# Dane Jackson's record setting ride



## bvwp1 (Oct 27, 2003)

Cool to see records being set in Colorado. 

Epic Times in Buena Vista at the CKS Paddlefest (and EPIC Scores!) Video of Dane’s 1900 Point Ride - Jackson Kayak - Whitewater Kayaks, Fishing Kayaks, Recreational Kayaks

https://vimeo.com/67030663


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## Philthy (Apr 30, 2004)

sick ride. thanks for posting!


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## Canada (Oct 24, 2006)

*The last time I saw him he was in diapers.*

My god I'm old.


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## Anchorless (Aug 3, 2010)

Are you kidding me with that run...?

Also, mad props to Alec Voorhees!


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## dirtbagkayaker (Oct 29, 2008)

Anchorless said:


> Are you kidding me with that run...?


My thinking too... Needs more amplitude! Wave is not big enough to earn a record score like that. 

That may be a pro ride but its on a JV wave! Just saying.


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## Anchorless (Aug 3, 2010)

Well, my lack of punctuation did not make my point clear. That was a pretty incredible run, mellow wave or not.


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## rocketbox (Mar 27, 2013)

That is an awesome ride but I would have to agree with dirt. The wave is not at pro quality and Dane left a couple ticks out of the mix that he usually throws in. He almost feel off the wave twice. I've seen him go bigger! Seems like the judges were scoring a bit high. IMHO.


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## Phil U. (Feb 7, 2009)

The pros show up and paddle on what's available. This year, at these levels, this was the best feature in the park available for the comp. Lodo was bigger and would have given up bigger tricks but was flushy and half of the ride would have been spent paddling back up to the wave. What a feature like this does show off is a great paddler's ability to link tricks. And that is what Dane did and why he scored so high. The scoring was accurate. The ride was awesome. 

No, they weren't the biggest tricks ever but actually Dane pretty much owns them too.


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## Nathan (Aug 7, 2004)

Impressive ride, he was getting close to the back loop McNasty combo on Sunday. 

Too bad the comp couldn't be in the original hole above the bridge, it was the best feature in the park and there would have been plenty of amplitude.


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## rocketbox (Mar 27, 2013)

Phil U. said:


> Lodo was bigger and would have given up bigger tricks but was flushy and half of the ride would have been spent paddling back up to the wave.
> 
> What a feature like this does show off is a great paddler's ability to link tricks.


I 100% disagree. It takes more skill to link moves on a flushy wave. Anyone can link up moves in a tiny sticky hole. Its just that the pros do it even better! Linking moves on a flushy wave would showcase real skills! 

Even though the scoring may be technically accurate, it does not reflect the over all ride. Which in this case was low amplitude. There should be a deduction for small waves. I've seen Dane pull off better rides and I fear what he'll be sticking next month. 

I'd give him the best freestyler on the planet award but not biased on that ride.


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## glenn (May 13, 2009)

It was a super impressive technical ride... that's what produces the biggest points in freestyle kayaking.

While many may find the freestyle point/competition system broken, the point is WITHIN that system Dane just set the record.


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## Favre (Nov 17, 2010)

Best kayaker in the world right there..

Some are now saying the best kayaker in the history of the world.


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## paulk (Apr 24, 2006)

I watched this ride after EJ and Nick Troutman. I know absolutely nothing about freestyle points systems and am not really a fan of hole playboating, but he was obviously better than everyone else competing. It was extremely impressive to watch when comparing to the rest of the field. 

once they start giving points for window shades to carp rolls combos, this kid better watch out. I am going to own the podium.


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## FIBArk Tom (Mar 14, 2013)

Haters will be haters.. The WWGP was created to address many of the concerns voiced here.. Dane just won that twice. 

The kid deserves credit- the best in the biz were in the eddy trying to throw that ride, on this feature and they didn't.


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## Nathan (Aug 7, 2004)

FIBArk Tom said:


> Haters will be haters.. The WWGP was created to address many of the concerns voiced here.. Dane just won that twice.
> 
> The kid deserves credit- the best in the biz were in the eddy trying to throw that ride, on this feature and they didn't.


Exactly!


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## blutzski (Mar 31, 2004)

How is surfing judged? A lot of surf competitions I see are held on waves that normally no one would even bother riding except beginners. When surf competitions are held on really small waves, do they weight the scores lower? Or do they base it on what is possible given the wave size (i.e. a perfect score is achievable even on a pathetic wave)? I would think that the judging should be based on what is possible given the size of the wave. If someone is killing it on a small wave, even though they could be throwing bigger if the wave was bigger, a perfect score should still be achievable. 

Looks like Dane is riding a bar of soap.


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## Miller Time (Apr 3, 2009)

WWGP says it all... Now if he just weren't so socially awkward most of us would like him more.


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## Phil U. (Feb 7, 2009)

Miller Time said:


> WWGP says it all... Now if he just weren't so socially awkward most of us would like him more.


WTF?!? I hope that's just a socially awkward attempt at humor.


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## glenn (May 13, 2009)

Others probably have a better concept of the exact scoring rules but it's something like this. Each possible trick has an assigned point value. The best execution of a particular trick gets the points, and you can get bonuses for linking tricks and for amplitude. So for instance a loop and a big loop into cartwheels in the same ride will only count as the big loop into cartwheels. There is a theoretical maximum number of points based on the total number of tricks that have an assigned point value, but total ride time and paddler execution are bigger limiting factors than total possible score. 

To get a big score you need to do a lot of different difficult tricks big, and combo them. What counts for big might change based on the feature. Dane threw a ton of hard tricks in both directions (count as different tricks) and nearly everything was part of a combo. He didn't flush (eats up time) and there wasn't really much in the way of setups.


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## KSC (Oct 22, 2003)

This reminds me of something I read Scott Lindgren talking about that I totally agree with and this seems to emphasize. He said there was a junction where mainstream kayaking competitions could have been taken towards playboating tricks on large wave features and creekboating competitions and accomplishments, but instead focused most of its attention on technical tricks in small holes. You could argue that some of that emphasis has changed in recent years (I think it has), but regardless, his point was that it's the former types of events that really showcase what's exciting about kayaking and will get outsiders and even other kayakers interested in it. 

This video is case in point. There's no doubt that the skills involved require a lifetime of practice and unique talent, yet the casual onlooker, watching a recording breaking ride, would likely just pause for a few moments and then continue on their way. Even passionate boaters who aren't into dialing in technical hole tricks will find it hard to get very excited about watching this. Photos of Dane getting like 15+ feet of air off a monster wave in Canada however, is a hell of a thing to watch. This sounds like a cool accomplishment, I find it amazing what Dane's accomplishing as a paddler, but if someone hadn't told me, I wouldn't have been able to tell you that there's something particularly amazing about this ride in comparison to others on the pro boating circuit.

Lastly, I feel like someone should point out that people who like to publicly ridicule Dane because they think he talks funny or seems socially awkward are acting like total pricks. At least pretend you've matured since junior high.


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## caspermike (Mar 9, 2007)

WWGP didn't have playboating in the last round.. Charlie sheen was seen in bv it seems


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## Phil U. (Feb 7, 2009)

Good stuff, "KSC". A couple thoughts... There's room for all kinds of comps. In this case we have a local festival (Paddlefest was fantastic this year!) and the pros show up and compete on one of "our" features. They practice with us. We get a chance to sit in the eddy with them. They show us what is possible on a feature that we play on. They give us tips on technique etc. Its truly one of the almost unique aspects of our sport that kids just learning a forward stroke in a Fun 1 can meet and learn from a World Champion at their local playpark. 

The WWGP is a great concept but a totally different animal. Very difficult to stage for multiple reasons. Very few rivers have features that allow the huge aerial moves and even fewer of those features have any kind of "reasonable" access or are in reliably. Glad the effort is being made and I hope it continues. 

Seems to me, one could argue that the local event is just as exciting for the average boater or the general public as a 100' drop or a hellacious Panam on a huge feature in the backwoods of Quebec. 

"Rocketbox", I don't disagree that it would take more skill to link moves on a flushy wave but in this case the linked moves wouldn't have happened because of how flushy the wave was. The decision was made to hold the comp where it was rather than Lodo because comps where 1900 point rides are possible are more fun to watch than one trick and a flush comps. But no, "anyone" can't link moves like Dane did there. Check out his lunar orbit-cartwheel-split wheel-tricky woo combo. That's not your local boater linking cartwheels.


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## craven_morhead (Feb 20, 2007)

Phil, you make a number of good points, but the fact that "one could argue" small hole moves are as interesting doesn't mean that person wouldn't lose the argument.


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## Phil U. (Feb 7, 2009)

"Craven", what a craven handle you have.  I wasn't "arguing" small hole moves versus big wave moves etc, I was pointing out the value of a local event which goes beyond the amplitude of a trick...


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## okieboater (Oct 19, 2004)

I am a long time kayaker but don't do much of what is current "play boat moves".

While I do not do the moves, I can for sure appreciate the skill sets used by real play boaters.

Bottom line in company of many world class playboaters, it looked to me that young Dane worked that hole to the maximum possible. The fact that judges gave him a big score does not mean as much to me as the fact he took a "local" hole and worked that hole for all it had to give to the point he beat out other "pro boaters" and locals who were on site and competing.


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## okieboater (Oct 19, 2004)

After thought. I was there at a instructor's clinic at NOC when EJ used Dane (Dane was really young at that time) to demonstrate EJ's "new way of teaching the roll". I was impressed by Dane at that time and as Dane has grown into a very experienced young man, am more impressed with Dane's performance as the years race by.


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## Don (Oct 16, 2003)

*LOG*

Dane had a great ride, and has proven that he can rise above the rest in whatever feature he faces. 

Perfect example of "don't hate the player, hate the game".

If you want to see what he can do on a hole with more pop- come up and see him this weekend in Lyons. Airing out will happen and so will He and the clan ripping down SSV. And if sitting on your butt isn't enough, he'll also be killing it in his canoe and C-1 all while hanging out with friends and giving helpful tips to anyone who wants to do the samething or wants to take his crown.

Now tell me Tiger Woods would do that.


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## okieboater (Oct 19, 2004)

A big "Amen" to Preacher Don!!


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## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

I must be old, too. I thought he was still a preteen! :lol:



Don said:


> Perfect example of "don't hate the player, hate the game".


 
That guy didn't make the rules, but he certainly knows how to play the game!!! What a fluid boater. Amazing.


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## rocketbox (Mar 27, 2013)

KSC said:


> This video is case in point. There's no doubt that the skills involved require a lifetime of practice and unique talent, yet the casual onlooker, watching a recording breaking ride, would likely just pause for a few moments and then continue on their way. Even passionate boaters who aren't into dialing in technical hole tricks will find it hard to get very excited about watching this. Photos of Dane getting like 15+ feet of air off a monster wave in Canada however, is a hell of a thing to watch. This sounds like a cool accomplishment, I find it amazing what Dane's accomplishing as a paddler, but if someone hadn't told me, I wouldn't have been able to tell you that there's something particularly amazing about this ride in comparison to others on the pro boating circuit.


I totally agree! You said it better than I could.


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## David Spiegel (Sep 26, 2007)

Dane is amazing in the boat. I'm always blown away. But for me, this ride from Jason Craig in Reno a few weeks back really shows the best in hole boating: Jason Craig Reno River Festival 2013 - YouTube


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## Cutch (Nov 4, 2003)

What's impressive about the ride is the ability to link a bunch of ridiculously technical tricks together... on a tiny, beginner feature. Although the video isn't as visually impressive to watch (and great for arm chair paddlers to critique) than a huge feature, I would argue that it's more impressive (i.e. takes more skill) to throw down on a small feature than a large one. Anyone can throw a blunt on a 6 foot Idaho wave... most can't blunt on a 12" hole... let alone link together a bunch of combos, and that deserves props, or at least the respect to shut up if you don't understand how technically flawless that ride was. I dream of the day that I will show up to Golden WWP and see someone surfing with that amplitude, but alas, 97% of kayakers are pretty boring to watch freestyle, regardless of the size of the feature. I find it inspiring to see what's possible on all those tiny little features that I float by because they are "too small."


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## BCxp (Jun 3, 2012)

That ride was sheer poetry to watch, irrespective of the size of the water. The vid doesn't capture that flavor. You had to be there.


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## yourrealdad (May 25, 2004)

Are there really four pages on a playboating thread? The ride was a sick wicked tight playboating ride which is like saying that the Gilmore Girls is a sick wicked tight television show. Its playboating.


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## wabisabimike (Apr 28, 2010)

Playboating still isn't dead though I noticed that Dane ended up getting a 2450 point ride last week. Does anyone have the video of that?


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## FIBArk Tom (Mar 14, 2013)

I think those might have been combined rides.


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