Corran Addison
Encyclopedia
Corran Addison was born in South Africa
n and is a slalom canoer, white water kayaker, surfer and surfboard
designer, now based in Montreal
, Canada
.
Addison competed internationally in whitewater slalom in the early 1990s. He finished 38th in the K-1
event at the 1992 Summer Olympics
in Barcelona
. In 1987 Addison successfully ran the highest waterfall ever attempted in a kayak: a 31m vertical drop into Lake Tignes in France
. The record stood for over a decade until it was broken in 2004 by Ed Lucero
's 34m waterfall in the Northwest Territories of Canada
.
He made a name for himself in the whitewater kayaking
community by pioneering a number of innovative designs (including the planing hull kayak which was Addisons invention and is the technology by which all modern kayaks are based). He worked for Perception kayaks before starting Savage Designs in 1994, leaving in 1996. His marketing at Savage designs laid the groundwork for the Generation X marketing that was to be followed by his next start up company Riot Kayaks, where he worked as chief designer and head of marketing. The Riot brand was notorious for cutting edge designs and a go for broke attitude to freestyle kayaking and extreme white water. Addison was responsible for the design of one of the world's best selling kayaks in 1990, the Corsica, and went on to design the Fury in 1995 at Savage which was the worlds first planing hulled river kayak. These were followed by the Glide, the kayak that is reputed to have been responsible for a last minute rule change at the 1997 world championships because it was so far ahead in technology that he was considered to have an unfair advantage by the other athletes, and then the Disco in 1999, the design by which all modern freestyle kayaks are measured today.
Addison competed for South Africa in a number of world freestyle kayaking championships, winning more events than any other competitor in the years 1993 to 1999 and obtained a silver medal in 1995 and 1999, and bronze in 1998. He also produced a number of kayaking films between 2002 and 2007.
Addison was in his day considered somewhat controversial in the conservative world of whitewater kayaking by his brash and cocksure attitude. However the young kayakers of today mirror the young Addison in many ways and so it would seem he helped pave the way to a new generation of kayaking which subsists in today's pro paddlers.
After leaving Riot in 2003, he began designing for Dragorossi, a new Kayak brand out of Italy. He was already losing interest in the sport at that time and had begun moving on to surfing. Addison now owns and designs for his surf company Imagine Surfboards, based out of Montreal. Imagine surfboards are considered a cutting edge company in the field of sustainable and ecological business, and have been leading the way in promoting responsible manufacturing in the surf industry. He is also a competitive Stand Up Paddle Surfer
and competed in the 2010 Hawaiian World Cup.
He pioneered surfing the Habitat 67
wave in Montreal
. His company Imagine Surfboards offers river surfing
lessons, teaching over 3,500 students in Montreal since 2005. Imagine also manufactures and sells surfboards, suits and accessories.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n and is a slalom canoer, white water kayaker, surfer and surfboard
Surfboard
A surfboard is an elongated platform used in the sport of surfing. Surfboards are relatively light, but are strong enough to support an individual standing on them while riding a breaking wave...
designer, now based in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Addison competed internationally in whitewater slalom in the early 1990s. He finished 38th in the K-1
Canoeing at the 1992 Summer Olympics - Men's slalom K-1
These are the results of the men's K-1 slalom competition in canoeing at the 1992 Summer Olympics. The K-1 event is raced by one-man kayaks through a whitewater course. The venue for the 1992 Olympic competition was at La Seu d'Urgell....
event at the 1992 Summer Olympics
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
. In 1987 Addison successfully ran the highest waterfall ever attempted in a kayak: a 31m vertical drop into Lake Tignes in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The record stood for over a decade until it was broken in 2004 by Ed Lucero
Ed Lucero
Ed Lucero is a noted American whitewater kayaker.He is known for making "first descents", including the former record 105 foot Alexandra Falls in Canada's Northwest Territories, Guadelupe Falls in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico, and Smith Falls in Idaho.He suffered broken ribs at Casanova Falls...
's 34m waterfall in the Northwest Territories of Canada
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
.
He made a name for himself in the whitewater kayaking
Whitewater kayaking
Whitewater kayaking is the sport of paddling a kayak on a moving body of water, typically a whitewater river. Whitewater kayaking can range from simple, carefree gently moving water, to demanding, dangerous whitewater. River rapids are graded like ski runs according to the difficulty, danger or...
community by pioneering a number of innovative designs (including the planing hull kayak which was Addisons invention and is the technology by which all modern kayaks are based). He worked for Perception kayaks before starting Savage Designs in 1994, leaving in 1996. His marketing at Savage designs laid the groundwork for the Generation X marketing that was to be followed by his next start up company Riot Kayaks, where he worked as chief designer and head of marketing. The Riot brand was notorious for cutting edge designs and a go for broke attitude to freestyle kayaking and extreme white water. Addison was responsible for the design of one of the world's best selling kayaks in 1990, the Corsica, and went on to design the Fury in 1995 at Savage which was the worlds first planing hulled river kayak. These were followed by the Glide, the kayak that is reputed to have been responsible for a last minute rule change at the 1997 world championships because it was so far ahead in technology that he was considered to have an unfair advantage by the other athletes, and then the Disco in 1999, the design by which all modern freestyle kayaks are measured today.
Addison competed for South Africa in a number of world freestyle kayaking championships, winning more events than any other competitor in the years 1993 to 1999 and obtained a silver medal in 1995 and 1999, and bronze in 1998. He also produced a number of kayaking films between 2002 and 2007.
Addison was in his day considered somewhat controversial in the conservative world of whitewater kayaking by his brash and cocksure attitude. However the young kayakers of today mirror the young Addison in many ways and so it would seem he helped pave the way to a new generation of kayaking which subsists in today's pro paddlers.
After leaving Riot in 2003, he began designing for Dragorossi, a new Kayak brand out of Italy. He was already losing interest in the sport at that time and had begun moving on to surfing. Addison now owns and designs for his surf company Imagine Surfboards, based out of Montreal. Imagine surfboards are considered a cutting edge company in the field of sustainable and ecological business, and have been leading the way in promoting responsible manufacturing in the surf industry. He is also a competitive Stand Up Paddle Surfer
Stand up paddle surfing
Stand up paddle surfing , or in the Hawaiian language Hoe he'e nalu, is an emerging global sport with a Hawaiian heritage. The sport is an ancient form of surfing, and reemerged as a way for surfing instructors to manage their large groups of students, as standing on the board gave them a higher...
and competed in the 2010 Hawaiian World Cup.
He pioneered surfing the Habitat 67
Habitat 67 (standing wave)
Habitat 67 is the name of a standing wave in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Informally named for the adjacent Habitat 67 housing complex, it has become a popular destination for whitewater kayaking and river surfing....
wave in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. His company Imagine Surfboards offers river surfing
River surfing
River surfing is the sport of surfing either standing waves or tidal bores in rivers. Claims for its origins include a 1955 ride of 1.5 miles along the tidal bore of the River Severn...
lessons, teaching over 3,500 students in Montreal since 2005. Imagine also manufactures and sells surfboards, suits and accessories.