I recently did an overview of the freestyle kayak landscape, with what’s available now, both old and new. There’s been a couple of developments since then, so let’s look at what’s around in terms of the absolute latest designs.
You might be asking, what can be updated or changed about a freestyle boat. After all, they all look the same, don’t they? A similar accusation could be levelled at surfboards and surf kayaks, but the truth is that while we might not see anything truly revolutionary, designs can and are still being improved. From rocker profiles to volume distribution, to edge and sidewall profiles, refinement is ongoing. And, it’s important to note that often with white water kayak design, small changes can make a big difference to the feel of a boat. Designs have been refined now to a point where even a short kayak can now surf on waves that it really shouldn’t be able to when conventional wisdom is applied, it’s easier than ever to initiate moves, and the hulls are looser than ever.
So, what are the newest and most up-to-date designs on the market. Let’s take a look.
Vajda EVO GTI
Vajda used to be a major name in the freestyle kayaking world, and one of its previous boats, the Beast, was a very popular boat amongst competitors at the time. The company only makes composite versions of its designs, so it’s most definitely a premium brand, suited mainly to those in the competition arena. The Vajda EVO GTI was a bit of a surprise, given that it appeared pretty much out of nowhere, and I can’t even remember the last time I saw a Vajda boat in competition. But, here it is, a new design, and it looks great. There were a few competitors using the EVO in the recent 2024 World Cup at Plattling, and the company is pushing it in terms of marketing now. I haven’t heard any direct feedback yet, but if it performs as well as it looks, it’ll be one to keep an eye on.
Design wise, the EVO seems to take cues from the GuiGui Helixir and the Rockstar V. It has a rounded bow from a top profile, and looks to be pretty slicy on the ends. It appears to have a double rail system and features a sidewall rail like the Rockstar V. It also has a similar ‘indent’ in the sidewall for structural integrity. If it was possible to judge a boat’s performance on looks alone, the EVO would be right up there. If you’ve had a chance to try one, leave a comment below.
GuiGui Prod Helectron
The GuiGui Prod Helectron has been long awaited, not least because it will also form Pyranha’s new plastic freestyle boat. The Helectron has gone through five prototypes as Guillaume Respaud refined each one. Feedback on the final version seems to be excellent, and although superficially it looks like a Helixir on steroids, it has a completely new hull and rail profile. It uses a double rail, which is becoming the in-thing at the moment.
Feedback I have been told by someone who has tried one is that it feels longer than the Helixir, encompassing some aspects of older designs like the Jed, but still able to get huge air like the 2018 Helixir and Rockstar V. It also sounds like it might be suitable for taller paddlers, too. Slicey ends should make for a great cartwheeling machine, and a squarer bow is aimed at making loop plugs more stable. The rear of the hull also features prominent ‘boosters’, which seems to be becoming standard these days in some form or another. GuiGui also says that the cockpit rim has been newly designed to make it drier, and the outfitting has also been overhauled, specifically to stop the back band from going under your butt after a loop.
I don’t think GuiGui has ever really produced a bad design, so the Helectron will be one to look out for once it becomes available in plastic. The composite version already has a waiting list that extends out to December 2024.
Rockstar V
The Rockstar V seems like one of the latest boats, but incredibly it’s actually a few years old already. The Rockstar V made its debut in 2021, ready for what would have been the World Championships in Nottingham. Covid put paid to that, and the Championships didn’t take place until 2022. But, the long and short of it is that the Rockstar V is in fact a three year old design. With the 2025 Worlds taking place in Plattling, will Jackson be producing another design soon? It’s perfectly possible, given that the Rockstar 4.0 was only three years old when the V was announced, and the Rockstar 2016 was only 2-3 years old when the 4.0 was announced. So, it would be unusual for Jackson to leave a design in circulation for over four years without an update. If an update is indeed due, I would expect it to be announced in the fall of this year. The Rockstar V is a great design, but it’ll be interesting to hear feedback comparing it with the latest from GuiGui and Vajda.
Apex Rebound
The Apex Watercraft Rebound, designed by Eric Jackson, is around the same age as the Rockstar V and is composite only. I haven’t heard a lot of feedback about it, but it is being used by some top freestylers such as Hitomi Takaku, and of course EJ himself. The Rebound hull was one of the first to really go shorter, when some of the previous generation boats had gone a bit longer.
The feedback I have heard is that it is capable of huge air, and does appear to perform very well. The main issue with the Rebound is getting hold of one. It’s also not clear if you can order custom volume adjustments to tune it to your weight.
Mystery boat?
What’s this? A mystery boat? Through the grapevine I have heard a rumour that there is a new freestyle boat being designed at the moment by an as yet unnamed company. There are a few possibilities with this. The first is Spade, but it has already said publicly that while it is currently selling the GuiGui Helixir in plastic form, renamed the Cobra, it is also designing its own freestyle boat.
So, if it isn’t Spade, which company could it be? The only two realistic possibilities are Dagger and Wave Sport. Liquid Logic hasn’t been in the modern short freestyle boat space for many years, if ever, and I can’t see it changing now. Waka did at one time mull over the idea of making one, but it soon got confined to the dustbin, never to be mentioned ever again. Dagger on the other hand… The Jitsu has been discontinued for a while now, and aside from the Nova, which is the closest to a freestyle boat that the company has come to in recent years, it hasn’t really made any inroads into making a new one.
It is surprising, but at the same time it isn’t. The fact is that the freestyle boat market is small, and can easily be crowded with too much choice for too small a number of people. But, at the same time it wouldn’t be surprising if Dagger was to produce a new design. After all, the company has been responsible for some of the great freestyle boats of the past, including the G-Force, the Kingpin, and the Agent. Though the Jitsu is the only freestyle boat that the company has produced that could be considered a ‘modern’ design, even if it is now 11 years old.
Could Dagger finally be ready to produce a new freestyle kayak? Personally, I’d put the odds at just a smidgen above zero. I’m not totally convinced the market is large enough for a company like Dagger to invest in a design now, and it’s always difficult to compete with a Jackson or GuiGui design in terms of general acceptance and take-up. That said, the Jitsu was a very popular and capable boat when it was available, and it was unexpected.
The Rockstar series of boats really serve to be an advertisement for Jackson kayaks, and to give kudos to the company via Dane Jackson. Obviously sales are an objective, but breaking even on a freestyle boat mould is an achievement in itself. So, would Dagger really enter the fray again? When the Jitsu came about, it was a surprise, and the company had been off the freestyle scene for a while when it announced it. So, never say never. If we discount composite boats, the only modern (ie new and latest design) freestyle boats on the market right now are the Rockstar V and the GuiGui Helixir/Spade Cobra. That’s it until the plastic Helectron comes out. So, the available choice of latest designs in plastic is currently quite limited. Judging by Pyranha’s website, the Jed has already been discontinued, so with the addition of the Helectron, that leaves a choice of three decent up-to-the-minute plastic freestyle boat designs on the market.
This is all speculation based upon my plucking theories out of my rear end, and likely there’s a Dagger rep laughing their ass off at my predictions, rightly or wrongly. But, it’s fun to try and guess what might be on the horizon.
Kids freestyle boat
Last, but not least, it appears that Corran Addison is working on a new freestyle design, made specifically for younger paddlers to make it easy for them to learn stuff like bow and stern stalls. The boat will apparently be made in the UK by Mega Kayaks, which will mean it’ll be quite pricey being a composite construction.
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