05-05-2025
Grasse River Boatworks Brothers blazed a path in canoe innovation
May 4—CANTON — The story of Grasse River Boatworks begins with an older brother, Gene Newman, convincing his younger brother, John Newman, to join him in a canoe race.
"He needed a partner before the Canton race. He put me in the other end of the boat, maybe a week before (the race). And here we are," John said one recent afternoon, sitting in a crowded temperature-controlled room (84°F) mostly filled with a mold in which a carbon fiber canoe was curing.
In a weathered barn nestled on a generations-old family farm near Canton, the Newman brothers have quietly transformed a lifelong passion for paddling into a precision craft, hand-building sought-after racing and touring canoes.
Using cutting-edge carbon fiber technology and techniques honed over five decades, the brothers produce between 25 and 30 custom canoes annually in an unassuming workshop. Each canoe is carefully crafted from raw materials into a finished product that often commands a six-month waiting list.
The story of Newman Canoes is deeply intertwined with the family's heritage. For generations, the land sustained them through agriculture. However, in the late 1960s, a new pursuit began to take root.
Gene and John Newman became serious about racing and found themselves increasingly frustrated by the lack of competitive tandem racing canoes available on the market.
"Back at that time, you couldn't really buy a production tandem racing canoe, and it was all tandem racing at that point, C1 racing wasn't even a dream," John said. "So, you either had to build it yourself or buy it from somebody who had built it."
Armed with plans from the Minnesota Canoe Association, the brothers embarked on their first build after recognizing the limitations of existing designs. Their inaugural race took place in Canton, where they initially competed in the recreational class. The allure of professional prize money soon propelled them into the higher ranks, and by 1970, they were building and racing in the professional class.
Their early creations were wood strip canoes, a testament to traditional craftsmanship. But the brothers were always looking for an edge. They experimented with designs, constantly refining their techniques. This pursuit of innovation led them to embrace the then-nascent technology of carbon fiber. In 1988 or 1989 (the exact date is lost to time), they began the transition, a bold move that positioned them at the forefront of canoe construction. By 1990, their first carbon fiber composite canoe made its debut at the USCA Nationals, one of only three such boats in existence.
The manufacturing process at Grass River Boatworks remains a hands-on affair. Each canoe begins with meticulous design and prototype development. The brothers utilize advanced carbon fiber construction techniques, carefully layering the material to achieve optimal strength and weight.
"Once the mold is all prepped and ready to go, we come in and lay in a full layer of carbon fiber," Gene said. "We wet that out with epoxy that sits overnight, then the next day we put in a second layer, which is just a backer layer of a different material. It's a composite combining two or more different materials to come up with a final product with materials that complement each other, so that the final product is much stronger, much stiffer and lighter than any of the individual materials on their own."
Customers have a wide array of custom outfitting options, ensuring each boat is tailored to their specific needs and preferences, whether for competitive racing or leisurely touring on the region's pristine waterways.
Newman Canoes has primarily relied on word-of-mouth marketing within the close-knit canoe racing community. Their presence at races and the performance of their boats have spoken volumes. This organic growth has cultivated a loyal customer base, resulting in a consistent waiting list for their custom creations.
The Newmans list 20 boats on the model list. There are four little boats, six touring boats and four professional-level racing boats. The price list ranges from approximately $2,000 to $6,000.
Each model is meticulously designed. The development of the Newman Pro C-1 is described on the Grasse River Boatworks web page: " The Newman Pro C-1 is the result of five years' development following these concepts.
After six prototypes and hundreds of hours of on-water testing, the result is a competition canoe that is faster, smoother handling and more efficient to paddle, in addition to being more economical to build and own. The efficiency and simplicity of the design reduces production costs for a most affordable, light and tough carbon-fiber boat that demonstrates unmatched speed and handling."
Now, a new chapter is unfolding for the family business. Max E. Eaton, of Wilmington, and a graduate of St. Lawrence University, is purchasing the company and will move the canoe production side to Wilmington.
After a career as a children's book author and illustrator, Eaton, a long-time recreational paddler who rediscovered his passion while paddling with his young children, is eager to keep the business moving forward. Eaton's journey into the GRB business began with a personal need for a solo boat. Contacting the Newmans, he came to the workshop, tried a canoe, and ultimately purchased a classic stock C1 racing model, sparking an interest in racing himself.
Eaton is currently building a new shop in nearby Wilmington, navigating the permitting process to have the commercial building operational by early summer. The transition will be gradual, with Eaton eventually assuming control of canoe production. Gene and John will continue their expertise in crafting paddles at the original farm location, while Natalie Newman, Gene's daughter, will continue to handle repairs and refinishing work.
"The thing that people don't understand, and I didn't until I worked here, is that they really make every single bit of this boat. It's just bolts of cloth, resin and aluminum tubes that come in here. And this gets made," Eaton said, pointing to a canoe in the repair shop. "The seat, the pedestal. It isn't like we get our seats from that guy or this company. Everything is made here; it's really incredible."
Visitors to the upcoming Canton Canoe Weekend are sure to find plenty of GRB canoes in nearly every division of the race. The weathered barn on the family farm may soon have a new counterpart. Still, the dedication to quality and the meticulous hand-building process that define GRB Canoes will undoubtedly remain the same.
