Rockstar 4.0

I’ve paddled the new Rockstar 4.0 small about a dozen times so far. At my home whitewater park ranging from 1700-12000cfs and down the main channel of the Ottawa at about 2ft when I was up there earlier this fall. My initial thoughts, this boat fits me great and is a lot of fun on waves and in holes.

The fit for me is great. I’m pretty short to start with, 5’2” and have short legs so fitting into small boats has never been an issue for me. I just have to wedge enough foam in the bow so I can reach the pedals, JK, ;-). For the 4.0, I have a large piece of foam and a happy feet in the bow and its good to go for me. For the seat, I’m sitting on the happy seat that came with it, and then another happy feet (I had an extra one around) on top of the happy seat.

The main thing that’s different for me in fit is that I have the seat position in the middle. That is a first for me. I’ve always had the seat all the way forward and have even drilled another hole to move it forward one more. I tried the 4.0 seat set all the way forward, but I felt too bow heavy. So the middle seat position feels right for me for holes and waves.

The thigh braces feel a bit more aggressive than the 2016 Rockstar, but I can still fit in even with sitting up higher in the seat. (I have quads and hammys so the thigh brace shape can be an issue for me when fitting into playboats).

The volume of the 4.0 is greater than the 2016 Rockstar, at 140lbs, I have not noticed any issues maneuvering the boat around on a wave or in a hole. The 4.0 doesn’t feel any larger in a hole than my 2016. I thought that the new Rockstar would feel large and hard to throw around in a hole, but this is not the case at all. It’s nimble and I can perform all manners of my floopys and mcshades just as I had before. On a wave, the additional volume and length makes it feel faster/floatier, like I’m more on the water than in the water when planing out.

Overall, I’m definitely loving the new 4.0. I’ve been in my 2016 once since the 4.0 to compare, and I prefer the 4.0. The higher knee area is comfier for me. I’m getting used to the feel of the 4.0 edges and I feel like it has more pop when plugging. Can’t wait to learn new tricks and keep practicing my playboating skills in the 4.0!

-Hannah Ray J