A RIVER RUNNER WITH ATTITUDE
Backing off from expert-only playboats this year, Riot released a mellow river runner. The Thunder is responsive and relatively fast, and it tracks well across currents. “It will go about anywhere you want to take it,” one tester said, “and it’s great for catching hard-to-reach eddies.” As a playboat, the Thunder is quick to plane on a wave face and has a loose hull for spinning once you’re there. It’s well-suited to intermediate river runners, but advanced paddlers will find it more than worthy as a creekboat. Note: The cockpit is cut small, so go with the next size up. 7’8″; 65 and 76 gal; riotkayaks.com