For more info on the new Genesis Series check out our product page HERE!

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TK: Maybe a quick intro boys?

J: Hey, my name is Jeremy Cane, I’m 29, and Ive been boating since I was in high school. When the worlds came to the Ottawa in 1997 I went to spectate, and was blown away by the whitewater environment. My school started a WW Kayaking Club which I joined and learned the basics and Ive since worked as a raft guide, kayak instructor, safety kayaker and video boater. Im from the Ottawa Valley, just a short ways from the river, so I definitely spend more time on big water and surfing big waves than anything else, although I enjoy river running and creeking just as much. I also enjoy frosty after session beverages, French women and cross country roadtrips, ha.






S: Soo… I guess my name is Spencer Laidley. I am thrilled at the idea of being able to make a lifestyle out of doing what I love. I’m especially lucky because that involves getting to know so many amazing people within our community. I am originally born in Toronto but moved to a small town outside Ottawa for the majority of my adolescent years. I was raised a competitive swimmer so my love for and comfort around the water came to me at a young age. After finishing high-school i moved to New Brunswick to pursue a university degree in Political Science and International Development. After four years there I moved back to Ottawa to go to Algonquin college for Green Business Management. I am very passionate about our environment and its conservation, and I believe that taking an active roll in this cause as Titan Kayaks has will be immensely mutually beneficial to both the business of kayaking and those who enjoy kayaking themselves. I’m really excited to get to know you all and i hope to get to talk to you soon.


TK: How did you come to join the Titan family?

J: Well I’ve tried to support Anthony and Titan since the start. The idea of a paddler owned and driven kayak company really appeals to me. A large portion of most sports are controlled by corporate giants, most of whom dont even participate in them, so when Anthony decided to start Titan I was super excited to do what I could to further a grassroots initiative. I helped him and Ben prototype in the first summer, and when Anthony mentioned he needed someone in North America, Spence and I saw the opportunity to really make Titans presence here happen. As Operations Manager here at Titan Canada my job is to make sure you can get the Titan Kayak that you want to be in and to rip in as many great spots in the Genesis as possible! If you wanna be in a Titan, get a hold of me and Ill make that happen.

S : During my summers while at school out in New Brunswick i was lucky enough to get a job as a raft guide on the Ottawa River. I can without a doubt say that those three summers were the best of my life and along with those good times came a large number of great friendships. Two of the best friends i made during these times were Jeremy and Anthony so naturally when I was approached about being involved with Titan Kayaks I jumped at the opportunity. I guess officially my title here at Titan Canada is “Business manager”, but I’d like to think of myself as the “supporter of the dream”.


TK: Have you had a chance to paddle the Genesis very many places yet?

J: Oh yeah, Spence had it out the day after we got it on Garb, and two days after that we headed to Gauleyfest. Since we got home its been to Lachine in Montreal a few times, and lemme tell you on Big Joe it was saweet as! I cant wait for my V:3 to get here for the Spring!

S: We want to get as many people in it as possible this spring, so if you live around here give us a shout. She’s quick, loose and a ton of fun to paddle, I highly recommend you do.

TK: Whats the best way for people to get a Titan boat?

J: First, contact your local paddling shop and tell them you want to see Titan boats there! Then, email Spence or I and we ll put you in touch with the nearest Titan Dealer. We have a Genesis V2 in the Ottawa area right now for anyone that wants to take it for a rip, and a full range of color and sizes showing up this winter, ready to go for the spring season, with a creekboat not far behind!

S: Ditto!! And i will say again, call your local shop and mention to them that you are really interested in seeing the new Titan boat in the next year. With your support we can make this first year as big of a success as we want it to be, and we want to go HUGE!!!


TK: Whats next for you guys?

J: You mean besides getting on the river and sessioning as much as possible before the snow? Working to make sure there’s a Titan boats in every great shop across North America. If we’ve missed getting a hold of any good shops out there just shoot us an email and we ll get back asap!

S: Yup, for us its all about boring business stuff for the next couple of months. However, its all this hard work and dedication that is going to make the spring even sweeter then it already is around here. Oh and if you haven’t already check out our facebook page.. like us!


TK: Well thanks for the chat boys, talk to you soon

J: Yeah bro, and to everyone else out there, hope to catch ya on the river soon!

Shoot either of the boys an email at titankayaks@gmail.com for more information, to check out the Genesis V2, or for dealer inquiries! SYOTR

The first Titan Kayaks have hit Japan and we’re getting nothing but great reviews and happy paddlers all round. Here is a first impression review for our Japanese paddlers out there by Ken Itsutsuji.  REVIEW & PHOTOS


LP tearing up M-Wave in his 8kg Genesis-CV, Carbon composite

To check out LP’s first impression review of the Genesis-CV only day’s after he received it. Read Full Article!



Hey everyone,

Its Michael (Lp) Palmer checking in to give you all a little review about the new Genesis-CV  design.  I have only had the boat for a short time now but in my limited experience riding it I have to say this boat is incredible!

From the moment I got in this boat I could feel the potential and see it manifest in my boating.  Titan has been pushing to come out with a revolutionary design for some time now and after multiple prototypes I believe Anthony has succeeded! The majority of my experience in the Genesis CV has been on my home wave here in Glenwood which is good but the high water has broken.  I was paddling a different company’s boat while waiting for my new Genesis to arrive and as the water dropped I began to struggle a little bit.  When my new boat arrived I gathered my gear and went directly to the wave and proceeded to have the best session I have had since the wave broke with no outfitting what so ever!  You can imagine how much I loved the boat when I tricked it out that night.  But enough of me bragging about my new boat let me summarize how it rides and things that you will notice when you get in one for yourself.

The first thing that I noticed when I sat in it was the new wider midsection and tail (26”).  The benefit to this is you have more surface area to takeoff with when you transition your edge meaning more air and snappier tricks.  If you are sitting too low in the boat then it will be harder to switch your edge but luckily this is easily remedied and, as I said, when I rode the G-CV with no outfitting it preformed wonderfully.  The reward of the width is definitely one thing that is exceptional when paddling this boat.

Once you are in the boat and on the wave the next thing you will notice is the speed.  This is one thing that I was extremely worried about when I was waiting for the boat to arrive.  As the water dropped and I watched the wave become flatter and flatter my concerns increased and increased only to disappear entirely on my first ride.  The boat is fast! And it actually freaked me out how much more bounce this boat has compared to the previous boat I was riding.

The length is another thing I want to touch on before I check out.  As freestyle boat design has progressed we have watched as the boats become shorter, looser, and taller, thus (what I call) “bubbling out” or loosing their streamline design and hard edges.  Hard edges are the key factor here.  Without hard edges the boat tends to want to stay on the water when surfing.  Yes, the boats are loose but they lack the takeoff potential a boat like the new Genesis has.  Don’t get me wrong these bubble designs are wonderful boats that will do any skill level of paddler justice, but when speaking from an innovative, potential, perspective no boat has been able to bring the best features from the longer boats together with the best features of the shorter boats until now.  Titan has fully succeeded at this task by using a new rocker profile, making the boat wide and shorter without sacrificing the speed and edge design.

The new Genesis CV is a wonderful wonderful kayak!  It rides well in a hole as well as any sized wave.  If you are a paddler that wants to progress and enjoy yourself while doing so, you need to strongly consider getting yourself a Genesis CV.

Thanks for reading,
Michael (Lp) Palmer

Every Fall, in the Appalachian mountains around the towns of Summersville and Fayetville West Virginia, whitewater kayakers, rafters, and whitewater enthusiasts from around the world come together for the Gauley River Festival, or Gauleyfest. One of the biggest and better known whitewater festivals in North America, Gauleyfest is a must do for kayakers of all ages and abilities. Whether its the classic Upper Gauley big rapids like Pillow or Broken Paddle, or the long mellow stretches of playspot peppered Middle and Lower, the Gauley has something for everyone. This was my first year on the Gauley since 2004, and the maiden voyage of Titan Kayaks in the North American market, so needless to say I was looking forward to another year of exciting runs and….memorable parties. The whitewater of the region is matched only by the energy of the nightime festivities and the cheap gas beer and truckstop food.


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We stopped on the way south in Friendsville, Maryland to run the Upper Yough, another Northeast dam release gem that winds its way though the hills where they turn on the water a few hours a day over the weekend every summer. We put on at 1 oclock after a stout breakfast buffet along with a couple other newly met Canadians and a couple southerners, and bombed down the river with lots of good lines and a few exciting moments. Taking off around 6 put us into Summersville at about 9:30 that night, so it was right into the festivities for the Titan crew!



We linked up with friends at the World Class Kayak Academy booth and set up our V:2 Genesis at the booth for everyones viewing pleasure. Throughout the night the Genesis turned heads and brought over interested kayakers from all over. Everyone was excited to get a chance to take it out for a rip! A few frosties and a sip of moonshine or two later the crew wrapped up for the evening and turned in so we’d have a good day on the river Saturday.



We spent Saturday on the Upper Gauley with a great crew of people, our new friends Bill and Brogden from the south lead the way down while Spencer, Zoe, Mike, Juraj, our new MTL buddies Max and Luc and I bombed down close behind. Juraj took the V2 out for its first big river mission, stomping his lines throughout the day and taking the boat through its paces.  Things went smooth as butter until Zoe went into the hole in ‘Insignificant’ quickly followed by Spencer and his kayak, resulting in her paddle broken in half, and a swim into the eddy below. I shot her my paddle until we got to Pillow Rock where Zoe and Spencer hiked out for the day. The rest of us got back on the river and cruised our way through Broken Paddle, Iron Ring and the rest of the amazing Upper Gauley where after a brisk hike and a frosty brew or two we headed back for another evening of revelry. Met a lot of great people, and saw a lot of old friends, some of whom it had been too long.




Sunday took us down the Lower Gauley, a long cruisy run of fun mellow rapids with a few fun lines and a great wave. Zoe took the Genesis down for most of the day, looking sharp and paddling well. At her weight the V2 was a really competent river running playboat, keeping her nice and high out of the water, and more than fast enough for making the moves of the day.

At the wave halfway down we took turns in it and it really ripped. At 185 lbs I’m on the upper end of the weight range and not only did the boat still feel great on the wave, with a really assertive carve and easy to control edges, but it also had lots of speed and was as great in a backsurf as forwards. It was also very comfortable, with plenty of room in the bow for a nicely shaped foot block, and with a nice centered position in the boat. It was really light snapping back and forth, and even on a slower softer wave it had no problem generating speed down the face of the wave.


A long day on the river left us shattered and in need of sleep, so we hoteled it for an evening and rested up for the 14 hour trip home. Really looking forward to the V3 and a chance to get the V2 and V3 onto some more rivers and especially big waves like Big Joe and Bussy in the upcoming weeks!

Thanks to everyone who helped make it another successful Gauleyfest and everyone we met along the way!




Hope to catch you all on the river soon!

Jeremy Cane, Titan Canada


Outfitting

Each bit of the outfitting seems extremely well thought out. Although fair to say it is simple, it is very effective.  For example, the seat is extremely comfortable and naturally in a high position compared to other freestyle boats on the market. This feature I really like as it gives you more leverage over the boat and also doesn’t make you hurt after 20 minutes in the boat!

The back band came set up almost perfectly with a big surface area which sat in exactly the right place for me. This was very supportive and did not slip down once! I am glad Titan have also used the traditional ratchet system to tighten it up and not string which often slips and comes loose!

One other thing to note is the hip pad system, which gently presses into your legs more as the backrest is tightened up, ensuring a better connection between you and the boat…I am surprised no other company has used something like this before!



On the Water



From the moment I dropped into the hole I could tell this boat was going to be fun to paddle. The rails on the boat meant that once engaged you zoomed across the feature.  This meant that the boat was very responsive which helped to set up as it actually reacted to what you want to do, compared to other boats!



This boat has to be one of the easiest boats I have ever looped, and consequently enables you to throw some absolutely massive loops and space godzillas! Upon landing these moves they all were incredibly straight thanks to the well thought out back end of the boat. Cartwheels in this boat also felt balanced and controlled, also retaining in the feature very well.



Did I also tell you this boat goes huge?




Conclusion



Titans ‘second generation’ seems to be a massive improvement on the original designs and in my opinion this boat could definitely be a competitor for the giants of Wavesports and Jackson Kayaks new playboats. I am looking forward to paddling this boat and also seeing a lot more Titans on the water…which I am sure we will all see!



Paddlers & Photographers: Spencer Laidley & Mike Kobzik

Paddler: Charles Blyth

Photographer: David Bain