Corran Addison

Personal Taste: Do you prefer more or less rocker for a creeker? Why? The shape of the rocker sweep and the template of the kayak is more important than how much rocker there is. Also, I;m a fan of swept rocker over kick rocker because its makes for much more fluid transitions from the base of drops and over rocks. Any major changes for creekboats of the future,design related? No... in safety yes, but not design that i can forsee... but never say never ;-). I don;t like creekers with edges in the centre section... boat should have rounded sidewalls so it can skip and bounce off rocks and stuff. Edges on a creeker is about as dumb as round hulls for playing in my opinion. So this leaves very little room for change. Evolution sure, but not revolution. But safety... sure. How much are people willing to pay to be safe? What rescue equip. do you carry? Breakdown,pulley,rope, float bags, first aid, prussic? Breakdown, pulleys, sewing kit, cell phone, prussiks, retractable saw and paddle shaft extension for it, 2 throw bags, caribiners... basically what I need to rope into, or out of somewhere, ascend or decend, or Z drag, plus extraction use and appication. Personal Preference: Bent Shaft or Straight, any reason why? Angles grip (so bet shaft or seven 2 style grip. More blade control, less fatigue. Do you spend a lot of time outfitting a new boat or just make it fit. I deign my boats outfitted to fit out the box. Can you describe some things that you take into consideration when outfitting a creeker? Escape. What is you favorite creekboat design to date(or one of them)? Big Gun... now Mafia. What’s you favorite local hometown run? The Riviere du nords and the Toro. What are five cities in the U.S. that you would live in strictly for creeking purposes? Folsom, Santa Barbara, San Diego, Bend or Boulder. Do you feel play boats have a place on creeks? Absolutely not! Example: “Backyard” type creeks. NO! Creeking vs. Do you prefer boating with boaters you know best or have boated with predominantly? Yes. When I'm pushing my limits I want people I can trust 1) not to get themselves into trouble, and if I get into trouble have the most chance of getting me out. If I don;t know you, you're not invited. Do you take bigger risks with these boaters? I never take risks if I can help it. Besides keeping their boat pointing downstream,what are the main differences between creekboaters and other genres? Creekers are less about the show and more about staying safe. Is creekboating in its “Golden Age” or do you feel there will be lots more pioneered, greater levels, and lots more athletes to take this to the next level. Humm. hard to say not knowing. Compared to the other forms of kayaking would you say that creeking is more team oriented? yes. You're a team for sure, just like a track and field team. if one person is not on it the team suffers. How would you describe differences between East Coast and West Coast creeking (word or paragraph) Which would you rather live in? West coast. East is too rain dependent, and that means winter. brrrr. California is where its at. Epic: East Coast rapid that makes you really nervous, what’s the first one that pops in your head? Blaster on Linville, or "Holey shit" on the rocky broad. West Coast rapid that makes you really nervous, what’s the first one that pops in your head? Everything on Hells Kitchen. What are some of the closest calls that you’ve had in your paddling career? Death! Thats close enough. Have you lost a close paddling partner to a whitewater accident? How would you say that it changed your scope on whitewater activities in general, creeking, development? yes, several. It made me really think about what I'm trying top achieve, and for whom out there. Considerations: Do you ever creek solo? If so what creeks? I have, but its stupid. At what height(waterfall) does the freefall get a little nutty and maybe less controlled? Anything over about 40 feet I'd say. Development: Did you have any heroes growing up that you looked up to for their creeking/riverrunning abilities? Francois Cireauteau, Jerome Truran. Who are some of your heroes in the creeking arena today? Anyone not hucking themselves off anything they see. Anyone on control. The Kerns, Fisher... What are some things that may have drawn you towards creeking when you were in your developmental stages? fear and controlling the fear. Why kayaking over climbing, soccer, golf, etc.? You're in a dynamic medium. You're riding on a liquid freight train without breaks. Nothing else compares to that. Would you classify your development as attending the school of hard knocks or did you develop with patience waiting till you felt totally prepared mentally to run class V? A little of both. i had great teachers. What ways/things should advancing boaters work on to improve skills that will benefit them on Class creeks and rapids? Safety, extraction, rescue, understanding, experience. Balls comes last. What advice do you have for the next generations boaters who want to explore the arenas you currently dwell in? Be safe. be realistic. Walk when in doubt. You can ALWAYS come back another day.