Devin Knight Super Hero Review

Photos

As far as the new Super Hero goes, whew! Where to start…. I guess with the beginning! First time I even saw the boat was when Jesse showed up at my house with Ben to edit the new Hotel Charlie video. We needed a break from the work so kayaking was in order. Jesse had a brand new SuperHero and his Rocker. I was so stoked on the smooth lines of the boat that Jesse could tell I really wanted to paddle it, so he offered and I quickly accepted saying something about switching half way down the run (with the easily adjustable outfitting this IS possible). The South Fork of the Salmon river was our destination. Beautiful river, class IV-V with moderate flows and multitudes of great moves. Well about a 1/4 mile above the take-out I realized that I had been having some much fun that I had forgotten to switch back with Jesse! He being the super mellow and gracious guy that he is and seeing how much fun I was having had let it slide and I got to finish out the run in the SuperHero. First introduction to the boat and I knew that this was something special, the kind of boat that does not come around every year. One that really elevates the level of performance and experience of the paddler.

As excited as I was about the boat I did what I needed to get together the money to buy my own, which I did. I also knew that I really needed to put this boat through it’s paces to see if it really was all that I imagined it was. And what better time of year and what better place than cali’s norther sierra’s in full spring runoff! The run’s of choice Big Kimshew and the Branch Feather are healthy volume and very steep creeks with the full range of characteristics from big falls, slides, boofs, technical boulder gardens, stout holes, committing gorges, must make moves, you name it these runs have it. I could talk about the performance characteristics of the SuperHero and how well it manuvers, boofs, tracks, punches holes, resurfaces the list goes on…. all the things that you need a creek boat to do. And it does them all exceptionally well, but to me what is more interesting is how it makes a paddler feel being in the boat or how the boat becomes a part of the paddler, Inspiring Confidence and Performance, allowing one to fully meld with the river and fell as if you, your boat and the river are all made for each other! A truly amazing experience. One that I hope every paddler gets to have at some point. This boat does that for me. Right now I am calling this boat the best creek boat I have ever paddled hands down… I can’t wait to get back in it and back on any river!

During this time my younger brother has purchased this boat as well and after not kayaking class V for three years has stepped right back into the realm and is kayaking at a level I have never seen him kayak before! Check out Darin McQuoid’s Jefferson State Creeking website for more amazing pics of the SuperHero’s in action.

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