Two Topics:

1) I like to run class III-IV and some waterfalls. I really enjoy surfing the ocean too! Would you recomend the All Star or the Fun for these purposes. I am 5'10\" and I weigh 165lbs without kayak gear. I enjoy cartwheeling, splitwheeling, carving, and I am in the process of learning how to Loop. The Transformer T2 is just a bit to high volume, sometimes it's hard to throw around and hard to get a good bowstall as it bobbs a bit high in the water for my comfort. Any Ideas?

2) You know Eric,
My concern is that if/when freestyle goes Olympic, too many people will get into kayaking and rivers will become overcrowded. I know more parks will probably open-up but the best thing about kayaking is I can drive 45 min. and play for free. This is the true spirit of the sport. It will become commercialized and loose much of it's essence and honor. Kayaking is a sport that can be really dangerous if one does not learn to manage risk. I think the same think will happen that happened when motor-cross racing got big. People are going to go get decked out in gear and severely hurt themselves and others. The difference in kayaking is that there are only so many rivers and we ALL suffer together as a paddling community. What will happen as this community becomes overrun by egos? More of what you wrote about in your article (www.jacksonkayak.com/jkstories06/story.cfm?article=200606183). I wrote a response to this in the Playak General Paddling forum. But I'm afraid that when your kids become adults, and one day when I have children, they will no longer enjoy the freedom that we hold so dear to our heart today. The difference is that when they are adults, they will have the opportunity to travel to other countries as they already have this privilege; many will not, and will be stuck up shi^'s creek with out a river. I'm afraid that overcrowded parks and overpriced fees will take away our freedom to enjoy Mother Nature’s bounty. I believe that education will play a critical role, but you must admit, it only takes one incident to shut down an area. Then, people will trespass and get busted, as you are familiar with that yourself: what an ordeal that was, I read about it in Peddler Magazine. Sorry to hear you had to go through that crap with the police when you were practicing for slalom (I think).
Anyhow... I think things are going to change not so sure if it's for the best. I wonder what you think about this?

Good luck in the World Cup!!!

A humble fan,
Whitewaterules (Boe)

I know I am not Eric but I am going to throw my opinion with the Olypimic freestlye question. How many people out there curl? or what about slalom kayak? or even luge? how about skeleton? just because it is in the olympics doesnt mean its going to be popular. I dont know if they have them in other countrys but there is an exterra commercial out there with kayaking in it. I dont think that made it more popular and it is shown in the daytime. Even if freestyle is put in the olympics it will be on when slalom is on. at the most incovivent time ever. there my ranting is done have a good day.

I appreciate your coment and I respect your opinion. However, I disagree with most of what you say. I agree freestyle kayaking will never be as popular as most Olympic sports, but my point is that it doesn't take a lot of people to spoil it for the rest of us. I feel like many communities and companies who own land on river banks are itching for an excuse to legislate and prosecute paddlers so that they may not have acces to rivers. I also feel that the Nissan X-terra comercial you are talking about does contribute to bringing kayaking into the public eye and therefore leading to more interest and experimentation with the sport.

once skateboarding got into the public eye what happened. yes there was more people getting tickets for skateboarding where they know they shouldn't be but also more parks were built for them. I will be more than happy if there is more whitewater parks around. I think the way skateboarding went so will kayaking. there will be more newbies but also alot more sweet things go with that. like more sponserships and more whitewater parks.

Don't be so selfish with kayaking. If people want to get into the sport and enjoy it, great. When you got into it, I'm sure other kayakers were supportive and helpful. Now you need to do the same. As long as everyone is cool, the sport will grow in a healthy way.

The question about overcrowded rivers. Rivers need the support of numbers for access to them, for them to run, etc. Our sport has too few numbers to properly safegaurd them.

to feel that one person is entitiled to be able to paddle, and another shouldn't know about it is not thinking it through. Imagine if your friend didn't introduce you to kayaking because they didn't want you crowding the river!



EJ

Guy with All-Star Question: All new boats float higher than the old ones, that is why you can paddle them on shallower water, loop them, etc.

the All-Star floats high too, which is a good thing for 90% of ever move you'll do.

the bow stall for your weight should be really easy, but feel different than say a XXX, which floats low in the water.

EJ

Sorry but that is a very selfish attitude lets say more people paddle everybody works different hours and days and there not all going to paddle on the bit of water you use dose that mean that next time your on a river near me that If I'm there first I can tell you to get off or if you swimming I don't have to rescue you as I was there first.

Dave.

Overcrowded Rivers:

Everyone feels the need to go play at the polular spots.
From my experience and lust for new stuff... I have found that there is no shortage of whitewater and yes.. there are still a lot of places that have not been found that are fun and offer good challenges to a different levels of paddlers.

the hole might b hard to get at, or you hve to run down to hit it and oh dear.... walk back up to hit it again but they are there.

You might even find yourself hiking in to a more remote location to find that uncharted spot.

As Eric clearly pointed out as well:
In order to be able to protect access and preserve the rivers that we cherish so much, we need to have support from a lot of people. At the moment our numbers are relatively low. Without good support in numbers we can not properly protect our playgrounds. (That includes local political arenas when the access rights are questioned or threated and sports arena when you are trying to raise funds to support athletes).
Not ot mention that without new blood into a sport (whether whitewater or other) the developments and improvements in technique as well as equipment will stall.
that is not a guess. That is reall based on many other sport and non sport related businesses and activities.
New blood pushes the envelop of what can be done and improves activity.
BRING ON THE PADDLERS.

You guys are not reading or understanding Whitewaterule's point. He has no problems with lot';s of people paddling. No where does he say that, he thinks that more people shouldn't paddle. He expresses concern that here will be many more people who will paddle WITHOUT PROPER INSTRUCTION and therefore get hurt, and therefore access to rivers may become more limited as a result of this miseducation. This is likeley to happen as kayaking gains popularity. At NO time did he say he dinn't think more people should paddle. He didn't even mention overcrowdedness. Try reading his paragraph first before adding thoughts of your own and relying on other people misinterpretations.

Respectfully,
HuckIt

Well actially huck it he does talk about overcrowdedness. But I do agree with you his main point is more about safety and rivers getting shut down because of yahhoos who think they can kayak without formal instruction or reading a good book. I must say that overall I agree with Whitewaterules and once this goes olympic, which is his point by the way, it will become crowded andi if not shut down due to deaths and serious injuries from people who are not responsible enought to take more care. So we must as a community all pitch in. He also talks about community, so I don't think Whitewaterules is being selfish.

Go BIG