Playak News Flash 2010-09-11

Playak News Flash - September 11, 2010
The world's latest paddling headlines.

News Watch Headlines

Ashlu Season LiquidLore - Have you ever wondered why the Ashlu Mine Run is called the Mine Run? Well, it's neither a witty nor a spectacular explanation - there is an old gold mine right next to the river at the start of the run. It's actually pretty cool - on the way to the put in you pass right by the entrance to the mine shaft that was left wide open so you can just walk right in. The only other abandoned mines I've seen (in Newfoundland and West Virginia) were both closed off with permanent steel gates. Maybe there are a few gold nuggets still floating around down there.

Getting Beat Down Gutters of the Earth - From the scout I had decided that the last part of a 4-part rapid on Chawanakee Gorge of the San Joaquin looked exactly like "locals go deep" on the South Yuba. I meant to run it the same way: plugging into the seem. I found out the plug had been overzealous when I momentarily pinned on the bottom and then had my deck implode from the surrounding water. The swim was low-stress into a calm pool where I made it to the bank with my paddle.

Hinge Theory Dagger Blogs - The past two years of extreme kayaking have been absolutely crazy to witness. From Tyler Bradt running 186 foot Palouse Falls, to a ridiculous season this year in Chile, to some serious progression on the Oregon and Cali fronts, the sport of kayaking has been pushed by a lot of people. The simple fact is that more people than ever before are running gigantic waterfalls.

Pan American Freestyle Championships New River Academy - We just finished a great Saturday in which the school participated and competed in the Panamerican Championships (competition for who is the best in the Americas).

A week of playboating in Plattling Raoul Collenteur - To end the summer well and get ready for a full year of heavy-duty studying I decided to head out for a week of playboating somewhere in Europe. A few phonecalls and a skypemeeting later it was decided, Bretagne. The surf there had to be amazing according to surfwebsites, so France it was. Another phonecall later the group was downsized to 2 instead of 5. So Bas Horstink and me decided to hit Plattling for a week of sun and playboating.

Emily Jackson: A Years Review as the World Champion and the Goals that Continue Jackson Kayak - Exactly a year ago I was sitting in the eddy with some of the World's best female paddlers wondering if I could stick my whole ride. I didn't make the whole ride but I was close enough that I won by many points. It's crazy to think that it was a year ago when it still feels like yesterday. Since the World Championships my main goal was to continue to close the gap between male a female competitors.

Big and Brown in the Pamirs, Tajikistan Palm Blogs - It has been a week since we arrived in Tajikistan, and through all the red tape and driving we've met some great people and found some cracking runs. The 'usual' (if you can call it that) season for kayaking in Tajikistan is between September and November. We decided to go a little bit earlier to try and kayak some tributaries that are usually too low later on in the year.

South Fork of Salmon River, Idaho Jackson Kayak - Ten years ago you would most likely finding me overnighting in my IK on the Selway, Owyhee, Big Creek or any low volume, remote creek accessible by plane. I bought an IK as it was much easier to fly in small planes in the Idaho backcountry than it was with my creek boat.

New Podcast - Tay Descent 2010 Simon Willis - An exciting new event for sea kayakers and river kayakers is the Tay Descent. The Scottish Canoe Association's show in Perth is a must for all paddlers north of the border. They've now added a river descent to the weekend's activities. And it can be done in a sea kayak.

Pyranha Varun M Playak - Run your home rapids, stop to surf, throw some ends then glide down, huck a drop, go back to the top to do it again. The Varun has it all, forgiving edges, speed and maximum playability to give any white water enthusiast an awesome time on the river. Slicey ends allow you to initiate all the classic vertical moves plus it has enough speed to run the river in style.

The Puffin Island Triangle Mark Tozer - Some time ago I formulated a plan for a trip that, in essence, is situated in my own back yard. There is every likelihood it has been done before but for the sake of providing a title for this article I will refer to it as the Puffin Island Triangle. The principle idea being that the journey involves completing three open crossing of similar length as well as appealing to my sense of geometry.

Canoe and Kayak Magazine Releases Two Fantastic Kayak Instructional Short Videos [Instruction] Paddling Instructor Blog - Canoe & Kayak Magazine recently published two quick instructional videos featuring Shawna Franklin and Leon Somme, who are both amazing instructors and owners of the paddling school, Body Boat Blade International.

Exploring the Urban Beauty of Sydney by Paddle Fat Paddler - As paddlers we spend a great deal of time exploring the outdoors but often concentrate on the natural world – waves, cliffs, beaches and wildlife. Often we forget that the urban world we live in can have a fascinating side viewable only from the water, so for this paddle I decided to get back into the city and show people the great city of Sydney from a kayaks point of view.

Joe O'Blenis Recaptures Vancouver Island Speed Record Fat Paddler - A few weeks ago I wrote about Canadian Joe O'Blenis and his attempt to re-capture his record of fastest man to paddle around Vancouver Island. With an incredible target of over 1,150 kms in under 17 days, Joe was going to have his work cut out for him to beat the current record holder Sean Morley and his incredible time of 17 days.

Oklahoma City setting the pace for river sports in the United States USA Canoe/Kayak - Oklahoma City has become the hub for the USA Canoe/Kayak Association. We opened a downtown office and hosted our annual board meeting here. Our aspiring athletes will return here for training before the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

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