Rock Star Creates the New Standard for Loose, Fast, and Slippery! by ericjackson | Jan 18, 2011 | Rockstar, Whitewater | 3 comments [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQpPugZNJkM[/youtube] Everytime we create a new standard in playboats, I get the same question: “Now what can you do? I can’t imagine improving this boat, it is awesome!” I say the same thing to myself, and stress for a few months that, “Well, I guess it is over. I can’t think of anything new to make this better in the future.” Then, somewhere in the next year I start to think of stuff, a wish list, and combine with all of the comments and wishes I hear from my team and customers and a vision appears that turns into the next design. I take my time and work with David Knight to discuss the performance goals and some ideas I have on how to acheive them, and David gets his wheels turning, too. Together we start to piece the puzzle together. How improve this or that, and not lose anything. It is a long process that produces some incredible results for us. The Rock Star has a number of these breakthroughs in it. Today I want to talk about the hull for waves. Carving like it is on rails, but slipping and sliding like on a glass smooth icy hill when you turn it sideways “Grinding” like no boat before it. Like this video below suggests- any boat can grind a big steep super fast wave. The Rock Star can grind waves that you can barely front surf. Small, flat waves! Watch the video and see the boat just slide out and down to the bottom like it is perfectly skimming accross the water, because it is! What does this mean to you? For one, you can now grind, or side surf waves where you could never do it before. It is incredibly fun! Secondly, you can now spin around on waves that you typically would fall off the back on! Thirdly, if you are an expert playboater, you’ll be zipping around like crazy going in every direction, dropping your edge and flying accross, then flattening out and sliding around without a care. It is truly a beautiful feeling. What will it mean for freestyle? Wave combos and landing tricks just got MUCH easier! Look for lots of great stuff coming up… Check out this very short video showing what I am talking about, on a wave that is not easy to surf forwards. 3 Comments Emily Jackson on January 19, 2011 at 2:36 am So true, never have I felt a boat slide out like this one!! Emily Reply Dan on January 26, 2011 at 7:49 pm How do you think this boats speed and looseness compares to lets say a Wavesport xxx. (that i think has the loosest hull and thanks to its length/rocker profile is fast on a wave, and you designed) Am still paddling it because of this, and can surf and grind waves short boats cant. Thanks Dan Reply Clay Wright on March 8, 2011 at 1:56 pm XXX to Rockstar? Kinda like comparing a 67 Mustang to a Mini Cooper S: the XXX is loose and slicey and squirty and just a great classic playboat for sure….but the Rockstar is short and quick and just opens up a whole new world of maneuverability. In flatwater the Rockstar will feel much slower – because it’s so much shorter and wider compared to the pointy long shape of the XXX. But once the boats are planing the Rockstar might just blow it out of the water down the line. The XXX will prefer flatter, longer waves while the Rockstar will fit onto the smallest waves on the river and launch into blunts with just a foot or two of runway to shoot from. Both are loose, but will feel really different. The Rockstar far more side to side stability but you’ll be learning the bow-stern balance required a the much shorter, higher volume boat. They are just really different – you should certainly try a Rockstar just for kicks but I predict some of the play places you love your XXX for won’t suit the Rockstar as well, while other spots you didn’t consider in the XXX become your short-boat favorites. Hope this helps! If it raises as many questions as it answers that’s OK too, just ask another… Clay Wright Reply Submit a Comment Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Email * Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ
Emily Jackson on January 19, 2011 at 2:36 am So true, never have I felt a boat slide out like this one!! Emily Reply
Dan on January 26, 2011 at 7:49 pm How do you think this boats speed and looseness compares to lets say a Wavesport xxx. (that i think has the loosest hull and thanks to its length/rocker profile is fast on a wave, and you designed) Am still paddling it because of this, and can surf and grind waves short boats cant. Thanks Dan Reply
Clay Wright on March 8, 2011 at 1:56 pm XXX to Rockstar? Kinda like comparing a 67 Mustang to a Mini Cooper S: the XXX is loose and slicey and squirty and just a great classic playboat for sure….but the Rockstar is short and quick and just opens up a whole new world of maneuverability. In flatwater the Rockstar will feel much slower – because it’s so much shorter and wider compared to the pointy long shape of the XXX. But once the boats are planing the Rockstar might just blow it out of the water down the line. The XXX will prefer flatter, longer waves while the Rockstar will fit onto the smallest waves on the river and launch into blunts with just a foot or two of runway to shoot from. Both are loose, but will feel really different. The Rockstar far more side to side stability but you’ll be learning the bow-stern balance required a the much shorter, higher volume boat. They are just really different – you should certainly try a Rockstar just for kicks but I predict some of the play places you love your XXX for won’t suit the Rockstar as well, while other spots you didn’t consider in the XXX become your short-boat favorites. Hope this helps! If it raises as many questions as it answers that’s OK too, just ask another… Clay Wright Reply
