Blaze by Perception Company line: Provides everyday paddlers a memorable day of a great run on the river.
With Watermark owning both Dagger and Perception it seems the strategy is for Dagger to push the envelope in freestyle while Perception follows its roots in the river-running whitewater market with the new Blaze. The Blaze is a river runner first, playboat second. It feels very fast, allowing you to make eddies and catch small surf waves on the fly—waves you couldn’t get to or stay on in other boats. The planing surface is narrower for better edge-to-edge control. Depending on your weight and the model, vertical moves are totally in the realm of the Blaze with a little work. With lots of rocker and a high seam line, the Blaze is extremely forgiving in low-volume creeks and big-water boils.
Inside, the Blaze is equipped for all-day paddling comfort with lots
of foot room and great outfitting. The new AirCore hip pads are pumped up like a blood pressure cuff for a tight fit. The T2 thigh braces are a second generation of Perception’s Thigh Master units offering exceptional two-way adjustment. Icing the cake are the new ratchets hooked through to the backband.
Bottom Line: Comfortable boat perfect for playboaters wanting a forgiving boat to run the river or for more advanced paddlers on big rivers and some creeks. Pro: Speed and forgiveness. Con: Old-school aluminum rail bulkhead system.
G-Ride by Dagger Company Line: Performance river running to wave play to big water, a phenomenal performer.
Based on Dagger’s spud boat, the G-Force, the new G-Ride is defi-
nitely geared more toward playboating than river running. What makes it more freeboat than full-on rodeo boat are gentler edges, more flare and a rounder profile. The G-Ride’s volume is stretched out and more evenly distributed
making cartwheeling very smooth with little bounce between ends. With the added depth in the bow and more upsweep than the G-Force, it lets you lean forward and take a few power strokes without the bow diving, allowing you to concentrate on the river instead of your boat. Don’t worry, at just over six feet long this boat can still very easily initiate vertical moves and it’s a ball of fun at a little pourover. Not only will the G-Ride launch big air, it lets you stay in control of bounces you thought you’d blown or didn’t expect. On a wave it’s crazy loose, and will spin you silly without edges or ends catching. The G-Ride is most fun rocketing off wave crests on low-consequence big rivers and on low-volume, non-extreme creek-style rivers where the moves are tight and pokey. The G-Ride surfaces quickly off small drops and sheds water off the bow and stern. It is stable and super manoeu- vrable, spinning on a pinhead, even in full current.
Bottom Line: A forgiving freestyle spud boat for the river runner who can paddle aggressively when it counts. Pro: Can pull all the latest freestyle moves and bounce with the best. Con: Slow to accelerate and slow river running hull speed.
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www.rapidmag.com
Paddler Carly McDonald. Photo Rapid Stock Images.
Paddler Scott Murphy. Photo Rapid Stock Images.
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