Brief bio first
40 yo weekend warrior 170 lbs 5'10 size 10 shoe
Started in 92'. Hiatus from 01-10
Like low vol steep creeks class 4-5ish. Do prob 20-25 trips a year
Always liked paddled displacement creekers
Preview boats dancer Xl Corsica matrix t-canyon freefall rockit topolino gradient cfs huck currently paddle a solo m
-found this boat in mid 90's at NOC fest
-thought it would be good for elf runs on suicide, johnnies, and jones in north AL
-it was/is for those purpose runs but don't expect it to paddle or feel like a modern, or even 10 year old design
-it has no edge, is almost symmetrical front to rear so has no defining personality, other than it is light and short
-the boat has very little bow rocker but isnt hard to boof relating to its super short length
-the cockpit is high on the waist, not tapered front to rear like modern designs and this makes it a little harder to roll, bracing a little more difficult
-when i restarted in 2010, i decided to re-do the outfitting; i removed the seat and replaced it with one from my cracked jackson rocker and also rigged an adjustable backband via mounting the jackson cleats above the thigh brace area. The end result wasn't bad, and with a little more refining could have been optimal, but the hull still seemed slow to turn, not extremely stable (even though I seemed to sit lower in the boat) and, not surprisingly, slow. 1-2 runs later, i decided to sell it.
Conclusion.
The boats stats looked perfect for me.
I like shorter boats, as most of the runs i do are 500 cfs or less and holes really arent normally an issue.
The plastic, even on these older boats, seems absolutely bomber. Mine was 20 years old and no oil canning and no deep gouges!
It may sound as though i thought little of the boat, but i am glad to have had it/tried it for all those years, even though truthfully it was always a 2nd or 3rd spare boat.
It is so light, it can be carries almost like a suitcase.
My dream low vol creeker would have similar character, in fact: prijon plastic, pillarless, just a little less edge than my solo, 70-75 gallons, significant bow, stern rocker and volume. (sounds a lot like a modern hero, i know but their plastic is ? imo)
Currently as a 2nd, spare creekboat have a med ammo.
As a 30 year old design that still has a cult following, i would say it was a success, but as a modern primary creek boat, i would say try others first, and dont expect it to paddle like current designs.
40 yo weekend warrior 170 lbs 5'10 size 10 shoe
Started in 92'. Hiatus from 01-10
Like low vol steep creeks class 4-5ish. Do prob 20-25 trips a year
Always liked paddled displacement creekers
Preview boats dancer Xl Corsica matrix t-canyon freefall rockit topolino gradient cfs huck currently paddle a solo m
-found this boat in mid 90's at NOC fest
-thought it would be good for elf runs on suicide, johnnies, and jones in north AL
-it was/is for those purpose runs but don't expect it to paddle or feel like a modern, or even 10 year old design
-it has no edge, is almost symmetrical front to rear so has no defining personality, other than it is light and short
-the boat has very little bow rocker but isnt hard to boof relating to its super short length
-the cockpit is high on the waist, not tapered front to rear like modern designs and this makes it a little harder to roll, bracing a little more difficult
-when i restarted in 2010, i decided to re-do the outfitting; i removed the seat and replaced it with one from my cracked jackson rocker and also rigged an adjustable backband via mounting the jackson cleats above the thigh brace area. The end result wasn't bad, and with a little more refining could have been optimal, but the hull still seemed slow to turn, not extremely stable (even though I seemed to sit lower in the boat) and, not surprisingly, slow. 1-2 runs later, i decided to sell it.
Conclusion.
The boats stats looked perfect for me.
I like shorter boats, as most of the runs i do are 500 cfs or less and holes really arent normally an issue.
The plastic, even on these older boats, seems absolutely bomber. Mine was 20 years old and no oil canning and no deep gouges!
It may sound as though i thought little of the boat, but i am glad to have had it/tried it for all those years, even though truthfully it was always a 2nd or 3rd spare boat.
It is so light, it can be carries almost like a suitcase.
My dream low vol creeker would have similar character, in fact: prijon plastic, pillarless, just a little less edge than my solo, 70-75 gallons, significant bow, stern rocker and volume. (sounds a lot like a modern hero, i know but their plastic is ? imo)
Currently as a 2nd, spare creekboat have a med ammo.
As a 30 year old design that still has a cult following, i would say it was a success, but as a modern primary creek boat, i would say try others first, and dont expect it to paddle like current designs.
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Reviews >> Kayaks >> Creek Boat >> Topolino
