Esquif L'Edge Lite w/Wood Gunwales OC1

When the L'Edge arrived in 2010, it didn't take long for it to become the canoe that other solo whitewater designs were measured against. That reputation has held up because the hull genuinely delivers across a wide range of paddlers and river types, from someone working through their first ferries to an experienced paddler pushing steep technical lines.

The Lite version is built for durability above all else. Moulded by the team at Liquidlogic in polyethylene, this is the L'Edge you want when your local river is shallow, rocky, and unforgiving -- the kind of water that eats lighter hulls for breakfast. At 51 lbs it carries more weight than the SuperLite, but what you get in return is a canoe that takes big hits, scrapes down slides, and comes back for more without showing much for it.

Progressive rocker at bow and stern gives the L'Edge its well-known combination of straight-line speed and quick pivot response, and the ash gunwales add a quality finish to a canoe built for hard use. Float bags are sold separately and should be considered essential equipment.

• Construction: Polyethylene
• Length: 9'2" (2.8 m)
• Width: 29.75" (73.66 cm)
• Depth: 16" (40.64 cm)
• Hull shape: Asymmetrical
• Rocker: Progressive bow and stern
• Weight: 51 lbs (23 kg)
• Gunwales: Ash
• Outfitting: Bulkhead
• Colours: Mixed colours
• Note: Float bags sold separately