Intro
Meet Dane Jackson. One of the best all-around whitewater kayakers on the planet. He was practically born into the pursuit. Dane grew up in a family of kayakers, following in the footsteps of his Olympic paddler father and hitting the water before most kids could ride a bike. He dominated junior world titles early in his career, went on to win at the pro level, and never slowed down. He's the first athlete to complete the famed Green River Race in under four minutes: a milestone moment in the sport. These days Dane travels the world chasing the next great river, pushing the progression of whitewater kayaking one run at a time. On the water or off it, he’s Living Free. We're proud to welcome him to the Turtlebox family.
Q&A
What is your profession? And did you always know this is what you would end up doing, or was it something you stumbled into?
I've been a kayaker my whole life. My dad was a pro kayaker, so is my older sister, and my brother-in-law — we're a family of kayakers. My dad got me into it early and I never stopped.
When you’re not doing your core pursuit, what else do you enjoy doing?
I travel year-round to go kayaking. If I'm not on the water, I'm probably driving or flying to wherever the next best place is. When I'm off the water I just enjoy hanging out, traveling to cool places, and spending time with good people.
How do you incorporate music into your life?
Music is a big part of my life. It's a way to get stoked, a way to get people fired up. As soon as good music is on, it changes the whole atmosphere.
What does “Live Free” mean to you?
Day to day, just doing what you love. Doing the thing you enjoy most with the people you care about, spending time with your best friends and having a great time while doing it.
What’s the craziest thing that’s happened to you in the wild/on tour?
A few crazy things have happened over the years, but the most recent was getting chased by crocs in Madagascar. Turns out there were crocs in the river and getting chased was not enjoyable.
Favorite Turtlebox speaker and why? How do you use it?
When the Ranger came out I loved how small and portable it was, just being able to use the magnets and stick it in the most random places. Super sick. Now that the Cub's out, it's portable, I can travel with it, and it's loud enough to hear over the rapids. And it floats. Great combo.
