Playak News Flash 2011-01-18

Playak News Flash - January 18, 2011
The world's latest paddling headlines.

News Watch Headlines

Last few days on the Ottawa Wavesport Blogs - Now that winter is in full force I am sorting through all my photos from the past season and I am quickly getting very excited for the 2011 paddling season.

Write-Up: Pucon, Chile: Lefincul Canyon of the Rio Liucura A Wet State (CA) - This short a sweet section of the Rio Liucura is most commonly paddled as an extension to the Lower Nevado. I have been told though, that some folks do go into the Lefincul Canyon just for the canyon alone. Though they apparently usually bring lots of beer and a fishing pole. The Canyon itself has one entry sneak, or good drop, and one easy drop.

Write-Up: Pucon, Chile: Lower Nevado A Wet State (CA) - The Lower Nevado sports one of my favorite rapids of our trip to Chile. The boof to slide was just too much fun and in too committed and scenic of a gorge to not fall in love with. The drawback to this run is the extreme brevity of the run. For those of us who do not want to run the Demshitz drop nor the Diablito just below, this run has only 4 drops and 1 rapid. Because of this, you will likely want to extend the run through the Lefincul Canyon section of the Rio Liucura just down river a kilometer.

Monday Morning Motivation - Australian Slalom Championships Cumec Magazine - The 2011 Australian Canoe Slalom Nationals were held last week in Nymboida, NSW. While the residents of Queensland were evacuating their homes the fastest kayakers in Australia and the NZ Junior Development squad were battling the rising waters just over the border.

Greenland Week 2010: Interview with Kiliii Yu Dash Point Pirate - Primitive skills expert, skin-on-frame kayak builder and paddler Kiliii Yu talks about fishing and coastal foraging while guiding trips around Vancouver Island with his company Sea Wolf Kayak.

Kayak or Canoe? paddling.net - Some years ago, I guided a group of teens on a canoe trip in Minnesota's Boundary Waters. As we rounded a point, a yellow kayak darted toward us. The paddler - a young woman in her twenties - flashed a smile, then poured on the coal. In a flash she was gone.

Day 20 - sleeping beside spirits The Seven Settlements Solo Kayak Expedition - It is amazing how much I got out of speaking Greenlandic yesterday. It is important to note that Niaqornat has overwhelmingly shown/revealed/exceeded my cultural goals for the expedition. I got by on my level of Greenlandic - with lots of small confusions, but I got by. I sorted it almost without Danish. In fact, Danish did not help one bit! I got a good feeling about the settlement and deliberately left good gear there almost just to prove that I can.

Together, the Werner team enjoys the Cold Stroke Classic SUP Race. Werner - Travelling as a little family on a 2 week SUP mission, that included the Surf Expo trade show and surfing in Puerto Rico, Werner Paddle's Mette Mosquera, Dan Gavere, Danny Mongno and athletes Nikki Gregg and Joe Mosquera landed for the last stop at Coast Urge's 3rd Annual Cold Stroke Classic SUP Race. The event was well attended and hats off to the Costal Urge staff for putting on a smooth race and awards dinner for over 120 competitors.

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