B O A T i N s i D e r
stars of the Canadian women’s team.
photo aleX shallhorn
global doMination
JACKSON KAYAK’S ALL-NEW stars ARE SITTIN’ ON TOP OF THE WORLDS
IN THE 2004 FORMULA ONE auto racing season, and advanced playboater wants the same. And series to remain unchanged for 2010—to the
Team Ferrari won 15 of 18 races, earning Ferrari making freestyle tricks as effortless as possible is brand new Mon-Star—the first xxL playboat for
the coveted Constructors’ Crown—an award giv- exactly what Jackson and long-time design part- paddlers up to 300 pounds—a total of five sizes
en to the auto manufacturer with the most season ner David Knight had in mind when they sat down are available.
wins. It’s rare that a single vehicle so completely to redesign the three-year-old 2007 Star series. The new Stars’ proven track record makes them
dominates an international competition, but it’s Jackson and Knight started with the existing All- a clear choice for paddlers wanting Ferrari per-
not just Italian automakers that have pulled off Star, tweaked the rocker and chines, added vol- formance from their playboats. While the Star se-
this coup. At the 2009 World Freestyle Champion- ume in the ends, narrowed and increased height ries is user friendly for a freestyle design, Jackson
ships, Jackson Kayak’s redesigned 2010 Star se- in the knee area and shaved four inches off the cautions that it isn’t as easy to master as the Fun—
ries was the chassis to beat—and not many did. overall length and three pounds off the weight. Jackson’s river play series—and says it is better
There’s no doubt that Jackson Kayak founder “We spent most of the design process just figur- suited to “paddlers who are comfortable flipping
Eric “EJ” Jackson’s policy of sponsoring a large, ing out ways to do the impossible—make the boat more often, or who are intermediates.”
talented, highly motivated international team much shorter, but still faster,” says Jackson. “We Perhaps the similar trajectories of Ferrari and
played a factor in the Star series’ dominance at don’t make prototypes so there is never any test- Jackson Kayak are not surprising, given the
the Worlds. The championship’s top three senior ing; just do a good job on the design, make the parallels between Ferrari’s (and Formula One’s)
men, Nick Troutman, EJ and Stephen Wright, were molds and cross your fingers!” winningest driver, seven-time World Champion
all members of Team Jackson, as was fifth place The changes didn’t go unnoticed. The new Star’s Michael Schumacher, and four-time Freestyle
finisher Joel Kowalski. But perhaps more tellingly, light weight, small stature and paradoxical speed World Champion Eric Jackson. Schumacher and
many competitors without affiliations to Jackson made it a top choice for female competitors. On the Ferrari crew likely never admitted to crossing
Kayak also chose to paddle Stars. the Canadian women’s senior and junior teams, their fingers in the pits, but Jackson’s designs are
The senior men’s fourth place finisher, Jules Gal- all six ladies paddled 2010 Stars. Canadian team no less sporty or innovative. Somebody, hand this
lais of France, switched from a composite kayak paddler Annie-Pier Marchand explains, “It is the boat the checkered flag. —VM
into an All-Star on the first day of competition when best freestyle boat for women. The shorter length
he saw how it performed so strongly in the hands makes it easier to throw around, spin, blunt, back- Jackson star / all-star / super-star / Mon-star
of his competitors. blunt and stick moves.” Marchand adds that her
LENGTH 5’6” 5’10” 6’2” 6’5”
“There are so many stories like Gallais’ where Star launches off the water without too much effort
WIDTH 24” 26” 27” 28”
people jumped in the boat for the first time at the and the hull speed makes it more retentive on a
World Championships and felt immediately better small, flushy feature like the Worlds wave.
VOLUME 46.8 55.5 64 72.8 US Gal
and more competitive,” says Jackson. With the broadest range of sizes in the playboat
PADDLER 90–160 130–200 160–230 210–300 lbs
Gallais can be forgiven for wanting a boat that market, Jackson offers a fit for just about anyone.
MSRP: $1,199 US
made every trick look easy. After all, every aspiring From the tiny Shooting Star—the only boat in the jacksonkayak.com
0 Rapid spring 2010
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