Then you do the research and find any other single model (multiple lengths and revisions over a decade of year models is fine) of kayak that a) holds a hull patent, and b) has won more awards from recognized industry orgs in boating, kayaking, and fishing. If you can prove me wrong, then I will gladly admit it here and on my own blog, which is syndicated all over the Internet and picked up by the search engines within a couple of hours.

It's hard to believe because FHK has not marketed themselves well in TX in the past. Change of plans!

Just Fish and I agree on a subject? Oh God, the Mayans were right, the world is going to come to an end this year!

a)I'm not questioning it's patent or what that has to do with any awards.
b)All I said is I don't buy it. I think the burden of proof is on you to change my thought, but I'm pretty sure Hobie has won awards these past two years (and maybe more) at ICAST.

In Texas we need/demand proof. Pictures and messages from people 5-10 states away just does not cut it.

Plus just a heads up. We like quiet laid back people. Ones that's walk the walk more then talk the talk.

I live here in little elm, tx. Pics taken mostly in lake lewisville.

I was going to stay out of this one, but I have to agree as well with Neumie

well...if it is all over the internet than who am I to say it is wrong....

I, for one, am looking forward to finally paddling both Raptor kayaks. So I'll give Christian a premature "thank you" for taking the time for bringing them out for out event.

+1. Love trying out all kinds of kayaks. Looking forward to the g2g.

Malibu Stealth 14, very stable. In fact, looking for a Steath 12 for the wife and grandkids. Bought a Prescador 12, nice yak, but have to give the edge to the Stealth.

oh, are you kidding? My pleasure. About the malibu having the edge...the last time I was on the water with a stealth 14, the raptor was fastr, lighter and more stable. Not saying it wasnt a nice yak, it was just in all the catigories that matter to me the raptor had the edge. The malibus weight cap. was higher.

I won't be able to make any gatherings until after the first week in October, but if/when you (or anyone) are going to be in my neck of the woods I will do my best to let you take her for a test drive!

I think they are going to have a Frontier 12 at the G2G. You should definitely try it out.

Neumie,

I didn't say no one else had won any awards. I said no other single model had won as many respectable industry awards since the intro of the original Freedom 14. That is a very specific statement. I also said that no other model had been granted patents and won respectable industry awards for stand-up fishing innovation (primary stability and ease and safety of moving and fishing while standing). I choose my words very carefully before I speak, much less write. There is no "burden of proof" on me or FHK, since we have already accomplished these things. Proof is in the pudding.

BassFever,

I am from Mineola, Texas, and a graduate of SMU in Dallas. I got all of my paddling and water safety certs in TX in the 1980s. I am a Texas Veterans Land Grant eligible disabled combat vet, and that's about as true Texan as you can get without having died at the Alamo or fought at the Battle of San Jacinto.

My signature block tells you straight-up my motivation for being bold about setting the record straight about stand-up kayaks and kayak stability in this neck o' the woods. It's my job. But I assure you I will not be blasting it all over Internet forums, and that both the boats and I can and do walk the walk.

No kayak or even brand is the end-all-be-all. That's the beauty of it. We all have a lot of great boats to choose from to fit our desires and style. I encourage everyone all the time to avoid falling for slick marketing, hype, and peer pressure; and to do their own research, demos, field tests, etc. and find what works best for themselves. It makes us all better paddlers and anglers and we all have more fun. The strong products will survive.

At 45 and having been at this since I was 12, I've been around the block a lap or two more often than the average paddle craft fisherman. I grew up paddling Lake Holbrook, Palestine, Brenda, Hawkins, Quitman, Tyler, Winnsboro, etc. fishing for bass and bream when nobody else was doing it except for a couple of old men and Gary Dale Keener's nephew, whom I often fished with. The old men poked fun at us for using a "poke boat" back then, a two-man sit-inside kayak that belonged to Gary and was the cat's meow for getting into skinny water where the big fish were holed up. We could stand in that thing and jump up and down on it without taking on water, and it was totally unaffected by wind. We had tons of fun in that boat.

Anyway, I'll be up that way to see y'all pretty soon. So don't you fret none. I have a lot of family and friends in the DFW area and have always spent a lot of time there. I just wish it was still more like Texas and less like southern California...the way it was when most of the folks who lived there were actually real Texans and not recent transplants who moved there for jobs with yankee and foreign companies.