Company Line: For world championships, getting down the river right side up, or conquering your first surf.

Two years ago the Wave Sport EZ appeared in our 2001 freestyle kayak test and was a favorite of accomplished river runners, rodeo stars and newbie paddlers in a time when all other boats were long and slicey hole boats. The EZ went on to countless rodeo wins in the hands of Team paddlers as well as novice freestyle stars. Now left behind by the aerial freestyle crowd for the Transformer, the EZ is one of the few freestyle boats that really works as a rebranded river play machine.

The shape is available in EZ, Big EZ and Super EZ and leads the pack for just sliding in, tugging on a couple of straps and feeling at home. The EZs accelerate to a realistic speed given today’s standards. The similar balance and shape bow-to-stern offers smooth end-to-end performance. Stern squirts, almost forgotten in the aerial boat era, and bow stalls are very easily controlled. Seven feet seems to be the ideal length to maintain vertical stability and hull speed and be short enough for play in small features. The EZs are stable on eddy lines and crossing waves and current. They boof and run small drops with ease, spin, recover easily, roll easier than most, are easy to get on edge and maintain that edge without much effort.

Bottom Line: There are better trick boats, better river boats, better squirt boats and better creek boats but no boat does all things all as well.

Pro: All round performance. FAT 2.0 outfitting. New price.

Con: In every size (M, L, XL) except small.