Grand Canyon Awesomness ~ The Valley Mill May MD Chute Out ~ Pike Fishing

Playak News Flash - June 10, 2014
The world's latest paddling headlines.

News Watch Headlines Grand Canyon Awesomness Martina Wegman - I was extremely lucky to be invited by Shilo Gibson for a Grand Canyon trip! Straight after the WWGP I took a flight into Flagstaff where I met up with Louise Jull, who was going to hike in with me for the ten day mission. The trip was organized and leaded by Luc Strickland and included sixteen people, four rafts and four kayaks. The Valley Mill May MD Chute Out worldkayak - The month of May had a lot of rain, and had the Potomac running high quite a bit. The original date of our May Chute out had to be moved due to another rainy day. The May Chute Out was held on Thur.June 5th, and it brought out a big crowd of twenty-one competitors. Casper Steinfath, Angie Jackson Dominate Day One In Bilbao, Spain SUPracer - It's week #4 of the Euro Tour and this weekend we're in the awesome city of Bilbao, Spain for another big race. The Bilbao World SUP Challenge has attracted a pretty solid lineup of talent, with the international cast of paddlers set for sprint racing on Saturday followed by a 13km cruise through the city's main river on Sunday. Read on for full update of this race, there was not a dull movement in the event... World Cup 1 London Mike Dawson - The 2013 Whitewater World Cup has kicked into action this weekend with the first of the 5 events getting underway on the 2012 Olympic course in London. Hundreds of athletes from all over the world descended into the UK's biggest city to battle it out on this rowdy course. Boardworks 12'6″ Eradicator carbon race SUP Review Wave of Wellness - The first time I rode the Boardworks Eradicator Carbon Race SUP was on 4/5/2014 at the Shark Bite Challenge paddle race in Dunedin, FL. When I met Mike Tavares, Boardworks Team Manager, at the race site on Honeymoon Island, I pulled the Eradicator out of the bag & thought "well if I don't place top 3, at least I'm going to look good paddling!" This board is stunning with it's black carbon finish contrasted with a light gray ¾ length deck pad & white Boardworks Surf logo on the rails, a fierce luche libre with cross-paddles logo at the nose, & clean shape with sharp lines – it looks seriously intimidating. Angie Jackson claims overall title Fanatic SUP - Angie Jackson paddled like a machine this weekend at the Bilbao World SUP Challenge and took out both, the Sprints and the Long Distance Race, which means she claimed the overall event title! Her hard training back home in Australia during the winter month is clearly paying off. Lean Forward and Paddle Hard Girls at Play - I can do this. This is totally in my reach, I can do this. I was in the top eddy above Pencil Sharpener, above The Notch, above Gorilla, and was about to run one of the most respected rapids on the Southeast. Gorilla. Looking For Baby Swans Kayak Yak - A warm sunny morning greeted Louise and I as we rolled our kayaks down the hill for a paddle. The object of today's paddle was our annual pilgrimage up The Gorge to look for baby swans. There's two local swan couples, one in The Gorge that have lived there for a couple of years, and another couple in Portage Inlet that have been there for at least six or seven years. Gimme Shelter 8 Jackson Kayak - This past weekend I fished the 8th annual Gimmie Shelter kayak fishing tournament in shelter cove CA. The events drew 218 anglers from all over the West coast and is the largest kayak fishing event in CA, maybe the whole west coast. I pre fished for 3 days and was pumped to get on the water for game day. Pike Fishing Jackson Kayak - Spring fishing is not my most favourite time of the year to fish. The reason? Because I love fishing for bass. Here in the Great White North bass doesn't open 'till the end of June. Big Rivers, Big Ideas at River Rally 2014. International Rivers - I'm writing from the annual River Rally conference, hosted jointly by Waterkeeper Alliance and River Network. This year we've met at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers, the birthplace of the Ohio River. In addition to several hundred US attendees, more than 50 of us have traveled from all over the world to share stories about our work and unite around the simple and wonderful idea that all communities deserve clean water and healthy rivers. Rig My Ride Dee Kaminski's Flats Stalker Rapid Media - Dee Kaminski is a Native Watercraft pro staffer, tournament master and owner/guide of Reel Kayak Fishing Charters. Kaminski's home waters are the flats of the Mosquito Lagoon, the northern parts of the Banana and Indian River Lagoons and includes areas near Ft. Pierce. Rig your boat like her to sneak up on tailing redfish, giant snook, big black drum and gator trout. Day Two – Fishing in the midnight sun. Jackson Kayak - The second day in Blatnickelle was spent exploring the local river, and the local specialities. The morning we cruised the river and everybody was pulling out the resident pike. Kayak Review - Jackson Karma update Bryant Burkhardt - My reviews of the Jackson Karma (Part 1 and Part 2, and the Rock Garden version) have gotten a lot of hits, so I thought I'd update my thoughts after a little more time in the boat. I still feel like I'm figuring it out, but definitely have a better handle on a few things. Women's ACA Advanced Swiftwater Rescue Course worldkayak - Whitewater enthusiasts participate in hazardous activities in wilderness environments. Are you prepared to rescue yourself or your best paddling friend? Are they prepared to rescue you? Help in many cases may not be immediately available, and might be hours, not minutes away.

Featured New: Sawyer Flex Tour SUP Paddle - The Flex Tour has a great feel for touring and is strong enough for surf and whitewater river running. There's a new Predator in the water - New for 2014: Old Town Predator 13 and MX Jackson Kayak Karma - Jackson Kayak's Fourth Generation Creek Boat over the past 9 years takes leaps and bounds forward.

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