Playak News Flash 2010-12-09

Playak News Flash - December 9, 2010
The world's latest paddling headlines.

News Watch Headlines

North Coast Level 6 - This past Sunday a large crew or North Coast homies and I ventured up into the California mainland in search of some stout. What we found was Tish Tang. Tish Tang has an intimidating entry drop, a blind lip, and a mank exit drop with some wood in it.

River SUP on the Chilliwack Fraser Valley WW - Stand up paddling, also known as SUP has been getting a lot of attention these days. However, here in BC we still seem to be a step behind the rest, and working to catch up. It's not the first place you think of when you hear stand up paddling due to cold water temperatures but it is gaining in popularity. There's flat water SUPing and THEN, there's river SUPing. These are two very different things. Flatwater is smooth, relatively risk free and requires little balance.

Africa! Jason Craig - I am sitting here in the shade of a banana tree thinking back on the past three weeks of my time in Africa. It's hard to really quantify my few weeks in Africa because it truly feels as if time moves at a different pace here. The days feel as if they pass by instantaneously, but at the same time, each day is so long and fulfilling it is almost as if the sun will never set.

First Descent of the Rio Huallaga, Part 2 Kokatat Blog - The Rio Huallaga, the last major tributary of the Amazon is yet to be navigated! The runablity of the gorges amazed us, as we had no major portages past the chalkstone. I'd highly recommend this run to anybody who enjoys multi-day adventures, though the clock may be ticking. Rumor has it that the "Great Bend" of the Huallaga will be inundated by 2013. We saw evidence of the possible dam site, though hard facts have been difficult to nail down.

2010- A Photo Paddling Summary worldkayak blogs - 2010 has a been a bumper year of paddling for me. During January and February I made the most of the remainder of the UK winter whitewater season notching up some courses (AWWS&R and 5*T) and new runs including the Mellte and middle Tawe in South Wales. I revisited oldies but goodies such as the East Lyn and Upper Dart in the southwest.

Nick Gottlieb: A Year in Review Immersion Research - Nick is an avid Northeast paddler that we welcomed to the IR Team earlier this year. He has a pretty impressive resume under his belt, and recently joined one of our business associates, Boyce Greer, on a trip to the Romaine. Here is a recap of Nicks 2010 paddling season as he writes it.

Tamur Adventures Team Pyranha - We've now been in Nepal for nearly 2 months now. A definate highlight so far has to have been our trip to the Tamur river. 3 day hike in and then 4 days paddle out, some chunky fun rapids and stunning scenery. Couldn't have asked for any more.

Himalayan Challenge 2010 PeakUK - This year's Himalayan Challenge was yet again a great success. The event attracted around 50 competitors from 10 different countries. The competition was held on the Trisuli River, 100km from Kathmandu. Paddlers raced their way though slalom and downriver disciplines, then performed vertical and aerial tricks in the freestyle event. All three results are combined and overall champions rewarded with great prizes.

Whitewater kayak class is in session Have Kayaks, Will Travel - This is week nine of the first of two 10-week whitewater kayaking courses offered by the Chicago Whitewater Association in the West Cook YMCA swimming pool. After the winter and spring sessions, the club offers a series of beginner trips on increasingly challenging local rivers. It's a wonderful way to learn to paddle.

Paddle Techniques: Applying Power SUPadvisor - Hopefully you've been practicing that long catch. It's a critical component of any stroke. Now we're going to talk about adding power to the Tahitian stroke.

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