Freestyle: A competition in which any maneuver or movement is allowed and competitors are judged on their artistic expression, acrobatic skill and athletic expertise; see also Centrifuge, Ultrafuge, ProZone, Amp, Shock, ForPlay, Luv, Disco, Quadro, Zip.

For the following review, we tested playboats from major manufacturers at the finest venues in the Pacific Northwest. We hit Lake Creek near Eugene, Bob's Hole on the Clackamas, The Wheel on Canyon Creek, and Trestle Hole on the Deschutes. We shredded these boats on big water standing waves, wave holes and low volume surf holes. We drew on the expertise of such professional freestyle paddlers as Sam Drevo, Jay Kincaid, Javid Grubbs, Clay Wright, Tanya Shuman and Tao Berman, all of whom crashed on our office and friends' floors after every day of testing. As well as giving them a free crash pad, this also provided a sort of floor-space forum in which they could discuss their likes and dislikes. Additional testers included a variety of different sized people, male and female, with different skill levels. Their opinions were also incorporated into the final analysis. So read up, and then get out there and hang on for the ride.

Dagger Centrifuge/Ultrafuge

The Dagger Centrifuge and Ultrafuge received high praise from all those who tested them. Identical in design (the Ultrafuge has the same geometry as the Centrifuge, only smaller), these two boats offer the latest technology in a high-performance playboat design. They are fast and loose on a wave. One particular bonus of the hull design is the ability to carve as well as spin. The sharp rail offers a superior edge to drive into turns. Designer Marc Lyle took volume out of the ends and redistributed it around the cockpit area. The added volume behind the cockpit makes for a stable platform upon which to throw ends. The lines on the deck were kept smooth to ensure minimum resistance when linking vertical moves. Indeed, our testers found that verticality is no problem with either model. They are slicier than any other boat Dagger has made and they paddle downriver easily.

Both boats have pronounced foot bumps that add additional comfort. It's the first boat I've paddled that allowed me to do all the hucking and spinning, while still allowing me to feel my toes at the end of the day. The Centrifuge and Ultrafuge come standard with a new form-fitting bulkhead that you can custom fit to a particular size. This system makes it substantially more comfortable. The boats also come standard with a Bomber Gear backband and an improved ergonomic seat.

--Stay tuned for the Outlaw and Showdown, Dagger's new river running playboats.

Pyranha ProZone 225/235

Pyranha is known for their cutting edge creek boat designs. Last year they made a big splash with the InaZone playboat. This year they've set it off with the ProZone, a high-end freestyle dream.

They started with the successful shape of the InaZone and redesigned it into a low profile playboat. The ProZone is driven by balance and agility, yet is friendly to all skill levels. The sharp concave chines create a seriously loose hull that rips any wave to pieces. Although spins are effortless in this boat, we found that the ProZone begs for more explosive moves like dynamic blunts. Sleek, low-volume ends beg for verticality both in a hole and on flatwater. The bow and stern pull through the water with ease and are quick to initiate for endurance sessions at your favorite playspot.

The ProZone has a new innovative seat adjustment system similar to the Storm, only better. The seat is fully adjustable with grommets that allow movement without having to deal with screws. The ProZone offers the same shock-block system as the InaZones, but Pyranha added a block in the stern to prevent creasing or folding. The ProZone is available in two sizes, the 225 and the 235. It was a favorite for this test team, and we give it two thumbs up.

WaveSport ForPlay

The ForPlay was the winning Men's K-1 boat at the 1999 World Rodeo Championships. "It's very balanced proportionally and it is the loosest planing hull of any boat I've ever paddled," says World Champion Eric "Wick" Southwick. Our testers found the same results.

Size-wise, the ForPlay comes between the X and XXX, but is faster and has less rocker than either one. The hull measures 22.25'' wide, chine-to-chine, making it the most narrow playboat on the market. This boat takes some getting used to, but it leaves you a large margin for error. The narrow ends are forgiving and performance is surprisingly consistent for both experts and beginners. We found that the ForPlay did well for people between 130 and 190 pounds, and that performance fell off after that.

Unlike the XXX, the ForPlay has 12 inches of knee height, making for a spacious cockpit and making it easy to get in and out of the boat. The rest of the outfitting includes the standard WaveSport seat and thigh braces which come in both small and large. The boat is available with a bulkhead or foot braces depending on your preference (I prefer foam). We found the ForPlay to be a comfortable, high-performance play boat.

Perception Amp/Shock

The Amp and the Shock are Perception's two new freestyle designs. The Amp is designed for larger paddlers and the Shock is a smaller version. Both are aggressive playboating machines. These kayaks boast very loose and fast hulls that excel at wave surfing. Our

testers found clean spins to flow from 180 to 720 degrees. The distribution of volume

around the cockpit creates one of the most retentive boats on the market. This retention makes the Amp and Shock equally enjoyable in a hole. A razor-sharp edge creates lift when the hull is flat on a wave while simultaneously acting as a cutting edge for carving. This combination creates the atmosphere for dynamic moves.

The Amp and Shock come with all new adjustable thigh grips (tech rep Woody Callaway is campaigning to call them Thigh Masters). The boats have a super thin, multi-adjustable bulkhead with a slotted groove that is fully adjustable top to bottom as well as side to side. This system fits short and tall people comfortably. The plates have a foam block that goes between the bulkhead and your feet, and are used for major adjustments in the bulkhead size. All of these features make these boats as comfortable as they are fun to paddle.

Riot Disco

This is the first boat Riot has designed that is actually user-friendly to the mortal paddler. The Disco allows intermediates to do moves that were unattainable in previous designs. Although the boat is slower than many other boats we tested, it is faster than the 007 and tracks well for a short boat. The performance jumps significantly once the boat is planing on a wave. A unique innovation on the Disco is the implementation of skegs. They're placed behind the seat and are anchored by two inserts that can be mounted with a Phillips screw driver. The skegs are injection molded and are 2.5 inches deep and 3.5 inches long. The seating position is comfortable considering how short it is. The cockpit layout is a touch longer than Riot's standard opening. The Disco is made from Riot's new Xytec plastic, which is super stiff and very light. The boat comes standard with your choice of foot pegs or a bulkhead, and includes a backband. It also comes with a patented D-3 (Device 3) seat that is fully adjustable up and down and back to front. The seat is a bit of a pain to get perfectly adjusted, but once in place it is rock solid and a huge improvement over the old saddle design. Our team did note one thing with regards to rolling the Disco: the boat will stern-squirt on a roll, especially if your weight is shifted back. If you intend to back deck roll, be ready to turn it into a screw-up.

Necky Zip

Although it was still in prototype form when we got our hands on it, Necky’s Zip was one of the coolest boats we tested. It has a refreshing shape compared to other boats on the market, and despite being visually different it still incorporates Necky’s clean trademark look. Designer Spike Gladwin did a fabulous job incorporating surf technology into a kayak that begs for wave riding action. Designed for boaters 140-250 lbs., the Zip sets new standards in looseness. Its most distinguishing features are its slightly concave freeboard and side rails, which give it an ocean surf look and feel. Surfing is definitely its theme. In tests at Trestle, paddlers were amazed at how easy it was to perform clean spins, green grinds down the face and massive blunts. The even volume distribution also allows for incredibly smooth cartwheels, in holes, eddylines and the flats.

A further advantage is its comfort for a large range of paddlers. Those at the lower end will have a super comfortable surfing and river-running boat, while those at the upper end (up to 6’4” and size 12 feet) still fit with room to spare, with no loss of performance. Necky’s greatly improved outfitting, including rotomolded seat, integrated backband and thighbraces, mean a boat that fits right from the start. . Info.: (604) 850-1206, www.necky.com

—Editor's note: Reviewer John "Tree" Trujillo is the CEO of Outdoorplay.com, located in Hood River, Ore. He weighs 175 pounds, is six feet tall, and has been involved with paddlesports for 15 years, including stints on the U.S. team and medaling at several Olympic Festivals.

 Originally Published, Paddler May-June 2000