Small Jackson Kayak Gnarvana – Full Review From A Small Kayaker

by crystalgustin | Aug 10, 2023 | Creeking, Featured Post, Instructional, Whitewater Feature, Whitewater Instruction, WW Disciplines

For all the small kayakers out there, this video is for you if you are interested in the Jackson Kayak Gnarvana. I take you through my likes and dislikes and discuss in detail everything I have learned in testing out this creek boat. Please feel free to skip around...

When Things Don’t Go As Planned

by crystalgustin | Nov 26, 2022 | Creeking, Featured Post, River Running, Whitewater, Whitewater Feature, WW Disciplines

As an athlete, there are many points in our lives where things just don’t seem to work out. There are also an exceeding number of times when things not only work out but go better than planned. I’d like to discuss when they don’t go as planned. For the last month or...

Small Gnarvana On-River Review

by crystalgustin | Nov 24, 2022 | Creeking, Featured Post, jacksonkayak.com, JAdventures Main Banner, River Running, Whitewater, Whitewater Feature, WW Disciplines

I’ve been in the small Jackson Kayak Gnarvana just a few times and wanted to take it out on the “high water” release day on the Tallulah to start to get a better feel for it. Here are my quick impressions: Everyone has been saying how high and dry...

2022 Dirty Bird Recap

by crystalgustin | Oct 25, 2022 | Events, Featured Post, jacksonkayak.com, JAdventures Main Banner, River Running, Whitewater, Whitewater Feature, WW Disciplines

I hate to sound like a broken record but after finishing up the annual Dirty Bird – Confidence Series I typically feel this sense of pride and this year was no different. 22 women played their way down the Pigeon River in Tennessee for this annual event. This is...

Small Paddler Review of the Jackson Rockstar 5.0

by crystalgustin | Oct 12, 2022 | Featured Post, jacksonkayak.com, JAdventures Main Banner, Playboating, Rockstar, Whitewater, Whitewater Feature, WW Disciplines

It seems like almost every time I jump in the Rockstar 5.0 I get asked “How is it different from the 4.0?” After kayaking the small a number of times throughout the summer, I believe I have a pretty good understanding of the differences. Personally speaking, this boat...

Medium Jackson Kayak Antix 2.0 Full Interview (Review) with Scooter

by crystalgustin | May 25, 2022 | Antix, Creeking, Featured Post, jacksonkayak.com, JAdventures Main Banner, Reviews, River Running, Whitewater, Whitewater Feature, WW Disciplines

The Antix 2.0 is no doubt one of the hottest boats in the Jackson Kayak lineup and I often get asked to borrow either my medium or small. A Long Creek, South Carolina local, Alma Alberghini, AKA “Scooter” took my medium out a number of times to the Tallulah River and...

Outfitting Advice for Smaller Kayakers

by crystalgustin | May 3, 2022 | Featured Post, Instructional, jacksonkayak.com, JAdventures Main Banner, Playboating, Rock Star, Rockstar, Whitewater, Whitewater Feature, Whitewater Instruction, WW Disciplines

I recently had a video request that would give some suggestions to help smaller kayakers outfit their kayaks. With my brand new Jackson Kayak Rockstar 5.0 (Small), I took this as a perfect opportunity to do a quick walk through video of some of the things I like to do...

2021 Dirty Bird Event

by crystalgustin | Dec 12, 2021 | Event Coverage, Events, Featured Post, jacksonkayak.com, JAdventures Main Banner, River Running, Whitewater, Whitewater Feature, WW Disciplines

Photos courtesy of Rob Giersch It was a breath of fresh air to be able to run the Paddle In Pink annual Dirty Bird event at the end of July this year. For most of us, the last year has been an incredibly hard year. As a kayaker, I really missed the closeness that the...

Reflecting on my first “creek” race

by crystalgustin | Nov 22, 2021 | Antix, Creeking, Featured Post, jacksonkayak.com, JAdventures Main Banner, Karma Unlimited, River Running, Whitewater, Whitewater Feature, WW Disciplines

Let’s just get this out of the way. I have never considered myself a racer. I have competed in the freestyle world. I have competed in the kayak portion of the Captain Thurmond Race (on the New River in WV) and I did a couple of mass start races in Idaho many moons...

Learning To Fail: River Lessons

by crystalgustin | Oct 25, 2021 | Antix, Creeking, Featured Post, Instructional, jacksonkayak.com, JAdventures Main Banner, Whitewater, Whitewater Feature, Whitewater Instruction, WW Disciplines

I was finally able to cross one river off my bucket list: Overflow. It’s been a long time coming. It’s been on my bucket list for probably over 5 years. I just never had the right crew or the right circumstances. At least that is what I always told myself. This past...

Kayaking Dynamic Lower Body Stretches

by crystalgustin | Mar 12, 2021 | Featured Post, Fitness, Instructional, JAdventures Main Banner, Whitewater Feature, Whitewater Instruction

Let’s be real, most kayakers don’t stretch before they hit the river. Is this wise? As a PE teacher who instructs my athletes to do a dynamic stretch and a static stretch, I prefer to lead by example and at least do something before I get into my kayak. Why is...

Lady of the Fork Recap

by crystalgustin | Nov 6, 2020 | Creeking, Event Coverage, Events, Instructional, Whitewater, Whitewater Feature, Whitewater Instruction, WW Disciplines, Zen

When hosting a new event, you never really know what to expect. Unless you have hosted a large event before, there is a lot that happens behind the scenes. Most events take nearly a year to plan out and this one came together in a matter of months. Sarah Stine reached...