Just home from Guntersville, I went there after attending the “Fishing for Soldiers” event where a bunch of us from Clarksville fished Chickamauga. It was a pretty awesome tournament, and they had some pretty cool raffle prizes. I was fortunate enough to pick up a Hobie H-Crate jr, and a Stanley Cooler…but the real winners are the folks this tournament benefits; the veterans who will now get an opportunity to have a mobility assistance service dog from Smoky Mountain Service Dogs…and is not to late to help them…check out their site and donate. Also, you still a chance to win a kayak or a trailer right here while adding to the funds raised at the event; five bucks. Next year….go to this tournament (yeah, I wasn’t asking), it is not something you want to miss!
But, selfishly, I want to talk about a side event that was occurring. When I arrived at check-in beaten by the heat and the miles I covered to catch the tiny fish I turned in….I went straight to see AJ McWhorter and Ben Meredith. They were watching a guy trying to save some fish that had been released (CPR – CATCH, PHOTO AND RELEASE like the kayakers would have saved them!!!!) by the concurrent boat tournament….he was doing this in an Arctic Blue Hobie 360 PA14. I had seen the kayak at the Hobie BOS event on Guntersville the week before, but it was in a room and not on the water.
I got in the Hobie, AJ showed me a couple of things about it….and then I pedaled out. And I turned, and went forward and backward. Then I went sideways, at 45 degree angles….and forward, and back, and in a circle….I know it wasn’t, but the image in my head….was me performing a kayak ballet to a classic…
…ok honestly I was hearing Big Smo – Workin in my head…I have developed an extremely unhealthy habit of listening to country rap (CRAP for short and Joy hates it!) while traveling and it was an ear worm that is playing in my head again since I typed it….
But I was doing things I had never imagined possible in a kayak! I went from straight left, to straight right, to off at an angle wide open! Forward again, into the shallow to test the kick-up fins, then backwards out into the bay. The drive feels extremely solid and robust…and performs as advertised! I picked it apart with my engineering hat….and am impressed with the design and function; but this isn’t a review…it is more of a “I hate how much I love it” confession.
So much that I measured the distance to my truck, and calculated the chances that I would get the kayak on the trailer and to my house without being noticed….the odds were low….so I reluctantly removed my butt from the seat.
John Miller of Frontier Outdoors (sponsor at the Fishing for Soldiers event) heard me talking about Joy buying me kayaks (he had obviously seen the look on my face when I tore myself from the kayak) and immediately asked for her number. Normally I would have been upset by some man asking for my wife’s phone number, but she is infamous for buying Hobies and gift cards….and other stuff for me…so I wasn’t. But I did tell him not only no, but hell no (only because I am on the Caney Fork team)! I would have loved to talk with him more and share that it wasn’t personal. She is not allowed (or so I have told Ryan and her) to talk with Ryan Martin at Caney Fork Outdoors either….
….well, to be open….I did call her before I left the parking lot and said….”ask Ryan when he will have one”….full disclosure; I said, “ask him when I can pick a 360 up”! He is going to let me (her) know. Sorry John…I hope we get an opportunity to talk more – but stay away from Joy; I ain’t getting another job and my garage has no more room in it!!!!!
So…
…go out and buy some chances on the kayak and the trailer made by Jim Davis.
…in the next week or so….holler and I might let you demo the Hobie 360 that she is not allowed to buy.
…when you try it…I can crank some “workin” for you, then I can shoot you Ryan’s cell number….and I can drive you to pick one up while listening to more CRAP.
The Hobie 360 is definitely a game changer!!!
Topwater Moon 