Ken from Whitewater Designs out of Eugene Oregon has been making high quality river and safety gear for years. All materials are bought and produced from suppliers in the United States. Ken has also been an active supporter of river communities as evidenced by providing prizes at each of the events during the course of the 2008 Western Whitewater Championship Series. Ken has been running rivers longer than most of us are old and actively researches better and more innovative products each year. See his work at: http://www.whitewaterdesigns.com/