I did something on Sunday that I hadnt done since last year. I took the day off from the JK plant and went to the Big South Fork kayaking! I got my first crack at the 2011 Super Hero and I can say without a doubt that this is a boat that inspired a lot of confidence for me as I thought I was going to have a very rusty day out there getting the feeling for boating and also dialing in a new boat.

I am a big guy plain & simple weighing in at over 260! While the new Super Hero is a smaller boat than the 08 it felt great floating that high in a boat that short. With the extra rocker I felt for the first time in a long time a boat was floating me high enough, especially in the winter. Joining me were a great group of guys out of KY that call themselves the PCP (Pittman Creek Paddlers). You cant find a tighter band of paddling brothers out there!

There are a few things I really like about this boat but none more than the amazing primary and secondary stability. The gorge starts off with about a mile of warm-up before the “Big 3”, In that mile I was really trying to get my boat and body off center as to test the reaction of the boat out. The first few moves I hit were very small drops and they all seemed too easy. Next the steepness of the gorge was a great test for technical moves but the drops still had significant water in them. I took all 3 rapids right down the gut hitting every single line! One of the guys with me was my good friend Steve Price, he encouraged me to take the meaty line by boofing center straight into the hole at the El. As I was going into the hole I was expecting a violent reaction but the rocker got me over and through better than I would have ever imagined not to mention I resurfaced at a speed I haven’t felt in a boat in a long time.

I really cant compare the boof in this boat to another as all the creekers I have had for the past 15 years didnt do much for me as there were simply not built for big guys. Even those that were dont compare to this one for me. I have a Villain and still am going to hang onto that for steeper creeks/rivers like the Russell Fork but the Super Hero has a place in my heart now as my go to boat when I am feeling the stomach butterflies about a run!

Alltogether I couldnt have asked for a better opening day 2011 than being with cool people in a beautiful gorge with super weather! If you havent seen the BSF you owe it to yourself just as much as you do getting in a 2011 Hero/Super Hero and seeing how stable it is and feeling the “auto boof”.

Now back to work making the best lineup from one company I have seen. Play with Rockstars, boof with Heros, catch the big fish in the Coosa, and coming soon the Rogue!

Live from Sparta!