Appomattox River Company's Bob Taylor got his first glimpse of one of Bill Master's canoes in 1976/1977 while at a canoe race in Petersburg, West Virginia. Bill's display canoe at the race prompted a phone call from Bob, resulting in Bob's first order of five boats. The rest is history as Appomattox River Company and Perception have been doing business together ever since.

Bill Masters' interest in canoeing and kayaking resulted in part from the movie, Deliverance, which was filmed on the Chattooga River near Bill's home in Liberty, SC. This movie inspired many inexperienced people to try paddling themselves. Bill would collect broken canoes and kayaks from the river and repair and sell them in order to help pay his way through Clemson University.

Bill Masters has one of the most brilliant engineering minds in the history of paddlesport and is perhaps the most successful businessman in the industry. Perception is now owned by Confluence, but Bill Masters as founder and leader of Perception for over 25 years made Perception one of the most recognized names in kayaks today.

For more than 30 years, Perception has introduced many people to kayaking. In fact, they pioneered the plastic kayak, which began an explosion in the sport beyond what could be imagined. Perception's heritage of performance, dependability and versatility is born out of respect for customers and for the outdoors. They offer many kayaks for all lifestyles, whether it's spending time with the family, relaxing alone, going on the adventure of a lifetime, or simply adding some excitement to your exercise routine.

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