SUPERSTAR REVIEW: uncut... billy harris

SUPER STAR REVIEW

For anyone who doesn't know me I paddle for and am paid by by Jackson kayaks... That being said I don't get paid enough to say something that is not true what I write is my own thoughts unchecked and as open as I can be.

I am 190 pounds. I have 32, inch inseam and 30" waste. My torso is kinda normal and I am a smaller guy that just weighs allot for whatever reason. Nick Troutman would say I am fat. But he’s mean and nobody likes him but his mommy……


Getting into the boat the size of the boat around me seemed smaller than the old super star, I found it to be WAY smaller than the old super. But the outfitting and space inside was much more roomy. The boat, ignoring the visual size throws around like the old star not the super star but the old all-star, but a bit harder to pull the stern down than the old one. The ease in which it throws around on flat water surprised me but you have to look the stern into the water when you pull. You also have to remember that I paddle 300 days a year and work on being strong at the gym as well. (Bit o salt with my words) I am also used to being the boss with my boats too. I got into 7-8 holes at 6 and a bit and felt like I was in a past vicious relationship with an old girlfriend. To be short the extra volume is amazing for small spots and the ends being short stopped me from hitting the bottom at places like S BEND on the Ottawa. But Like the x I get bossed around a bunch in large holes and to be frank......... I let out a bit of a squeak the last round I got out of the hole and ran away with my tail between my legs.


The knees are way Higher, I found and we discussed it at length over the winter with Eric during the design process. IT was the team’s thoughts that the knees on the all stars were a bit low and were killing the guys with tree trunks and was causing hip pain to some.

Foot length, I found that the new foot bags are not quite right for the new boats they work ok but they shift a bit especially if yer a shorty like me. I have short legs and have to pump the foot bags up to the max to have the bags reach my feet. I just jammed a big chunk of foam up there in the bow and that fixed my shorty problem. There is a new hip pad coming out soon as well that will help But I can't get more hip pads in the hip pad case.

(Special note) I drill out the cockpit rim with 2 holes and put the straps of the hip pads though the holes to hold the hip pads high on the rim and in turn it holds the backband a bit higher.. email me for deets... b3harris@gmail.com

The length of the new 2010 superstar is the same as the old all star, and its very easy to say its WAY faster just the same. Because I float higher its moves faster too so check it out before you believe it. Its hard to gauge cause I found the old super too tough to paddle too wide too big to throw around, I could but I felt like it was allot of work...

The Rocker on the new boat is lower, it gets more speed but now the bow seems to get caught a little more and you have to pay attention to it after moves a bit more than the last one and on flat water you have to be trimmed well or you will burry the boats bow. It’s SLOWER on the flats... if your paddling with anyone with a river running boat your going to suffer keeping up.

(I trim the boat back a bit and the water line seems to be stern heavy and it works great for me... I also sit on 150 with 2 shims under my butt to make up for my short torso..)

At 190 I am perfect for the boat. I land miracles on the waves now and seem to never flush. I feel like for the first time the BIG heavy people that have been jipped for so long finally get a boat to paddle that works. It will seem big at first but we big boys have been paddling tiny little things for a while so everything will seem big. And that’s about all the leg humping your going to get from me.