Hello all! Hopefully everyone has been enjoying this wonderful sunny spring and summer. While early spring brought some higher water levels and some nice creeking action, the mid early summer has brought beautiful weather, peaceful days on the river, with the ever-intermittent summer showers and occasional creeking day. The flowers are blooming, birds are chirping and greenery abounds in the watershed. Whether I am guiding a raft down the river, boofing down the Green, or taking a nap in the hammock, everything is exactly as it seems...just perfect at the moment. This sort of weather makes me feel lucky to just be alive.
I've decided this summer to take a different approach to living. I feel like the world of kayaking has evolved rapidly since I first started. The sport itself has grown and the number of paddlers has also. Back when I began, paddlers all waved to each other on the road or stopped on the river to say hi and chat a little. With more exposure and commercial attention, the sport has evolved into more of a mainstream flow with more attention being put on the athletes and less on the environment that makes our lifestyles a possibility.
No matter where my paddling takes me, I wish to never forget my roots which grow from the river. I want this update to be a reminder...a reminder of the past and also a reminder to take a positive approach to our future. As paddlers we all live our lives like the currents flowing down a river. Sometimes we need a break in life and our kayaking so we catch an eddy and hang out for a little while until we get that inspiration to continue on downstream.
There are so many small streams that flow into one another to make our existence as paddlers a reality. My personal goal as a kayaker is to never pretend the river was put there for my use but to be thankful I am able to recreate on such a beautiful valuable resource. Without respect for the environment and the rivers we paddle on, we become just another nuisance to people trying to enjoy the peace and tranquility the river environment offers.
I have realized that kayaking is the door that leads me to the escape of societies' illusions, my own illusions, and closer to the realities of water, air and sky. I hope we as kayakers never forget to say hi to one another, put the river's needs above our own recreational needs, give thanks to Mother Nature, and constantly try to devoid ourselves of unrealistic illusions.
Catch a Wave and You're Sittin' on Top of the World
With the end of Spring Term for both Josh and I, we decided to take our annual trip up to the Wenachetereee...that's Wenatchee for those of you who dont recognize that. We split right after my microbiology final on Thursday....thank goodness those tests are done with! The good ol' Tacoma was loaded down- and I do mean loaded, as we left for a seven + hour drive to Northern Washington.
When we got to the Wenatchee, we beelined for our fave camping area- Icicle Creek Canyon. Absolutely amazing I tell you! We crashed early and woke up the next morning for Granny's Wave......
To say josh was tired would be an understatement. He has been going full tilt for the past few weeks and didnt get any recoup time before heading up here. He was justifiably sleepy but as always, had a good attitude. :)
We got to Granny's to find it bigger than ever. It was about 5800 cfs and dropping...perfect. We quickly learned that it's flow was pretty sticky and not the best for surfing but once it dropped to 5600...magic happened he he he
Photo: josh Mckeown Me getting ready to get eaten at Granny's
Photo: Josh Mckeown Me mid- Blunt
Photo: Josh Mckeown Me throwin and air blunt
Photo: Christina Russell Josh Mckeown throwin' a Pan Am on Granny's Wave- 5800 cfs
Photo: Christina Russell Josh gettin' wet
Photo: Christina Russell "The Dave" - another Peak UK enthusiast
Photo: josh Mckeown Doin' what I love most
After a full day of kayakin on the Wenatchee, we wanted a bit of Switzerland....Leavenworth here we come! yeah Leavenworth happens to be a town that went with a Bavarian theme....and I mean EVERYTHING is Bavarian....even the Golden Arches and Starbucks are Bavarian. It's pretty friggin awesome. Josh and I grabbed some icecream to cool down and then mozzied on up to Icicle Creek Canyon- our favorite place to camp.
Icicle Creek is known as a pretty stout creek in Washington. This June, it was HUGE! The middle section was crankin' and as it was just the two of us, we didnt hit Icicle. Next year next year.
(Above) this was the view we had from our campsite. It got pretty chilly up in that canyon but we were prepared....we even remembered firewood to stay warm :) *try starting a fire in a damp, cold canyon with 30mph winds- doesn't work well!
The next day we got up early to get out at Granny's. It just so happened that the Wenatchee River Festival was moved this year and was happening over our trip. There was supposed to be a rodeo at Granny's but Josh and I were just in the mood to play- not compete.
The rodeo was pretty small and people were throwin down- although Im still partial to Josh who was Helixing and combo-moving like no other. In an hour, the whole thing was over and done and once again, we were alone with Granny's wave to ourselves! How awesome is THAT?! :)
We stuck around on the Wenatchee for an additional four more days and played at Rodeo hole, Turkey Chute and Drunkards but Granny's was by far the best at the flows we experienced. On Wednesday night, we said goodbye to the Wenatchee and hello to Hood River......... Stay tuned for the next post on the Women's Paddling Festival!!
This weekend the Teva Mountain Games went off in Vail. It is a 5 day festival of outdoor sports, art, and music. The venue included kayaking, biking, running, dog comps, and the IFSC Bouldering World Cup. It was fun to watch the best in the world compete in their respected sports as well as compete in front of big crowd.
The freestyle competition was the best that Vail has held due to the changes to the feature. Vail installed a bladder system so that the hole can be changed using a touch screen. On friday in prelims 37 men paddled to make the cut to 15 for the semifinals. I had poor rides and just made the cut in 14th place with 126 points combined.
On Saturday due to the reverse order I was the second person in the first heat. I had good rides and my high score was 98 points. As the finals went on other paddlers had great rides and I slowly moved down in the standings. When it was all said and done I was in 8th place. I wanted to make the cut to finals, but I am happy with my performance and that is all that matters.
The finals was exciting to watch. There was high scoring rides and it came down the last rides when EJ had the chance to retake the lead away from Dustin Urban.
Mens 1. Dustin Urban 2. Eric Jackson 3. Nick Troutman 4. Stephen Wright 5. Jason Craig 6. Bryan Kirk 7. Andrew Holcomb 8. Greg Parker 9. Jon Meyers 10. Kelsey Thompson 11. Dane Jackson 12. Jonathan Shales 13. Ben Guska 14. Jud Kaiser 15. Tino Specht
Womens 1. Emily Jackson 2. Tanya Faux 3. Ruth Gordon
Last weekend was the PBR kayaking comp in Banks, Idaho. Josh and I headed over with the idea of competing....but this quickly changed when we saw this:
The Bladder Wave was IN. WOO HOOO!!! The Bladder Wave comes in about once a year and there was actually a period of four years when the wave did not come in at all. So there we were- compete both days on the Payette OR surf the Bladder Wave....hmmm this wasnt a hard decision to make. We opted to surf :)
Josh geared up first and hopped in to check out the Gutter . The Gutter is on river left and the Bladder is on river right- both are seperated by a concrete barrier....
"It's really shallow" was the first thing Josh said. OK over to the Bladder Wave...I chose to rock the new Peak UK drydeck that Ken sent me and wow did it work. I stayed dry the whole time...even after I got tired and started rolling a lot lol .
The Bladder Wave is formed by an inflatable dam on a canal. The level was spiking due to warm weather and the huge snowpack from this winter. On SAturday, there was practically no one surfing because everyone was at the PBR comp. This meant we were to have one exhausting session on the wave with NO eddyline. It is a 7-10 foot high wave depending on the flow and it can be pretty trashy....atleast noticed I got thrown around a lot. There is a nice eddy on river left just behind the bladder dam....check out the pics....more to follow soon!
AFter a good seven hours of surfing, Josh and I headed to Boise to spend the evening with Josh's family. Pepper quickly took over grandma's feet while Missy Blaze yawned in bordem ha ha...
Sunday:
Ken Driscoll and Jeff Banks of Peak UK arrived at the Bladder Wave just before their flight out of Boise. I took a few rides and then hopped out to chill with them and take photos.
We headed back to Boise for our last good night's sleep before a good 6 hour drive home on Monday morning. Pepper dog was exhausted from a day of playing ball with the family (we left her in Boise) and we were too. Surfing wears you out. Ha ha which reminds me, at one point, we were sitting in the eddy contemplating the last time we went playboating....which was in October of last year.....wow. Living in your creekboat makes you soft!!! Anyways, the weekend at the BLadder was sweet. NExt time it comes in, Im there!!! :)
7th Peak UK Himalayan Challenge / Whitewater Festival
November 28-30th (14th Himalayan Rodeo)
Trisuli River. Near Kathmandu. Nepal
What is the Himalayan Challenge? The Himalayan Whitewater Challenge is all about fun. This unique event format combines an Extreme Slalom, Downriver and Freestyle event to find an overall whitewater champion. The event takes place in the amazing Nepalese Himalayas, close to Mount Everest and Tibet. Points are calculated and kayaking equipment prizes are awarded to the Nepalese competitors. Local Nepalese prizes are awarded to the international competitors including Everest Flights, Jungle Safaris and more. Past events have attracted both Slalom and Freestyle World Champions. Paddlers of all levels are welcome. It's all about having a good time!!
History: Himalayan veterans Dave Allardice, Peter Knowles, Guy Robins and Gerry Moffatt conceived the idea of a Himalayan White Water Rodeo late one night in 1992 at the infamous "Rum Doodle" bar in Kathmandu . This year celebrates fourteen years of the event. With the combined forces and expertise of Pete Astles, and the Peak UK Team the Himalayan Challenge, has become one of the most exciting WW events in the world. Established as a get together for international expedition kayakers travelling to the mighty rivers of the Himalayas, the Peak UK Himalayan Challenge now attracts around 100 competitors including some of the best kayakers in the world from over twenty countries. It has also become the official selection event for local Nepalese kayakers to represent Nepal at the world championships. However, the event has remained a testament to the true spirit of kayaking, and for most just participating in the greatest party in the Himalayas is a sufficient draw.
Venue:
For a change, this year's event takes place on the holy Trisuli River. According to Hindu Legend Lord Shiva drove his trident into the mountains to create the river when he needed to cool himself. Located 50 km west of Kathmandu, the Trisuli River has earned the reputation as one of Nepal's premium white water runs, containing several sections of quality whitewater.
Event Classes: International Men. International Ladies. Nepali Men. Nepali Juniors and for the first time ever Nepali Ladies!! All boats welcome. Special prizes for Creek boats too.
The Events:
Extreme Slalom / River Running Skills : A course is set out on a testing piece of whitewater consisting of 10-15 obstacles, which must be run in number order. Slalom gates, set freestyle moves, river running skills, number touch boards etc make up the course. Paddlers race against the clock and 20 second time penalties are added for missed obstacles. Usually the winner is the only paddler to complete the testing course with a faultless run.
Downriver / Boater Cross: Paddlers race from a Le Mans style mass start, head to head down a stretch of challenging class 4 whitewater. This is a pretty tough test of endurance, skill and tactics.
Freestyle / Big Air Contest: Paddlers take turns to perform choreographed routines on a set wave or whole ( a white wave that turns back on itself holding the kayak ) scoring highly for verticality and variety. Competitors take two 45 second rides of non stop vertical and aerial action. They progress through qualifying heats, semis, quarters then on to the weekend's highlight, the knockout finals, where the top five paddlers go heat to head, with the lowest scoring ride dropping out until there is only the winner left. Creek boats welcome and work very well in the big powerful water!!
Provisional Event Timetable: Friday: Morning - Registration. Afternoon - Kayak Slalom Race. Evening - Party Saturday: Morning - Freestyle Heats. Afternoon - Freestyle Finals. Evening - Party Sunday: Morning Downriver Race. Afternoon: Lunch, then back to Kathmandu.
If you are interested in taking part or just partying with us get yourself to the Peak UK Shop at Equator Expeditions, Thamel, Kathmandu on the 27th November. Sign up and get the bus ride up to the river on Friday morning. It's a really great weekend and fun is guaranteed for everyone.
The Lyons Outdoor Games were held this last weekend in Lyons, CO. Aside from dog competitions and bike demos they had a freestyle competition, creek race, and boatercross.
The creek race was held on the South Saint Vrain, a low volume manky creek. I showed up the night before so I didn’t race, but it was fun to watch. Tao Berman won followed by Andrew Holcomb and Jason Beakes. Surprisingly, nobody got hurt.
The boatercross was a 4 person team relay. The course included 25 pushups, a 100 yard sprint with your boat, stepping through tires, paddling downstream, through 2 upstream gates, and then a paddle toss over a gate but under the bridge before tagging the next person. It is an entertaining event for both spectators and competitors. Dane Jackson, Jason Craig, and Jonathon Shales asked me to be on their team and I agreed but it was a mistake. Dane and Jason did the first 2 legs and we behind by a lot. Jonathan went third and made up a lot of time and I passed a guy on the last leg. We were 4th out of 5, but it was better than last.
The freestyle competition took place in the A Hole, a small flushy feature. Almost all the tricks went but they were hard to execute and even harder to stick in the hole. Fortunately it didn’t take much time to paddle up the eddy.
In prelims on Saturday the cut was from 22 to 10. I had two decent rides and just made the cut coming in 10th place with 173 points combined. Last week at Buena Vista I was on the other side of the bubble so it was a relief to make it in. During semifinals on Sunday I went first. My first ride was bad but my second ride scored 97 points. After watching everyone else’s rides I was surprised that I had just made the cut again.
In finals we each had 3 rides. The best ride counted to determine the final place. Nick Troutman’s first 2 rides were awesome, but nobody else had high scoring rides. I was still in 5th going into the third ride and knew I had to do something different. I decided to throw my harder tricks first when I had energy and I saved the easy tricks for later in my ride. This worked and I was moved into second place with 120 points, but everyone had another ride. Stephen Wright stepped it up with a 148 point ride which put him in second and then Eric Jackson also had his high ride at 124 points moving me to fourth. Jonathan Shales had his high ride as well but at 110 points it wasn’t quite enough. Below are final results.
Men’s Freestyle 1. Nick Troutman 2. Stephen Wright 3. Eric Jackson 4. Greg Parker 5. Jonathan Shales 6. Dane Jackson 7. Bryan Kirk 8. Clay Wright 9. Andrew Holcombe 10. Kelsey Thompson
Women’s Freestyle 1. Emily Jackson 2. Elaine Campbell 3. Natalie Kramer 4. Eleanor Perry 5. Amy Leppo
Creek Race 1. Tao Berman 2. Andrew Holcombe 3. Jason Beakes 4. Erik Jackson 5. Clay Wright 6. Todd Anderson 7. Bryan Kirk 8. Nick Troutman 9. Kelsey Thompson 10. Geoff Galhoun
Peak UK the Kayaking Co – born and bred in Nottingham, UK, the center of kayaking and conoesport in the UK and venue for the 2006 European Freestyle Championships. At Peak UK we’ve been making paddling gear for 15 years and pride ourselves as being world class innovators. All of our products are designed and tested by experts, both at paddling and garment production. We use only the finest quality materials sourced all over the globe. All our products are manufactured using the latest and highest quality techniques and machines available. Our test team is the finest. Many World Olympic and national Champions in all disciplines choose to use our products. See you on the water.
Hello all! Hopefully everyone has been enjoying this wonderful sunny spring and summer. While early spring brought some higher water levels and some nice creeking action, the mid early summer has brought beautiful weather, peaceful days on the river, with the ever-intermittent summer showers and occasional creeking day. The flowers are blooming, birds are chirping and greenery abounds in the watershed. Whether I am guiding a raft down the river, boofing down the Green, or taking a nap in the hammock, everything is exactly as it seems...just perfect at the moment. This sort of weather makes me feel lucky to just be alive.
