New All-Star is rocking my world!

WOW! That is what I feel just looking at my new boat now. Nick
and I were so close to buying a ticket to Buseater which is in now. We
want to be the first ones to throw new tricks that are now possible in this
boat. Nick is sure he can do the double airscrew now. I am convinced that
I can get an extra 180 rotation in the air landing forward on big blunts,
etc.. Sweet! With our new All-Star coming in under 30 pounds and 4"
shorter (over 10cm) the rotational speed is ridiculous, something largely
overlooked in boat design over the past 10 years. Nick made a sweet
promo video, with Dustin Urban, Nick, and Stephen talking about some of the
points of the boat. Stephen, Clay, Nick, and I are the only people in the
world who have been on a wave in this boat so far (lucky us J).

Specific design improvements:

Waves:

1. Faster on a wave- really fast! (yes it is shorter too.. Design
achievement we are very proud of)

2. Looser and slipperier making it easier to initiate any move,
including your first spin.

3. Still carves like the old All-Star, with no paddle needed.

4. Much easier to lift entire boat off the watet as the stern and bow
are both shorter and allows it to reel up, and like the 2007 All-Star it
turns that lift into a launch into the trough. Add the extra speed and
you find yourself higher in the air on every pass.

5. Super retentive- high volume, short, user friendly fast, loose hull
lands moves easily and stays on the wave. Faster rotation speed means
you’ll finish the moves while still in the air, meaning landing them is much
easier.

6. Small waves deliver air when they never did before.

7. Shallow waves (like ASCI) or M-wave are much more friendly as the
bow clears the rocks because it is shorter and because the boat stays up
high easier.

Holes:

1. More volume, better bow/stern shape means ridiculous loop moves.

2. Better "wing" shaped cross-sections further back on the boat and
shorter boat mean easier cartwheels, less water resistance)

3. 3.5" more "clearance" on rocks- more time playing in the water,
less hitting rocks- opening up way more playspots. Even shallow
whitewater parks will be super fun in this boat!

4. Much easier to change direction in a hole (spin, blast, etc.)
making it the learning boat, or the competition boat.

5. Advanced moves, combo moves, etc. just got a lot easier and bigger.
Margin for error is much greater making these moves attainable by way more
people, and much more impressive by the top paddlers.

Flatwater:

I have been in Colorado and haven’t been in a good flat pool yet!
However, I am actually looking forward to getting video in flatwater as
we’ll be able to do so much more than was ever possible that it will be
crazy! What I anticipate, but can’t show yet, as it is still theory.

1. Huge flatwater loops (I can’t wait to do this!)

2. Hard moves like McNasty, Phonix Monkey, etc. will be much easier
than before and will actually look cool, instead of just kind of "eeking it
out".

Downriver moves:

1. Macho Move- I think I’ll be able to pull of a 1.5 and land on the
bow, linking into a second one! Just need to find the right wave train
that I can make some runs on. Under any condition the size of this move
will take a huge leap forward.

2. Back macho move- While clay, Dane, and I did a bunch of them on the
Grand Canyon last year, it is a hard move and we miss more than we get.
This will become a staple downriver move with a little practice now.

Comfort:

1. Knees were moved together by 1" creating a better leg position and
giving the hands and paddle more room for vertical strokes and provides a
better "cockpit view".

2. Knees were moved upwards by 1.1875" pulling the feet back close to
an inch. This provides the extra volume for loops, without compromising
cartwheels. Very comfortable position but requires you to do this:

a. Short torso?- put the Sweet Cheeks 200 in it. (I have the 200’s in
mine, and it feels like a lower deck than the old All-Star with the Sweet
Cheeks 150.)

b. Medium torso- Put the Sweet Cheeks 150 in it.

c. Tall torso- keep the Sweet cheeks 100 in it. (tall people with
long legs need to keep the Sweet cheeks 100 in it too)

3. Foot room- 2.5" less bow changes the bow shape, but the deck and
rocker profile allows your feet to have plenty of room and you will find
that we pulled the rabbit out of the hat on this one. You’ll look at the
boat and say "no way I’ll fit" and then you’ll get in and be "I can’t
believe it!". David Knight spent a ton of time making this possible as it
is a requirement of all Jackson Kayak boats- most comfortable.

4. Carrying the boat- loading it, etc. will be much easier as it is
super lightweight- less than 30 pounds for the All-Star!

Durability:

1. We are making this boat out of a new Cross-linked formula that is
both better for the environment, stronger, and stiffer. That is the
material difference. (we are cooking it for 45 minutes- up from 32 minutes
for the old formula and over double the cook time of linear plastic.

2. Designed into the boat is a larger surface area on all impact
zones. This means that the areas that are prone to wear out from hitting
bottom are designed to last much longer. The theory is that the new
All-Star will wear three time as long as the old one. That will take a
couple of years to prove, but I am a believer in math and science
transferred into engineering. Certainly Neil Armstrong put his life in the
hands of unproven engineering.

I am on my way to Salida today. Dane is counting down the days until the
Star mold arrives. June 23rd is the scheduled date of arrival. He will
be graduating from the Shooting Star to the Star upon its arrival! He’ll
officially be out of kids boats and into adult boats! Only a few weeks
before his 16th birthday.

Sorry if I am a little bit excited! I spend about 250 days/year in my
playboat- so you can imagine what kind of difference this will make in my
paddling life! Watch nick’s promo video here.

EJ