Behold...the lowly combing

This unheralded part of our kayaks do not enjoy the glamor or attention given to hull lines, deck layouts or even underwater and seldom seen skegs. Quietly, always in the shadow of the kayak's other parts, this vital protuberance encircles the cockpit, albeit the paddler, yet gets little respect. And when it is time for the little boat to take to the sea and the photographers begin snapping the hull parting the waves, the combing is unseen, hidden, as it serves in obscurity.

Even the paddler, feeling secure as he rolls his boat, pays no mind to the unsung rim upon which even the much seen skirt depends on for sealing out the sea. Yea, it works its wonders in darkness while constantly stressed. Only when it is time to get a new boat does the paddler take a long deserved look at this heroic structure and, then, only to see what color he might make the next one. So, relegated to eye candy, the combing gets a brief period of admiration as friends and colleagues look upon the boat and the accent of the colors of the deck lines, the shear line and, lastly, the combing. Then, as if it never contributed to the appearance and performance of the boat, it is once again cloaked by the skirt, (its self dull black) as it once again returns to serve in dark obscurity.
Paddle safe...
DS