The Portal at Pictured Rocks

Jackson Kayaks,

As a long time resident of Michigan, I had never been to the Upper Peninsula, meaning Id never been to the largest lake in the western hemisphere. I bought the Rouge 9 (being a smaller guy), and was fully comfortable with the white water and river capabilities of the Rouge, but is it a sea kayak?

A few friend and I went to Pictured Rocks, which is 15 miles of shear 200 foot cliff face on the edge of Lake Superior. In order to do this you have to camp, which in October in Michigan means zero degree sleeping bags, hammocks, winter hats, gloves, and coats, and of course food and water. One of my friend came with a competitors kayak, which and was completely unprepared, getting tossed around and worked over by the 4 and a half foot constant swells. I suppose you could say his kayak choice was not as “logical” as the name might suggest. My Jackson on the other hand not only handled the curls just fine, but while my buddy was being washed up on the beach I was surfing my day away.

The long story short, yes Jackson’s Rouge 9 does great in white water, it loves the rivers that cut through Michigan which are almost all flat, but the way it handled a lack was a huge surprise. The calm days it was a dream, the rough days it was a lot of work to cover the distance, but when I wanted to play in the 4 foot curls I could do whatever I wanted.

Thank you Jackson for making a boat that has exceeded even the expectations you have set for this kayak

-Brian