Northern Norway ~ Otz Valley - it’s good to have a backyard river

Playak Weekly Digest
The world's top paddling links in week 41, 2014.

News Watch Northern Norway Kokatat Blog - Summer in Norway has been amazing. I have never seen so much sun over the couple months in Norway. After the Sjoa festival I had a strong urge to join my friends up North. Otz Valley - it's good to have a backyard river Kokatat Blog - Kayaking around the world in California, BC, Norway and Chile makes a paddler's heart beat faster, though it's good to have a backyard river. Runs you can do on the weekend, even if you have to go working every day. Runs you know inside out. Helen Wilson'S Guide to Painless Travel Canoe Kayak - One of the most intimidating parts of planning a destination sea kayaking trip is just getting to the water. How will I navigate airports, taxis, and buses if I'm weighed down by my full suite of paddling gear? Since I'm traveling more often than not, I've faced this problem many times. Florida'S Suwannee River Canoe Kayak - Forget the frenzy of Miami, the spring break throngs, the crowded beaches and glitz. On the Suwannee, settle into a week or more of original Florida. Think egrets and shrike, dozens of natural springs, live oaks and cypress, sand bluffs, beaches to camp on. At The South End of Pladda 'I Wonder Where They Think They Are Going? SeaKayakPhoto.com - We set off across the Sound of Pladda at a surprisingly high ferry angle. It was approching 3 hours into the ebb and the tide was running through the shallow sound like a river.  Pladda jetty is on the sheltered NE side of the island though... ...in the northerly winds of our last visit (on the 23rd of May 2014), it was far from sheltered getting out of the harbour! On this occasion Kayaker Rescued Off Oak Bay Kayak Yak - Last night, a high school-aged foreign exchange student was rescued after her kayak paddle off Oak Bay went awry. According to this report, a couple walking along Willows Beach saw the girl's shoes and kayak dolly along the shore. When the couple return from their walk, they noticed the items were still there. Crashes, Carnage and Chaos At Salt Creek SUPracer - As we all recover from our Battle of the Paddle hangover, the flood of video edits sweeps its way across Facebook and YouTube. Seems you can't go five minutes without a new clip popping up, however there's one in particular that stands out. It's a very simple collection of highlights showing what we all wanna see: Crashes, carnage and chaos. Annabel Anderson SUP Magazine - SUP has helped me realize the impact that I can have on those I meet and interact with. From sewing the seeds of dreams with the next generation to seeing the sense of achievement on the face of someone who stepped on a board for the first time has been just as satisfying as any competitive achievement. Q & A With SUP Instructor Nikki Johnston Beaudoin Paiwen SUP Boards For Women - A: I first stepped onto a paddle board about 4-5 years ago on Lake Champlain in Vermont. I really started to get into paddling over two years ago. I grew up kayaking and sailing, and I like to surf, (or at least try to), so I loved the ability to stand on the board and paddle and the vantage point it gives you above the water, the full body workout, and the sense of freedom and peace that comes with it. It really is a great and fun way to travel and explore. Freeing Evans Creek: A Year in The Life of a Dam Removal American Rivers - Two dam removals are planned for Summer 2015 on Evans Creek, a tributary to the Rogue River in Oregon. Fielder Dam, a 19 foot tall, 259 foot long dam is located 3 miles from Evans Creek's confluence with the Rogue River.Fielder and Wimer dams significantly hinder fish passage for migrating salmon attempting to reach high quality habitat upstream. - See more at: http://www.americanrivers.org/blog/freeing-evans-creek-a-year-in-the-life-of-a-dam-removal/#sthash.43UHkgvz.dpuf Pleasures of The Pit Bryant Burkhardt - California is in the midst of an historic drought that's greatly affected the everyday lives of many people in this state (we've had to move to a new rental 'cause our old place's spring was running dry, and many people have it worse). The lack of rivers to run seems like a small thing in the big picture, but kayaking (or lack of it) can be illustrative of many of the water issues in this state. There are lessons to be learned. Adidas Sickline 2014 The Seventh Annual Extreme Race Starts Tomorrow in Austria Canoe Kayak - When the world's top kayakers began arriving in Austria's Oetztal this week, they were greeted with sunny days, low flows and the technical lines that make the annual Adidas Sickline Championships one of Europe's most-anticipated whitewater events. Overnight rain brought water up significantly on Wednesday, however, and racers found themselves training on a much more difficult run. Sickline Race Here We Go 2014 Jackson Kayak - The water levels have been quite low until two days ago when a warm rain storm him all the snow in the mountains. What happened then wasn't a surprise, the water shot up and the course went from "easiest" its ever been to a full on rowdy surf party. Greenland on My Mind Kokatat Blog - I was first invited to East Greenland as a guide with Moln, a Finish paddling company. My friend Roope had hired me to join him in guiding a group of Brits on a trip out of the Ammassalik area of East Greenland. Greenland has always had a draw on me – while others long for warm weather destinations, I have always been drawn to cold, remote destinations. It seems like the more challenging the conditions it has, the better. Paddling Destination – Ottawa River Jackson Kayak - The Ottawa river should be a must on all kayakers lists. With its big warm water, beautiful scenery, friendly people and lines for everyone from beginner to class V boaters its an ideal location for almost everyone. It is one of my favorite paddling destinations in the world and for many a good reason.

Forums Wavesport Fusion (Discuss) Videos How to Anchor for Paddle Board Yoga (Sup Yoga) (PaddleBoardBliss) Huntington Beach Pro Grand Slam Highlights 2014 (supzero) Soda Crate Kayak Fishing Organizer: Episode 75 catch on the truss (hoodriveryoungbuck) Connor Baxter 2014 Battle of the Paddle Interview (ConnorBaxter) Upcoming World Championship R4 Rafting Brasil, , Oct 8 - Oct 19 Lumpy Waters Symposium US, OR, Portland, Oct 10 - Oct 12 Delmarva Paddlers' Retreat US, DE, , Oct 10 - Oct 12 Hansa Fsh River Canoe Marathon South Africa, , Oct 10 - Oct 11 Kayak Fishing Boondoggle US, FL, Merritt Island, Oct 10 - Oct 13

To see all the latest headlines, videos, forum discussions and more, visit Playak News Watch. This is the standard version of the newsletter, covering all paddling disciplines. To change the tailoring, please login on Playak, and then click the yellow triangle at the very top of the page to set your interests.
To unsubscribe from this newsletter with only one click, click here.