My New C-1

By Dane Jackson

Quicktime, 1.2 MB

Last year just 3 days before the 1st event of the World Cup of Freestyle Kayaking Championships. I made a C-1 out of my old green Fun-1 with a couple pieces of foam. With the help of Jez Blanchard it turned out really well. I had two backbands, one on my lap and one on my back. It was dangerous, but good. For my knees I had foam blocks that were in between the walls. So my knees went under them. I used a kids raft paddle to compete, and I wound up getting 3rd place in the C-1 class. I was happy with that. Over the next two events I wound up getting 4th overall in C-1. That was really cool. But since then I have really liked paddling a C-1. But the bummer was I came home right after that and I tried to rebuild my C-1 and I didn’t do a good job and I never wound up rebuilding it. But When the Shooting Start came out, I wanted a C-1 Shooting soo badly. I made one just before we left on tour. I didn’t realize that I was way way too far forward until I paddled it in Reno, Nevada. My Skirt for it was hilarious. It was maybe 3 inches long in the front and 2 feet long in the back. When I had used the boat, all the foam came out, I was too far forward, and it was uncomfortable. So I did not have a C-1 all of tour. I was bummed. But I got home a week ago, on Thursday. And the next day I grabbed all the foam I had and cut a seatbelt out of the RV and made a very good C-1 out of the same Shooting Star as the one I made at the beginning of tour. It is really good. I made the seat really strong, I mad knee holes, and attached the seatbelt. I am very very happy. Thanks for reading my update and see you on the river.