Playak News Flash 2010-03-30

Playak News Flash - March 30, 2010
The world's latest paddling headlines.

News Watch Headlines

Kokatat Blog: Off we go to British Columbia! My friends Matt and Joy helped Ian and I get started in Seattle. Ian and I had, afterall, driven from California with only a few days to spare, and still had many errands to run in the Seattle area. Joy and Matt saw me off on this great adventure on a quiet Monday morning.

Palm Blogs: It's grim up North. With summer approaching fast, the opportunity for some late season runs on a UK classic proved too much. Mat "Magic" Morrissey and myself headed to the Swale.

Bootfahrer: Karma! It's been over ten years now that I've been running whitewater and thus been traveling and living out of cars quite a bit. I never had anything happen to me, Cameras, travelgear, kayakgear, whole lives carried around in a car are obviously quite attractive for the criminal mind. So I guess it's just been a matter of time until what happened would happen.

PaddleBlogs: Freeky: LAST CHANCE TOUR reporte de viaje #1 There some rivers, countries, cultures that atracts everybody´s attention. India and Nepal are two of those countries. Not only kayakers, but all kind of people travel thousands of km to visit these areas. For us, it was the same. I wanted to do a trip to India and Nepal since a couple of years ago, but never really found the chance, until the last summer in Norway. I Found out that a couple of friends wanted to do the same trip, specially in the area of northern India, wich was like music to my ears. And so, we decided to meet in New Delhi at the end of september, and make our way north from there. The team consisted in Leon Bedford (Australia), James Thorp (Australia), Monica Godkey (USA) and myself.

ACA: River Safety Tip Have you ever heard of the drowning machine? An innocent horizon line on a slow moving river might spell trouble for the uninformed. The ACA teamed up with the Illinois Paddling Council and ACA Excellence in Instruction Award winner Tom Lindblade to produce a tool that might just save someone's life.

AirKayaks: Bic Sports – New 2010 Products for Bic Inflatable Kayaks Bic Sports is coming out with a new Lite model to complement their Yakkair inflatable kayak line, which debuted in 2009. The Bic Yakkair Lite Single, and Yakkair Lite Tandem, are streamlined versions of the current model, with a lower MSRP. The YAKKAir Lite is aimed specifically at coastal paddling close to the beach, for rivers and for other inland waters. The retail price has been reduced by making the foot brace optional, removing the inflatable keel, and using a PVC lower-pressure floor cushion rather than the expensive hi-pressure floor found in the standard Yakkairs.

Oceanmaid Ventures: Expedition photos - provided by Beth-Anne, Matt Holmes and John Ashburner from KEP Departure Day - Grytviken February 28th, 2010 I will continue to post images as we sort through them. The update for March 26th "Drama on Terra firma" is below. I have enjoyed reading all the comments that followers have posted on this blog.

ICF: Farewell Signor Mercati… Italian Wildwater Canoeing Star announces his retirement This week the Italian Canoe Federation announces the retirement of one of their star Wildwater Canoeing athletes, Mr Carlo Mercati. Mercati was crowned World Champion after winning gold in the K1 Classic in Garmish, Germany in 2004. After 15 years of racing and winning various important races at National, Continental and International, Mercati left the wildwater circus during the first race of the year, which was held last week in Città di Castello. A poignant moment, especially as this is where Mercati was born in 1976.

Atlantic Paddle Surfing: Travel Channel's Last year the Chamber approached me to do Stand Up Paddle Board Lesson with a Travel Channel Host doing a segment on Top five things to do while staying on Hilton Head. H2O Sports, Duane Lapp did a Kayak/Cast net segment and I did a SUP lesson. It finally aired on TV.

This mail contains a selection of the world's latest paddling news. To see all the latest news, videos, forum discussions and more, visit Playak News Watch.
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Playak News Flash 2010-03-27

Playak News Flash - March 27, 2010
The world's latest paddling headlines.

News Watch Headlines

Adrian Tregoning: Batang Sangir – Clocking Up Another Great First Descent Part 1 Friday, 20 November. We knew we more than likely not be able to paddle that day and somehow I was the first one of the westerners awake. After breakfast I began to fill in my journal but then we had to dress up in long pants and closed shoes and leave quite quickly. The weather was not ideal for th...

LVM TV: and the winner is…. Danny Siger! Your video makes us all cringe, so much so that we are putting it on the front page of the website. Email us your address and we will get the DVD out to you, and as an added bonus include your shoe size. We have a pair of Teva's coming with your name on them, you deserve it! Thanks to everyone who submitted a story and keep it hairy side up.

Wavesport Blogs: BC Winter Spring is coming in hot after a great winter in British Columbia. Rather than retreating somewhere warm for the winter I decided to embrace winter in Canada and spend a season skiing in Rossland.

Dagger Blogs: Today is World Water Day--Celebrate a River! As paddlers, we have a special connection to the rivers, lakes and streams where we all love to play. We anxiously await spring runoff and consistent winter storms to fill our favorite streams with the fresh water that allows us to do what we love--get outdoors and go for a paddle.

Wavesport Blogs: 2010 Upper Wind River Festival This past weekend, the 3rd Annual Upper Wind River Festival took place near Carson, Washington on the Upper Wind River, a scenic class IV section of boulder gardens and ledges from Stabler to High Bridge.

adidas Sickline: 1st Place for Gerd at the Spanish Freestyle Cup we had our first Spanish Freestyle Cup competition of the season, it was held in la Seu d'Urgell, a great artificial slalom course built for the Olympics in Barcelona '92. As well, the slalom world championship 2009 was celebrated there, so it's a great course for slalom! Unfortunately it's not as good for freestyle, but anyway there are a few holes where you can play.

ICF: The beginnings of Canoe Slalom in Indonesia **UPDATED with cool videos** Pierrick Gosselin, the ICF expert responsible for Canoe development in Asia, recently completed a Canoe Slalom Training Camp in Indonesia. Held 1st-10th March, the camp gathered 23 athletes (20 men, 3 women) with an average age of 25. They came with different canoeing backgrounds: most of them from Canoe Sprint, the rest from downriver and Canoe Polo. Most of them were completely new to Canoe Slalom; just three athletes had some Slalom experience. At this stage, activity was kept to the Kayak category, the C1 requires specific skills that the paddlers hadn't yet learnt and will have to wait for next time.

Kokatat Blog: MedShare Kayaking Expedition 2010 I love MedShare's combination of humanitarian purpose with environmental impact, and I hope my expedition paddle can bring attention to their cause and first world stewardship for those in need of basic medical resources.

Werner: Werner and Sea Kayaker Magazine Team Up At Canoecopia Werner Paddles and Sea Kayaker Magazine teamed up to drive subscriptions at last weeks Canoecopia event in Madison WI. Canoecopia 2010 was a huge success with a 15% increase in consumers over a very successful 2009 event. The Werner booth was jam packed the entire weekend with customers learning about which paddle fit them best.

This mail contains a selection of the world's latest paddling news. To see all the latest news, videos, forum discussions and more, visit Playak News Watch.
To manage your Playak subscriptions, please edit your profile (subscription settings are at the bottom of the profile edit page).

Playak Weekly Digest - week 12

Playak Weekly Digest
The world's top paddling links in week 12, 2010.

News Watch LVM TV: Bikini Boat Carrying Contest Winner::LVM #33 Intro (Friday 19th) ***** Shayne Day shot and produced this little nugget starring Candice Fallwell. It stood out with its unique style and incredible aerial silk skills displayed by Candice. Thanks to all the other entrants, which due to legal issues or extreme male body hair, can't be put on our website. Immersion Research: Shane Benedict and the IR Drysuit (Sunday 21st) **** I just spent an hour in an out of the water trying to pull a boat out of the nastiest little pin I have seen in a long time. It started with a couple folks just trying to pull it out and it escalated all the way to 8 people pulling on a z-drag, breaking the grab handle, and making the pin worse. I was in the new IR dry suit. I spent as long as 5 minutes straight standing in waist deep water placing biners, and ropes and such. Team Pyranha: A December to Remember. Part 1: The Grand Canyon (Tuesday 23rd) ** The Grand Canyon of the Colorado River is a special place and it is the setting that ultimately draws us to run the river. The logistics, the permit system, the stress and toil all fade away as you lose sight of the put-in and the walls begin to rise. By day two the endless red walls and strong current have refocused our life on the basics. Team Pyranha: Mexico Set (Saturday 20th) ** Turns out Mexico isn't all desert and cacti after all… Dagger Blogs: Dream Result Intro Available to View Online (Friday 19th) ** The new, and highly-touted Dream Result trailer which is a collaboration from Team Dagger's Rush Sturges and Tyler Bradt is now available for viewing online. Palm Blogs: Pots Rodeo Video! (Tuesday 23rd) ** Here's the video from the Pots rodeo which took place this February. Look out for Matt's blistering cartwheels and Nick's big loop in the CFS! Am. Whitewater: Dillsboro Dam Removal (NC) Complete (Sunday 21st) ** Today, the removal of Dillsboro Dam is complete! Work will continue over the next few months to restore and stabilize the river banks. In place of an outdated and uneconomic dam (the dam had not produced power in over 4 years), there are two "new" ledges on the river. A yellow silt curtain (visible in the photo above) will remain across the main part of the river until the restoration work is completed, probably a couple of more months. For paddlers who wish to paddle this section of river, the silt curtain has an opening on the far river right side for boats to pass through. Immersion Research: Paddle with the bros event schedule & Pyranha promo video (Sunday 21st) ** If you are interested in paddling Pyranha's new line of kayaks, learning a few things on the river, or just want to have a cold one and talk about kayaking. Please come, it will be a good time. Down River Kayaks: Covington River 4.89 ft, 374 cfs (Monday 22nd) * With tons of rain falling on the Rappahannock watershed I let myself get talked away from a 12 foot high Rapp run in order to go chase some tributaries. I rode along with Dave Stockdill, Jon Reed, Lex, and Mike Blasford. We met up with Chris and Boo at the river. The Covington, Rush, and Thornton were all running, but we decided to paddle the Covington. PaddleBlogs: Madamax: Lilly Groupies, ... (Sunday 21st) * 4 fully loaded rafts for a fairly large group of local residents and nationals. Water was high over the week end and sections at a challenging level We bailed out at "La langue", a nasty looking drop which keeps boats and flush down swimmers past the hole! PaddleBlogs: Madamax: Flooded Andromba (Monday 22nd) * the rapids look quite nice for thrill seekers and they left a few lines to be opened by strong groups of dedicated paddlers. playak.tv: Video: Gflex Epoxy Kayak Challenge (Saturday 20th) * This is the Kayak Chainsaw Massacre & Gflex Challenge featuring Ben Gougeon & Daryl Brunette. Video by G.C.Kirkland. Kokatat Blog: 2010 Circumnavigation of Quebec and Labrador (Saturday 20th) * I am an experienced sea kayaker, paddling since I was 16 years old both on rivers and seas. Being a professional guide for 5 years will help me as much as the paddling I've done on the Saguenay Fjord, the North Coast of Quebec, Gaspe, Nova Scotia and the rivers along almost all its length. I'm confident for sure, otherwise I would not start this trip, but I fear I still might not arrive in time at Kuujjuaq, since I do not know the Labrador Sea and the impact of the current along the coast. CKS Blog: Information Guide To Jackson Kayak's Customer Options (Friday 19th) * Jackson Kayak has re-written the books of whitewater kayak manufacturing. They've got some of the best boats in the industry, but at the same time have made the shopping process a little bit confusing for the consumer. Just Fluid: Just Liquid Sports – H20 Crystal paddle review (Friday 19th) * Carbon Fiber shafts are a flawless masterpiece providing a comfortable positive reassuring feeling when held. The Bent shaft took this great feeling to another level with its indexed grip providing the most comfortable ergonomic alignment of the wrists eliminating wrist fatigue.

Hot Forum Topics New Facebook service: Paddle Trip Planner (Playak) Creeker with rails (Gear) Jakson Fun 2010 Which one? (Gear) Buyer's Guide: Boats & Boards: Donsa Environmental Education in Coaching Top Videos Stealth on Plattling (cony) Pucon River Fest 2009 ( Boater Cross ) (Buenalinea) Santa Cara (4paddlers) Liquid Norway.mov (max.eberl) Pots Rodeo 2010 - Official video (lmm211) Upcoming Events 24th Annual Santa Cruz Kayak Surf Festival USA, Santa Cruz, Steamer Lane, Mar 26 - Mar 28 Southwest Kayak Symposium USA, CA, San Diego, Mar 26 - Mar 28 PaddleSport Show US, NJ, Somerset, Mar 26 - Mar 28 The Jersey Paddler's Paddlesport Show USA, NJ, Somerset, Mar 26 - Mar 28 Aller-Hochwasser-Rallye Germany, Celle, Mar 27 Regata de Kayak Aventura Argentina, Peru Beach,Acassuso, San Isidro, Bs As, Mar 27 Lifestart Kayak for Kids Australia, Sydney, Mar 28 Santa Olas Festival Argentina, Playa Waikiki Mar Del Plata, Apr 1 - Apr 4 Dream Result: Asheville NC USA, NC, Asheville, Apr 1 - Apr 2 Charlotte Open (Slalom) USA, NC, Charlotte, Apr 2 - Apr 3

The Playak Weekly Digest is a special Saturday version of the News Flash, containing the most popular paddling news of the past week. To see all the latest headlines, videos, forum discussions and more, visit Playak News Watch.
To manage your Playak subscriptions, please edit your profile (subscription settings are at the bottom of the profile edit page).

New Facebook service: Paddle Trip Planner - Playak News Flash 2010-03-24

Playak News Flash - March 24, 2010
The world's latest paddling headlines.

Message of the Day

New Facebook service: Paddle Trip Planner I'm looking for a couple of beta testers for this new service on Facebook. Contact me if you would like to test drive it. Don't wait too long, I'll only accept a couple of test drivers for the time being.

News Watch Headlines

playak.tv: Video: Kayaking. Flat Water Donkey Flip (ZipYaking) This was my 2nd attempt on the zip line after realizing that you bounce really high. I was fueled on Miller Lite. This took place at a secret location in 04 as my boss would have a fit if he ever found out.

Team Pyranha: A December to Remember. Part 1: The Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon of the Colorado River is a special place and it is the setting that ultimately draws us to run the river. The logistics, the permit system, the stress and toil all fade away as you lose sight of the put-in and the walls begin to rise. By day two the endless red walls and strong current have refocused our life on the basics.

Palm Blogs: Pots Rodeo Video! Here's the video from the Pots rodeo which took place this February. Look out for Matt's blistering cartwheels and Nick's big loop in the CFS!

Down River Kayaks: Covington River 4.89 ft, 374 cfs With tons of rain falling on the Rappahannock watershed I let myself get talked away from a 12 foot high Rapp run in order to go chase some tributaries. I rode along with Dave Stockdill, Jon Reed, Lex, and Mike Blasford. We met up with Chris and Boo at the river. The Covington, Rush, and Thornton were all running, but we decided to paddle the Covington.

PaddleBlogs: Madamax: Flooded Andromba the rapids look quite nice for thrill seekers and they left a few lines to be opened by strong groups of dedicated paddlers.

SW Sea Kayaking: A Week of Scillyness Once the bad weather has passed on, we dip our toes into the Atlantic proper. The Western Rocks of Scilly are the graveyard of hundreds of ships, a vast barrier of reefs forming Britain's uttermost edge. Paddling out through ocean rollers towards the reef, the sense of commitment and exposure builds with every paddle stroke. On arrival, the Rocks are very much alive; inquisitive seals surround and follow us, whilst thousands and thousands of seabirds crowd every surface. Dozens of comical puffins, everybody's favourite seabird, blunder through the skies.

Paddle Press: Liquid-Force: LF Clothing hits the UK stores! Check out the new Summer '10 Liquid Force Clothing line-up. We all know Liquid Force produce some of the best wakeboards and bindings on the planet, and it's clear they have a top clothing brand to match the hardware - making sure you not only ride to the best of your ability but you also look stylish on the water. "And with this year's line-up, you'll be sure to be riding well, and looking good," James Hooper, Liquid Force team rider said.

Chicago Area Sea Kayakers Association: The End of the Forward Stroke I happen to leave my paddle in longer than most, but I tend to not be the fastest paddler around. I suspect that there may be different strokes for different folks and different purposes. If you are doing long distance, moderate speed, you might have a different stroke than for short distance or sustained higher speed.

ID River Journeys: Kayaking on Oregon's Rogue River We're teaming up with Phil and Mary DeRiemer to offer two great kayak instruction trips on the Rogue River for 2010. The two dates we've chosen are August 11-14 and August 18-21. These four day trips are all camping but with the luxury of raft support. Phil and Mary will help you hone your paddling skills and the Rogue River Journeys crew will be there to provide tasty meals and camping supplies to make your Rogue River kayaking trip the best it can be.

Werner: Werner Paddles Defines SUP Paddling Styles In the fast moving category of Stand Up Paddling, Werner Paddles has redefined paddling styles to make it easier for both dealers and end customers to understand which paddle is the best fit. Just as Werner pioneered the widely accepted terms "Low Angle" and "High Angle" in touring kayaking, they are now leading the way in defining paddling styles in SUP.

Frogma: Sailing Picture Sunday - Being the Continuing Adventures of a Woman and her Trusty Kayak in New York Harbor, the Hudson River, and Beyond. (with occasional political rants just to keep things lively!)

This mail contains a selection of the world's latest paddling news. To see all the latest news, videos, forum discussions and more, visit Playak News Watch.
To manage your Playak subscriptions, please edit your profile (subscription settings are at the bottom of the profile edit page).