Playak News Flash 2010-05-20

Playak News Flash - May 20, 2010
The world's latest paddling headlines.

News Watch Headlines

Interview: Valerie Bertand Playak - A short interview with Valerie Bertand about 4 world championships in one year.

All the Way to Reno and Beyond Wavesport Blogs - This year I wasn't able to drive to Reno for the fest. That didn't hold me back at all. Fellow WS Team member Macy Burnham let me borrow a Habitat and a Project for the competition and creeking afterwards.

Surf Sessions -Ottawa River Sweet - In late March I headed back on the Ottawa River to chill in my house and enjoy the warm weather and daily paddling. With little snow this winter and an early spring, the river level has been very low. We are all feeling a little lost without the legendary Bus Eater happening, but I found plenty of good surf and was enjoying having great days on the water.

Back to back new runs! Whitewater-Koa - So with some nice warm up runs under the belt it was back to the reason we are here! Finding new rivers. Last year we found a section of the Riviere du Portage that looked like it had potential but didnt not have the time to do it. This year we were about to go in when I spotted a higher volume run a bit further away that we decided to check out first and see what it was like.

Robe Offers Battle for the Gnome Paddling Life - Some events have money, others schwag or even a stained glass. The annual Robe Race in Washington has a bathrobe and a gnome. It's the former that you want.

Stand-Up Paddleboarding Hawaii: Longest Night Outside Blog - A month ago we set out to paddle across all of the channels that connect the Hawaiian Islands. Over the past few weeks we crossed from one island to the next, paddling the channels on our stand-up paddleboards and exploring each island once we arrived. From the beginning, there was one channel that loomed over us: The 70-mile Ka'ie'iewaho channel that connects Oahu and Kauai.

Standup paddling fitness craze sweeps inland SNews - This May as Americans celebrate National Physical Fitness and Sports Month some of the most amazing workouts may well be taking place not in gyms, but on the water.

Eye and Hand: Just a Quick Sketch paddling.net - Practical Art for Paddlers  —  Just a Quick SketchWith a sketchbook and a pencil in your pack, you're always ready to capture the passing scene, whether you're in a boat or walking along a portage trail. You don't need to worry about dying batteries, failing light, or an almost‑full memory card spoiling your chances of getting that once‑in‑a‑lifetime shot.

Sea of Cortez Kayak Fishing Trip Kokatat Blog - Fellow Kokatat Kayak Fishing Ambassador Allen Bushnell and myself recently spent a week kayak fishing in the Sea of Cortez out of La Paz. We had the pleasure of having the Sea Fortuna from Seascape Charters as our mothership for the trip. She's a 38' Luhrs Sportfisher with a very large cockpit and bridgedeck, perfect for hauling 4 kayaks around.

River Bassin' Tournament Trail Rolls to a Successful Start Kayak Angler Magazine - The Atlanta, Georgia Bass Pro Shops was quite the show on May 1 when the 2010 River Bassin Tournament rolled into town. The festivities lasted three days, complete with a tailgate style "hangout area" in the parking lot. This is an interesting wrinkle in the tournament scene; a place for family, friends and the curious to soak up the genial kayak fishing vibe.

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