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I got this letter from Stuart early this morning….
EJ and Kristine,

I could bore you with specifications, thrill you with daredevil escapades, or wow you with my resume (not)….but instead I will simply tell you that the Super Hero is the greatest boat ever designed in our short and storied history of river running. Take it from a very regular guy who travels the world to paddle way over his head and who often is questioning – but never doubting in an ability to survive, that the Super Hero is the "end all be all" of anything any normal guy like myself would ever want on virtually every mortal run known to man. This, in an effort to do more than just survive, but to actually thrive in the unknowns of distant and unfamiliar places.

I have dreamed of a boat like this. One that I could take anywhere. From the big water of the Futa. the creeks of New Zealand, or the continuos nature of the Himalayas. Without a doubt this is the boat that I would feel confident on any run – in any place- at any time. And it even has the added attraction of a gimme surf and spin when the gradient is not making me sweat and I feel like a little play is the order of the day!

I am punching holes I would have avoided. Taking big drops with my head up and posture forward. Looking for the challenging lines on rivers that have come to be complacent. I am doing this because the Super Hero has given me the extra bit of UMPH (confidence) that I had ben lacking in trusting a boat like I would my own legs or arms. So it is in a sense, for lack of great technical rhetoric, a kayak that could easily be described as an extension of one’s own body.

I admit I have not rolled it yet…so that is left to be seen…but I should add that I have NOT needed to roll as of yet because after two weeks of class 4-5 I have yet to flip once! That day will come I am sure…and I feel confident that I will come upright to tell you right away that it rolls like a charm.

Thanks…I have found a whole new reason to get excited about kayaking again.

All the best for now…see you somewhere I’m sure!

Stuart Holbrook