Jackson Kayak facts for kids
Jackson Kayak is a company that makes kayaks. It was started by a famous kayaker named Eric "EJ" Jackson. Eric Jackson and his business partner, Tony Lunt, created Jackson Kayak in October 2003. They started the company in Rock Island, Tennessee.
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How Jackson Kayak Started and Grew
In its first year, Jackson Kayak sold 2,500 boats. This brought in $1.5 million in sales. The company's sales grew quickly, by 80% each year until 2007. In 2008, they sold 7,515 kayaks.
By 2008 and 2009, Jackson Kayak sold 40% of all whitewater kayaks in the United States. They also became very popular in England and Japan. Their share of the market in France also grew.
Jackson kayaks are very popular for a type of kayaking called Freestyle. Many top Freestyle paddlers use their kayaks. Jackson Kayak also sponsors some of the best Freestyle kayakers in the world. This helps make their kayaks even more well-known.
Jackson Kayak's Team and World Championship Wins
Jackson Kayak sponsors a team of some of the best Freestyle K-1 kayakers. The Jackson family itself is part of the team, including Eric, Emily, and Dane Jackson. Other famous team members include Nick Troutman and Claire O'Hara.
At the 2007 World Championships, the Jackson Kayak team won many titles. They took the K-1 World Title in Pro Men, Pro Women, and Junior Women. They also placed third in Junior Men.
In the 2009 World Championships, the team did even better. They won the top three spots in K-1 Pro Men. They also took the first two places in K-1 Pro Women. A team member was also the runner-up for the K-1 Junior Men's title.
Even kayakers not sponsored by Jackson Kayak often used their boats. In 2009, this included the winners of the C-1 and K-1 Junior Men's competitions. In 2011, the Jackson team won 5 gold medals, 4 silver, and 3 bronze medals. Dane Jackson made history by competing in all four freestyle events. He won three gold medals and one bronze.
At the 2013 World Championships, Jackson athletes won many categories. They took K1 Men's, K1 Women's, and Junior K1 Men's titles. They also won Squirt Men's and Squirt Women's. They earned podium spots in C1 and OC1 as well.
How Jackson Kayak Works and Its Impact
Jackson Kayak prefers to work with smaller shops instead of very large stores. They have also worked hard to make kayaking a family sport. They even make kayaks for children who weigh as little as 13.5 kilograms (30 pounds).
Joe Jacobi, an Olympic Gold medalist in canoeing, believes Jackson Kayak has changed the sport. He says they have made whitewater kayaking a family sport like no one else.
The kayak market in the United States saw its highest sales in 2006. After that, sales started to go down. Some people in the kayaking world have suggested that Jackson Kayak might be partly responsible for this. They say Jackson Kayak's success and affordable boats created a large market for used kayaks. This might have led to fewer people buying new ones.
However, others disagree. They argue that the market slowed down because kayaks stopped changing so quickly. When kayaks were evolving fast, people bought new ones often. Now that new designs are less frequent, interest in buying new boats has naturally decreased. Eric Jackson himself believes his company has actually helped the market grow.
Steve Fisher's Dreamline Project
Jackson Kayaks supported Steve Fisher, a former team member, with his "Dreamline" project. This project aimed to create new ways to teach kayaking. Many Jackson team members, including Eric Jackson, helped teach for the project's filming.
The last update about the project was in November 2016. As of August 2025, the product from the project has not been delivered. Steve Fisher is no longer listed as a Red Bull athlete or a member of Team Jackson Kayak.
