Patterson: We’re well-known for our cutting-edge designs—literally, in fact; we’ve never shied away from a sharp rail—and pushed hard lately with innovative models like the ReactR. As capable, fun, and forgiving as models such as this, the Firecracker, and Ripper 2 can be, we realized we’d underserved river paddlers. As a whole, the market had departed from offering models which can comfortably do it all and take a paddler of any ability through an average river trip, with plenty of opportunity for fun on the way.
PL: Will this replace any of the boats in the current lineup?
Patterson: Not directly, but it does simplify the range somewhat and provide an option which covers the same ground the R.One, Burn III, and to some degree, the Machno, did (all of which were made recently available at a lower price point in simpler, Connect outfitting and single colors only). Those models have now been discontinued.
PL: What is the goal of the design, as in who will want this kayak and where will it be used?
Patterson: Not to be corny, but almost everyone and almost everywhere.
PL: How many sizes will there be?
Patterson: The InaZone will come in two sizes – S/M for paddlers up to around 80 kg (176 lbs.), and M/L for paddlers up to around 125 kg (around 275 lbs.).
PL: Do you see an increased need for beginner/intermediate kayaks?
Patterson: That need is always there, but we’ve stopped seeing kayaks for beginner/intermediates in isolation—no one wants to buy a kayak, develop their skills in it, and then immediately jump into something totally alien to them. We believe that the InaZone has broad appeal, whether you’re someone with fond memories of the original who wants to experience that with the edge of modern concepts such as bow rocker (madness!) and a water-shedding deck, a developing paddler looking to hone your skills, or, let’s be honest, the majority of us who want to take one boat to those familiar playgrounds as well as those which push us a little beyond that comfort zone, and yet still have fun.
PL: I saw the video of Alex surfing this boat on a glassy wave, it looked really fun and loose. Do you expect this to be a go-to surfing kayak?
Patterson: We’d expect people to see the Wizard as the go-to surfing kayak amongst our range (available from now until February 26, 2026 only), but it is still an important part of the InaZone’s play potential—surfing is an early play skill for most paddlers, yet one which remains super fun and highly accessible throughout our paddling lives. So we felt it was an important one to nail with this design.
PL: When will the two sizes be available in the USA?
Patterson: Spring 2026
PL: Is purple mint the same as last year’s contiga blue?
Patterson: They do look similar in isolation, but are actually made up of completely different shades of powder… get them next to each other and you can see that purple mint is minty fresh.
PL: Did enough people complain so you finally added a drainplug to the boat?
Patterson: Haha! We did feel it was important to have a drain plug on this model so we added it.