Dagger Kingpin Icon Series:  A First Look
Article & Photos by Jeff Strano

The Majestic Icon 6.2 in all its splendor.

This past August, I remember breathing a sigh of relief after viewing the revised Kingpin series from Dagger at the Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Finally, I thought, a boat company has finally grasped the concept of making the same model over a period longer than one season!

Automobile companies, snowboard manufacturers and mountain bike makers have all been making the same models, changing minor things like colour, trim packages and components from season to season, but still keep the principal product the same.  After a period of at least three seasons, they will change something major.

Why haven't boat companies clued into this over the years?  Each season they seem to try and re-invent the wheel by bringing out radically different products from year to year.

Well, other companies may be slow to catch on, but Dagger is embracing this concept by reintroducing the Kingpin for the second season with some added performance features and sweet outfitting ... at no extra cost. They have named it:  the Kingpin Icon.

Hull profile complete with with fin boxes.

This boat is beautifully decked out with all the latest tech, including:  Inflatable Air core hip pads; sleek detachable volume pods on bow and stern; a new cushy seat; a better lever-snap method of tightening and securing your backband tightly; and -- the best feature of all -- Fins for the Hull!

A few final things to let you know.  Dagger has also changed their plastic composition for this season, in turn making it much stiffer, more abrasion resistant and shinier.  Reminds me of Liquidlogic plastic.

A close-up of the all-new fin boxes. These are very nicely integrated into the hull with no protrusion beyond the plastic of the hull itself!

Also, I had a chance to paddle this boat in the fall at the Gull and it rips.  Throw the fins on and this boat becomes a faster, harder carving animal.  It really impressed me.  Unfortunately, I didn't have a chance to try the volume pods out, as they weren't finished in production models.

Now that you have had a chance to wet your appetite for play, come on down to one of our showrooms and have a look in person, then take one out for a test drive.  We have all the sizes available for demo as well.

Dagger bringing out the same model as last season means a tried, tested and true product that the pro-team loves, and a whole bunch of new added performance features that make it even better.

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