i found this boat to be fairly comfortable and thought it surfed well it was also good in a hole and will cartwheel easly, i got my first cartwheel in this boat. i found that the pods were of use and i rely did notice the extra volume it gave the boat....
however... this boat is very heavy and has far too may bolts and screws, outfitting was good but if anything broke (air pump is a regular problem) it needs to be ordered, and cannot just be replaced with something which is easly avialable. this fittings for the back rest are not avialable in shops.
i had a kingpin icon6.1 it was a little small, a very heavy and outfitting was a little too fidgity,so i bought a 2nd hand kingpin 6.2. this boats outfitting is much simpler and can be replaced easily (back rest straps are just roof rack straps), it is just as comfortable as the newer modle, and the older version (kingpin)6.2 is actually lighter than the icon 6.1.
i think the old modle is far better than the new modle!
I thought that the King Pin Icon had some good and bad things going for it.
First the Good. The boat has a truck load of pop to it. It is a little of balance on the bow, but when you dig in for a loop at your favorite hole you will find a whole lot of air getting ready to help you out. The boat is also pretty roomy. With the raised hip area, you will find that it is a pretty comfy boat and large enough for the bigger paddlers.
Now the Bad Stuff. What is up with the pods. Now don’t get me wrong I know what they are for, but what a pain in the butt... I never use ‘em and not many I know do, but whatever. The kingpin greatly lacks in balanced volume, although in some cases people like that. The boat has most of its volume around your knees making it very difficult to initiate compared to other boats.