December 7, 2006

Jackson family,

I wanted to send in a letter thanking you all and share my son's experience with whitewater thanks to his Jackson 1.5. Devin, my 12 yr old son has been inseparable from his kayak since last December. Devin is my oldest of three children. Starting with us goofing of wrestling in the living room in our kayaks. The living room is also where he understood the fundamentals of rolling a boat. It was easy for him to mimic my paddle movements on the carpet.

Soon the local kayak club "Oregon Kayak and Canoe Club or OKCC" started up the annual winter pool sessions at a pool that features a wave machine that's on for the last 30 minutes. Once at the pool in was apparent he was very comfortable with the boat in water. After paddling the boat around for a few it was time to see how he did upside down. He flipped over and I helped him back up. A big smile on his face....so far so good. Then I had him flip over and see how long he could hold his breath. 30 seconds, tapped on his boat and once again came up with a smile....

We then started on his roll. I'd have him flip, hold his paddle in position, tap his boat and he'd hip snap up. After several times he wanted to try it on his own. I'll never forget on his second attempt he rolled up on his own and once again with a big smile on his face... After a few more pool sessions he had a darn good roll. Most people at the pool were amazed as was I.

Now's time to mess him up. Offside. Within a few more sessions he was almost as good on both sides. I started throwing his boat around, hold his paddle or boat to make it more of a challange. He loved it. Some people joked it looked like I was trying to drowned him.

When I felt it was time to get him on the water it was early February in Oregon and all the rivers were at flood. Clackamas pumping 35k. We headed up to the Klickitat R. in WA which was pretty high that makes for fast current with most of the rapids filled in. He styled his first run without any flips. Devin commented on how colder the water was over the pool when he practiced his rolls. A few weeks later we did another run on the Klick. around 6K. It was on a OKCC club trip. As we talked before putting about who didn't have a roll Devin raised his hand to say his offside was a little shaky. Yah, it got a good chuckle. This day too date is the only time in around 40 runs that he's swam. His first time flipping on river while crossing turbulant eddie.

Since then, he's never looked back. He quickly picked up all aspects of boating: safety, reading rivers on his own, surfing waves and holes and boat control. Class III quickly has became easy for him and is now taking on IV's. During the summer, after the two us running Husum Falls, Class V, on the White Salmon in WA., we ran into Nate and Heather Herbeck who's now part of the Jackson family. Nate produced "Liquid Insanity" which featured Heather. They offered if Devin wanted to run it again to video and photo him. It took him a second to think it over and once agian a big smile came to his face. And we were off. Once again he styled it. Heather was quit impressed with his abilty to hit his line.

Since then we've done a solo self contained trip down the Rogue R. just the two of us. We spent alot of time scounting everything. It's 35 mile run in a remote area, not something to be taken lightly. A raft supported trip down the Lower Owyhee and endless local river day trips.

I trust his judgement on the water. He'll be the first one to back out of a rapid if he's not feeling it, which is rare. I don't recall any rapid yet that he's blown a line on.

One thing I should mention is four years ago he was diagnosed with a rare skin cancer. After two surgeries at one of the best childrens hospitals in the US. The tumor was on his hip and it took part of the muscle to remove it, he is now cancer free.

The pic attached is Devin in Bob's hole on the Clackamas last summer and before putting on for his first time on the Klickitat.

Thank you all... still smiling

Corey Morton