When I was a kid growing up near the beach, the father of a buddy of mine was a big-time wave kayaker. During the
fiercest storms of the year, we’d find him out there riding waves that most surfers were too afraid to try. Surf
kayakers have tended to use whitewater playboats to hang, well, one, and while these have worked fine over the years, a
company out of Montreal is pioneering a new breed of surf kayak that allows for greater speed and
maneuverability.
Riot Kayaks is run by free-style kayaker Steve Fisher, and he and hs
engineers have come up with a wave-riding boat that features a planing hull, adjustable hipp pads that let you change
height, width and length, and sleek rails along with quad fins like those found on some surfboards and which provide
stability and direction. Fisher has said that he hopes someday to take a boat like this to ride the 60-foot monsters at
Jaws. Now that would be cool to see. No tow-in necessary.