Dec 05 2009
Here’s some shots of our factory hard at work on the Limited Edition Greenjacket as well as our dog beds. There’s also a preview of the new LE#2.
Hope to see you on the river soon,
Team Astral Buoyancy
Jeremy Adkins
Sep 28 2009
With a quick rain on the Upper Tellico Tyler, Jessica, Shannon and I drove over to see if it was still running. This would turn into the lowest run I have ever done on the Upper Tellico. This creek was so fun in the Jackson Kayak’s Hero. This boat boofs so good and turns on a dime. I think this is most stable and comfortable creekboat on the market. Just go to your local dealer and try it. Here are a couple of pics I took of Tyler and Jessica at Baby Falls downstream. Make sure to go to the Upper Tellico and do some laps.
SYOTR,
Jeremy Adkins
Team Jackson Kayaks
Sep 28 2009
Here is a review of my paddle sponsor, Ophion Paddles. Ophion paddles are the best paddles I have ever used. I am super excited to be a part of this great team. They are lightweight, strong, powerful blades and super stylish.
Here are the links of the reviews.
http://www.canoekayak.co.uk/categories/articleitem.asp?item=298
http://broadbandsports.com/node/29540
Jeremy Adkins
Team Ophion Paddles
Sep 13 2009
This past weekend was the first time the Dynamic Duo got a good workout by my wife and I on the Ocoee. With my wife wanting to go down the Upper Ocoee the weekend started out great.
If you have not paddled this boat then you need to. The Upper Ocoee begins slow and gave Shannon and I time to ferry, peel out and catch eddies. The first thing I noticed is how fast the boat is. When you are both paddling hard the boat is super fast. By generating the speed downstream you punch through the rapids. After a mile or two warm up out first rapid was Mikey’s Ledge. I could see in my wife’s face that she was nervous. The boat tracks very well making holding lines very easy. Our second rapid was Let’s Make a Deal. This rapid is on the most dangerous on the entire Ocoee because of the random rocks and Blue Hole sieves downstream. With great lines through the upper half of the river we entered the Olympic section. Shannon anxiety had reached an all time high.
This section is big and pushy but really quick. I gave Shannon easy instructions “Paddle Hard” until I say stop. For Shannon the hardest part was being able to see due to her contacts and massive waves hitting her in the face.
After hitting Humongous staight one I can tell you that this boat has incredible stability. You can lean all the way over and still the boat bounces back to an upright position. With comfort, stability and speed the boat can go through almost any hole or wave you encounter. With Roach Motel to come we learned how stable the boat was. As we hit the top we spun around our of control, eddied out on the left and ferried back into the current without flipping.
The last rapid is Edge of the World which lands right again Thunder Rock Campground. Shannon truly got to appreciate the entire Upper Ocoee for the first time.
I cannot wait to get this boat out on something harder like maybe Gauley…I Look forward to seeing you there with more smiles on our faces.
Jeremy Adkins
Team Jackson Kayaks
Aug 24 2009
This is not Your Grandmother’s “Fanny Pack”
Whether you are going kayaking, canoeing, hiking, camping, biking or fishing, the Gaia Hipster is the perfect piece of gear for you. The Gaia Hipster was designed to give all walks of outdoor enthusiast an easily accessible, 100% waterproof bag that is made with environmentally friendly materials and is PVC free, making it easy to go green in every situation.
What is the Gaia Hipster?
This product is a new and improved dry bag for your waist that is perfect for carrying your small to medium necessities. It allows you to keep what you need, on you, at all times. No more dropped keys, lost money or misplaced cameras!
What makes it better than a traditional fanny pack?
Like the fanny pack, the Hipster has a main zipper compartment, however alongside the middle pocket, this product offers 2 bonus external pockets with splash-proof zippers. The extra room is great for securing sunblock, extra camera cards, fishing lure, utility knives or any small item.
But what really sets it apart from all others is the innovative side mesh water bottle pocket. There is no need to stop, lay down your gear and search, nor is it necessary to jump out of your boat…just grab your water anytime you need to rehydrate!
With an adjustable, paddled and comfortable waist strap the Hipster is perfect for anyone of any size.
With 1.7 liters of waterproof storage and only 7” of width you will be amazed at what you have fit into the Hipster. Most drybags go into the back of the boat and are hard to access. You have to get steady footing or cannot get to your stuff without getting out of your boat. With the Hipster you have access right at your waist at the pop of a sprayskirt. Now, you can come down the river while having fast access to your camera without the common struggle. Why take extra steps when you only need to take one? The best thing of all, however, is the lightweight. All outdoorsmen know how frustrating it is to add one more piece of heavy equipment, but with “Hipster”, at only 9.3 ounces, you will forget you are even wearing it. Now that ‘s comfort! No one could turn down a dry bag that is hassle-free, comfortable, easily accessible, environmentally friendly as well as lightweight and compact for only $29.95! How often can you find so many things for so little? Even during these difficult economic times, this product is a guilt-free purchase. The “Hipster”, inexpensive and built to last, proves that Gaia Sports only has your best interest at heart. As said before, this is not your Grandmother’s “Fanny Pack”…unless you have one cool ass Grandma!!!
Jeremy Adkins
FlyinSkeleton@cs.com
205-936-1446
Jul 18 2009
Last weekend I had the pleasure of spending my birthday with my wife, good friends and in the most amazing freestyle boat I have had in my 20 years of boating. Most boats are one-dimensional and are good at specific aspects of freestyle, but fail to meet the standards at other playspots. Many of my previous boats have either spun well, cartwheeled, looped big or paddled downriver, but never did any one boat excel at it all…until now. The 2010 Jackson Kayak All Star does everything so well, it is a dream to paddle. On the Ocoee River, I realized that each move I have executed throughout the past 20 years was suddenly easier and more consistent allowing me to feel as if I was running the Ocoee for the first time. What a great experience it was while productive as I was able to take the opportunity to work on almost every move depicted in the Triktionary. Make sure you get in this boat and try it, I cannot recommend it enough. The All Star will change your view of freestyle kayaking and make all the moves you are working on so much easier to hit. So, If you see me on the river, please don’t hesitate to ask to try it out. It is truly indescribable so give it a shot and see for yourself. The following are top ten reasons to paddle the 2010 All Star though I’m sure you will find there are so many more.
1. Speed/ Faster- The 2010 All Star is faster than 2007 All-Star despite being 4 inches shorter. It actually holds speed better toward the corner than any other boat I have ever paddled. This makes setting up for moves easier, better downriver freestyle moves and more consistently surfing those hard to get waves like the top wave at Hell Hole.
2. Edge to edge transition- The boat has great edge-to-edge transition. Whether getting speed to the corner or carving to the top of the pile the edge to edge transition is great for setting up for moves. In addition the boats edges aids in your downriver creativity because you can change from one carve to another so quickly.
3. Comfort- The boat is narrower but has more knee and foot room making you train harder with no breaks. With the Happy Feet, Happy Seat/ Thruster Combo, 200 beaded Sweet Cheeks there is nowhere you do not have contact with your body parts that are essential for doing any freestyle trick. The new hip pad design holds your hips into the backband giving you more response when you are upside down or trying to roll quickly. Comfort also plays a key roll in your learning curve. If you can not stay comfortable in the boat you can never paddle it as long as you want to. Being comfortable definitely aids in learning faster.
4. Volume Distribution- With all the volume around the cockpit you are more retentative, get air more consistently and have a better center of balance, giving you an easier time sticking all the moves. The volume distribution also aids in paddling downriver because you can still turn the boat quickly but it resurfaces well in the waves and holes.
5. Hull- Many features are either easy to set up on by bouncing down the face or spinning on the corner. This boat is amazingly good at bouncing down the face or spinning to the corners. This makes all features extremely fun because any move is possible. The hull of the boat that gives you endless possibilities at any playspot will not limit you. The boat spins, carves and surfs better than any boat I have paddled yet.
6. Downriver Ability- This is one thing many people were worried about because the boat is so short but do not worry because this boat is a dream to paddle downriver. The boat length, resurfacing ability, edge-to-edge transition, speed and comfort make it hard to put into words how fun it is. Just take it out and see for yourself. You can make a class 2 rapid feel so much harder but still stick the lines on the class 4 rapids.
7. Boat Length- The boat is shorter making moves easier because you have less swing weight and will not hit bottom. The length also aids in completing moves because you can throw it around faster and stronger. Just go back to your favorite spot and you will hit more moves in a day than ever before. With this length the downriver moves will really open your eyes because you can commit to rapids that usually would not have the depth to attempt them.
8. Old School Ability- Even though the boat is short it still held stability on edge and on ends. This enables splats, blasts, bow and stern stalls, wavewheels, blunts and super cleans to be more prevalent and consistent. When you can throw a huge loop into 50 ends without stopping the possibilities are endless. The future is now upon us. Get in the boat as soon as possible.
9. Multi colors- Get your boat with the colors you want and have your niche on the water.
10. Goes bigger- Because of all the things we have talked about the result is bigger/ faster moves. You can throw more consistent big moves because of the length but when you get to the right spot you can absolutely go huge. This boat is unbelievably amazing and I cannot wait to get it out on the Locust Fork (Home of NAWF) and the Mulberry Fork of the Warrior.
Because I had so much fun on my birthday I decided to tell you my top ten things that I did on my birthday weekend.
Top 10 things I did on the Ocoee River for my birthday.
After 20 years of boating and it being my 20th year on the Ocoee River I want to tell EJ thank you. David and EJ have completely outdone themselves on this new boat. Way to go guys. I am proud to say that I paddle for Jackson Kayaks and look forward to building a foundation to start kid’s programs in the Southeast.
Hope to see everyone on the river soon.
Jun 23 2009
First day in 2010 All- Star. What do say about this boat? With not much water around and Sunday being Father’s Day another trip down to the Coosa was in order. The water on this trip was around 4,000 cfs which makes all the waves flushy. My goal on the day was to play with the boats edges and get the outfitting set to the upmost comfort. Unlike the other trip we learned from our mistakes and brought along a sit-on-top to carry two coolers of beer. Quenching the thirst is a must on the Coosa due to the 100 degree temperature, water and rocks. I did not take many pictures due to the water level but I did want to take a few of the new boat just to see how the trim was in the water. Needless to say it was great. I will paddle it on something bigger and give a better review. Here are few pictures so you can view the boat on the only water we have in the entire state right now.
Here is a picture to all my friends in Colorado and Tennessee while I am stuck in Alabama. It is so hot!!!!
I hope to see everyone on the river really soon and shredding it up.
All the best,
Jeremy Adkins
flyinskeleton@cs.com
Triktionary Project Bama Boyz
