital distribution, ensuring that your message is heard by the adventure travel community in a unique and impactful way. For more information, visit www.heliconia.ca.

ABOUT EPIC TRAILS: Epic Trails is an exciting and inspiring adventure travel media series, and one of the popular platforms that Heliconia uses to share the stories that move and inspire us. More than just a television series, Epic Trails is a multi-faceted TV, digital, and social media project designed to showcase partner destinations to a dedicated and engaged audience of outdoor adventure lovers. Throughout the series, host Eric Hanson explores the people, places and adventures surrounding the world’s top trails. The TV show, and accompanying digital and social media, resonate with those who seek adventure and share a passion for the outdoors, while fostering an interest in local culture and authentic experiences. Each 30-minute TV episode airs on Outside TV and Bally Sports Network, and has aired internationally through National Geographic Channel—Asia and Extreme Sports Channel across Europe. Tourism destinations interested in partnering with Epic Trails are encouraged to reach out to Heliconia’s Tourism Partnership Manager, Stefanie Manton-Ward, at stefanie@helipress.com.

Heliconia
In Awards, Best in Class, PaddleTV

Beginner Kayaks – 2021 Best in Class awards by PaddleTV Announced

PaddleTV’s second round of Best in Class awards have been announced by world-renowned paddler, instructor, television host, and YouTuber, Ken Whiting. Ken spent the summer testing some of the industry’s top paddling gear and has narrowed down six of the industry’s best beginner kayaks, awarding them the title of Best in Class.

A natural evolution from PaddleTV’s Buyer’s Guide YouTube series, the Best in Class awards celebrate the “best of the best” in paddlesports. Produced by Heliconia, the Best in Class awards is an authentic and unbiased celebration showcasing the year’s top paddlesports products. Each Best in Class video will feature the top three to seven products within a specific category. For each product featured, Ken will talk about why he has chosen it as one of the top products of the year, and who should be considering purchasing it.

The awards are being released through the PaddleTV YouTube channel, and also being shared through Facebook and Instagram. With over 85,500 subscribers and more than 16 million views, PaddleTV is one of the most popular paddling-focused YouTube channels in the world. The categories in the Best in Class series include:

  • Best Portable Kayaks of 2021
  • Best Beginner Kayaks of 2021
  • Best High-Performance Paddles of 2021
  • 2021 Kayaks of the Year

And so, without any further ado, the Best in Class award winners for Best Beginner Kayaks, listed in no particular order, are Jackson Kayak’s Tupelo 12.5, Wilderness Systems’ Pungo 120, Perception Pescador’s 10, Native’s Falcon 11, Oru Kayak’s Inlet, and Tahe’s 11’6 SUP-Yak. Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/oA59X_-hFUc.    

Two more Best in Class award videos are set to be released on PaddleTV, continuing with the awards for Best High-Performance Paddles of 2021 which will be revealed next Saturday, October 16th. Be sure to subscribe to the PaddleTV YouTube channel for notifications on when subsequent awards videos will be made live.  

Brands interested in being featured on PaddleTV or considered for the 2022 Best in Class awards are encouraged to reach out to Heliconia’s Brand Partnership Manager, Malvin Young, at malvin@helipress.com. For more information about PaddleTV and Heliconia’s various paddle-focused media projects, visit www.heliconia.ca.

ABOUT HELICONIA: Heliconia is an award-winning video production and marketing company that helps destinations and brands reach the US adventure travel audience. The company produces eight unique media projects, providing authentic storytelling opportunities for every adventure and every destination. These series include: Epic Trails, Epic Trails: Mountain Biking, Facing Waves, Adventure Cities, Great Family Adventure, BA Fishing,  Chad Hoover Fishing and Road Trip Angler. Heliconia has a proven formula that marries inspiring video production with guaranteed television and digital distribution, ensuring that your message is heard by the adventure travel community in a unique and impactful way. For more information, visit www.heliconia.ca.

Heliconia
In Awards, Best in Class, PaddleTV

Portable Kayaks – 2021 Best in Class awards by PaddleTV Announced

The first of PaddleTV’s inaugural Best in Class awards have been announced by world-renowned paddler, instructor, television host, and YouTuber, Ken Whiting. After a summer of in-depth trials and on-the-water-tests, Ken has narrowed down five of the industry’s top portable kayaks and is awarding them the title of Best in Class.

A natural evolution from PaddleTV’s Buyer’s Guide YouTube series, the Best in Class awards celebrate the “best of the best” in paddlesports. Produced by Heliconia, the Best in Class awards is an authentic and unbiased celebration showcasing the year’s top paddlesports products. Each Best in Class video will feature the top three to seven products within a specific category. For each product featured, Ken will talk about its specs, key selling features, and why he has chosen it as one of the top products of the year.

The awards are being released through the PaddleTV YouTube channel, and also being shared through Facebook and Instagram. With over 84,000 subscribers and more than 16 million views, PaddleTV is one of the most popular paddling-focused YouTube channels in the world. The categories in the Best in Class series include:

And so, without any further ado, the Best in Class award winners for Portable Kayaks, listed in no particular order, are Sea Eagle’s Razorlite 393RL, TRAK’s 2.0 folding kayak, ORU Kayak Inlet, Star Raven Pro by NRS, and the Hobie ITREK 9. Honorable mentions in the portable kayak category include Tahe’s 11’6 Beach SUP – YAK and Advanced Elements’ Advanced Frame Kayak. Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/sWxjvnBVLmM.

Three more Best in Class award videos will be released on PaddleTV over the next month, continuing with the awards for Best Beginner Kayaks of 2021 which will be revealed next Saturday, October 9th. Be sure to subscribe to the PaddleTV YouTube channel for notifications on when subsequent awards videos are made live.  

Brands interested in being featured on PaddleTV or considered for the 2022 Best in Class awards are encouraged to reach out to Heliconia’s Brand Partnership Manager, Malvin Young, at malvin@helipress.com. For more information about PaddleTV and Heliconia’s various paddle-focused media projects, visit www.heliconia.ca.

ABOUT HELICONIA: Heliconia is an award-winning video production and marketing company that helps destinations and brands reach the US adventure travel audience. The company produces nine unique media projects, providing authentic storytelling opportunities for every adventure and every destination. These series include: Epic Trails, Epic Trails: Mountain Biking, Facing Waves, Adventure Cities, Great Family Adventure, BA Fishing, Peak Experience, Chad Hoover Fishing and Road Trip Angler. Heliconia has a proven formula that marries inspiring video production with guaranteed television and digital distribution, ensuring that your message is heard by the adventure travel community in a unique and impactful way. For more information, visit www.heliconia.ca.

Heliconia
In Awards

Heliconia Wins 4 Medals at the 2021 Telly Awards!

Each year, at this time of year and dating back to 1979, the Telly Awards have been dealt to the top productions in the TV, film, commercial, and digital space. With the world in ‘pandemic mode’, production across all modern visual platforms has been a challenge. This year’s awards saw many of the world’s top production houses overcoming the challenges presented to show off one of the strongest film and TV making line ups ever at the Telly’s; with Heliconia coming away as one of the top producers with four awards!

Heliconia was able to plan, shoot and produce full seasons of content through all the challenges and with their inspirational storylines. With classic capture of incredible locations, community leading influencers guiding the way for audiences and incredible footage and editing, Heliconia was able to enter four amazing pieces and catch they eye of the judges. Epic Trails and Paddle Tales won two awards each at this year’s Telly Awards.

Summary of awards:

  • Epic Trails: The Backpacking Experience is the Silver Telly Winner in Online: Motivational (Official Listing)
  • Epic Trails: My Near-Death Canyoning Experience is the Silver Telly Winner in Online: Nature/Wildlife (Official Listing)
  • Paddle Tales: Kayaking the Canadian Amazon is the Bronze Telly Winner in Online: Travel/Tourism (Official Listing)
  • Paddle Tales: The New Generation of Whitewater Kayakers is the Bronze Telly Winner in Online: Webseries: Non-Scripted (Official Listing)

Special shout outs to our team for an incredible effort in bringing these productions to fruition. Please visit www.tellyawards.com to check out all the incredible winners in the class of 2021.

Heliconia
In Awards, Paddle Tales, Heliconia

Heliconia Film Official Selection in the 2021 Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival

Heliconia is proud to announce their short film The New Generation of Whitewater Kayakers has been selected for the 2021 Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival (VIMFF). This year’s festival has gone completely virtual and will take place February 19th to the 28th.

The New Generation of Whitewater Kayakers is part of Heliconia’s award-winning digital series Paddle Tales, hosted by former World Champion Whitewater Kayaker Ken Whiting. For almost 30 years, Ken’s life has been guided by the paddle in his hands. Now, his passion for whitewater has come full circle, as he and his 9-year old daughter, along with some close family friends, run the river and challenge the whitewater in separate kayaks for the first time. The video was most recently showcased at the 40th annual Kendal Mountain Film Festival.

“We’re so glad this film is getting the recognition it is,” remarks Brendan Mark, Heliconia Vice-President. Mark is another former World Champion Whitewater Kayaker and was also featured, along with his two young daughters, in The New Generation of Whitewater Kayakers. “It’s awesome knowing this film is resonating with viewers and hopefully inspiring other young paddlers to give whitewater kayaking a try!”

The New Generation of Whitewater Kayakers was filmed and produced last summer, during a COVID-19 inspired Ontario road-trip. With Heliconia’s international filming plans postponed due to the pandemic, the Beachburg based video production company pivoted its production plans and turned its lens to the incredible paddling adventures found in its home province. A full playlist of the Paddle Tales episodes captured this summer can be found here: https://bit.ly/3nZkNCQ. The series was made possible with the support of Bell Fund and Ontario Creates.

This is not the first time Heliconia’s Paddle Tales shorts have received international attention. Paddle Tales: Sea Kayaking les-lles-de-la-Madeleine received honorable mentions in the 2019 Waterwalker Film Festival, while Paddle Tales: Sea Kayaking and Stand Up Paddling Cote-Nord, Québec won that festival’s award for the Best Canadian Location. In 2020, Paddle Tales: Le Boat was awarded Silver at the 41st Telly Awards.

Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival’s full festival program can be found online at www.vimff.org. For a preview of Heliconia’s award-winning short films, check out Heliconia’s promo reel or visit www.heliconia.ca.

ABOUT HELICONIA: Heliconia is an award-winning video production company that helps destinations and brands reach the US adventure travel audience. The company produces seven unique media projects, providing authentic storytelling opportunities for every adventure and every destination. These series include: Epic Trails, Epic Trails: Mountain Biking, Facing Waves, Adventure Cities, Peak Experience, Chad Hoover Fishing and Kayak Fishing with Jim Sammons. Heliconia has a proven formula that marries inspiring video production with guaranteed television and digital distribution, ensuring that your message is heard by the adventure travel community in a unique and impactful way. For more information, visit www.heliconia.ca.