Jackson Kayak

I decided to take up WW kayaking on a whim at 42. I'd built a great wooden sea kayak and realized that I'd built myself a little Ferrari & lacked the skills to properly drive it. Anyhow, I ended up taking rolling lessons with a gifted whitewater instructor. The first time I went to the pool I saw this guy doing all these very cool (and crazy looking) tricks in his Big EZ. I'm not incredibly athletically talented (read that as: every skill is hard fought for), so it took a while, but he finally taught me to roll. Eventually I became comfortable enough with my new skill that I started to ask questions about whitewater kayaking. Questions turned into: how about we try it for a day. After a morning of introducing us to your skills/concepts in calm water, our instructor took my husband and I down our first stretch of class II water. I nailed my first combat roll after catching myself on a strong eddyline which cemented my confidence and comfort. Within a few weeks I was outfitted for a new obsession! (My sea kayak now hangs, looking gorgeous, from the ceiling of our garage).

OK, Dawn, get back to the story. So anyway, I ended up with a Jive which I felt quite stable in on the river and which serves a dual purpose for me: limited ocean surfing in small waves. At the end of the year last year a friend encouraged me to try her I3 and I realized that I might actually have fun in one of these types of boats and decided to start looking for the right one. I figured I'd kick my skills up a notch in addition to having more fun on the river with a more playful boat.

Boy am I GLAD that I waited. At that time I had heard that you'd left Wavesport (good for you for sticking with a long time friend & design partner over stability and the sponsorship money) & was hoping that you'd do what you did: start your own company. I didn't get any boating in over the winter for various reasons. So, this spring, I started my research again. My husband works near CCK and went in one day after I'd started expressing interest in another boat and picked Demany's brain on what boat might work well for me (5'4, 120#). Demany recommended the 2Fun or the Fun along with a few others. Brent reported that: "Demany says all the women who come in and pick up one of these (fun series) boats want one."

When I heard it was going to be a 26 pound boat, I was on the horn to the store to see when I could demo it. I think I was maybe the 3rd or 4th person to try the 2Fun. It was great. I was initially a little panicked b/c it felt so vastly different from what I usually paddle. I figured I was in for a potentially LONG day with the little maneuverability machine. I calmed down a little after practicing some of the stroke drills and rolling a while. I found out that it has great secondary stability. The bottom line was that I thought it was appropriately named: 'Too Fun.' I had a blast in it. I got & stayed on a surf wave for the first time that I'd been trying to get on for a year! It was dry as a bone after a full day paddling and felt great on the shoulder on the long uphill haul to the car. Even better when I could bench press it up onto the rack. (Can't say I can do that with my other boat). My only concern was that it felt a little snug and I figured that since my primary purpose was going to be river running that I should wait for the Fun since my weight with gear, while a little light for the recommended "optimum" for Fun, its a lot closer than it would be for "optimum" river running the 2Fun. Demany thought the Fun might be a better fit too.

Let me tell you it was a hard 2 weeks to wait!! BUT, I was the first one out the door with the designated demo boat on Saturday. At opening time on Sunday a.m. (on the way to the river to check out how it performed on class III), I rang up CCK and told them they'd sold a boat. It rolls great and I love the way it performs. I'm finally catching some waves and feel very stable in squirrelly water. I'm going to have to work a little with the hip pads* (right leg going numb even after several adjustments) and with the back band (sore, despite getting it tightened down with the straps and ratcheted into position). But, those discomforts are worth putting up with for the performance of the boat. (BTW, if you have any suggestions to dial in the comfort, fire them at me).

*I don't know if you've ever considered doing a smaller less aggressive hip pad as an 'option', but that would be my only feedback. (purple, teal or other 'female' type colors might have to slip in there as a suggestion too)

My bottom line is: Thank You!!! You've designed a great boat that even non physically gifted folks like me can paddle well in. I can just imagine what I could do with it if I were actually a natural athlete. My husband would probably have to pry me out of it because I'd likely be sleeping in the boat! The series name couldn't be any better: Fun, fun, fun and way too much fun.

Thanks,

Dawn D.

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