Playak News Flash 2010-03-01

Playak News Flash - March 1, 2010
The world's latest paddling headlines.

News Watch Headlines

Playak: Chile Earthquake ...The kayaking community should be OK. Santiago, Pucon, Futaleufu and higher places are OK. 7th (Maule) and 8th (Biobio) regions are very damaged, especially the coastal places. Some villages and towns are 50% down...

Jackson Kayak: Villain in Cali The South Yuba has some nice big holes, and I can honestly say the Villain is the best boat I have paddled for punching holes. If you drive it deep the boat maintains nice steady forward momentum and resurfaces bow first, not in a "red October" rush to the surface but a nice, controlled forward moving resurface, very nice.

Astral Currently: Todd Wells' Chile Update The Claro is one of the most beautiful rivers that I have ever visited, but it is a very popular tourist destination and its banks are heavily littered in trash. As part of WCKA's dedication to community service all the students and teachers spent four hours one afternoon removing litter from over a mile of the river. In those four hours we removed over 20 full trash bags, and at the end of the day rewarded ourselves with a dip in one of the pristine swimming holes.

New River Academy: Rio Negro, Hornopiren This waterfall makes up one of three that we have been running on the Rio Negro, whose tantalizing whitewater is so close to our tents that we can hear it in our dreams.

LVM TV: Daily Digger/Green Race Teaser Pleaser With LVM 33(including the 2009 Green Race Video) nearly finished we thought we would show you some highly entertaining carnage from previous Green Races to get you fired up.

Kokatat Blog: 4th Annual Brazil Waterfalling Expedition This trip, as in the previous 2, we are led by Brazilian Pedro Oliva in search of some of the largest runnable waterfalls on earth, both by height and volume. Of course, with the developments last spring, the task of establishing a world record has increased many times in difficulty and danger. I say difficulty because simply finding a drop above 45 -55 meters is a task in itself and danger because the speed at which one would hit the water would be in excess of 100 miles per hour.

Immersion Research: The Next Demshitz Movie "Dashboard Empanada" Here is a cool edit created by Demshitz paddler Isaac Levinson of Demshitz's most favorite river in the world. Rio Nevado top to bottom POV with Isaac and Evan Garcia.

Kokatat Blog: This Is Canoeing! The product is Justine's latest venture, "This Is Canoeing", where 12 short films examine the styles and personalities of the canoeing community. Justine takes you on a worldwide tour of storied canoeing destinations in the US, Scotland, Canada and Wales In about three hours, filmed with POV perspective via head-cams and boat-mounted cameras.

American Rivers: Forge Pond Dam Breach is a Wake Up Call for Dam Owners American Rivers today called the breach of the Forge Pond Dam in Freetown a wake up call for dam owners statewide. The 300 year old dam is one of the most unsafe dams in Massachusetts. It breached last night, threatening nearby homes with floodwaters. The breach is linked to recent storms, which could also threaten old dams in other Northeast communities.

playak.tv: Sea Kayak Yurt Trail - Kachemak Bay State Park, Homer, Alaska There is nothing quite like getting off the water after a long day of paddling and settling into a wood stove heated cozy yurt with a glass of wine and a hearty dinner. This has got to be one of the Kenai Peinisula's must-do adventures, but don't leave your sea kayaking skills behind. Challenging sea conditions with wind, waves and strong currents abound on the trail. Base camping in one of the yurts or two in a local area such as Tutka Bay, avoids the risks of open water. Local water taxis can deliver you, your kayaks and supplies nearly to the door step of each of 9 yurts scattered in the park.

Palm Blogs: The Plas y Brenin Paddlesport Expedition Symposium The event bought together paddlers of all types from all over the country to, in the spirit of the Ancient Greeks, "debate, plot, boast, or simply to party with others". The weekend was jam packed with fascinating talks, workshops and discussions covering everything from canoe poling, to bear proofing your kit, to leadership styles and group dynamics.

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