Does ANYONE have ANY Information on the Phoenix Medesta Kayak. I have seen a Photograph, I know they are 13’2"" long and were made in Kentucky. What type of Boat is it. Is it strictly a Whitewater Boat or a Semi Touring Boat?
The only Phoenix kayaks I could find are big box specials.
“string” and “Rookie,” no I am looking for information on this particular Boat. I know a fella trying to sell two of them and I think this Boat has quite a following among certain people. Mainly want to know if it is strictly an Old School Whitewater Kayak or a Semi Touring Kayak.
A google search turned up zip on a “Medesta,” as I’m pretty sure you know. Did your seller provide the HIN or a photo showing the boat and model name?
Yeah, he showed a picture and stated they were Phoenix Production Modesta Model but for some reason could not tell me much about them. Read some stuff on Forums that they were a Kneel Down Kayak Paddled with a Single Paddle and some people Loved them for their Old Fashion Design. I am looking for more of a Touring Kayak. So if this is not what I am looking for someone else might really be interested in them. They looked nice.
““they were a Kneel Down Kayak Paddled with a Single Paddle”” In the whitewater world that is known as a C1 (as opposed to what I paddle which is an OC1).
Must be a very old model.
I have a few Phoenix boats and don’t remember ever seeing the Medesta on their website going back about 15 years.
I believe it is spelled ‘Mendesta’ not ‘Medesta’ to aid in Internet searches.
Here is some mention of Mendesta
http://www.driftwoodkayak.com/blog/it-all-started-in-1964
“Their kayaks were fiberglass, made by Mendesta, a Belgian company now no longer in business. Mendestas were designed as slalom boats, short - around 15 feet – and were perfect for heavy surf paddling. Some time later I bought a used Mendesta from David Sutcliffe, German teacher at Atlantic College, protégé of Desmond Hoare, and joint editor of ‘Canoeing Complete’ (Kaye, London, 1966), one of the seminal kayaking books of that time. I paddled the Mendesta on rivers, lakes and on the Welsh coast until I left Wales and gave up kayaking for the next twenty five years.”
1
1975 Mendesta Match II by Phoenix Kayaks. Phoenix had a range of composite kayaks for slalom, river running and wildwater racing. In it’s day the Kevlar Match II was as fast as any design out there and a real winner in big water. Not really an all round boat, but a lot of fun once you got the hang of it.