Peace out? PHOTO: MICHAEL NEUMANN
STACKING THE DECK
HOW ERIC JACKSON IS PLANNING TO WIN AGAIN AT THE FREESTYLE WORLDS
The Freestyle World Championships are this June in Plattling, Germany. Freestyle’s best- known star, four-time World Champion Eric “EJ” Jackson, was dethroned at 2009’s event in Switzerland after wearing the crown since 2003. Now, the question on everyone’s mind is: Will EJ win again? Young, talented freestylers like Dustin Urban, Kelsey Thompson, Sebastien Devred, Ja-
son Craig and EJ’s own son-in-law, 2009 World Champion Nick Troutman, have the skill and gusto to kick his aging butt. Still, it will take more than physical prowess to beat the champion. EJ’s strengths lie in over two decades of competitive experience and his water- tight understanding of freestyle competition structure—and how to squeeze the maximum number of points from it. EJ doesn’t choke and he doesn’t waste even one of his 45 seconds on the clock. Earlier this spring, EJ flew to Africa with six members of Team Jackson to spend a month
training at the Nile’s Super Hole. “I worked hard on a routine that I can transfer to Plattling,” he says, adding, “I’m at my fighting weight.” Even if EJ the athlete doesn’t score gold this summer, EJ the businessman can’t lose. Five
of the top six senior competitors at the 2009 Worlds paddled Jackson kayaks. The line-up is certain to be similar this year, given that Team Jackson is sending an unprecedented 27 athletes and EJ released a brand new freestyle boat just in time for the event. “His commitment to putting out new freestyle designs every season or two is huge for
the sport, and super important for freestyle athletes,” says nine-time U.S. Freestyle Team member Dustin Urban, who signed with Team Jackson this February. Jackson’s biggest sellers are freestyle models like 2010’s All Star and this year’s Rock
Star. This spring, EJ announced that the company is “heading into our most successful year to date.” Those kind of sales hinge not just on smart designs—he’s got those, but so do his competitors—but on the Jackson reputation for winning. EJ’s boats are everywhere because his Team Jackson athletes are everywhere, from
Reno, Nevada, to Rhône, France. With Jackson Kayak-co-founded World Kayak education programs reaching around the globe to develop new athletes, and the industry’s largest combined pro and regional teams, EJ is cultivating a crop of hot, international talent. It’s part of an astute business strategy he’s using to take the Jackson label to new heights, at the Worlds and into the future. EJ insists it’s all in the name of fun, “Our biggest secret is that we love to compete—chal-
lenging each other keeps [us] moving forward at a pace that’s allowed us to dominate the world arena.” Whether or not he is beaten from the podium, the answer to the EJ question may lie in the
success of the Jackson brand. Says Urban, “It’s hard to say where freestyle kayaking would be without Eric Jackson—certainly not where it is now.” EJ is 47 this year. It’s largely due to his mentorship that Troutman, who married women’s
World Champion Emily Jackson in 2009, snatched gold at the last Worlds—the student out- doing the master. Is EJ looking to pass the torch? “Passing the torch is quitting,” he says, without a shred of equivocation. “If I’m not holding it, I’m always right there reaching for it.” —Virginia Marshall
www.rapidmag.com 17
SIDEWINDER Solid-Core
Bow Curve Creeking Shaft
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