B O A T I N S I D E R
GUILTY AS CHARGED:
The Villain loves to boof. PHOTO VIRGINIA MARSHALL
SCOUNDREL OF THE STEEPS
THE VERDICT IS IN ON JACKSON KAYAK’S NEW VILLAIN CREEK BOAT
“IF IT AIN’T BROKE, DON’T FIX IT.” If kayak design- ers followed this advice, boat designs would never get better and most of us would probably cling to our battered old boats forever. Fortunately design- ers follow another approach. They paddle their boats, learn how they can be improved, and then go back to the drawing table and shaping block. So goes the evolution of nearly every modern kayak. Given the steadily growing popularity of creek
racing noted in this issue’s “Bigger than Rodeo” and “The Amazing Race” articles, it makes sense that the most recent kayak to go under the knife and sander is a creek boat. The timing is right. All of which leads us to Jackson Kayak’s lat-
est betterment of a good idea (actually a couple good ideas), the Villain. Introduced in April, the Villain replaces Jackson’s first creek boat series, the Rockers, and complements the recently re- vamped river running Hero series. After three years of paddling the Rocker, and
thorough testing of the updated design features on the Hero series, Eric Jackson and design part- ner David Knight had a clear vision of how the new creek boat should look and perform. “[The Villain] is a mix of the best of the Hero
and the best of the Rocker,” Jackson summariz- es. “Instead of reinventing the wheel, we went for the magic combination of top-rated features and qualities.” The designers gathered input from steep-creek-
ers, expedition boaters and river runners of all skill levels and came up with a few crucial perfor- mance requirements: fast hull speed, easy boofs and stays on-line and on the surface in messy water. Three generations of prototype testing later, the Villain S emerged. The smaller of two available sizes, the Villain S
has dimensions and overall shape similar to the Rocker, but does away with its predecessor’s fea- tureless displacement hull, replacing it with a hint of the Hero’s edges and planing hull. Jackson de- scribes the Villain’s semi-planing hull as “slightly crowned”; a shape that affords easier last-minute corrections and pivot turns on the tops of waves
40 Rapid summer/fall 2010
than a regular displacement hull, without sacrific- ing too much speed. The soft edges slip smoothly over rocks and slides but are assertive enough that you can hold your course and carve in and out of eddies like a getaway driver. The Villain feels narrow and round, with lightning
quick transitions and infinite degrees of edging, but it’s not the greased log Rocker paddlers are used to. We found the rocker profile strikes a nice balance between boofing the long waterline and punching holes. Well-proportioned volume in the ends keep the bow and stern clear of boils and cross currents. Outfitting is comfortable, especially in the Elite version (moulded from heavy-duty, crosslink plas- tic), which includes a plush Sweet Cheeks inflat- able, beanbag seat cushion. Non-slip padding is glued throughout the knee and thigh area to give you better control when edging and rolling. A step-out pillar, hull stiffeners, three-inch-thick foam foot blocks and Jackson’s Uni-shock bulk- head round out a bevy of safety features aimed at serious creek boaters.
The Villain offers a great overall package for in-
termediate paddlers who enjoy running rivers fast and are looking to step up to steep-creeking. If surfing on your way downriver is more of a priority, stick with the Hero. For experienced creekers, the Villain is a con- fidence-inspiring ride that begs to rip on the steeps. And if you’re still hanging on to your old creek boat (it ain’t broke…) remember that buying a new kayak isn’t just fun, it’s the progression of our sport. —VM
JACKSON VILLAIN S / VILLAIN
LENGTH ...................... 8’2” / 8’8” WIDTH ......................... 25.5” / 27” VOLUME ...................... 79.5 / 92.5 US GAL PADDLER .................... 100–180 / 155–230+ lbs MSRP ........................... $1,049 US / Elite $1,195 US
www.jacksonkayak.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48