Page 122 - 2022-08-01 Paddling Magazine

WHITEWATER

Creeker’s
HANDBOOK

What you need to know before buying a new—or new to you—creek boat by nick gottlieb

CREEK BOATS HAVE COME A LONG WAY since 1973, when Tom
and Jamie McEwan attempted the first descent of North Carolina’s
Linville Gorge in fiberglass slalom boats. Plastic kayaks first hit
the market around the same time. But it wasn’t until 1986 that the
Perception Dancer really kicked off the revolution and changed
the course of kayaking.
Since then, whitewater boats have gone through all sorts of per-
mutations. The modern creek boat emerged in the mid-1990s.
Creek boats got short for a time; now they’re getting longer again.
They went from round displacement hulls to flat-bottomed planing
hulls and then got rounder again. And what they’re used for has
changed, too. Creek boats aren’t just for hair boaters anymore. Now
they are paddled by boaters of all skill levels on all types of rivers.
So, what is a creek boat these days? And is a creek boat right for
you? Probably, yes. Read on to find out for sure.

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