The Global SUP Community

Exclusive interview with star boat designer and living playboating legend Corran Adisson.

Name: Corran Addison.
Date of birth: February 6 1969.
Place of birth: Cape Town, RSA.
Cities spent considerable time in: Graemstown (this little lost town in the Cape Province), Brussels, Durban (great surf city), Greenville SC (Real shit hole - ass end of the world), Asheville NC (Hippie heaven, but I hated it), and Montreal (my favorite city in the world - cultured, open, fun, beautiful women, good restaurants, opera etc).
Favorite playspot: Lachine (Canada, Quebec) without a doubt.

What nature experience can make you feel most high?

I think it's sitting on top of a mountain when it's snowing: the powder is deep and dry and I know the turns are going to be just the best. Just sitting there - before the action • basking in the glow of what is to come. Second to sex, that's probably it.

What is your favorite non-whitewater sport?

Snowboarding. I love it. I got into it in the mid 1980's, and I've never looked back. I love to ride hard, and really push my body - to feel my thighs burn with the constant pressure. Yup - snowboarding is really something else.

How many sports do you currently practice on a regular basis?

Four or five: kayaking, snowboarding, mountain biking, in-line skating and um... well... er... sex. I also did some hang-gliding for a while, and I have been up once on a Parapente, but I am not a flyer.

What is your favorite non-physical hobby?

Reading. I like to read a lot. Mostly history, and of great people and how they changed the world. Or physics books. Very interesting, the world of physics. Anything that increases knowledge as I like to learn. It's a new thing though - school put me off reading for a decade, and it's a shame as it is really the best. Just over the last 8 or 9 years I've begun to read, and I really enjoy it.

No fiction?

Almost none, not much interest in that. I prefer the movies for that.

Suppose you had not been such a good and famous boater yourself, but still you had made the same great boat designs. Do you think they would have had any chance on the market?

No not really. The problem is that they were a radical departure from the norm. If I had not been able to show what the boats were capable of, nobody would have made the switch. When I first was working on the Fury, people just looked at it and said, "man, what a dumb boat". One designer from another company even went so far as to say: "now you've gone too far - that's not even a kayak anymore". It wasn't until they saw what I could do with it that it occurred to them that maybe, just maybe, it was fun. Six months later, that same designer had a boat just like it. But for sure, if I hadn't had the skills to take these new shapes and come up with moves that no other kayak could do, then nobody would have made the switch.

So what was the name of this boat 'just like' the Fury?

Well, it was a Whip-it (based on the Fury 2 prototype). I put their prototype up against the Fury 2 and called some paddlers over to look at it. They all thought it was the same boat and that I had sold the design to Perception. The decks looked different of course, but the hulls were almost identical.

Which are your 3 favorite freestyle events?

1. Rabioux River Festival in France. The event is just the best ever. Party, fun, music, light show, women, atmosphere, and lastly it's actually a cool site as it takes a lot of skill to make it work.
2. Chambly in Montreal. Fantastic site. The wave is simply the best ever - it's my kind of rodeo as it's all about variety and not repetition. I do well at events like this, so the Chambly is one of the best.
3. Big Fork festival is also in there. What a great event that is. It's such a party - disco night, and a great event. The site itself is mediocre, but it's the Woodstock of kayak festivals.

After that it's a tough call. The sites are usually pretty cool, but the events themselves are mediocre.

I feel that rodeo as it is now is too boring for the audience (compare it to freestyle motorcross of snowboard). One way I think it may become more spectacular in the coming years is if we get a bigger variety in moves, e.g. down waterfalls. What do you feel freestyle kayaking will look like 4 years from now?

Four years ago, I predicted that we would no longer be doing cartwheel sessions at events. I was wrong. We still are doing the same old thing as in 1993. Yes, there has been some progression, but we still award high scores to just going out and linking ends. Some folks are even talking about a Cartwheel World Record. It's plain dumb. I'd like to think that our sport would be more like wake boarding or surfing, but it's not. Too many people are still incapable of doing anything other than link ends (on a regular enough basis to win an event), so they are holding the sport back. I think that as long as we taylor the world championships to the average ability of the field, and not to the top top paddlers, that the sport will remain mediocre and will loose its spectator appeal.

So does that mean we'll have waterfall freestyle or what do you think will be spectacular enough?

Big wave stuff: giant holes and waves. Waterfalls are too short. But competitions in giant holes where stuff happens very fast and you can really use the speed of the river to do cool stuff are amazing to watch - just like big wave surfing in the ocean.

What do you think the best spots for such new-school events will be?

Hummm, maybe Lyon (France), Zambezi (Zambia), some places in Canada. Unfortunately not Hawaii; on the ocean it would be too hard to judge and keep consistent.

How much more can this sport grow? Anyone will, as a child, learn to ride a bicycle, so the step to freestyle biking is small. In order to become a freestyle boater, the hurdles seem quite high though: you must know how to roll, you need a lot of expensive equipment, at least one car....

It'll never be snowboarding. Too sticky and cold and wet and scary for too many people. We'll always be a freak show, but I think if we do it right - if we concentrate on growing not the sport, but the top end of the sport, into a spectator event - than it'll become fun to watch, and the sport will attract more people. But, do we really want more people on our rivers?

What was your most frightening experience in a boat?

This is a tough one. It's not like I get that scared that often, but over the last 25 years of boating, I've had my share of moments. The first one was probably when I was about 10, and my father and I were looking at a rapid together. He opted to walk, and then for some reason I decided that I thought he was off on his judgement of the rapid, and that it was possible (probably just a class 4, but still...). So I ran the rapid - successfully. But sitting in my boat above the rapid I was terrified. After all, this was the first time I had questioned my dad's all knowing savvy on rivers, and now I was undecided whether this had been such a smart idea.

Sitting above the 100footer in Tignes was also a big one. I was so sure of myself, my line and what I was doing, but at the same time - 100 feet is a long way down (think about it - 12 years and the record still stands), and there was no question that an error could mean life long paralysis. So I was pretty scared before dropping in. But all went well again.

I think your personal record may have been a bit higher than Tao's latest jump, but then again, it was unofficial I think?

Correct. I'm glad Tao is pushing the limits. I hope he survives.

And the official waterfall record you were planning last year; is that still in the pipeline?

Yes, but I have other priorities first. The level must be just right, and it's a long way from here. So it's hard to monitor the level exactly and I have too much to live for just to throw it all away on some dumb fall. So I bide by my time and wait. It's not going anywhere, and it will be a record (115 feet) when I do it. Time is on my side.

Any other unusual publicity stunts up the sleeve?

No. Most of the time I don't think like that. That's a Shaun Baker trick. Generally I just get somewhere, it seems right and I go 'ooooh - look at that. I think I'll do that'. I don't go looking for publicity, but it has an amazing knack of finding me.

Have you ever experienced real panic on the water?

Yes. I drowned in 1986 in France trying to save someone on the Verdon. She was swimming in a nasty hole, and I paddled in to give her a boat to hold onto. She panicked, pulled my skirt off, and so I had to swim too. She washed out of the hole hanging onto my boat, but I remained there, and got really worked. I panicked eventually, trying to get out, and never could. Eventually I lost consciousness, and sometime after passing out I came out of the hole, and was given CPR. The water was very cold, so I was lucky, but I had a bad day. I did come out of the experience thinking I was immortal though, and that is when I really started to run a lot of hard stuff.

There is a dilemma when one stays underwater too long: trying to breathe is the worst thing you can possibly do. Yet, running out of breath and running into panic, it is difficult to not try to breath. Theoretically, it should be possible to hold your breath until you pass out, but that's theory. Have you got any hints for us normal mortals on how to deal with this dilemma?

I definitely took a breath. I remember thinking I was a fish at one point "look mum, I can breathe...". I guess it is possible, but not for me. I have a terrible habit of swallowing water just hole riding normally, so I'm a bad test subject.

How many friends did you loose on the water over the years?

Whew. A lot. Probably two dozen over the last ten years total. All of them died having a great time though - beats dying in a car wreck (my personal terror).

How many people have you been able to save from passing over?

Good question. Maybe they would have survived without me - or despite me - and maybe not. Does throwing someone a rope while they get worked constitute saving a life, or would they have survived anyway? I know for sure four or five, but if you count the number of people I've pulled out of holes with ropes, and people off rocks in folded boats, 30 maybe. Hard to say.

I don't make a habit of it though. Generally, when you boat with me, you boat alone. I don't ask you to risk your life for me, and I won't do the same for you. We're all adults, and we make the decisions to risk our lives with the knowledge that there is no help.

You are known to be a polarizing personality: people either love or hate you. I have known you for a couple of years now, but from our first contacts on the Internet, I have always known you as a warm-hearted individual - OK, maybe with a big ego. Is that just my perception or have you really changed in the last couple of years?

No - I have always been like this - an ego maniac. Oops - sorry - you mean... OK.

I think that people simply assumed that because I was good, and I had an opinion, and I was not afraid to lay it out in the open , that I was some kind of a prick. Not that this reputation is necessarily a bad thing, but I think it was based on perception, not reality. Few people that know me think I am what I am perceived to be. It's really only people that do not know me and have never had any contact with me, that feel the way they do. People are easily threatened. Men (and their ego's) are threatened by me - my accomplishments, prowess and reputation - unfounded but none the less there - of being a ladies man. Women resent men who are like this too, so in general people are offended and put off by the idea of me, not me (in itself).

Full James being a great wave, I reckon your odds for the Worlds are pretty good. Considering the nature of this wave, who will be your strongest competitors and which boats do you think will be the winners?

I consider everyone my competitor, and I don't really expect to win. If the rules encouraged the latest and hardest moves going right now, rather than just repetition of last year's best tricks, it would be more in my favor, as I can do things nobody else (or few people) can do. But if it's a slog fest - who can throw the most ends the fastest, I'll take a beating. I don't paddle often enough any more to keep up with the cartwheel freaks. But the paddlers which I think are really at a level that is beyond anyone else out there - the paddlers that if the slog fest were eliminated, would dominate the event - are EJ, Steve Fisher, Brad Ludden, Bernd Sommer, Cartsen and Ken Whiting.

Actually, I no longer arrive at an event with the assumption 'I'll win', like I did many years ago. Now I think I'll be lucky to make the finals. I've been lucky this year, winning 2 of the 4 events I competed in, and taking 2nd at another, but I think it was luck.

You seem to have noticed that there is a lot of talent amongst the young paddlers. We already overheard one teenager saying 'well Corran Addison, he's not really an extreme paddler is he?'. How much longer until your generation will be overshadowed by new talent?

I think we already are. I was out with Brad Ludden this weekend, and he gave me a hiding. And extreme, well I don't do that much any more. Last year I ran a lot of hair, but this year I've done almost none - just all surfing really. every time I go paddle it's to surf and to try to invent a new move. I try to do one thing every day that I could not do before. It's fun, and I don't have to die trying.

Who is your favorite freestyle paddler born after 1982?

Brad Ludden: Strong, intuitive, open minded, ready to learn from anyone, but able to adapt others techniques to his style and build. Down to earth.

I deliberately said 'after 1982' because I knew you would say Brad otherwise :-) What I meant was really young talent.

Hummm, I don't really know of any. Maybe Andre Spinaux, a kid from South Carolina. He's pretty impressive to watch. Great cartwheeler, and good intuitive feel for the water. I think he has a great future if he doesn't get discouraged with the politics of paddling rodeo.

Who are your 2 favorite well-known female paddlers, as women that is?

Hummm - tough one that. Jamie Simon is a lot of fun to hang out with, and we're really good friends. She's about as consistent as the best of them, but still not what she could be. But I'd say that she is one of them. Also, Jamie Cooper is great. Not the consistence of Simon yet, but really fun to paddle with. I also like Ingrid Schlott (Oli Grau's girlfriend) a lot - she's terrific fun and has a great attitude. Deb Pinninger is pretty impressive to watch paddle, and is probably one of the most consistent paddlers out right now, as is Julie Dion. Tanya Schuman is a great paddler to hang out with because she never takes the fun out of kayaking (he he), and Courtney Ludden is really really good, and has made a point of staying out of the political rat race. Motoko Ishida from Japan is pretty rad too. She was throwing freewheels off the 3rd fall of the Rouge at 100cms with me when the men were walking the falls. Not afraid of trying anything this girl, and she reacts well, though consistency is not there yet. Favorite two... I don't think I could choose just two.

I knew it would be difficult for you to choose only 2 women :-)

How many hours do you typically sleep per night? I often wonder where you find the energy to keep doing these very many things you're doing?

Five or six I suppose. I work from early to late, and try to get paddling in there somewhere, and spend time with my fiancée. Hard to sleep when you come home to a beautiful woman :-) Yeah - I wonder too. Coke and chocolate...

What is in the Riot pipeline for after the Saiko?

He he, that's a secret. Some cool stuff though that we're working on. I think people will be impressed with our 2000 lineup, and then again in 2001.

Ehrrm, I meant after the Saiko. I thought the Saiko would be 2001 now :-?

We'll be coming out with several boats in 2001 - the Saiko is the one getting publicity though.

What do you think about cross-legged boats (e.g. the Duffy by Chris Becher or the Remedy), holes in the stern (Remedy), concave hulls etc? Any future?

I haven't tried any of these, so I'm not going to comment. We tried the holes thing at Perception back in 1988 when I designed the Osprey. Mixed feelings on that one.

Thanks. That was a very diplomatic answer. What sort of boat was the Osprey?

It was at the time a squirt boat, but in reality it was more like the XXX - volume in the center, and then slicy ends. I could do all the flatwater stuff, wave spins (it had a flat hull with edges) and so on. It was ahead of its time, but Perception is a really conservative company, and they felt sure that the boat would attract no interest. Unfortunate - can you imagine a XXX in 1988?

The boat had a series of holes molded trough the hull to the deck to allow water to pass through. The idea was to create downward pressure through the Venturi effect, but in reality the effect is the opposite. It also made the boat slow through drag.

How about your training for the slalom Olympics? Haven't heard about that for quite a while....

I abandoned that. I work too hard to really dedicate any time to this seriously, and I'm just barely hanging on in rodeo, so I need to consolidate my time.

Favorite CD in 1999: A night at the Roxbery
Favorite film in 1999: Star Wars, Austin Powers2, Gilda la Scandeleuse, Le dine de cons.
Favorite two non-Riot boats of 1999: XXX and Inazone 220.
The two companies with the worst freestyle kayak designs: Dagger and Perception - what a load of crap, with the amount of money they have to put into design, and they still come out with that shit...

Corran, many thanks for this very direct and open interview (ed: no questions remained unanswered and very little editing was done after the interview).

Interview by [mail address protected from spambots with javascript] , September 24 1999