Peter W Gilroy
Jeweller, Designer, Hats
As an avid outdoorsman, Peter has poured his passion for the outdoors into the expression of art and jewelry. In 2014 Peter changed his way of thinking. Instead of seeing his two pursuits as separate, he asked himself:
"What if I combine my knack for making art with my passion for climbing and the mountains? What if I delve into adventure in all aspects of my life? "Whether it is the subtle details of the texture of granite, the effortless flow that only a hard climb can force us to find, or the amazing views from the top, this inspiration offered by the mountains, and the rock we climb on, is endless", Peter says: "I want to capture the experiences we have outdoors and then bring them forward as mementos, to be savored in all the other moments of our lives.” You can find Peter’s treasured art in our Tyr medallion, the logos on our hats and more. Each hand made, one by one, by Peter, in his Taos, NM shop. He, like Apex, works with American-made machinery and tools. All materials, like stones and metal, are from the best eco friendly sources and local if possible.
Marcus Hall
Soft Goods Designer, Cut and Sew
Marcus’s family and friends have worked at the old Levi Jeans factory, sewing America’s most popular denim for decades. In high school, Marc was voted “best dressed” as he always took careful attention to everything he wore. His family was vested in the clothing business and their familial passion ran deep in his blood. Levis moved overseas, closing down their Knoxville, TN factory months before Marcus was about to start work there, yet this didn’t deter Marcus from getting into the family business. Instead, he decided to purchase a small factory in downtown Knoxville and began crafting his own custom denim, t-shirts, bags, and more in small batches (custom to his clients). Apex appreciates this kind of “Made in TN, Made in the USA, Made by me, for you.” approach that ensures quality, meaning, and durability. If you want to know where your tackle bag, seat cover or T-shirt was made, look no further than Marcus Hall. You can find him in every stitch.
Brian Walker
Custom Paint/Boat Art
An Apex Watercraft is a most certainly a piece of art. Starting with the beautiful carbon fiber canvas and elegant shapes, but our in-house airbrush artist, Brian Walker transforms it into a stunning mix of lines, color, and depth of field that you have to touch to believe what your eyes see. When you desire your Apex Kayak to be an extension of yourself, Brian can take that as far as you'd like to go. His airbrush skills are legendary among the Harley crowd and Autoshow enthusiasts, not to mention EJ’s family, who has had his craftsmanship as part of their helmets for years. Brian’s parents, Randy and Helen, worked for EJ at Jackson Kayak and the Walker family is very special to EJ. Whether you want your Apex to match your offshore Marlin boat, or just make it a reflection of your own personal style, Brian is the man for the job. He calls himself “Lost Cause”, as he can’t be cornered into any particular style. Working with carbon fiber is something Brian loves most of all, and we give him the perfect canvas to start with to pair with his expert skill.
James Hitchens
Surreal Fish Art Creator
James Hitchens grew up whitewater kayaking and fishing the Zambezi River in Zambia. He found in himself quite the aptitude for creating realistic renderings of fish that he was catching, or dreamed of catching in art form. This obsession with seeing fish through the "eye of the beholder" will leave you speechless. You can see your favorite fish in a way that's almost too real, jumping off the canvas' and right into your world. Now Apex makes his art available, for the first time, just for you.
Mark Nordstrom
Product Designer - Hard Goods
Some people have a sixth sense for innovation and breaking new ground. Mark is one of those people. Eric Jackson's first experience with him was watching how he brought the Orion Cooler design to fruition for Jackson Kayak. He checks all of the boxes a product designer should. Solid-works and other CAD expertise is a prime tool for a man of his craft, but general and specific knowledge of materials, manufacturing, and aesthetics makes him an all-around solution for the types of challenges he faces with Apex Watercraft. Manufacturing in our own facility, using USA made materials, he's breaking new ground in the anomaly that is Apex Watercraft.