What do you think is the least popular whitewater kayak made in the last 25 years by a major kayak manufacture? We based our answer on a boat we knew existed, but have never seen on the river. We don’t have a clear understanding as to why the Perception Lucid was ever created and sold. Or was it sold.
The Perception Lucid
Rainbow Reaction FTW
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Jeff West designed the boat while at Perception. It was the tail end of the slicy boat era, and about the same time that perception was getting out of the whitewater boat biz. Jeff still rocks his on the Ocoee.
Far better boat than the Prijon Alien / samuri.
Hey Bradley- I never paddled that boat, so I really couldn’t vouch for its performance- it’s just that I never, ever saw on on the river. The Prijon Alien was my second choice. I never met a person who liked that boat.
-J
Stephen Wright said he liked the Alien. I think he was the only one.
Riot Kix… the story goes that in the days of the Riot bus the team guys would flip a coin at the put in and the looser had to paddle the Kix… it was so disliked that even the team prefered to creek in the Glide.
In defense of Jeff I believe one of the main design concepts was that the boat required much less labor to assemble after molding (integrated grab loops and pillars among other things) and he had hoped it could retail for less than current boats at the time. This was overlooked and was marketed just as a bigger playboat. So, correct on not very popular but actually well thought out in my worthless opinion. Oh, and Jeff isn't someone I would want to mess with.
It's tough to say it wasn't popular if no one ever really paddled it. The Alien, on the other hand, seems to have been the subject of universal scorn for as long as I've been on the river. I'm always amused at the comments when people try to sell used Aliens…
Big Thanks to IR for sponsoring the Millrace Massacre and Iceman Championships on the Saluda in Columbia, SC.
Much Appreciated!
Hey… I heard I won this contest hands down… where's my free drytop John?
http://boatertalk.com/forum/BoaterTalk/1052133643…
I thought the Lucid rocked. It was a great big boy playboat for cartwheels and blunts and running the river. My first time in the boat I rocked a huge areal blunt on the surfer's left of Flipper at high water. Bradley is right, it came at the end of an era, downstream at Hell Hole folks were just learning to tap the true potential of the Disco. A year earlier the Lucid would have been a big seller.
I also agree with Caleb, I wouldn't want to be putting on the gloves across from Jeff West at the next Gauley fest.
Just sayin'.
Guess I won't contact the person on Craigs list who has the Alien for $120.
Do not Mess with Jeff! Please no disrespect!!