Jackson All Star Review - Mike Harvey

I have been paddling the All Star since the 05' season. It was the first playboat that combined comfort/pop/and slice into one package. In other words, in the past I had always sacrificed more pop for a boat that was hard to throw around, or a boat that I could huck easily in flat water but gave me no pop on loops and was uncomfortable. The new version which came out last year improved a lot for surfing and wave performance. I have paddled almost every play boat that has come out since the RPM in 1996. As far as running rivers…anyone that started paddling before every boat basically became a variation on a creek boat or play boat understands that there are no truly fast boats available to recreational kayakers in the US. As far as running rivers I think the All Star is not worse than other play boats, but all play boats basically suck at paddling the river. That is why slalom boaters don’t compete in a play boat. The All Star is a great choice for running Browns or the Numbers if ripping the play spots on the way down is your priority. The outfitting and the dryness of the All Star is the best in my opinion. I love the happy feet and the thruster a lot. Overall the All Star is a boat that will help people take their playboating to the next level. I think it is especially good for people like me with relatively long legs who weigh less than 180lbs. (I am 6’ 170lbs).