The Fun 1 and 2 Fun kid’s kayaks: Allowing parents to stay in the sport!

The Fun 1 and 2 Fun kid’s kayaks: 
              Allowing parents to stay in the sport!
I have been paddling since I was six years old. 
              I paddled in a canoe with my dad until I was 15 when I got my first 
              kayak. If I couldn’t have participated in canoeing, my dad 
              wouldn’t have done it, simple as that. Since then, I have 
              watched many of my friends stop paddling because they got married 
              and had kids. It is difficult to justify the amount of time away 
              from the family for paddling if they can’t go with you. Kids 
              want to do the same things their parents do in the outdoors and 
              most parents feel guilty having a sport like kayaking and doing 
              it alone. I am trying to remedy the problem. I have already remedied 
              it for my family. Both of my kids have had kayaks since they were 
              2 years old. They finally got kayaks that were appropriate for their 
              size this past year, because I designed them. I now can’t 
              not paddle, my kids expect me to take them every chance I get (which 
              is daily in my case). Jackson Kayak’s first boat out of our 
              factory is the Fun 1 our kid’s boat. My hope is that parents 
              who once paddled, will buy themselves a Fun and their kids either 
              a Fun 1 or a 2 Fun and get back into it. 
Most people were initially shocked to see that 
              the Fun 1 was a full on river running/playboat. No designing down 
              to the little ones. They get all of the performance of the full 
              size Fun Series. There is not compromise in outfitting, materials, 
              graphics, etc.. The boat is modeled off of EJ/David Knight’s 
              successful river running/playboat concepts, just updated and improved 
              for 2003. In a nutshell, most people that kayak in whitewater want 
              to run down the river and be able to play wherever they please. 
              For some, front surfing is the extent of their playing. For others, 
              it is cartwheels, or loops, or squirting. The Fun Series is designed 
              to do all of that without sacrificing the river running abilities 
              of the boat. 
My vision: Kids programs are going to pop up 
              all over the place. Summer camps, scouting, municipal programs, 
              and kayak schools will all add programs designed for kids old enough 
              to swim. They won’t start off as freestyle or class 3 programs, 
              but simply flat or class 1. However, as I know from experience, 
              try keeping your kid from getting good enough to play in class 2 
              and 3. It happened to me this spring, my kids just got good and 
              their was nothing I could do about it. It won’t be long until 
              you will see a mom or dad (or both) running down their favorite 
              local run with their kids leading the way, shredding every wave 
              and hole they can find. If you have trouble envisioning it, just 
              go to your local ski mountain and watch the kids in action. Kayaking 
              is much safer statistically than skiing or snowboarding, so why 
              not? I know that I am finally to the point where I can run just 
              about any river and not have to wonder if my kids are ready for 
              it. 
I want to do as much as I can to make this vision 
              come true for both your kids and you. For this reason, I priced 
              the Fun 1 at $795 and am making it available first. 
Check my “Kids Corner” section of 
              my website or talk to NOC staff about other companies that make 
              accessories for your kids.
See you and your kids on the river, with my kids!
 EJ