Playak News Flash 2009-10-30

Playak News Flash - October 30, 2009

News Watch Headlines

Dagger: Holcombe and the Green Boat Dominate the Lord of the Fork Andrew Holcombe took first place in the Lord of the Fork race on the Russell Fork River this past weekend, and he did it in record time. Paddling the Dagger Green Boat, Holcombe bested the field of 49 competitors. Holcombe was one of 21 competitors to choose the Green Boat for this iconic race.

Kokatat Blog: Nick Troutman checks in from France After the Worlds Emily and I were able to hang out in Europe for the next couple weeks. Within those next couple weeks we got to visit France for a week teaching some clinics and boat demos. Almost half of our clinics were at the well known wave in Lyon, the Hawaii sur Rhone. This was really sweet being that this is an awesome big wave with some huge air potential.

Nick Troutman: Reflections of a World Champion When I think back on the World Championships, for me it was a very special event. Obviously the fact that I won, and achieved one of my goals has a large part of it, though it goes much deeper than that.

Dagger Blogs: First Fall Descent Middle Kings In the history of California boating, to my knowledge, none of the high Sierra multi days have ever been attempted during the Fall time. The main reason being snow, good water levels, and the freezing temperatures. Due to the unpredictability of the season, putting in the effort to do a run like Middle Kings is a major gamble.

Kokatat Blog: Ronin Pros are shipping The long awaited UL/US Coast Guard approved Ronin Pro life jackets are now shipping out of the factory to dealers around the country! The Ronin Pro is the life jacket of choice for our team paddlers, sponsored expeditions, and the factory crew.

Atlantic Paddle Surfing: Updated SUP used Board Prices We've updated our prices on our '09 SUP boards online. No more sale prices on New boards, but Mike actually dropped the prices on most of the Used boards.

Inflatable Kayak Blog: The Wind Paddle Kayak Sail for Inflatable Kayaks One of the problems that occur when paddling an inflatable kayak is that the wind can affect them quite a bit. I find that I have no trouble paddling into the wind, however a cross wind and, especially, a tail wind seems to want to turn my boat around.

Playak Product News: Daanu: Pacific Angler Kayak Seat Reborn DANUU, LLC, popular kayak & canoe cover producer, now owners of the Seairsports line of time tested kayak seats, is pleased to announce that the ergonomically designed fishing seat, the Pacific Angler, is now available and better than ever!

surfski.info: Bondi to Watson's Bay (Australia) – Race report Before this weekend, Ian Timbrell and Dean Gardiner had one race each. Proving once again that he is a total genius in bumpy conditions, Dean rounded South Head with only Tim and Muzz ahead of him, and neither by much.

surfski.info: Von Wildemann scoops 3rd series title at Kings Beach Harbour Challenge (South Africa) Ace paddler Richard von Wildemann managed to hold on to his top position in the Eastern Cape series by claiming his third title in the popular Discovery Men's Health Surf Ski Series in the Kings Beach Harbour Challenge.

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Playak News Flash 2009-10-28

Playak News Flash - October 28, 2009

News Watch Headlines

Mike Dawson: Slammed on the ZAM Few days paddling up and down the Zambezi. Off to the Kafuui National park to run the 3 days trip down the kafuui.

Playak: PLAYAK.COM screen saver I made this (Windows) screensaver back in 2000, and hadn't even looked at it since, but since I got bored with my 'old' screensaver, I thought I'd install the Playak software again. Turned out it wasn't even downloadable anymore after a couple of system migrations... Well, I fixed all that now and thought some of you might like to give it a try as well. I'll probably make a new version soon with some even better photos, but in the meantime, enjoy this one.

CKS Squad: Eternity Hole on the Tuckasegee Eternity Hole is easy to spin in and to get on top of the foam pile. The hole is plenty deep for aerial tricks, water dependent, and super friendly for learning.

Rivers of Chile: Rio Laja The Río Laja rips through a geologic wonderland upstream from Salto del Laja, a popular roadside attraction off the Pan-American Highway

Fraser Valley WW: Sowaqua Creek, Hope, British Columbia Sowaqua Creek is rarely run and not on the radar of most local boaters. Aside from my only other descent of Sowaqua a few months earlier I have only found one other paddler that has been down it.

The Lake is the Boss: MIssing kayakers My brother Douglas Winter, a seasoned kayaker, went missing off the shores of Beaver Bay on 20 October. His kayak came ashore in rough seas, he did not. His vehicle was found at the Cove Point Lodge. A U.S. Coast Guard SAR was suspended due to bad weather, and water temps being what they are this time of year, the search for him was canceled.

Kayak Angler Magazine: Anglers save lives of two kayakers On Sunday afternoon two kayakers fishing with their dog on the Grand River in Grand Rapids, Michigan, nearly drowned when they went over a small dam.

Dagger Blogs: Paddlers Form Giant Floating 350 For Global Day of Action On Saturday, October 24, nearly 200 whitewater and sea kayaks, stand up paddle boards, and canoes converged on the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon to form a giant floating 350 as part of the largest global day of climate action ever.

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Playak News Flash 2009-10-27

Playak News Flash - October 27, 2009

News Watch Headlines

Atlantic Kayaker: Panamania !!! I am at the moment Quaffing a hefty brew reflecting on a recently finished excursion into the depths of the Panamanian rain forest with the master of disaster himself. We received the low down at a fire side chat about a trip that we could not pass up.

Kokatat Blog: The Price is right – a great first descent in NZ The Lifeblood of the Nation expedition is aimed at raising public consciousness about New Zealand's rivers and the threats many of them currently face. Lifeblood is aimed at highlighting what we have and what we stand to lose.

Evan Garcia: Palguin shit show It is a creek that come right off the flanks of Volcan Villarrica, meaning it carries water for the majority of the season. There are three runs to this beautiful spring fed river.

Nick Troutman: Charney Night Comp: Video The competition started at mid-night. There were some sweet lights, music, party, and an awesome hole.

Mike Dawson: Day 2 - Minus. I ran back up with Dieago a local rafter/paddler and banged out another run through. Was slightly off line, boofed the big pour-over, and got a little thrashing in the hole.

DeRiemer Adventure Kayaking: Rogue River- Make Me Stop. Everyone comes on a river trip for different reasons; work on skills, relax, have fun, be in a beautiful place, reconnect with friends and family. And when the group is eager to learn, like this one was, we are on fire.

CKS Squad: BC Magical Mystery Tour At the boundaries of BC lies a run close to the hearts of expedition paddlers. A run with bountiful vistas, top notch whitewater, sandy beached camp sites, and within unspoiled wilderness.

DeRiemer Adventure Kayaking: Grand Canyon- The Friends Trip. This was our second Grand Canyon kayak trip in a row. That's 27 days on the Colorado River. It's not easy leaving the Canyon after so many days.

Astral Currently: Safety Tip - always carry a rope Our friend Chris Morelli is an up and coming paddler from the Northeast and works at Mountainman Outdoor Supply. He put together this important safety reminder to always carry a rope.

Shred Ready: The Mighty Toxaway We also were greeted to a new landslide at the bottom of land bridge, which would appear to be runnable at lower flows as long as you make the eddy with out running into said landslide.

Jackson Kayak: Brett Barton takes his 2Ten S.Star to Skook I've had the new Super Star the last few weeks now and I have to say it's the boat I've wanted for a long time, I just never knew it!

PaddleBlogs: GorgeHits.com: Hucker's Guide to the Columbia River Gorge The Hucker's Guide is being made with experienced paddlers in mind covering the most challenging whitewater in the Columbia River Gorge Region, from really fun classics to down right terrifying adventures.

Fraser Valley WW: Skookumchuck Skooks is only a short ferry ride and a short drive from Vancouver, this means there can be some big line ups.

Reel Water Productions: The Final Days of the Ashlu This is a significant waterfall with a fast moving pool below that feeds into some of the hardest drops on the run. With proper safety set, several people we were willing to try their hand at it. I proved to be one of the most incredible cable cam shots of the whole weekend. We followed paddlers right over and off the drop.

Wavesport Blogs: Whitewater Kayaking: The Ultimate Guide on Clearance at Harmony Drawing on the combined 30+ years of experience of world-renowned paddlers and instructors Ken Whiting and Kevin Varette, this comprehensive guide covers everything from the most basic skills and concepts to the most advanced, cutting-edge paddling techniques.

This mail contains a selection of the most popular kayaking headlines. To see all the latest headlines, visit Playak News Watch.

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Playak News Flash 2009-10-18

Playak News Flash - October 18, 2009

News Watch Headlines

LiquidLore: No Place Like Home - Northwest River I learned to paddle in Newfoundland. There are a surprising amount of rivers to be found in the province, and what is known is probably just a fraction of what's out there.

Jackson Kayak: Big boat review I like being able to jump from boat to boat and feel the same level of comfort and confidence in each.

Kokatat Blog: Taylor Robertson checks in Taylor Robertson takes Stand Up Paddling to the river on the North Fork of the Feather River. New board designs make it possible for Taylor to run rapids to class 3 and surf the river like never before.

CKS Squad: 2009: Multi-days part deu I organized a BOX trip on the Clark's Fork of the Yellowstone. I personally rank the Box in my top three all-time runs. The place is unbelievable.

united in nature: 6 days, 6 rivers & a brand new boat {part 1} Once on the river i was expecting something a little bigger and harder out of the upper yough but it was still a blast with some non-stop boogie boulder gardens and some fun little drops.

Werner: Get Out & Enjoy Beautiful Fall Paddling As many parts of the county are waking to cooler temperatures, there is still plenty of warm weather paddling to be had. Werner's SE Rep, Mette Begrvall got out to enjoy some time over the weekend at Sumersville Lake in West Virginia.

PaddleBlogs: FreeWine: The Mulberry River - Fun Ozark Whitewater in Arkansas If you enjoy fast flowing Ozark whitewater rivers like the Lower Mountain Fork River in Broken Bow, Oklahoma, you will love the Mulberry River.

Werner: Werner Paddles at The Battle of the Paddle 2009 The Battle of the Paddle has become the underground World Championships of Stand Up Paddling and this years event was proof positive. Over 600 competitors from all over the world came to the sunny shores of So Cal to be involved in what can be called a landmark event for the sport.

ACA: ACA Collegiate Canoe & Kayak National Championships In conjunction with the 29th Great Rappahannock Whitewater Canoe Race, college students competed in five individual events and a team relay on the Rappahannock River in Fredericksburg, VA. This was the 3rd annual ACA Collegiate Canoe & Kayak National Championships. They raced for both individual medals as well as the coveted overall team trophy.

Am. Whitewater: Paddlers Take Chattooga Issue to Federal Court Conservation-oriented kayakers and canoeists sought protection in federal court on Wednesday from an illegal decision by the United States Forest Service involving the Chattooga Wild and Scenic River.

Anglesey Stick: The stealth boat Once Catherine paddled it on a reasonable trip (20k), it deserved a make-over, and now looks a little better, if somewhat fishy. Note the sophisticated deck hatch made from a BDH bottle embedded in foam, improved cockpit rim, footrests, etc.

ICF: Age Clearly No Issue At The 2009 World Masters Games in Sydney All age-groups were represented, from 30–34, all the way up to 80–84 and distances ranged from 21km to 5km. Ensuring us that age is no barrier to keeping fit and maintaining endurance were Australia's David Roberts, Bruce Morrison and Ian Brake; marathon athletes all above the age of 80. Each of them finished their 5km marathons in very respectable times.

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Playak News Flash 2009-10-16

Playak News Flash - October 16, 2009

News Watch Headlines

adidas Sickline: The Bitches The Bitches are a tidal race set out in the middle of the sea in west Wales, when the tide floods, a mass of water runs through these volcanic rocks, forming some very glassy waves and holes, making for a big volume play boating and soul surfing session.

Immersion Research: Crazy East Coast Kayakers It's funny how a kayak trip can transform from being simply a fun, crazy idea in a plastic boat to a life altering, relationship building, inter- and intra-personal experience unparalleled in regular life.

Wavesport Blogs: Surf sesh on the Lower Deschutes A group of us rallied out from Hood River for a little surf sesh at Lower Elevator, one of the main rapids on the Lower Deschutes. It's a pretty fun little wave that is well worth the drive, and provides hours and hours of entertainment.

Evan Garcia: The Eyes of Caburga... It was a fun time we both ran the waterfalls a bunch of times. It was good free fall practice for bigger things to come later in the trip.

Level 6 Blog: N. Feather Festival and Tobin Race - Shon Bollock The event was a lot of fun and it was great to see all the boys. It had a great turn out and a solid set of competition. Special thanks to American White Water for putting it on.

Kokatat Blog: Fine food, fine wine and fine paddling in Sicily! I feel like I've just come back from a 10 day holiday, although Barry and I were officially "working" at the first international seakayaking symposium in Sicily, Italy. The event was organized by Francesco Petralia who takes people seakayaking in Sicily through his company Maremotu.

Kayak Session: Tacen Extreme Tacen slalom course in Slovenija is well known for its world class slalom races and it is one of more difficult slalom courses. This year it hosted the biggest free ride kayak festival in Slovenia and one of the best organized events in central EU.

American Rivers: Washington State's newest Wild and Scenic River The House of Representatives passed legislation today to designate Illabot Creek, a key tributary of the Skagit River, as a Wild and Scenic River.

Kokatat Blog: Cali Burn Fest The Race was part of the Cali Burn Fest weekend. Racers had a mass start above the rapid Son of a Scraper Man. They paddled, bumped, and fought their way down to the finish line at that bottom of Burnt Ranch Falls #2. Rush Sturges won the down river Race.

Adventurous Experiences: 'Adventure Club' - BCU 1* Awards! Congratulations to the 8 members of the Adventure Club who passed their BCU 1* Award on Sunday. The assessments were held in a sheltered area of Port St Mary bay, as part of the ongoing 'Progressive Learning Program', an inherent part of the club.

Adrian Tregoning: Witte River – South Africa's Finest River? The Witte is one of those rivers – steep, continuous, every rapid runnable and set in an incredibly beautiful set of ruggedly handsome mountains.

Immersion Research: IR Loungeband installation in a Necky Looksha Loungeband installed in less than 10 minutes. I think Extrasport/Necky designed the Looksha 17 seat expecting that it would be replaced by an IR rig.

Canadian Ckayaker: In The Boat Again... It was a glorious day, crisp air, sunny skies and just enough wind to put some back into the strokes.

Kayak Angler Magazine: It's a kayak, it's a paddleboard…it's a SUP-YAK We've been trying to put our finger on exactly what it is. It's kind of a cross between a skiff and a stand-up paddleboard (SUP) and a sit-on-top kayak. It's wide and thin and drafts in really shallow water. It's everything we've ever wanted in a kayak.

SUP Surf Mag: A Stand Up Paddle Photo Journey Into the Battle of the Paddle The 2009 Rainbow Sandals Battle of the Paddle was definitely one to go down in the history books and some of the most grueling conditions ever for a stand up paddle race.

This mail contains a selection of the most popular kayaking headlines. To see all the latest headlines, visit Playak News Watch.

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