Nikola had built quite some boats in Portugal with his mates, before he moved to Berlin, but the first Canooyak in this form and with this name was developed in a typical humid and dark basement in Berlin in winter 2010/2011, in which Nikola and Rouven holed up for two days and then appeared again radiant with joy: the mission was accomplished, the Cannoyak, a complete new type of boat, was born and with it the name of the new project URBAN INDIAN!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Like with all idealists, that seek to embrace changes, their doing was let by a self set up MANIFESTO:

“We believe that in today’s society, where high technology reigns and all knowledge is more and more fragmented, it is important to keep track of handcraft in order to maintain the basic capacities of imaginative production and invention, practical thinking and understanding of materials. Building boats (canoes and kayaks) is a creative work that develops practical thinking, imagination, handcraft and team work. It’s one of many things that can be done to train ones imagination and capacities, but this one bears a special meaning of significance which is the symbol of “crossing boundaries”. With a boat one can cross waters and continue exploring...”

Here are some impressions of this first adventure: