The Paddler Magazine Issue 61 Late Summer 2021 | Page 59

We at the Paddler magazine were interested in a post on EJ ’ s FB page in praise of his son , Dane , who had just turned 28 . We thought it would be interesting to draw parallels between the lives of this father and son who also just happen to be World Champions in freestyle and legends in the world of WW kayaking .
Words : Eric Jackson Photos : Eric Jackson , Davey O ’ Hare , Kristine Jackson , Peter Holcombe , John Rathwell / Red Bull Content Pool & Corey Rich / Red Bull Content Pool
Who is Dane Oliver Jackson ?
A scrawny , barely viable baby , who weighed in at one pound and 10 ounces at the start of his life outside of the womb , Dane has made the best of his life to date .
Dane ’ s first kayak event was the 1993 World Championships on the Ocoee , when he was barely four pounds and just out of the hospital . It was my first World Championship win . Kristine watched over him while he wore his monitor to ensure he was breathing and his heart was beating .
On the ride back to DC from Tennessee , he got a hernia that nearly killed him . He was born into a life of pain from the beginning , but it never dampened his spirits .
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