Latest News
On Racing: Finishing Strong
Finishing well has little to do with who is most tired. Everyone is tired. What separates paddlers at the end of a race is not how much they have left, but how clearly they can still act with what remains. The finish is rarely a single effort. It is a sequence [...]
Stability in the Boat-Do you need more?
By Wesley Echols I have paddled a wide range of skis over the years from advanced to beginner in all types of conditions. Below are some helpful hints on becoming more stable in your ski. Boat Choice: think about the conditions that you will be paddling in the 75% of the [...]
On Racing: Expecting the Unexpected
The forecast you checked the night before is completely different when you wake up. The wind has increased, the swell period has changed, and there's a conversation happening near the water's edge about which direction the gusts are going to come from and when. Of course, nobody really knows, at least [...]
On Downwinding: Reading Lines
The line appears before the decision to take it is fully formed. A shift in the water texture, maybe forty meters ahead, something about the way a long roller is organizing at an angle to the dominant swell, and the bow is already moving in that direction. A few strokes in [...]
On Training: Chain of Fools
The stroke catches and the boat runs. There is a feeling to it, a brief firmness in the water that holds long enough for the body to push through, and the boat moves with more economy than it did on the stroke before. Paddlers sometimes describe a boat as "running" on [...]
Nationals: Meet the (Blackburn) Challenge
Every local racing community has a structure. You know who the fast paddlers are, roughly how you stack up against them, and what a good day on the water looks like for you. That knowledge shapes your training, your expectations, and your sense of progress over a season. It also has [...]
Surfski Reviews
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2018 Stellar S18S 2G Ultra Update
Stellar S18S 2G Ultra, September 3, 2018 Over the last few months I was able to paddle the 28lb Ultra layup in a varied conditions. So this lighter version was a welcome relief over the 35lb advantage layup I had originally paddled. I don't like time trialing or paddling skis [...]
2017 Think Ion 3G Elite Surfski Review
I have a long history with Think surfskis dating back to 2007 when I purchased my first Evo 1G. Since then I have owned numerous Thinks in all layups including Evo 1G/2G's, Uno 1G/2G, Legends, Uno Max 2G, Ion 2g/3g, Big Eze. There has been a Think in my garage [...]
Epic V10L Ultra Review – by Wesley Echols
For several months I paddled a fiberglass ‘performance’ layup V10L. What immediately struck me back when I owned that boat was how comfortable the cockpit is. The bucket is very shallow compared to the other High Performance Skis (HPS), however, your feet are below your seat. Because of this, leg [...]
Epic V12 Ultra Review – by Wesley Echols
April 2009 - First Impression My curiosity (re: obsession/compulsion/enjoyment) got the best of me once again courtesy of my friends from The Kayak Centre in Wickford, Rhode Island, who asked me if I might possibly have any interest whatsoever in the new Epic V12 (Note: slight tongue in cheek reference [...]
Think Zen Surfski Review
Update June 2019. Since my January post about the Zen I have much more bucket time. I even raced the Zen in the June 2019, Ride the Bull Race on a 20 mph day in mixed conditions that included some downwind, quarter beam seas at 25mph, mega big boat chop, [...]