Buying a kayak is a lot like buying a new pair of shoes. You want it to be comfortable, practical and, yeah, a little style never hurts, either. But since you probably won’t ever own as many kayaks as you do shoes, consider the Jackson Kayak Fun ($995). This cornerstone to the Jackson Kayak brand was redesigned in 2007 after helping the company become the leading maker of whitewater kayaks in only three years. Much of the success is due to the Fun’s six-size availability, ranging from the kid-friendly, 26-gallon Fun1 to the super-sized, 70-gallon Super Fun. But it’s the practical versatility of this next generation of river-running playboats that sets them apart. Eric Jackson and design partner David Knight have struck a near-perfect balance between cutting-edge performance and rock-solid reliability.
Get it — at Confluence Kayaks, 1611 Platte St. or.
