SOAR Inflatables

It was an easy call to sign our name on this.

Our public lands are integral to us- as a business & as folks who share a love of paddling, fishing, hunting, and just generally spending time in our wild spaces.

We are so grateful to be a part of such an incredible community & we hope to pass down our love of (and access to) public lands for many generations to come!

Meet the full SOAR lineup! 🛶

From maneuverable whitewater boats, to cargo haulers, we’ve got an inflatable canoe that’s ready for all your adventures!

Head to soar1.com or give us a call at 406-543-6966 for more info!

P.S. we may or may not have a new model coming soon…👀

It’s officially spring which means we’re that much closer to days like this!

Anyone have any trips on the books yet??

Retailer-turned-manufacturer Todd Frank shares the inside scoop on brand building, margins and shop-floor strategy:

In 2024, longtime paddlesports retailer Todd Frank, owner of Trail Head and Trail Head River Sports in Missoula, Montana, purchased inflatable canoe manufacturer SOAR Inflatables from longtime owner Larry Laba. The move abruptly saw him join the ranks of paddlesports manufacturer as well as retailer, providing a perspective few have in this industry.

For Frank, the acquisition just made sense. His existing paddlesports shop, Trail Head River Sports, already employed four canoeists on staff, and he loved the product.

“We’re thrilled with the purchase,” he says. “I knew about SOAR for years and a number of friends swore by them.” Frank was excited to take over a 30-year-old legacy brand of inflatable canoes for whitewater.

“While I wasn’t looking to expand, it was a fantastic fit,” he says.

The move also quickly thrust him into the role of paddlesport manufacturer, a far cry from his familiar role of specialty retailer.

“Retail I know and understand,” he says. “But being a manufacturer is new to me and the nuance of that is quite different. Both have similarities, but demand planning on the manufacturing end is far, far more important. That part in retail has a degree of insulation; we can and do cancel orders. But that doesn’t work well as a manufacturer.”

Continue reading: https://bit.ly/4u5vfvO

✍️: Eugene Buchanan
📷: Courtesy Todd Frank
📖: This article was first published in the 2025 issue of Paddling Business

One of our favorite things about making boats is hearing stories of all the incredible things you’ve done & places you’ve been in your SOARs.

We not only want to hear more of your adventures- we want to start sharing them with the SOAR community as a whole!

Send us your best tales from the river along with any accompanying pictures or videos & we’ll feature you on our page. We hope this can be a way for us all to connect over shared experiences out on the water & inspire future trips!

To submit a story you can shoot us a message on here, email our social media manager at [email protected], or tag us in a post!

Happy Small Business Saturday from us over at SOAR!

We wanted to introduce ourselves & share a few words from owner Todd Frank:

Inheriting the SOAR brand comes with the huge responsibility to honor all that came before my purchase of the brand, from Larry Laba. Our goal is to build on his labor of love, which has made SOAR a brand that swings out of its weight class. At the end of the day, we are a tiny team of people who love being on the water.

My personal experience with the boats is but a fraction of our customers, and as I engage with customers, I see that same flame of passion that first brought me to the river.

Of all the crafts I have ever paddled or rowed down a river, these boats have some magic in the versatility they offer. From design to materials and construction, these boats are at a pinnacle unmatched by any other boat I have paddled.

-Todd Frank

DRUM ROLL, PLEASE! I am very proud to announce that the new owner of SOAR Inflatables is Todd Frank, owner the Trailhead Outdoor Store and Trailhead River Sports in Missoula, MT. I could not be happier to pass the baton to Todd and his dynamic team of river runners and outdoor enthusiasts. Todd has a lot of great ideas that will be implemented over time, as he begins to get a feel for the great river adventures that lie ahead for the many SOAR customers. Good luck Todd, and thanks very much!!