Our Show Summer 2026: From Snåsa to Aker Brygge

The summer of 2026 was our first proper show season we lost Kjell Pettersson and we took over. Three fairs, a lot of miles between Nord-Trøndelag and Oslo, and a rowing boat that met far more people than it ever would standing in the workshop. Here is a look back at the summer – from a rain-soaked tent in Snåsa to a floating pontoon at Aker Brygge in Oslo.

Snåsa Game Fair: our first show as new owners

The season opened with Snåsa Game Fair in June, our second year in a row at Snåsa. This time we were there as the new owners of Peson, which made the weekend feel a little bigger than usual. Mathias ran the stand, with solid backing from the family around us – both Kjell's family and Mathias' father put in the hours all weekend.

We got three good days of classic Trøndelag summer weather: plenty of rain, followed by more rain. On the final day the tent gave in while the downpour was at its worst. Even so, it is the good parts we remember: conversations over a cup of coffee, people coming back for a second year, and long evenings in good company once the crowds had gone home.

Snåsa brings together hunters, anglers and outdoor people from across the region, and the distance between exhibitor and visitor is short. It was a good way to start the season. We came away with plenty of experience – how to set up the stand, what people actually want to know, and how to secure a tent when the wind comes from the wrong direction. Thank you to everyone who stopped by.

The Nordic Hunting and Fishing Days in Elverum: a new show, a new audience

Round two took us to The Nordic hunt- and fishing days at the Norwegian Forest Museum in Elverum in August. The event is considered the largest hunting and fishing festival in the Nordics, and it was our first time there as an exhibitor. Bringing the Peson Namsen to a completely new show, in front of an audience that maybe had not heard of us, was exciting and a little nerve-racking.

This time we were met with good weather and a steady stream of friendly visitors. Many stopped because the lines of the boat are different from anything else on the floor, then stayed to hear how we build it. It means a lot that people still recognise the shape of the old boats from the Namdalen valley, even when the material is welded HDPE rather than wood.

Elverum gave us something we cannot get any other way: contact with hunters, anglers and outdoor people who use a boat every single season, and who ask the questions that matter. Thank you for a few great days – and for the number of people who find the project exciting and believe in the product as much as we do.

Boats in the Sea at Aker Brygge: from river to fjord

Our last trip took us to Oslo and Boats in the Sea at Aker Brygge in late August – known as Scandinavia's largest floating boat show.

It meant an early start for Mathias on the Wednesday morning, organising the crane lift and getting the boat into the marina before the show opened. What followed were four days of more or less decent weather and a great deal of interest. The audience here is different from the inland shows: boating people, owners of cabins by the sea, and plenty of visitors who had never considered a rowing boat in modern materials until they saw one lying there.

Why we spend the summer at boat shows

We build and sell the boats ourselves. The Peson Namsen goes straight from us to private owners, cabin owners, municipalities, clubs and organisations – we have no dealer network doing the work for us. That keeps us close to the customer and in full control of quality, but it also means nobody sees our boat unless we take it out on the road.

That is why shows are more than a sales channel to us. They are where people can put a hand on the hull, feel the weight, sit down on the thwart and ask the questions they need answered before buying a boat meant to last for decades. They are also where we learn the most: which objections keep coming up, what people really use the boat for, and what we should do differently next time.

Thank you for the summer

What has stayed with us most this summer is simply how many people showed genuine interest and curiosity in our project and our company. Explaining how we build each boat by hand, and how the traditional lines from Namdalen boat building give the Peson its rowing qualities, is one of the best parts of the job.

Thank you to everyone who visited the stand in Snåsa, in Elverum and at Aker Brygge – and to the family and friends who worked alongside us all season. We are taking those experiences into the autumn, and already looking forward to the next show summer.

Do you have questions about the Peson Namsen, or want to know where we will turn up next? Get in touch with us.