Gear New Products 2009 Paddler's Pick Awards
| 2009 Paddler's Pick Awards |
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| Wednesday, 25 March 2009 08:08 |
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Accessories SMITH, The Don Canoes Inflatables HOBIE, Mirage i9S Kayaks EMOTION, Temptation |
that will blow or a transmission that will seize. But here’s the other thing: Not all vehicle roofs are the same. And neither were the rack towers that fit onto them. But now, Yakima has eased the disappointment of discovering your new wheels won’t support your old rack by creating the RailGrab Tower. The RailGrab replaces six SKUs and accommodates both flush and raised factory side rails. If racks were like chess pieces, the RailGrab would be the queen. 
Our Take: Dave Kruger designed the Evening Star in the summer of 2008 to take care of the canoeists who reside at the margins of the paddling world—the beginners, the biggers and the trippers. The Evening Star is the widest craft in Bell’s touring line and is also one of the shortest. It’s just about as maneuverable as Bell’s popular Morning Star but it has enough room for an extra Dutch Oven and enough stability for a city-slicker. 
Our Take: The beautiful thing about the Raven is that it’s the type of boat that beginners can paddle and not outgrow as their skills develop over the years. So, there’s good value in a canoe for which you know you’ll be suited even after you’ve become skillful. The Raven was collaboratively designed by Esquif owner Jacques Chasse and legendary canoeist, designer, and instructor Bob Foote. Chasse and Foote set out to design the Raven to accelerate within a few strokes and not fling out of the control of the neophyte. At the same time, those with decent skills will find its respectable turning and carving ability to their liking, too. Bucks: $1,320; Specs: Length: 11’3; Width: 30.5; Weight: 50 lbs; Material: Royalex; Sweet!: Good initial stability; Sniffle: There are faster boats, but that’s being picky. Who: Beginners, intermediates; 
Our Take: To field test a cataraft, does a better proving ground exist than the North Fork Payette? That’s where AIRE, with the help of local legend and Susitna soloist Mark Cramer, took the Wave Destroyer during the R&D phase, gave it extreme bow and stern rise, and created an award-winning cat. What this means for you is that you’ll have a boat that accelerates quickly, maneuvers through technical problems, and climbs up steep waves in Class V whitewater like an orangutan. You’ll also get a 10-year, no fault warrantee. Bucks: $2,179/$2,289; Specs: Length: 14/15’2; Width: 7’; Weight: 78/89; Capacity: 864/1140 lbs; Material: PVC/U; Sweet!: Paddler cover girl Shelly Becker (Mar/Apr 2007), used a prototype on the first female cataraft descent of the North Fork; Sniffle: It’s only available by special order. Frame not included; Who: Serious catarafters; 
Our Take: A Puget Sound Utopia, in my opinion, is where thousands of commuters rely on their own muscle power to get back and forth to work. That means bikes and, for those who live across the water from their destination, kayaks. Bike-commuting has long been incorporated into work culture. But paddling has not, even amongst hardcore paddlers. The reason: Where do you store the kayak for nine hours a day? With the Hobie Mirage i9S you don’t have to trust your $1,000 craft to a rusty padlock because you can pack the inflatable boat into a travel bag and finish your commute by foot or by bus. Yes, inflatables are generally slow, but the MirageDrive propulsion system employs the legs in addition to the paddle stroke or even a sail. That’s the beginning of utopia. Bucks: $1,549 Specs: length: 9 feet; width: 36 inches; weight: 39 pounds; Mirage Drive Weight: 6.6 pounds; Capacity: 325 pounds; Sweet!: You can use a sail, a paddle or peddle or all three together. Now that’s efficiency; Sniffle: Inflatables are slower than composite crafts; Who: Anglers, recreational paddlers, commuters; 
Our Take: Many fledgling paddlers curious to start whitewater kayaking have asked Paddler’s editorial team, “What boat would you suggest I buy that would work in whitewater but would be good in a lake as well?” Until now our answer was, “That boat doesn’t really exist.” Well now it does. Liquidlogic added this boat to its popular river-runner line with some added width for stability on whitewater, extended waterline for speed, and an integral skeg that can be retracted for rapids or deployed for better tracking on open water. Bucks: $979; Chopper Graphic: $1,059; Angler Package: $1,149; Angler with chopper or surfer graphic; $1229 Specs: Length: 10’3; Width: 28”; Weight: 49 lbs; Material: Polyethylene; Capacity: 350 lbs; Sweet!: With such volume, the XP10 can be stuffed to the brim with camping gear and run Class III+ rapids; Sniffle: Might be rough to roll with 40 pounds of raw steak in the stern; Who: People who are interested in learning how to whitewater paddle but want to keep paddling on the lake too, paddlers who want raft support style supplies on multi-day trips out of a kayak; 
Our Take: Stability is the operative word here. The Temptation is the type of boat you can put just about any beginner (your child, mother-in law, cantankerous boss) in and feel comfortable knowing they won’t tip over. The boat was designed by squirt-boat pioneer and Whitewater Hall of Famer Jim Snyder. But instead of designing a boat for bow stalls and cartwheels, Snyder made the Temptation to track straight, provide comfort, and maintain enough room for fishing or camping gear. The built-in adjustable seat collapses, and the full-size tank well provides ample storage space. 
Our Take: Necky took their most popular tandem, the Amaruk, and made it more stable and comfortable without sacrificing the speed and ability to handle high seas that made the Amaruk so loved. The Looksha T still has the blunt bow and ample amount of rocker that the Amaruk had, but added a little more volume on the chines for stability and enlarged the cockpits for usability. Share This Page!
