Apple River Field-test: Bell Royalex Wildfire Canoe
by Cliff Jacobson

It began at last year’s Midwest Mountaineering canoe event. Craig Johnson and I were comparing our favorite local streams. I voted for Wisconsin’s Kinnikinnic River. It’s one of those rare gems that provides constant Class I action with awesome scenery and reasonable remoteness.

Craig just listened and smiled. "Ever paddle the Apple?"

"Nyah; it’s got too many tubers," I replied.

"Cliff, you gotta canoe the Apple with me! There’s a great fast-water stretch where tubers don’t go. It’s perfect for our little boats."

"Okay. Call me when you make another run; I’d love to go!"

On June 2, we paddled the Apple together, and what a rush. The river was medium-high and fast with dozens of fun Class II rapids-perfect for our little boats. The run from Star Prairie to highways C and CC normally takes about two and one-half hours (but you can stretch it to all day if you take time to play). We took four hours.

I paddled my Black & Gold Bell Wildfire. Craig brought a new cherry-wine colored Royalex(tm) Wildfire.

Royalex? Hmmm. I own five Royalex canoes and frankly, I’m not crazy about any one. Yes, they are strong, seaworthy and inexpensive, and they get me down mean rivers and back without complaint. They do the job but they don’t make me smile. I figured Craig’s Royalex Wildfire would be no different. No way could it compare to a sister composite.

It felt good to canoe playful rapids that were suited to the size of our solo canoes. For a while, we practiced ferries, eddy turns and peel outs, each of us in our own happy paddling world. I was enjoying my boat and had no wish to try Craig’s Royalex version. But, ultimately, I gave in and decided it was my duty to "keep an open mind and try new things."

We switched mid-stream, and as I climbed aboard, I secretly hoped that Craig’s boat would be a pig. After all, it was Royalex and therefore had to be inferior to my composite. Ahem! These were my impressions minutes after we traded boats:

o This Royalex hull seems narrower than my composite. Nyah, it’s just my imagination.

o It seems to turn better than my boat. I particularly like how smoothly and predictably it eddies in and out. Nyah, it’s just my imagination.

o This canoe appears to have more volume than mine. The front end looks higher. Nyah, it’s just my imagination. (I learned later that the bow is higher on his).

o It seems to accelerate as quickly as mine. Impossible! It’s just my imagination.

o Check for stiffness, Cliff; bounce on this bugger. No oil-canning here; this hull is nearly as solid as its sister composite! Is this really a Royalex canoe? The wooden rails cap the hull so I can’t see the Royalex material. A casual onlooker would never know this is a Royalex canoe. But the nicely fitted decks of my Black and Gold boat are slicker. Yes, but these are easier to remove if you want to unscrew the ends for winter storage. How thoughtful.

The kicker, of course, is weight. Royalex is simply heavier than any composite. My Black and Gold Wildfire weighs 36 pounds. Craig says this one weighs 42. Later, on shore, I lofted both canoes. The Royalex one doesn’t feel much heavier. Hmmm.

I was surprised to find that I really liked this new Royalex Wildfire. It IS a Royalex canoe one can fall in love with. And it’s just as pretty as the top-of-the-line composite models. Last time I ate crow real bad was in the early 1980’s when I still hadn’t embraced bent-shaft paddles. Now, the bird is back again. This new Wildfire is awesome. From now on, I’m going to look at Royalex in a new way.