Coming up for air ~ Winter Kayaking on the North Fork ~ Scotland 2016

Playak News Flash - November 26, 2016
The world's latest paddling headlines.

Coming up for air Tony Paradise - Tuesday was our first pool session going into the winter months.  A few of us will paddle all winter but we'll also take advantage of the tropical conditions. Winter Kayaking on the North Fork Jackson Kayak - Last December, John Webster called and asked if I could help with a photo shoot on the North Fork of the Payette. Of course I was hesitant, it was a very cold winter week. Say 'Yes' to New Experiences: Kayaking in Big Bend National Park REI - Big Bend National Park is a desolate behemoth of land sitting on the border of Texas and Mexico. I had never been on an overnight paddling trip, nor had I floated whitewater in my own craft. On the first stretches of calm water, my leader corrected my sloppy paddle grip, my lopsided skirt, and my poor attempts at pointing my boat in the right direction. Slowly, my strokes grew confident and my grip felt strong. River conservation – from Canada to the Balkans Palm Blogs - I have been following the Balkan Rivers Tour from the distant British Columbia. This project excited my interest and made me wish I was a part of it. It aims to protect Balkan rivers, their fragile ecosystems, and help local people who too often find their voices bare no weight in a 'debate' about the future of their own living space. There seems to be a fire sale of rivers in the Balkans, with no real consideration of eco impact, local communities, local laws, or standards of EU, where a lot of investors come from. Pyranha Machno is here WWTCC - The Machno is positioned between the Burn and 9R with loads of bow rocker, plenty of volume and a wider but predictable hull with soft chines. The Machno is kind of replacing the Shiva (now discontinued) in the line up but with definite influences from the 9R and Burn. This should give a comfortable ride with the boat nice and high on the water and giving the paddler plenty of time to react and time strokes perfectly. 4 Awesome Yoga Poses Every Kayaker Should Know Adventure Kayak - A deep breath with eyes closed, feeling the intricacies of the sounds and smells floating on the breeze. Taking the time to slow down and develop a sense of place at our launch point can have dramatic impacts on our paddling experience. The excitement that builds during trip planning and gear preparation can create a sense of urgency to get on the water as quickly as possible, but a new fusion of kayaking and yoga is disrupting this mechanical approach and has the potential to enhance the way we paddle. William Armstrong Inspired Ash Paddle Paddle Making - It's been an enjoyable fall working on some more paddles in the backyard workshop. This next one was carved out of narrow plank of ash. Scotland 2016 Jackson Kayak - So it was that time of year when Myself and Pete headed to Scotland for some white water action. This year we were joined by fellow team Squarerock paddler Nick Williams for some Scottish stomping. Whitewater XL, action packed with participation from Olympic champions ICF - There were a number of Olympians present in the opening round of Whitewater XL that happened for the first time in the newly opened Vector Wero Whitewater Park in Auckland. We had the 53 year old Johnstone who was New Zealand's first canoe slalom Olympian, Luuka Jones who was silver medallist at this year Olympics besides Vavra Hradilek and Rio C1 silver medalist Matej Benus. The day was full of action for these athletes competing on the course. Frames: That's A Wrap SUP Magazine - Getting a standup paddleboard into a position like this and capturing it from this highly dangerous angle is nearly impossible. 9 Most Important Skills For Whitewater Paddlers Rapid Magazine Blog - You can never stop developing your skills in whitewater paddling. That's one of the reasons whitewater is so addictive. Changing seasons, varying water levels and different styles of paddling require many different skill sets. The Canoeist and Kayaker Holiday Gift Guide PaddlingLight - Paddlers being the picky, hard-to-please group that they are, are extremely hard to shop for during the holidays. Most paddlers already own everything they want, except for that new boat. While that new NDK Romany or Northstar Magic would look great under the tree spending a couple grand probably isn't within everyone's idea of a perfect gift. Here are a few unique gifts for canoeists and kayakers. It's something to surprise them with and maybe something unexpected as well.Paddlers being the picky, hard-to-please group that they are, are extremely hard to shop for during the holidays. Most paddlers already own everything they want, except for that new boat... Sea Eagle inflatable boat Owner Rescues 100 Neighbors Stranded in flood waters Sea Eagle - The worst tragedies always bring out the best in Americans.Here's how one local man put his Sea Eagle 14sro to work and rescued an estimated 100 neighbors stranded by swiftly rising floodwaters. Water rose so fast that the time for sandbags was soon over and it was time to rescue people. The History of Stand Up Paddle Boarding SUP Connect - Stand up paddle boarding (SUP), the act of propelling oneself on a floating platform with the help of a paddle or pole, traces back to thousands of years ago and across many continents, but its current form and popularity originated in Hawaii in the 1900's. Records of earlier forms of SUP have been found as early as 1,000 B.C. (i.e. 3,000 years ago) and its iterations span over various regions such as Peru, Israel, Italy, China, and beyond. By contrast, the modern form of stand up paddle boarding, where a surfboard-like vessel is used... Keepin' the Dream ALIVE in Fiji 2016 ISA SUP and Paddleboard World Champs Lina Augaitis - I am sitting in the Vancouver airport waiting for my last flight home to Vernon and it already all feels like a distant dream.

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