At the Outdoor Retailers Summer Market, the exhibitors are manufacturers, and the clients are distributors and retailers. The show is closed to the general public.

"The big reason for that is the manufacturers are a little nervous to have the general public, because most of the merchandise out there is not yet in stores," Flynn said.

The University of Utah's Bureau of Economic and Business Research estimates the average visitor at the convention spends $889 while in town.

At Pineview on Wednesday, Philippe LeBlanc of Montreal, who works for kayak manufacturer Pelican, tested a prototype of an 11-foot paddle board. He stood on a flat board, as though he were surfing, but he used a paddle to move himself around the lake.

The board's manufacturer, Legacy Paddlesports of Greensboro, N.C., plans to have the boards in stores in March. Coy Galloway of Legacy Paddlesports said the board is for fresh water, and fishermen may find it handy.

"It's basically a melding of kayak and surf technology," he said.

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E-mail: lhancock@desnews.com

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