Playing on the Mendocino Coast ~ Start of the RVA Shad Run ~ Featherweight

Playak News Flash - March 31, 2015
The world's latest paddling headlines.

News Watch Headlines Playing on the Mendocino Coast Bryant Burkhardt - Not a whole lot to say about it, but in the past few weeks we've gotten out in our whitewater boats for some coastal exploration nearby. Start of the RVA Shad Run Angling Addict - Things were off to a slower than usual start but it is starting to get good on the James River in Richmond. After two blanked trips, I went on a trip with Wayne Tu after work on Wednesday. Ecuador A Kayaking Homecoming Jackson Kayak - After 5 years of not traveling to Ecuador I was excited to come back and revisit some of the classic rivers the Napo region has to offer. I was pleasantly surprised to see that this area has not only grown in adventure tourism but it has become increasingly accommodating to the international traveller. The Same But Different Newfoundland Kayakoholic - The weather was supposed to be poor this morning rain and freezing rain, but the winds were to be low. We decided to go to St. Philips with no plan in place other than to meet at 10 am. Featherweight unsponsored - Some fun footage of FeatherWeight boats and crew ripping. The Feather we designed this boat to carve hard, go big and be the most fun you have ever had in a kayak I talked with some of the best boaters in the world to find out what people wanted in a new boat. Jackson Product Manager Scores Winter Bonefish in the Keys Jackson Kayak - I recently had the pleasure of guiding Damon Bungard, product manager for Jackson Kayak, on the beautiful waters of the Florida Keys. Paddling The Florida Keys Heliconia Press - Heliconia is pleased to announce the premiere showing of the second episode of Season 3 of Facing Waves. Episode 2: Paddling the Florida Keys premieres this Monday, March 30th at 6:30 p.m. ET on Universal Sports Network. Eilean Dubh, the dark island of the Kyles of Bute. SeaKayakPhoto.com - We set off from Caladh Harbour to exit via the north channel with the thickly wooded island of Eilean Dubh on our starboard side. Rebirth A whole bunch of Ing's - Freezing rain passing in waves riding in on a NE breeze. Cold air from the icepack brought the Newfoundland saying to mind. March wind is a stubborn wind. It would rather walk strait through yah than around yah. Mexican Dreamin Greg Panas - Yesterday i posted a photo of Diego Cadena during this Eddie Swell and this shot is from the same evening right before the light got super good. Corsica early bird Palm Blogs - Year after year, when the winter comes to an end and every paddler is going to get ready to start the kayaking season it is time for me to go to Corsica. Cape Scott Boot Camp Canoe Kayak - I'm kinda so nervous I want to abort! Chillin' in Dad and Pam's cabin on the hill and thinking of all the safety issues and getting dizzy August 23. All Hail, the Lowly Paddle Float! SherriKayaks - It seems that it is currently fashionable among some sea kayak instructors to bash the standard paddle float solo re-entry as a useless skill. I am not of that camp, but even if you are, I urge you not to throw out your paddle float just yet. There are numerous ways that a paddle float can be beneficial to a sea kayaker. Use This Interval SUP Training For Maximum Results SUP Athletes Association - Your goal with training should be to put in the minimum amount of targeted input in order to produce the maximum amount of results. Training and racing smarter simply means that you will not be wasting your time with inefficient training and racing strategies that fail to produce significant gains. Why complete a 90-minute unfocused session when you can get twice the benefits out of a targeted workout in half the time? So how do you do it? There are many ways to achieve efficiency in training and racing.   Yardsale Greg Panas - If you want to turn some heads and get some weird looks and stares, just walk down on the beach with a gigantic inflatable paddle board that can hold 7 to 10 people. Paddle it out and try to catch waves on it?

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Lessons Learned – The Pre Launch Checklist ~ The Ice Retreats ~ Lineups

Playak News Flash - March 30, 2015
The world's latest paddling headlines.

News Watch Headlines Lessons Learned – The Pre Launch Checklist  Jackson Kayak - Shortly after making the shift to kayak fishing, I caught what I knew was my record largemouth. While I was pretty sure I had video, and took a few quick pictures, I really wanted to know how much it weighed. Selecting the best Prom Dress Color Liquid Projects - The same as with any other year, coloring and style are very important elements of prom dresses. Unlike typically the olden days when young people left for proms as couples, right now they can do so individually or maybe in groups. Isla Espiritu Santos, Mexico Newfoundland Sea Kayaking - Earlier this month myself and 2 friends, Trent Hardy and Rob Scott, spent 6 days kayaking around Isla Espiritu Santos in Mexico. Exploring Uganda'S Rivers and Culture NRS Duct Tape Diaries - While exploring Uganda's whitewater, Kira Tenney and crew eddy out on the banks of Bujagali Falls, where curiosity leads them to a village witch doctor and tales of corporate bribes, unfulfilled promises and more hydropower projects to come. The Ice Retreats Trash Paddler - 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. Juanito Scholarship Jackson Kayak - Working with Juan was one of the greatest pleasures Jackson Kayak has ever had with any athlete. We are so excited to help his enthusiasm for teaching kids continue through this program and would like to thank everyone involved in keeping Juan alive in our hearts, where he will always belong. Destination Torngat Canoe Kayak - Ben began making strange facial expressions and ambiguous arm motions. I stared at him blankly until he finally gave up and hollered, 'Bear. Chris Korbulic recalls. Later we laughed about my confusion, and that nobody had thought to create a hand signal for 'bear. Lineups Greg Panas - This to me is kind of a cool shot because this was taken maybe 2 years ago and its crazy to see how far paddling has come since then. The Carolina Cup Is 1 Month Away World Paddle Association - The 2015 Carolina Cup is a week-long celebration in Wrightsville Beach, NC. This WPA National event features over a dozen clinics and 5 races—one for every age and level. On Saturday, there is a 3.5-mile Harbor Island Recreational race, 6.5-mile Money Island Open Race and the dreaded 13-mile Graveyard Elite Race.

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Paddle Like a Girl – KIALOA Tiare ~ An Inflatable with a Wild Side

Playak News Flash - March 29, 2015
The world's latest paddling headlines.

News Watch Headlines Paddle Like a Girl – KIALOA Tiare Elder SUP - There is a description on the KIALOA Paddles website that describes their Tiare adjustable paddle – but it barely begins to describe the unique features of this woman-specific paddle. Just because so many girl versions are pink, I chose the blue for my Tiare. Immediately after getting it I hit the water on a blustery late winter day in Oregon. An Inflatable with a Wild Side red paddle co - Red Paddle are proud to be the boards of choice as the intrepid Escape + Explore team venture to remote parts of Africa yet to be paddled and in turn spark a new sustainable style of African Safari. Fancy Doing Some Racing and Getting a Free 12'6″ for The 2015 Season? SUPboarder - Over the course of the year the UK SUP race series will be running all over the country. Naish UK are looking for 10 riders to commit to attending 6 out of 10 UK SUP events that they have selected for the year as N1SCO races. Great opportunity for Youth teams and their coaches! International Rafting Federation - Russia is offering an International Youth Rafting Workshop in the form of a rafting camp up in the beautiful Altai Region. Glebe to Currarong Matt Bezzina, NSW Australia - The NSWSKC held it's annual Rock N Roll kayak fest at Currarong, just north of Jervis Bay. The weather looked good so my paddling friend Megan and I decided we'd paddle there. I trollied my kayak and a weeks worth of food and camping gear down to Rozelle Bay where I packed the boat and launched. Yak Adventure Equipment Touring Range 2015 WWTCC - The Yak Apollo Jacket and updated Xipe PFD are the latest bright new pieces of kit to arrive at WWTCC, the first pieces from the 2015 Yak Adventure Touring range of equipment. Paddle on an Unlimited Board Occasionally Larry Cain - One of the things I think is really helpful and I'd like to do more of is paddling an unlimited board occasionally. I don't own my own and truthfully don't plan to unless someone wants to offer me one to ride. I can't justify the expense right now and the storage is a bit more of an issue for me than it is for a 14' board. Matt Barker-Smith / Sup Surfing Tips – Getting Out to The Lineup SUPboarder - Two times British BSUPA SUP surf champion, and 2015 Team GB SUP surf representative at the ISA World Championships in Mexico, Matt Barker-Smith shares some simple SUP surfing tips on how to make the most of your surf session and get out to the lineup. The shallows A whole bunch of Ing's - My footprints across the grey cracked pavement leading to the sea. Black pieces of my dry suit steaming dry in the heat of a powerful sun. The smell of sping crossed my nose on a light NW breeze; as I paddled out to the uninhabited coast. Paradise for The Urban Paddle Guide SUP Magazine - San Francisco is a stand up paddler's paradise. It offers surf, downwind runs (one of which stretches under the Golden Gate, on display here) and flat water galore. Destination: Rogues on the Rogue River Canoe Kayak - What better way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act than to round up a bunch of Canoe & Kayak magazine contributors and test a new breed of whitewater kayak on one of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act's original rivers? The Kames Hotel, a Long Way Home SeaKayakPhoto.com - After our blast up the West Kyle of Bute, we were looking forward to a luncheon in the Kames Hotel. We ordered beef and veggie burgers with pints of frothy sports recovery drinks. We had got chatting to a great bunch of guys from Ayrshire who had been in the bar watching our crossing. New WPA Region 12 (TX/OK) Race Director Appointed World Paddle Association - The World Paddle Association (WPA) is proud to announce Jason Black being appointed as the new WPA Region 12 Regional Race Director for Texas and Oklahoma. Jason's brings years of stand up paddle racing experience and knowledge of business to take over the position. Jason succeeds the regional director position that was held by Casey Gotcher. Team JK Goes APEs in the Nolichucky Gorge Jackson Kayak - This past weekend (3/21/15-3/22/15) the Appalachian Paddling Enthusiasts were going to host two intermediate/advanced whitewater kayak clinics with EJ on the Nolichucky Gorge (Class III-IV); but due to an extended illness EJ contract upon returning from his Africa trip he had to recruit fellow JK Team member, Stephen Wright, to fill his spot as the instructor. Winter trip to Denmark Kokatat Blog - After spending a lot of time indoors for studying and working on my newest movie Into the Waves I felt ready for a little adventure. The weather forecast wasn't promising and it was winter, so it could become painful. With a heavily loaded backpack I cycled though the rain to the canoe club in Flensburg, Germany.

To see all the latest news, 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.
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Threats to The Gila and to River Access ~ Top 5 Whitewater Safety Articles

Playak News Flash - March 28, 2015
The world's latest paddling headlines.

News Watch Headlines Threats to The Gila and to River Access Am. Whitewater - March was a busy month for AW as we worked hard to derail two very troubling bills in the New Mexico legislature, while continuing the good fight to stop a devastating Gila River diversion. Kayaking Tumwater Canyon in a Long Boat Daniel Patrinellis - After a trip on the South Fork Salmon in Idaho last summer, I fell in love with this 11'9" stick of a boat. Refurbishing a favourite paddle into an heirloom Paddle Making - Working on the paddle the night my older son was born (2008). For that reason, that paddle has always been linked to my firstborn so I decided to commemorate the occasion by decorating the other side with a height marker, images of his little hands, feet and some important milestones. With the recent birth of our 2nd child, I decided to refurbish another cherry paddle with a similar height marker. Top 5 Whitewater Safety Articles Rapid Magazine Blog - From debating what equipment to carry to analyzing neuroscience research, we've looked at the topic of river safety and rescue from many angles in our 17 years of publishing Rapid. Team JK Goes APEs in the Nolichucky Gorge worldkayak blogs - Stephen and I lead a total of 20 APEs clinic participates down the mighty Nolichucky Gorge over the course of the two days (13 on Sat and 7 on Sun). We were blessed with great river levels (+1,900 CFS on Sat and +1,700 CFS on Sun) and wonderful weather (Sunny to partly cloudy with temps in mid 60's) on both days. Stephen was a fantastic instructor and a great motivator to encourage each participate to try and learn new paddling skills in each clinic all day long. Kalama Falls Kokatat Blog - Kalama Falls wasn't on my radar until I'd heard about Chris Korbulic running it. It looked like a great drop and Jah Bison had just run it, so it didn't take much to talk a few friends into grabbing their kits and making the drive south from Seattle. The Countdown to The R6 Euros Begins Palm Blogs - Well, it may not be conventional, but for our penultimate training session before the European Championships, we decided to mix things up a bit. We have a strong race team of seven women and we decided to see whether there were any hidden strengths that hadn't been shown yet in the formations we usually take. Yukon's Top 10 Paddling Trips Canoe Kayak - The Alsek and Tatshenshini rivers are two of the Yukon's most iconic river trips. Besides these there is Teslin, Big Salmon, Nisultin, read about these beautiful rivers to explore here. Did You Survive a Dangerous Paddling Situation? We Want to Hear About it! ACA - As part of an upcoming grant project, the ACA is currently looking for paddlers who are willing to talk about their narrow-escapes out on the water. If you have survived a scary experience while paddling, this is your opportunity to transform that experience into something that could help others. Auction Block: Bill Mason's Grumman Canoe Canoe Kayak -  As much as Mason, a filmmaker, painter, author and Canada's most famous canoeist, praised his beloved wood-canvas Chestnut Prospector, a stalwart 17-foot aluminum Grumman was his go-to boat for introducing his young family to river tripping. Now, the venerable canoe is up for auction on eBay. While a 17-foot, flat-bottomed Grumman may not have the aesthetic appeal of a Chestnut, it's a workhorse that did yeoman service for the Mason family. GoPro extendable pole Tony Paradise - In between weekends when we paddle these days I'm toying with GoPro mounts.  This post is to describe my extendable pole. Ej'S Epic Nile River Trip A River Facing Death Jackson Kayak - I think it is important to that I both share the wonderful experiences from my trip, but also make sure you know that the Nile River Rapids that are left for kayaking, will be getting dammed up in 40 months if the illegal dam isn't stopped. EXCLUSIVE FIRST LOOK: The Echo Composite Ocoee Rapid Magazine Blog - A new take on an old favorite will hit rivers this spring: a brand new composite version of the ever-popular Ocoee canoe. The composite Ocoee will be a combination of carbon, Kevlar and fiberglass—materials Convery has worked with a lot in his two decades of crafting handmade paddles.The first composite Ocoee will be ready this Friday and on the water by the weekend. Palm Equipment Fuse Jacket 2015 – First Look unsponsored - The Palm Equipment Fuse jacket has had an upgrade for 2015. The jacket is constructed from a new light weight three layer fabric and the Glideskin neoprene neck gasket has also been improved. Plenty of Water for the Wild Rogue River! Northwest Rafting Company - Spring is here and there is a lot of talk about summer river flows in Oregon for rafting, kayaking, and fishing. With lower than normal snowpack in much of the West, rivers like the Rogue River, Deschutes River, and Klamath River are an oasis for river lovers during low snowpack years due to their upstream dams and natural aquifers (nature's dams).

To see all the latest news, 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.