Playak News Flash 2010-09-29

Playak News Flash - September 29, 2010
The world's latest paddling headlines.

News Watch Headlines

Hollyford River Day 2 – Falls Creek to Marian Ck Swing Bridge Allen Garda - Yesterday we paddled the Hollyford River from Falls Creek to Gunn's Camp. Today we decided to get up early and head to Milford Sound before going for a paddle later in the day. We caught one of the cruises that take you through Milford Sound. This is an amazing place, unlike anything I've seen before. It's an extremely popular tourist destination, and for good reason.

Jeff West takes a Villain to 'Stikine in a day' Jackson Kayak - Bear, I yelled and frantically set up in my mummified sleeping bag. It was still dark and I turned my flashlight on expecting a Grizzly. Laughter came from a few feet away. Boomer and Todd are already in their dry suits, packing their kayaks. It is 5:13 a.m. and I overslept by 13 minutes. I climb out of my sleeping bag and slide into my carefully folded dry suit.

Fear Canyon LiquidLore - Here's a quick post about Fear Canyon of the Elaho, probably the best hard big water run in the southwest corner of BC - there is some other stuff around but it's far out in the bush and I don't think it has really been explored yet. Click the link above for info you need to go paddle there.

Hell's Kitchen Jason Craig - Fordyce Creek shut off about two weeks ago and flows started to look very low and slightly depressing in California. After another day of paddling the irrigation ditch behind my house, I got a call that "Hells Kitchen" run on the North Fork Stanislaus was in.

A look at the Waikato River, NZ Palm Blogs - I recently teamed up with close friend Jared Meehan and headed to The Aratiatia Rapids on the Waikato River where we met up with world renowned photographer Craig Potton. Craig was busy filming a documentary series highlighting New Zealand's great rivers and we gave him an insight into the importance of Rivers to kayakers.

Duem Freestyle Team Riders Scored Big Time During Recent Floods duemmstuff - Heavy rains over the past few weeks have brought water levels to a highest in last decade and caused severe floods all over Slovenia. Duemstuff guys were burning fuel all weekend checking different locations and scored on a wave that wakes up maybe once a year.

RPFF Film on NBC Rapid Magazine Blog - Facing East, winner of the Best Environmental Paddling Film from the 2010 Reel Paddling Film Festival will be airing on NBC Universal sports network this fall. Facing East producers credit the support of Rapid Media and the RPFF for helping them gain the exposure. Here's the trailer. R...

Kayak Kernow - the Cornish paddlers: Falmouth Harbour 26/09/10 PaddleBlogs - Guy, Tim and myself arranged to meet at the beach to the east of Flushing, on the opposite side of the Penryn river from the town of Falmouth at 9.45am. Although the sea state was flat calm, we all agreed that a long taxing paddle was not what we wanted, so instead we opted to have a cruise around the harbour and then nose up the Penryn as far as we had time for.

How to execute the low brace turn with Body Boat Blade and Bryan Smith Kokatat Blog - Team Kokatat paddler Bryan Smith of Reel Water Productions teams up with Kokatat Ambassadors Shawna Franklin and Leon Sommé of Body Boat Blade International and Canoe & Kayak Magazine to create a three part "How To" series, which has a magazine article in association with an on-line video and on-line question/comment board. Check out "The Low Brace Turn", the second video of this series.

Huron River Sea Kayak Conclusion Kelly Blades - Yesterday I took on a little jaunt down the Might Huron River in Southeaster Michigan in the new P&H Delphin with friend and paddler Chris Paulson. We covered a leisurely 23 miles down a section of the river featuring log jams, open lake paddling with force 4 winds, portages around low head dams, and just a bit of class 1-2 white water.

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 2010-09-28

Playak News Flash - September 28, 2010
The world's latest paddling headlines.

News Watch Headlines

I Like I Win: Astral Greenjacket Playak - Another cool and easy sweepstake on Playak! ... On Monday, October 11th, we will randomly pick a winner who will receive an Astral Greenjacket (in size and color of choice: either red or black) for free!

Avoiding Surfers Ear CKS Blog - Growing up in Colorado I started hearing about surfers ear early on. Also known as Exostosis, surfers ear is the body's natural reaction to repeated exposure to cold water, where a bone will slowly grow over the ear canal in an attempt to protect the eardrum.

Hollyford River Day 1 – Falls Creek to Gunn's Camp Allen Garda - After our first taste of New Zealand whitewater on the Shotover River we headed for the Hollyford River. The Hollyford River is only about 50km to the North West of the Shotover River. Although driving there isn't so simple, it's almost a 300km trip. From Queenstown you drive about 110km South, before heading West for 60km, then another 150km North.

Rain Chasers: Finding Something New (Part 1) Life by Water - There are ample rivers in the Transkei region of South Africa, and due to the remote nature of the area there are still numerous runs to discover. During aparticularly wet weekend in February we did just that. On the Tuesday prior to our trip I received a text from our local Transkei paddling buddy, AD Badenhorst, saying that the rivers were pumping and that allour usual runs were "a go".

Keep the Drive Alive! Preparing for Competition Wavesport Blogs - Before you even prepare to compete you have to justify to yourself why you are even competing in the first place. A lot of this thought process will help you determine how you will go about your training and mental preparation for competition.

The Travel Leg To Fayetteville WV New River Academy - I will let the pictures do the talking. One thing can be said though, everyone had a good time!

Gauley still flowin Jackson Kayak - It's the weekend AFTER the festival now and the crowds have gone but the river still flows!

What you missed this morning.... NC Paddle Surfer - It was a Coastal Urge girls (mostly) surf outing, with tips by Jacky this morning at CB Inlet.

Pan American Championships on the Ottawa, better late than never! Level 6 - This August we had our first ever Pan American Championships on the Ottawa river. With 5 countries represented this made the even a bit more of a Pan American/ Irish/ British championships. It has been quite a while since I have competed and so I was pretty nervous even before the line up of competitors was announced.

Valley Falls, an Intro to Waterfalls New River Academy - Yesterday, on our way from Ohiopyle to Fayetteville, we stopped at Valley Falls State Park. The Tygart River flows through this park and there are two 10-15 foot waterfalls back to back.

Virtual Tour of the Spillimacheen River B.C. Level 6 - Each year I look forward to the fall so I can paddle the Spillimacheen River, a short but sweet run, with water late into the season. The Spilli season starts in September and has been run as late as the end of October. Last saturday there where three groups and a total of 20 boaters on the run, obviously a popular choice late in the season.

The Epic 16X in surf Rene van der Zwan - Today the kayakclub planned paddling in surf near Bakkum. Anoushka, who normally initiates these surfing events, did a good job as conditions were challenging in the 5-6Bft NW-wind. Perfect planning.

Greenland 2010 - Reflections Mark Tozer - This summer I had the privilege of joining a team of sea kayakers who were venturing out to East Greenland under the guidance of Martin Rickard - Sea Kayak Adventures, Shetland.

Race to Crown America's Fastest Whitewater Paddlers Set for DC Area on Sunday, Sept. 26 USA Canoe/Kayak - This one is for a year's worth of bragging rights. Some of the world's best whitewater canoe and kayak racers will converge on the DC area next month to compete in the 2010 USA Canoe/Kayak Slalom National Championships at Mirant's Dickerson Station.

Petri Sutinen – An 11 year old record that still stands Daily Paddle - Finnish Petri Sutinen has the record on the Seapaddlers Blue Ribbon of Sweden, which is the whole Swedish coastline (about 2.100km). The previous record was 30 days, and in 1999 Petri shattered the record with his 23 days. That's almost the same as if someone would come and run 100 meters in just over 7 seconds… It should also be mentioned that Petri paddled all of Norways cost the same year before setting the record.

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, click here.

Playak News Flash 2010-09-26

Playak News Flash - September 26, 2010
The world's latest paddling headlines.

News Watch Headlines

Project X vs. Garb Wavesport Blogs - Well....after two sessions on the Ottawa River's GARB Wave I can finally say that I am figuring out the new toy! The Project X is faster than fast and just the perfect volume for me!

WaveSport Project X on Inner City Wave Wavesport Blogs - Here's a quick video I put together of Bryan Kirk, Robert Peerson and me on the wave. Enjoy the video!

Images From Mexico Astral Currently - Our friend Francisco is an accomplished paddler and photographer from Mexico. He has a great eye for style and just sent in this update from Bleu and Blanc magazine as well as a few photos that he wanted to share.

Gauley Fest 2010! Level 6 - The road trip to Gauley began late in the day after Matt Hamilton and I loaded up the truck here at the office and started heading south. After fighting traffic for hours we finely arrived at Matt's parents house just before midnight in southern Ontario to find an empty house.

Kayaking Primer Freecaster - A video for beginners or people wanting to know more about kayaking.

Kokatat Sponsors Whitewater Expedition of Peru's Rio Huallaga Playak - Paddlers embark on mission to kayak last major un-run tributary in the Amazon Kokatat, the 39 year-old independent paddle wear and accessories company, announces their support to outfit an expedition of kayakers attempting the first descent of the last major un-run tributary of the Amazon River, the Pongo De Aguirre Gorge on the Rio Haullaga, in Peru. The expedition team departed for the remote rivers of Peru on Sept. 23, 2010.

You shouldn't otter camp here SeaKayakPhoto.com - It was quite busy at the Boathouse so we set off down the coast of Gigha to the apparently deserted Port an Sgiathain for a peaceful lunch.

It's a long way from Monaco to Greenland! Kokatat Blog - ollowing a challenging week of rain and fog in the imposing fjords at the village of Kapisillit, we arrived at Nuuk, the capital – our final destination of the year on August 30th. We immediately got busy, made a lot of interesting scientific contacts and collected a wide variety of Greenlandic fauna samples for the Institute of Nature in Monaco.

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, click here.

Playak News Flash 2010-09-25

Playak News Flash - September 25, 2010
The world's latest paddling headlines.

News Watch Headlines

Kayaking with Mexican top-model Montserrat Olivier Rafa Ortiz - About a month ago I received a special call, one of those that make your phone ring in an unusual moment and bring good news: "So let me get this straight, you want me to put in my kayak an actress, and take her down a class IV river in rainy season? You're nuts!"

The Ashlu River Evan Garcia - The Ashlu is a very amazing place! Everyone knows this, so don't disagree. We came up for some fall releases on the Box Canyon, or as the locals call it, Commitment Canyon. Fred, Candace and I were all bunched in Gnar-Car ready for a stout mission in the back woods of this awe aspiring location. Dodging many dangerous Mountain Lions, Bears, Spiders, and heavy machinery we had an swell time enjoying the Ashlu Valley.

BCU Moderate Water Endorsement – WW Kayak Gene17 - Gene17 presents the all new BCU Moderate Water Endorsement – WW Kayak.

Spring Rain in NZ Palm Blogs - Well Spring in NZ has officially sprung and has brought with it rain, and lots of it! This is great news for Ducks and Kayakers alike! I shot out last week for a run on the Tuakopai River, in the Kamai Ranges in NZ's North Island. This creek truly is a kayakers version of a skate park -- awesome fun!

Trailer: Locals Only Rapid Magazine Blog - Check it out. A sneak peek at a Rapid sponsored paddling film about pro-paddlers and their home turf.

Avoiding Collisions on the Gauley River Am. Whitewater - Decades ago river outfitters and American Whitewater joined together to protect the Gauley River from hydro development. The success of these business enterprises were one of the key reasons that the river was protected as a National Recreation Area. But with success has come new challenges.

Four Paddlers Cross Lake Michigan by Sea Kayak: 2010 Trip Report Chicago Area Sea Kayakers Association - After years of contemplation, months of training, and weeks of planning and weather-watching, four CASKA paddlers crossed Lake Michigan at the drop of a hat -- journeying from Chicago to St. Joseph, departing on Saturday night, September 11, and arriving in the late afternoon of the next day.

Nice Russian Whitewater Video Savannah Canoe and Kayak - Some great boat cam footage, Yuri !

Trip interrupted Tony Paradise - 42 hours after Hurricane Igor hit and I lost electricity I'm ready to finish my paddle we undertook in Avondale. That was a bit longer than we lingered at Salmon Cove Point. We were there only about 10 minutes watching as swell after swell rolled in and crashed on the rocks at the point.

Upernavik 2010 - A Sea Kayak supported climbing expedition P&H Paddlers - I've recently returned from a great trip to the north west region of Greenland. As often happens after a long trip away life has become hectic and I've only just managed to find the time to write up some notes on our trip.

Jerry Kobalenko's Arctic Eden Kokatat Blog - Jerry Kobalenko's writing and photography have appeared in hundreds of publications around the world, including National Geographic, Time and the Kokatat website and catalog too! His critically acclaimed book, "The Horizontal Everest: Extreme Journeys on Ellesmere Island" recounts the author's 20-year love affair with the Canadian High Arctic.

Kokatat Headquarters Welcomes New Sales & Marketing Manager Playak - Jeff Turner appointed to provide team leadership Kokatat, the 39-year-old independent watersports apparel and accessories company, is proud to welcome Jeff Turner to the Arcata, Cali. Headquarters, as the new Sales and Marketing Manager, effective immediately.

5th Annual Downeast Sea Kayaking Symposium Kokatat Blog - Christopher Lockyer, head coach at Committed 2 the Core Sea Kayak Coaching and Kokatat Regional Team Paddler, sends an update from the 5th Annual Downeast Sea Kayaking Symposium that took place in Bar Harbor, Maine on September 10-13, 2010.

Channel Islands of California – Trip Report P&H Paddlers - The plan was a simple one: be the first to visit all eight of the Channel Islands by kayak. Legendary open ocean pioneer Ed Gillet is believed to have visited seven islands in one trip (missing San Nicholas) and local limit-pusher Duane Strosaker has also visited the same seven (in separate trips) but no-one, perhaps since the time of the Chumash people has visited all eight.

Daddy Daughter Canoe Paddling Fat Paddler - My wife and eldest daughter Gracie flew up to Brisbane to see family, leaving me with my youngest princess, Ella. When I asked her what she wanted to do, she picked out paddling from the long list of options I'd given her.

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, click here.