Jackson Kayak’s worldwide stable of paddlers dominated the podium at the recently concluded International Canoe Federation World Freestyle Kayak Championships.

The event on the Garberator wave on Canada’s Ottawa River illustrated the design success of Jackson Kayak’s newest edition Rock Star. Since it’s introduction to the market in 2004, the Rock Star has been designed and ridden to numerous first place finishes by International Whitewater Hall of Famer and four-time World Champion freestyle kayaker Eric “EJ” Jackson and his longtime design partner, naval engineer David Knight.

At this year’s edition of the World Championships, the 2016 Rock Star won every available medal but two, notably sweeping every class except junior men. According to Jackson, this is the best result of any Worlds for Jackson Kayak boats and team members.

“Obviously the boats don’t paddle themselves and to suggest that the Rock Star would have performed so well without the world’s most talented athletes choosing it and paddling it would be an insult to them,” Jackson said. “The best athletes, who truly care about winning or doing the best they can, will always consider using the best equipment.”

Among those using Rock Stars were Jackson’s children Dane and Emily Jackson. For the third Worlds in a row, Dane Jackson earned medals in at least three divisions.

This year Dane won the Men’s C1 and K1 classes and took home Silver in Open Canoe. Emily regained the World title taken from her by Claire O’Hara in 2011. Japan’s Hitomi Takaku went home with Silver while O’Hara claimed Bronze. Emily’s husband, Canadian Nick Troutman, earned Bronze in Men’s K1 behind his brother-in-law and Silver medalist Mathieu Dumoulin of France.

The boat of these and the other seven new World Championship medalists weighs in at just 27 pounds. The Competition version of the Rock Star in plastic with Innegra/Carbon/Glass/Foam Core hull support and the full composite version of the Rock Star (made by Murkey Waters) are both very lightweight constructions, making them easy to carry and easy to learn, perfect and perform bonus-scoring freestyle manoeuvres. The Standard production Rock Star also weighs in at just under 30 pounds. Rock Star performance benefits include the following:

• Carves hard but also releases for fast, easy spins.
• Ideal volume makes it easier than any Rock Star before it to get vertical.
• Big loops are easier thanks to rocker and volume position that give you the ability to bounce high and release without resistance when you throw it.

In short, the universal sentiment among top pros is the 2016 Rock Star makes everything a boater would want to do in a playboat much, much easier. Here’s what some of the new World Champions have to say about the boat.

“The hull is narrower making it so much easier for taking off. With less rocker the boat is a lot faster and way looser,” said Dsne Jackson who won World Champion titles in K1 and C1 and Silver in Open Canoe. “Plus the design is a lot more comfortable especially in the knees and feet.”

“[The new Rock Star} is faster and slicer” --Men’s Silver Medalist Mathieu Dumoulin.

“Lunar Orbits. Tricky Woos. Everything in a hole feels way easier. The ends just slice through like butter”. --Nick Troutman, Bronze medalist.

“The narrower hull has make all my wave moves WAY snappier”. --Emily Jackson, 2016 Women’s K1 World Champion.

EJ Jackson points out boaters don’t have to be World Championship medalists to appreciate the Rock Star. “Paddlers just starting to play boat learn faster and have more success sooner when they use the world’s winningest boat design,” Jackson said.

•-

About Jackson Kayak. Founded in 2003 by Whitewater Hall of Famer Eric Jackson and Tony Lunt. Independently owned and American made, Jackson Kayak is the world’s leader in the design and manufacturing of whitewater and fishing kayaks. The company also produces recreational and touring kayaks for paddlers of all ages. For complete information about the company’s products and lifestyle, visit the Jackson Kayak website. Jackson Kayak also founded World Kayak, a hub for the latest news, kayak events and conversations around the world and Paddle Education, the leading online portal for instructional videos and tips for kayaking of all kinds including fishing, touring, whitewater, creek boating, and stand up paddling. In 2014, the company began manufacturing and selling American-tough Orion Coolers..