C-Forum

The "PROJECT,” as I came to call it, took on a life of it's own shortly after I shortened a foot out of my old Ocoee in 1999. I did some drawings that fall that kept the Ocoee’s positive aspects and made some, what I hoped were improvements to the chopped-down canoe. Counting on my background of 11 years of shaping surfboards before moving to Colorado, I jumped in with both feet, and that winter did a plug and built a Kevlar boat which I paddled over the 2000 season. There was much about the canoe I liked, but ended up re-working the plug the next winter to get the length down to just under 10-feet. I now have about 225 days in this shorter version. I've been to the Slalom Nationals every year since 2001, and if you remember the short boat with the Rockhopper sticker…. that’s the Solito.

By 2005 I had a heavy-duty female mold but not the space or resources to do more on my own. I ended up on the phone with Don Smales at Evergreen who expressed interest in my design, and about a month later he agreed--in spite of what we knew was a "thin market"--to commit the time and investment to do the boat commercially in Royalex. The first boats were molded this spring.

This is my first try at "Ad Copy"--it's mine, not Evergreens—so here goes:

"The Solito is a nice balance of volume, rocker, and edge. When paddled flat on the water the boat is extremely loose and responsive allowing for "micro-management" of tight lines, while the ample rocker softens the edge until you are ready to engage it. Tilting or banking the boat gives it an even shorter, rockered waterline. And using the edge, the boat will make eddy turns from "carve and carry"—a round turn carrying momentum--to "pop and stop" exciting additions to your portfolio of moves. It's really fun to paddle those edge-to-flat-to-edge lines on technical water. Flair and rocker in the ends keep the boat nice and dry, and on a smooth wave it will "get up" on the flat bottom and plane for a way-cool surf. Volume low in the boat and a relatively straight rocker under the paddler help give the Solito a nice jump off the line. If you are thinking of putting your old 11-12-foot playboat out to pasture, give the Solito a look. We think good paddlers will have a great time in it!"

Having messed around canoes for a long time, I think the Solito will appeal to open boaters that want to push past the Ocoee/Viper plateau--shorter and a little hotter--but not all the way to the newer plastic "creek/rodeo" models.

The Solito:
- about the same volume as the Phantom and Detonator, and a bit more than the Prelude and Zoom.
- less rocker under the paddler and more toward the ends.
- flat bottom and edge at center softening at the ends.
- general look of a bobbed Ocoee on the water, but with the acceleration of a full-length Ocoee.

If you are thinking shorter and can live with edge and Royalex, you should take a look.

John Graye, Solito Designer, Aspen, Colorado, souloc-1

John,

I was on the river today with a solito. I didn't take the opportunity to paddle it, but we were wondering about paddler weights and dryness.

Of the boats you mentioned, Solito, Phantom, Ocoee, etc.,... how they carry weight for 200lbs+ paddlers is of as much interest as the other features. I think the volume of a Detonator or Ocoee and the width of Viper will carry my weight high enough, but I suspect I'd sink those edges of the Solito pretty deep?

Sorry, I don't mean to put a designer on the spot, it's great to have post here, but any thoughts on the upper weight limit (for an intermediate paddling class III)?

Congrats on the design & production! I hope Evergreen & MEC get a lot of them onto the rivers.

Cheers, Pat.

p.s. FYI, the talk in our group today was that the Solito was somewhat like a Phantom, but was edgier and could be paddled more like C-1.

Pat, I've paddled one briefly in a pool without thigh straps this past winter so take this for what it's worth - I found it to be nimble and responsive, and very stable (secondary)... even without outfitting....in fact, i could roll it without outfitting! (ok... kidding there, but not about the stability)

Oh yes, I weighed 240... It's certainly worth looking into if you're in the market for a boat. He compares this to a phantom, but at that weight, I'm totally not able to work a phantom because it sits so deep. I'm guessing that the shape of the hull (similar to an Ocoee) cause the boat to rise up out of the water as current is approaching you.... Of course, more boat will be in the water than if you weighed 160 lbs :-X - but it's more manageable than trying to paddle a prelude/zoom at that size.

Mike.
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I have not paddled this boat, but John rocks in it. When paddling with him this summer, he catches every eddy and surfs every wave in that boat.

His personal boat has wood gunwales with his own custom saddle design. The boat is much lighter and seems much more responsive in comparison to my Ocoee, when watching John paddle it.

With his experience, he moves the boat with very few strokes and effort. I would think advanced open boaters would want to consider it, if your looking for a new short open play boat.

I've had no one over 180 pounds get in my Solito ... yet. I would bet if you're okay in an Ocoee, you'd be okay in a Solito. The Solito draws less water than my Phantom. I do remember once seeing a 260-pound guy get in an Ovation. Suddenly what was normally (for a lighter person) an incredibly stable boat became a very tippy craft.