Playak News Flash 2011-02-22

Playak News Flash - February 22, 2011
The world's latest paddling headlines.

News Watch Headlines

Waiting for spring adidas Sickline - We had enough and decided to leave our freaking cold country. There wasn't any option to go kayaking around Slovakia. It is still snowing and bellow zero degree. Nina, Capko and myself decided to go anywhere where it is not as freezing and possible to train every day.

Fred Norquist's Dipper Creek Kayaking Video – Thumbs Up Irene's Kayaking Blog - This is amazing footage of a run done by Fred Norquist and friends on Dipper Creek, BC, in October 2010. Usually I'd have a hard time getting through an eleven-minute video but there's something about this one that kept me glued to it the entire time – the drops are huge, the canyon setting is incredible, and the filming is excellent – you almost feel like you're running it yourself.

Africa: Nile Special Night Sesh Potomac Paddlesports - It was 9:30 on a Tuesday night, sitting at the bar sipping a coke and talking with Jason, a Brit who had been working here for the past year. Along with me were a few other New River Academy students. Lorenzo, one of our coaches was sitting at the table talking with some of other NRA teachers. We were discussing the wave just 5 minute paddle up the river, one of the best waves in the world named after a beer, Nile Special. Generally its about a 9 foot tall, tow on wave.

Around the world - first stop Nepal Teva Blog - Since October 2010, I'm on a trip around the world. Nepal was my first stop. I spend there almost six weeks running some of the best whitewater the Himalayan mountain range has to offer. Some trips with friends, some just by my own. Afterwards I went to Indonesia. Surfing on Bali, paddling in Java. Now I'm in Patagonia, southern Chile. We just came back from a great trip down to Villa O'Higgins, the last town on the Carretera Austral (probably the most famous gravel road on planet). We explored many rivers nobody had run before, but also did great classic's like Rio Baker or Futaleufu. The next few blog entry's, will tell about some of the adventures I had on this amazing trip around the world.

Broadwater Creek 2010 worldkayak blogs - The day begins with my alarm ringing. Everyone is already awake and we are all too excited to sleep knowing what lay ahead over the next two days. By 4am we are on the road with the ute laden full of kayaks, we drive through the darkness, finally arriving at the helicopter landing zone as the sun is rising.

Video: Whitewater Kayakers on Icicle Creek Middle Section Irene's Kayaking Blog - This is the video that got me started looking for whitewater kayaking slalom instructional videos (my previous post). It's a bunch of kayakers on the Class V Middle section of Icicle Creek outside of Leavenworth, WA, one of my favorite places, and includes footage of Ricochet, The Sieve, Horseshoe and The Plunge.

First Solo Fitzroy Descent, Kimberley Region - Western Australia Fluid Blog - I have just returned from my third wet season in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. My first trip in 2009 to the King Edward scared me allot pre trip because I had never been so remote for so long. Last year I was stressed organising a big group from all over the world to some out to the Fitzroy. This year I was also scared, Soloing one of the most rivers in the world in the peak of the wet season. I figured it was good to be scared leading up to a big trip, it meant I was progressing my paddling and off I went.

Heel Hook Self-Rescue Sea Kayaker - A common problem new paddlers have is a lack of upper body strength. Teaching basic skills I often come across people in my classes who need a solid self-rescue but are unable to execute a paddle-float outrigger reentry because they can't lunge from the water onto the back deck of their kayak. After a good season of paddling most will develop this strength, but as beginners, when they really need it, students need an alternative. Traditionally, the solution to this situation is to use a sling. Although a sling provides a step, relieving the victim of a need for the upper body's strength, deploying a sling takes extra time and creates the hazard of getting tangled upon reentry.

Sea kayak Oban SeaKayakPhoto.com - Scotland always been lucky to have a good number of really excellent sea kayak retailers. In the past I have posted about the late Mike Thomson of Scottish Paddler supplies and the good folk Geoff and Anne Turner of |Kari-tek in Ayrshire. This time I want to highlight Stuart and Cathy Wagstaff of Sea Kayak Oban.

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