Shane's the guy on the left!!! Courtesy of Shane Benedict.Many of you know the man for his awesome boat designs and enviable paddling lifestyle and attitude. Shane Benedict is one of the founders,owners and designers of LiquidLogic Kayaks, kick ass boater and all round good guy. So who better to chat to about boat design, boating stateside and comic strip characters.
Interview by Graham Clarke.G.C.: How would you sum up your boating career in 100 words (or less)?
S.B :My Career in paddling has been more fun than I could have ever imagined. It has changed my life in more ways than I ever thought possible and it keeps getting better and better.
G.C.: How long have you been paddling?
S.B.: I have been paddling for more than 25 years.
G.C.: How long have to been involved with LiquidLogic Kayaks?
S.B.: I helped start liquidlogic kayaks in a little cabin in the mountains near the Green river. I have been one of the owners since the beginning.
G.C.: What’s your most memorable river?
S.B.: My most memorable river was probably the Humla Karnali in Nepal. Not the hardest thing I've paddled but the whole adventure was the amazing part. Small plane into the put in with really good friends, had to avoid officials to get to the river, amazing place on the earth, great rapids, run out of food, and sleep on top of the bus under a full moon as you ride back across Nepal.
G.C.: What’s your favourite river and why?
S.B.: My favorite river is probably the Chattooga because its where I learned, and advanced my paddling. I have a lot of history in that river. There is something there for anyone class 1 to class 5 and you can do overnights and its a beautiful river.
HUCKD.com is now online and on sale
G.C.: Creeking or Big Volume runs?
S.B.: I love it all.
G.C.: Is rodeo dead….and who killed it??
S.B.: Rodeo, the word, is pretty dead, but freestyle continues to evolve and progress at a crazy rate. Just think in the last year or two there has been the introduction of combination moves which basically opens up a whole new pile of moves and gymnastic creativity, front flip off a waterfall, backwards moves that are bigger than most forward moves that was pretty unheard of a couple years ago.
G.C.: Corran Addison maintains that modern kayak designs are ‘softened’ to make learning curves easier. Do you think that many of the more innovative designs are being dumbed down for the general public?
S.B.: Modern kayak designs are made to make learning curves easier without a doubt. That is the essence of performance design to make things easier and perform at a higher level. Who decides what is high performance or not is another question all together. Is it higher performance to have really sharp edges and go fast or to be able to do combination moves and land them consistently on fast undulating waves. One of the boats does one thing really well and the other does something else.
G.C.: I met you last year on the “5 falls” section of the Chattogga, North Carolina in a 14ft touring boat! What’s that all about?
S.B.: Paddling a long boat is awesome. It takes you back to the early days of paddling. It also makes stretches of water that you are familiar with new again. Its fun you have to think about paddling in a way that you normally don't.
G.C: In Ireland, there has recently been issue’s arising from the attempted damming of rivers for HEP schemes (quite rare over here). However, to East boat creeking and playboating Stateside, HEP actually proves something of a godsend and the paddling community seem to have a pretty good relationship with the power companies. Any advice?
S.B.: I would disagree with the dams being a godsend. Most dams in our area take out huge stretches of awesome whitewater. There are miles and miles of amazing river underwater that no paddler has seen. There are some advantages like set days that you know you can paddle, but I would trade it for many more miles of rivers to paddle with more different water levels.
HUCKD.com is now online and on sale
G.C.: Best all time boater?
S.B.: Thats impossible to answer.
G.C.: East Coast boating V’s West Coast boating??
S.B.: I will take both please. Big wide open spaces, and granite slabs of the west. Tight comfy confines with lush often flowing rivers.
G.C.: What would you be doing if you weren’t a paddler?
S.B.: I would be a teacher and coach.
G.C.: What’s the best (boating) advice you’ve ever been given?
S.B.: Learn how to read the water. Learn why water does what it does and what rocks and riverbed configurations create rapids and features.
G.C.: What's the worst injury you ever received boating?
S.B.: The worst injury I ever received from paddling was a concussion.
G.C.: Any words for the all the young guns out there firing it up?
S.B.: Do it because you love it.
G.C.: Any advice for Irish hicks wishing to travel over to NC for some creeking?
S.B.: If you really want to make sure you get some good paddling in come in the fall during hurricane season, or come during the winter or early spring when things run the most often. Make sure you have some time to hang out and wait for the big rain. Hang out in Asheville area and paddle the Green while you wait for everything else to run. You should also make sure to eat barbecue and try to hit on cute girls with southern accents.
G.C.: And finally….Wolverine V’s Batman. Who’d win??
S.B.: I am a Dark Knight fan from way back. So I would have to say Batman would win. He also kicked Supermans ass in the Dark Knight series. So come on he can take the Wolverine.
Thanks for your time Shane.
You can find out more about Shane and LiquidLogic Kayaks at the following links;
LiquidLogic KayaksShane's BlogspotLiquidLogic's Ladies LoungeLiquidLogic's Blogspot
Paddlers chillin at the last Clifden Rodeo, Co. Galway
