Playak Weekly Digest - week 25

Playak Weekly Digest
The world's top paddling links in week 25, 2010.

News Watch Thigh straps rule. I don't care who says otherwise The Roaming Dials (Tuesday 22nd) ** - This month I've been able to put a few days in while strapped into my heavily-modded yellow Llama. First Scott Solle invited me out with his swiftwater rescue class on Eagle River. NOLS Alaska was there in numbers and everyone who tried out the thigh-strapped packraft was in agreement that it's a qualitatively new and different experience. Straps got my son back into boating and the swiftwater class was the best money he's spent this year, he said. Summit Creek, WA Sweet (Saturday 19th) * - Summit creek was discovered last year by a young group of Washingoton brothers known as the Wells Bros. They live in Trout Lake only 5 miles from the put in of the infamous Green Truss run on the White Salmon and have been searching the area for little stashes like this. The basic deal with this run is that, you need a bit if rain to pump the normally dry river bed up to enough water to scrape down this high mountain drainage ditch. Once you get the water you need it is an amazing place with two very steep and clean basalt gorges to run. Kayaking with Jesse Coombs and Chris Korbulic (videos) Outside Blog (Tuesday 22nd) * - Jesse Coombs and Chris Korbulic, of Eddie Bauer's First Ascent team, took a gaggle of kayakers out on the water on Saturday, then headed back out on the river alone on Sunday to get in some extra runs. Filmmaker Allison Otto caught up with them on Sunday as they paddled through Class IV rapids on the Roaring Fork. Check out the video above. Middle Fork of the Salmon Level 6 (Tuesday 22nd) * - Stig and I made the long journey from Ottawa to Syracuse via car and then a hop, a few skips and a jump to Boise Idaho. From there we met up with our compadres Tom from Shred Ready Helmets, Morgan from North Water and Mark from Mountain Equipment Co-op. After a quick meeting at the airport to collect our goods quench our thirst, we all made away in the family wagon to Stanley Idaho, the home of Middlefork River Expeditions. Fibark 2010 Team Pyranha (Tuesday 22nd) * - Hannah Kertesz throwing down in the Salida Hole where she ended up 2nd in the Junior Women's class!! Read on for more results and photos from the last 4 days at Colorado's oldest & biggest whitewater festival. We're all exhausted after another busy Fibark weekend. Demshitz Jared Seiler and Dave Fusilli were out of all competitions due to injuries, but there were still plenty of people representing in all of the whitewater kayaking events. Summer fun on Soča Gene17 (Saturday 19th) * - Every year from mid August, the River Soča plays host to our second run of teaching trips in Slovenia. The prefect clear blue water with it's boulder garden white water, lends to one of the very best paddling classrooms around. It's a near unbeatable spot to develop confidence and be introduced to the very finest of new school kayaking technique. The pristine landscape adds a wonderful back drop along with fine food and great beer, Slovenia has everything for a great paddling holiday. SUP Video: Werner Team Rider, Andre Niemeyer, Heads South Werner (Wednesday 23rd) * - Andre Niemeyer and the boys are featured in a recent issue of My Local Line Up. Check out the video of Baja's East Cape. Iceland sweetness... Sweet (Saturday 19th) * - I simply love this barren island to the west of Norway. Extreme conditions all around, yet with people that always seem lighthearted. Being norwegian I guess I feel related to the icelanders, seeing that a lot of norwegians moved here during the Viking age. Fleeing the politically unstable Norway, they settled on this windswept island of fire and ice. And big waterfalls.. Raffuse Creek Exploration CKS Squad (Tuesday 22nd) * - When Todd calls and says "hey man, ive got something sweet, wanna go to BC this weekend?", It probably means its gunna be a good old fashioned BC bushwack to a worthy creek. Then he texted me some photos they had taken when they scouted it a few days prior. Pictures of clean waterfalls and a kickass gorge met my eyes. I dropped other plans and headed up to the squamish area. Some more photos of the Teva Games Team Pyranha (Tuesday 22nd) * - Here are the promised photos of the Teva Extreme Outdoor Games 2010. Video: Tanya Faux - 2010 Steep Creek Championship at the Teva Mountain Games playak.tv (Saturday 19th) * - A short video featuring Tanya Faux from the Bud Light Lime Steep Creek Championship at the 2010 Teva Mountain Game. Faux finished in first place for the women on 6.3.10 up at Homestake Creek. The Teva Mountain Games are a project of the Vail Valley Foundation. Yule Creek Sweet (Saturday 19th) * - Couple of days ago I got off work and that was the right time to meet up with Demshitz crew to run something big. We met up in little town called Marble close to big Colorado mountains in Aspen area. After last week when was rainy and cold, it finally got sunny and warm again. We couldnt have a better weather for our run on the Yule creek. Claire O bags Silver at Euro Freestyle Champs PeakUK (Tuesday 22nd) * - Claire O'Hara does it again! Already World, European and British Champion in Ladies Squirt Kayaking, 28 year old, Leeds girl, Claire O'Hara has gone on to achieve success in a different discipline of kayaking : this Saturday, in Lienz in Austria she won the Silver Medal in the Ladies European Freestyle Kayaking Championships 2010. Upper Blackwater; Revisiting a West Virginia Classic Fluid Blog (Saturday 19th) * - In the state of West Virginia, the Upper Blackwater is as classic of a steep creek as it gets. There are 62 major Class 5 rapids in the 2.5 mile run through a beautiful canyon. The run features more 4-8 foot drops and boofs than any other creek in the area and also runs fairly often. So it's a wonder that it had been 3 years since the Dogg had paddled that run. For years, it was one of my favorite runs and I logged somewhere around 100 runs during the period before 2007. Video: Andrew Holcombe - 2010 Steep Creek Championship at the Teva Mountain Games playak.tv (Saturday 19th) * - A short video of Andrew Holcombe from the Bud Light Lime Steep Creek Championships at the 2010 Teva Mountain Games. Holcombe finished second for the men on 6.3.10 up on Homestake Creek. The Teva Mountain Games are a project of the Vail Valley Foundation.

Hot Forum Topics Win a Duem Stuff Freestyle Vest! Pyranha i3 - 221, 222 or 223? (Gear) Ouch! Helmet issues! (Gear) Wavesport Fuse 48 or 56? (Gear) Playboat Recomendations for tall semi-light person (Gear) Top Videos Composite Element - small wave, big fun! Kokatat Drytop and Bib (martakokatatcom) Outside in Aspen: Kayaking With Jesse Coombs and Chris Korbulic Glenwood Springs Summer Sessions (martakokatatcom) Green River Giant Slalom Upcoming Events 4 éme manche du FKT Natural games France, Millau, Jun 25 - Jun 27 Kootenay Whitewater Kayak Festival Canada, British Columbia, Crescent Valley/ Nelson, Jun 26 - Jun 27 Primo Stand Up Challenge USA, HI, , Jun 26 National Canoe Day Canada, Ontario, Peterborough, Jun 26 Muskegon River Races: Fun Paddle & HardCore Race USA, MI, , Jul 3

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