I’m not going to say much, but only because I want you to get up, go to your nearest retailer, and get yourself into a Storm. If you’ve already done that and found yourself underwhelmed, go back and try a smaller size!
📸: Aaron Kendall
Back in January, a team of us went to Scotland in Medium Storms, with instructions to go kayaking and rip in this boat. Maybe it was Scotland, maybe it was the Storm; nevertheless, the goods delivered. I experienced a capable downriver kayak, boofing and skipping over class rapids on the N-Esk and Braan. I was also made giddy by the way it flew over waves in whips and kick-flips, but also surfed, and even looped like a dream! The only thing I struggled with was getting the boat vertical. And for me, downriver play needs some verticality.
📸: Dan Toward
Fast forward to April and the Small Storm arrived! On those play sections, every wave, and every boil line, you could barely convince me to paddle anything else. Don’t worry, you will still find me regularly in my playboat. But downriver? The Storm is the play you need. Vertical on the tail, and in a hole on the nose, my wish was granted. I just came back from a summer on the Sjoa, Norway, and can attest that the Storm has been the most popular kayak on that river. Its wall-splatting, tailee-ing, and looping potential gives so much joy and makes me literally skip to go again. It has been my go-to kayak on the Amòt and play section, except on the occasions I went to grab it only to find someone else had taken it first (GET YOUR OWN, Raife Gehren, Rhys Thompson, Sarah Williams!!)
That’s enough words from me. It’s time to go kayaking.
Tusen Takk,
Becky