Graduating to bigger moves and bigger pop: My story…

By Phil Boyer

As a member of the Jackson Kayak Creeking Team, I turned to EJ for advice on which playboat would help me further my freestyle skills. Based on my weight (140lbs) and height ( 5’7"), EJ suggested that I should start with the Star.

He was right on. The Star spins on a dime and is super easy to initiate. And, thanks to advice from Jackson Kayak team members, Stephen Wright and Nick Troutman, I am now able to consistently bow stall and flat water cartwheel.

By training in the Star, I was able to lock-in proper playboating techniques more quickly with minimal stress on my body before transferring those techniques to the larger volume All-Star for even BIGGER loops and more air & pop. Now I can bow stall and initiate cartwheels in the All-Star without difficulty. My next goal is the flat water loop!

Originally, I planned to use the All-Star for big-water play, but now the All-Star is my primary boat for all play runs and features — irrespective of the river and water volume.

Before joining the Jackson Kayak Team, I spent time in all of the leading play boats. As I compare the learning curve across the different boats, I couldn’t be more impressed with the Star and All-Star’s performance. These boats are the BEST.

Phil Boyer