ShowDown Description

The first load-assist mount to handle both SUPs and kayaks, makes loading and unloading heavy boats and boards a breeze. The lightweight mount tilts down more than two feet from the roof rack, takes on up to 45% of the boat’s weight, then helps gently raise it up to the top of the vehicle. Once loaded it securely cradles your boat or boards for the ride. At only 21 lbs. it’s super lightweight but built burly enough to wrangle an 80 lb. load.

Additional Attributes

  • Easily load and unload kayaks and boards at waist level at the side of the vehicle with the easy to use slide and tilt mechanism
  • 80 lb. boat and board capacity easily handles a large kayak or two boards
  • Universal mounting hardware fits most roof racks
  • Lightweight materials and construction don’t eat up roof’s carrying capacity
  • Tilts down a lengthy 26" from roof rack height
  • Provides 30-45% weight assistance (depending on boat width)
  • Felt-covered cradles flex to conform to hull for secure transport
  • Folds down flat to reduce drag and noise when not in use
  • All tie-down straps included
  • Locks to base rack with SKS Lock Cores for added security (sold separately)

Yakima Products, Inc.
ShowDown Reviews

Read reviews for the ShowDown by Yakima Products, Inc. as submitted by your fellow paddlers. All of the reviews are created and written by paddlers like you, so be sure to submit your own review and be part of the community!

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5

The price shown on the…

Submitted by: RGK on 5/17/2024

The price shown on the Paddling site is incorrect; currently MSRP is $599 on the Yakima web page. The rack is a huge help loading and unloading.

5

I have had nothing but…

Submitted by: simple_kayaker on 8/1/2019

I have had nothing but positives experience with the Showdown and both a Chevy Cruze and Equinox. Fits both exactly.

I hated being exhausted getting off the water had having to wrestle/hoist my kayak up on J-hooks. I am 65 so anything to make the job physically easier is welcome. Yakima is expensive in my opinion. My REI dividend and money gift helped with reducing the price I out of my pocket.

I do not understand the deficiencies others spoke of. Mine seems made very well and easy to use. I have had folks of small statue load it up and take it off to see how they like it. Few weeks later one of those persons had new Showdown.

3

Time will tell with this…

Submitted by: DKehlenbach on 10/2/2018

Time will tell with this rack. I’ve been using Yakima products for the past 20 years, and have two sets of kayak J-cradles, a Bow-Down, the Sidewinder tandem bike rack, and a hitch-mounted bike rack. The first thing that struck me when unboxing the ShowDown was its build quality. This is certainly not what I have come to expect from Yakima. It feels quite inferior to all the other Yakima products I have.
Mounting the ShowDown was very easy, but like other reviewers I noticed that the safety pins were extremely hard to install and remove. I coated them with some bike grease, but keep a pair of pliers in the car in case they get stuck. I am using this rack to transport a Tarpon 140 (68 lbs). For day trips, the rack works quite well. However during extended trips, when the boat is on the rack for many hours (or days), it becomes difficult to get the boat down. It seems like the boat gets ‘stuck’ at the last 12 inches or so of travel. I’ve had to push the boat in and out several times to finally be able to lower the boat down. Next time I go on an extended trip, I will try some grease on the rails to see if that improves things. Again, time will tell with this set-up. I had considered the Thule Hullavator as it has a gas-assist mechanism and much more favorable reviews, however having already invested in the Yakima ecosystem it would have been an expensive proposition to re-configure my vehicle. Fingers crossed with this rack!

3

Easy to install this carrier…

Submitted by: phstock on 7/2/2018

Easy to install this carrier onto my crossbars and I love how it slides out and drops down the side of my car. So easy to slide my 14' kayak onto the cradles and get it strapped down. Unfortunately, I found I did not have the upper body strength to lift the loaded carreiers high enough to slide back onto top of car. This is a terrific carrier if you have someone to help, but for me, a female mostly solo paddler, it is a struggle.