All-Star/Cross Linked Plastic Customer Durability Review

Hi EJ,

I want to give credit to Jackson Kayak for the Allstar’s ability to take a beating while pinned and then recover most of its structural integrity after a couple of days . First, the context. I took my sixth trip down the Cheoah last Saturday, June 20th. It was the first time I had paddled my Allstar on the Cheoah, and it was probably the best paddling day I’ve ever had. It was certainly the most fun I remember having on a river — much more fun than the Cheoah in my creeker. I went back the next day, again with my Allstar, and had the worst day I’ve ever had on a river because I screwed up my boof at God’s Dam and got typewriter’d into the river-left pin. I managed to get out of the pinned boat and to get out of the recirculation with the help of a friend who gave me his bow. The Allstar remained stuck in the pin for about four hours. My friends and I got it out a couple of hours after the water shut off. On inspection, we all thought the boat was ruined because the river had redesigned it to have a central keel and long dents on either side of the new keel. We were wrong. The Allstar is cosmetically 95% what it was before the pin, and ** it performed in my local playhole Tuesday as well as ever. Spins, loops, and cartwheels felt the same Tuesday as they did before the pin on Sunday .** We’re all impressed by the boat’s resilience. There’s still a tiny hint of a keel running between the two pillars, and the hull now flexes close to an inch in the stretch between the two pillars, but aside from these changes and some grinding damage to one of the cleats, the boat is in amazingly good shape considering the beating it took for four hours. I’ve attached a photo showing the original damage and a couple of photos showing the recovery. A photo of the pin after the water dropped is posted on AW.

This is my second Allstar, and I’m sure it won’t be my last. The first one I bought in 2007 cracked last fall, and you guys were gracious to give me a deep discount on my current one. With the boat’s performance and your customer support, why would I even look elsewhere.

Incidentally, I’m the wus in Cullowhee NC who wouldn’t join you on the Cheoah back in Februrary because my basement flooded the afternoon you visited our local playhole, Eternity, on the Tuckasegee’s East Fork. Just not hard-core enough, eh? It was a real pleasure to meet you that day and to join you and others at WCU’s pool that evening.

Regards,

Greg Adkison