Whisky 16 review, The Skook-Worthy shake down

The worlds leading kayaking magazine, US Canoe & Kayak choose four of the worlds most experience rough water sea kayakers (James Mole, Brandon Gonski, Dave Shively and Scott Waidelich) to test 5 of the most celebrated rough water seakayaks at Skookumchuck Narrows, British Columbias famed tidal beast.

This was their conclusion:
"The Point 65 Whisky 16 went down smooth as our unanimous pick as the top Skookumchuck performer."

Read the full review Canoe & Kayak Magazine March 2009:
Billed as a spirited coastal playboat from this Swedish boat manufacturer, the Whisky 16 went down smooth as our unanimous pick as the top Skookumchuck performer. With the cockpit just aft of center, increased bow volume and a hard chine into the flattest, most planing-like hull of the bunch, the Whisky handled with the smallest degree of separation from its distant whitewater playboat brethren. "it was the only bow where, when the bow and stern were in the water at the same time , you could still react -crank into turns, load up on the paddle and bring it back," one of the testers said, "With the others, you'd shoot off the far end of the wave." In building the new Whisky boat range for rock gardens and surf zones, Point 65 R&D head Nigel Foster designed the 16's hull to avoid purling and to push onto a plane more easily than other displacement -style hulls. Fosters globe trotting research has also resulted in an upgraded, "beefier" foot peg system, alleviating our testers' main gripe with the outfitting. Weather you see it as anomaly or vanguard, the Whisky 16 handled reasonably well on the flatwater tour back to Egmont (with the skeg dropped), but fits as the most highly specialized rough-water boat"

Nigel Fosters whirl wind tour of Sweden

Last week Nigel and Kristin arrived for a whirl wind tour of Sweden. They spent 11 days in Sweden (well, one of them in Denmark) teaching in 7(!) different cities.

Nigel & Kristin preparing for class.

I was the designated driver for most of the trip so I can vouch for the exhausting schedule!

Nigel being interviewed be Swedish media (see it here)

They started of in Stockholm with a happy group of paddlers. Next day they spent visiting Point 65 Kayak Centers in the city of Norrköping and Gothenburg.

Nigel showing Caroline from Germany a trick or two

Day 3 they where on the water again, teaching a class in Uddevalla at Upplevelsebolaget. Sunday was also spent in Uddevalla with their demo day but day 5 they hit the road again and spent the day on the water with a group, paddling in south Copenhagen hosted by retailer Kajakhotellet.

"If you hold your hands like this you will not be able to hold the paddle..."

Back in Stockholm day 7 for a day paddling and teaching some happy campers. Day 8 teaching a group in the city of Nynäshamn at Nynäs Kajak.

Member of the Fun With Foster group and proud builder/owner of a Thomasson design kayak. A beauty!

Day 9 on the other side of Sweden in Varberg were Nigel got extensive coverage in the local media and also inaugurated a new kayak center there. This ended in the small hours after finishing of the last drops of the inauguration champagne.

The looooong day in Varberg ended with a looong night with bubbly. All lot's of fun!

Day 10 the metropole of Gothenburg another group had the pleasure of Kristin and Nigels teaching skills. This was going parallel with the kayak exhibition "KANOT VÄST" and inauguration of yet another kayak center there.

The group in the water in down town Gothenburg if front of the opera house. Almost 100 spectators watched Nigels and Kristins paddling show later.

Day 11 we raced up to Norrköping for the last group of paddlers and inauguration of a third kayak centre there!

Pelle and Carina of Nynäs Kajak

The class of Norrköping right in the middle of town.

After this they headed of to Venice and the Bibione symposium and Vogalonga marathon. Check Nigels and Kristins blogs for updates on that.