New PaddleSports Gear for 2013
There are lots of reasons to attend OR (Outdoor Retailer). The party's non-stop from the day that you arrive, till your hangover wears off, 3 days after you leave. The schmoozorama meter is about a 9.9/10, and the eye candy is also pretty world class. Most importantly (slightly ahead of the eye candy, movie premieres and free booze), all of the new 2013 gear is available for preview. Earl, Chad and crew were on hand at OR to check out the latest from our vendors. Here's a brief recap courtesy of Earl's iPhone.Confluence (Dagger / Wavesport)
In a nutshell, both Wavesport and Dagger have completely redesigned outfitting (see photos below). Also, Dagger has a new playboat (The Jistu), and Wavesport has a new creeker (The Recon) and river tourer (The Ethos). Here are some sneak peaks:
New 2013 Dagger playboat. The jitsu has been tested all over the world, and is more than ready for prime time.
Pyranha
Pyranha surprised us with an all new boat. The Nano follows in the footsteps of the discontinued Ammo. It's a 68 gallon, 7'2" micro creeker / river running play machine. With design hints from The Shiva, Jed and Burn, it ought to be a fun one to paddle. Pyranha also is building the Jed in carbon fiber. Dead sexy. In addition to Connect 30 outfitting, they will also be offering Elite Outfitting. This is a higher performing design altogether.Boardworks / Badfish Stand Up Paddle
SUP is evolving quicker than Siri's vocabulary (on your iPhone). Badfish is on the forefront of inland SUP, and had some interesting (in a good way) new products, as well as some super hot promo videos. They released the Badfisher fishing SUP. Basically, it's a modified MCIT with a wider waist, more primary stability, and some cool fishing accessories like scotty mounts and deck bungees. They also are adding a "SharkSkin" option to the progressive MVP downriver surfer SUP. This is a polymer layer that will enhance abrasion resistance, and encourage rock splats, and overall river shredding. They will also be releasing a touring board later this year. If you've been to any of the Boardworks tour events this year, you've seen Mike Tavares winning races on the same design. It's fast, stable, and pivot turns on a dime.
The Boardworks Sirina. Think of it as a female friendly Raven with cooler colors. Chicks dig cool colors right?
Jackson Kayak
As usual, Jackson Kayak has a few new boats that are going to be quite popular. They have an all new creek boat called the Karma. It has some similarities to The Zen (the hull), as well as the Villain. It will be offered in 2 sizes, all the way up to 96 gallons. Wow. The All Star is back! It's a blend of the older model Star series (longer, balanced ends, faster) and the Rock Star. The goal was to create a boat that performed better than the older model All Star, and was more forgiving than the current model Rock Star. Also, they have a whole bunch of new SUP's coming out. The one that caught my attention the most was a 10' roto mold board that is very stable, and also has an emphasis on performance. It's called The SUPercharger. Click here to see all of the new items that Jackson is launching for 2013.
The Karma. Creek it, and run rivers in it. You can win extreme races in it too because it is really fast.
Astral Buoyancy
Astral has their new shoe line coming out in 2013. In addition, they have redesigned the Green Jacket, and added a large front pocket, a la Sea Wolf. Also of note, CKS owner (and U of O alum) Earl Richmond, is pretty psyched on their new yellow and green color scheme. Go Ducks!!
New Green Jacket. The best gets better. Recognize the front pocket? The Sea Wolf has the best front pocket in the business. Now the GJ does too.