"I was going backward, through rapids on the James, standing and casting my fly rod into the ripples," Mark Vlaskamp -Canoe Vibes, was stoked recounting his trip with the fellas from Wingman Outfitters.

A month later we had Austin and Drew from Wingman at our Demo Day in June, so folks could check them out. A cooler outrigger setup designed for canoes, and designed in Roanoke, Va? Of course we gave them some space on the Demo Day island. They're practically family.

I then ran into Austin at a Chris Stapleton concert in Charlottesville, and we made tentative plans to get together and do some fishing. I still hadn't tested out their product. I'd pushed a lot of their content through our various marketing channels, but I suppose my natural inclination for gentle skepticism had made me wary of disliking a product produced by a couple of guys that I liked a lot.

In the meantime, Canoe & Kayak Magazine, Kayak Angler Magazine and various local news channels had caught on and started highlighting the Wingman Outfittter product. I needed to try it out. At this point it had generated enough good press, that I wasn't as concerned about disliking it. But again, Austin and Drew are such good guys, that I could see folks getting behind the product even if it wasn't that awesome...

Austin met me in my driveway at 6:15 am. We loaded up on coffee and headed to Briery Creek Lake for my first test of the Wingman. We decided to slap it on a Native Watercraft Ultimate FX 15 I'd been paddling solo and kayak fishing from recently. We hit the water. As I stood up in my kayak and walked out onto the Wingman platform, a smile broke across my face.

"This is pretty rad!" I shouted to Austin.

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The late summer heat was in full effect and the fish were few and far between, but when they hit, it was with conviction. Austin pulled some from the timber as he paddled the Briery forest.

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I found a few as well, and loved flipping them in from the standing platform.

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The Wingman didn't impede my paddling either. While my kayak felt a little heavier in the water, it still moved very efficiently. The frame / standing platform weighs about 30lbs. The coolers add 8lbs. a piece when empty. Mine were empty. They become even more stable when filled up. They were pretty darn stable without any weight!

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After catching a few at Briery, we headed back to town. I needed to pick up my oldest daughter from school, and relieve my wife at home so she could go to work. Austin and I decided to meet up in a couple hours, after he did some work, and get an hour or two in with my girls at the family lake by my in-law's house.

We pulled up to Lake Lucy and started rigging up our canoes.

Once my girls realized it was a photo shoot things got pretty funny. I tried to get them to paddle me around while I fished, but everyone wanted to play on the platform.

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They absolutely loved the Wingman, and it added a whole new dimension to canoeing with the kids.

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We eventually dropped the girls off with my in-law's and went out and hooked a few more largemouth before calling it a day.

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I had a blast hanging with Austin and testing out the Wingman Outfitter's cooler outrigger. It's been getting a lot of hype, and it's not just because it was designed by a couple of really good dudes in Roanoke, VA. There have been three things, specifically related to paddlecraft, that have made me smile instantly when I got to try them out. The Wingman was one of them. It's fun. Plain and simple. The ability to paddle up to a spot, stand up, and walk up and onto a sight casting platform, is awesome.

My next mission is to strap one onto a pedal kayak and sight fish for redfish in the marsh. I feel like that would make me pretty happy, and ultimately, that is why I paddle. Out there , on the water, I find happiness exploring the outdoors, and the Wingman Oufitter's cooler outrigger adds to that fun. That's all I require of a product.

It also proved a good spot to practice my terrible fly casting. Simple and very effective.

The Wingman's original intent was for river trips, hunting, fishing, and camping. But I found it to be extremely fun even on flatwater.

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Plans are in the works for a fall river trip in search of big James River smallies and some musky. I can't wait to step back up to the deck again. And I'm not the only one. The next day, as I drove my girls to school, my 4 yr old asked, " hey daddy. When is that man Austin coming back with his standing canoe thing? I want to do that again."

Me too.

The fellas at Wingman sold out of there first run of cooler outriggers in 16 days. They have another batch in the works. Hit them up here to score yours. https://wingmanoutfitter.com/

After my day with Austin, I messaged Mark Vlaskamp about the Wingman, relaying that he was right, the thing is awesome. Mark wants everyone to know that before, Kayak Angler Mag, before Canoe and Kayak Mag, before Appomattox River Co., it was he who first saw and celebrated the awesomeness of the Wingman. Mark travels the country with his cat, so he really needs this folks. I think we can give it to him.

Also, many potential customers have questioned Austin and Drew of Wingman about the viability of their product in whitewater "riffles." I recently got a text from Austin. Looks like it handles rapids just fine.