Outdoors FanHouse

Kayaker Escapes Crocodile Attack

Joe Bousquin — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 13:45:00 EST

Filed under: Kayaking

Unfortunately, I didn't get any Crocs for Christmas.

But luckily for a paddler on the Umgeni River in South Africa, a croc didn't get him.

Keith Ellerker, a 49-year-old South African paddler, said a croc attacked him and his boat as he paddled down a popular stretch of the Umgeni River.

Ellerker, who was training for the elite, 120 km Hansa Powerade Dusi 2009 paddling marathon that starts Jan. 15, said he noticed the smell of rotting meat as he paddled past some bushes on the river bank.

"Shortly after I passed it, I felt as if there was another paddler 'riding my wave,'" Ellerker told the Capetown Independent Newspaper. "I turned to look back and saw a 2.5 meter crocodile attack the back of my canoe."

(Note to Yanks: "Canoe" is still how much of the English-speaking world refers to kayaks.)

Ellerker, who's an experienced paddler in the race that will see its 58th running this year, said he quickly paddled away from the croc, got to the other side of the river, and got out of his boat. He wasn't injured, and luckily didn't flip when the croc struck.

"My boat wasn't badly damaged, but it had a few scratches on it," Ellerker said. A true competitor, he said the incident wouldn't deter him from training, or racing in the Dusi event.

That's a big deal for the organizers of the race, which attracts nearly 2,000 paddlers, receives national and international media attention, and provides a significan economic boost to the region as it makes its way from the city of Pietermaritzburg to Durban.

In fact, race spokesperson Ray De Vries underscored the fact that the site of the attack wasn't on the race route.

What's more, the incident caught the attention of local crocodile hunter Trevor Kelly, who said he'll do all he can to catch the croc before the race starts.

"A trap would be laid by this evening and I'm confident that the crocodile would be caught within a week or two," he told the newspaper.

Maybe he'll be the one to get the croc in the new year.

Best wishes and good luck to Ellerker, and all the Dusi competitors.

Happy 2009.

Kayaker Escapes Crocodile Attack originally appeared on Outdoors FanHouse on Wed, 31 Dec 2008 13:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Coast Guard Issues Warning to Kayakers

Joe Bousquin — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 14:09:00 EST

Filed under: Kayaking

So, you woke up Christmas morning and there was a shiny kayak sitting under the tree.

You're a lucky duck.

But you better also think twice before launching your new boat on its maiden voyage, especially with water temperatures being what they are this time of year.

That's the message from the U.S. Coast Guard, which issued a warning to would-be boaters out of its New England office just after Christmas, as fairer weather came to the area.

"As unseasonably warm temperatures are forecasted for the weekend, and with several Northeast sporting-goods retailers describing kayaks and paddle sport accessories as high on holiday gift lists, the Coast Guard is advising any paddlers who found kayaks under their Christmas tree to be cautious and fully aware of the danger of sudden cold-water immersion if they opt for a weekend launch," the Coast Guard said on its Web site.

Al Johnson, the recreational boating safety specialist for New England's First Coast Guard District, wasn't afraid to play Scrooge to excited paddlers. With water temps in the 40s this time of year, he didn't warm up to the mild air temps over the weekend.

"My goal is to intentionally dampen the excitement of launching any new boat unless the launcher is properly attired and prepared for sudden cold water immersion and, better yet, has friends standing by with throw bags and safety lines," Johnson said. "It might sound excessive but, if it saves a life, it isn't."

I couldn't agree more. As I've said here before, having a dry suit for winter-time paddling isn't just a luxury. It's a necessary piece of safety gear. Consider this: hypothermia can begin within minutes of immersion into 40 degree water. But more than that is the shock of hitting the water itself.

If this has never happened to you, it's hard to describe just how startling it is to suddenly be immersed in cold water. With your body fully enveloped, it's like every sense you have has suddenly been switched on, but in a violent, overloady kind of way. Your body -- and mind's -- natural reaction, often, is to simply go into a kind of temporary shock-like state, and not know what to do.

As a raft guide, I was constantly amazed by how people reacted when they fell out of the boat. No matter how much I would try to impress upon them that if they fell into the water, it would be a shocking, unpleasant and unsettling experience, they never realized how intense an unintended dunk is until it actually happened to them.

Then, because they were wearing their PFDs -- i.e., life jackets -- they'd bob to the surface, full deer-in-headlights expression on their faces. But before we could get a rope or paddle grip to them to bring them back into the boat, we'd have to snap them out of their stupor by yelling and hollering at them, so that they could react and help us rescue them.

With a dry suit, the whole immersion experience -- and the shock it puts into your system -- is greatly muted. Wearing a dry suit in cold water at least gives you a better chance to react, and certainly prolongs the bleeding of body heat from your core.

In other words, if you're going to paddle during this time of year, wear one.

That advice wasn't heeded by a kayaker on the other side of the country from where Johnson issued his warning. In Eureka, Calif., on the day after Christmas, a kayaker got in trouble in 48 degree water just off shore. Luckily for him, he was within 500 yards of the Coast Guard station, which dispatched a launch to rescue him.

"He didn't have any of the right training to be out there," Coast Guard Petty Officer Jared Barnes told the Eureka, Calif., Times Standard. Like Johnson, he recommended that kayakers be prepared by wearing a wet or dry suit to protect from hypothermia, and carry a radio or signaling device in case things go wrong.

Definitely words of wisdom this time of year.

Coast Guard Issues Warning to Kayakers originally appeared on Outdoors FanHouse on Tue, 30 Dec 2008 14:09:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorized Kayaks? Paddling Without The Paddle

Joe Bousquin — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 18:37:00 EST

Filed under: Kayaking

Power to the paddle? Here are a few more ways to go paddling without using a paddle at all.

Lakewood, N.J.-based Surfango is now offering a full line of motorized kayaks, sit-on-tops and surfboards, just in case you want to get out and rip, but don't want to put the human-powered effort into it.

The company's Adventurer GT is a traditional, sit-inside cruising kayak, but with a 9.5 horsepower, 4-stroke, electric start motor.

On it's Web site, Surfango says the motorized boat "redefines traditional kayaking, allowing you to glide through the water with ease. With more leg-room and a dry storage compartment you can bring enough gear to make that trip up the coast."

The company goes further to say "No longer will the wind and current get in the way of your destination!" as well as "you can now enjoy the freedom of the great outdoors, along with freedom from paddles."

Far be it for me to tell people how to kayak. If a motorized kayak floats your boat, more power to you. (Bada bing!)

But for me, it's actually having a paddle in my hands that makes me feel free.

Call me a purist, but I don't think I'm alone. In fact, this blog on kayaking the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta refers to Surfango's creations as "anti-kayaks," and bemoans the fact that they burn fossil fuels.

While I wouldn't go that far -- having a motor could serve you well in a pinch to get into shore when conditions deteriorate, or even power your way out of a rip tide if you're caught in one -- I don't think I'll be lining up to add one of these to my kayaking quiver any time soon.

Surfango isn't the only one who's putting a little extra power behind what's traditionally a paddle craft.

John Anson, a retired Lockheed Martin engineer who lives in Boulder Creek, Calif., recently built an electric motor for his own kayak. Powered by two 12-volt, 70 amp marine batteries, the kayak can cruise at 6 miles per hour for six hours.

Still, Anson told the San Lorenzo Valley Press Banner that the motor isn't meant to replace a paddle. Instead, he envisions it to be used in case of fatigue, to help folks with less upper body strength get into the sport, and for people who like to fish from their kayaks, while keeping their hands free.

"It's for all types of people," Anson told the paper. "It opens the door for everybody."

From that perspective, I can see the usefulness of having a motor in your boat.

Still, if I had to kayak without a traditional paddle, I think I'd prefer the WindPaddle, a cool kayak sail that easily snaps onto the rigging on your deck.

Inspired by trying to hold an umbrella up while paddling in the rain, the WindPaddle actually allows your hands to be free, while helping propel your boat. And it's got a clear window so you can see through it, too. To me, that's cool.

The Hood River, ore.-based company has an entertaining history of how the WindPaddle came to be here, complete with photos.

Maybe the best part? You don't have to burn any more dinosaurs to use it.

Now that's power to the paddlers.

Motorized Kayaks? Paddling Without The Paddle originally appeared on Outdoors FanHouse on Fri, 26 Dec 2008 18:37:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Virtual Kayaking: No Boat or Water Needed

Joe Bousquin — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 21:23:00 EST

Filed under: Kayaking

Here's a way to keep in paddle shape, without even getting wet.

For the low low price of $2,450, you, too can buy SpeedStroke Gym, a kayak (or canoe) ergometer that mimics the exact motion of the paddle stroke, all on a user-friendly work out machine.

But wait, just like a Ginsu Knife set, there's more. Now, KayakPro, the New Rochelle, N.Y.-based maker of the SpeedStroke Gym that supplied kayak ergometers to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, has announced Virtua-Race Interactive paddling.

Almost like a Wii, but with more realistic motions and an industrial strength paddling machine, Virtua-Race Interactive let's paddlers hook up their SpeedStroke Gyms, and through the wonders of an Internet connect, take on other kayakers from around the world on four virtual courses. You can race head to head, or simply work through training regimens together.

"SpeedStroke Gym is already the choice of the World's top paddlers- but Virtua-Race adds a whole new dimension to Indoor kayaking," says KayakPro president Grayson Bourne.

The virtual courses look cool, too. A couple have Venice-like city scapes, while others are on Grand Canyon-like river gorges.

And once you have the ergometer, the software to use it with is only $250. Hey, that's the cost of specialty marketing.

You can find the machines, and the software, at KayakPro's site, as well as select retailers that are listed there.

And apparently, when it comes to simulated paddling, these guys know what they're talking about. The company says that it supplied five of the six current World Champion paddlers with its machines, as well as Canadian Adam Van Koeverden, silver medal winner in the K1 500 meter race in Beijing.

I can only imagine reaching those heights, either in Olympic paddling competition, or even virtually against guys like these. But as winter sets in, this seems like a perfect way to stay motivated, and keep in shape.

Now, I just wonder. Can you fit it under the tree?

Merry Christmas.

Virtual Kayaking: No Boat or Water Needed originally appeared on Outdoors FanHouse on Wed, 24 Dec 2008 21:23:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Long Distance Paddling For a Cause

Joe Bousquin — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 18:56:00 EST

Filed under: Kayaking

This is a great time of year to think about why we paddle. For me, it's the camaraderie with friends, the rush of being so close to the pulsating force of the river, and the sheer joy that comes from having connected with such a passion in my life.

For a few other folks, there are different reasons for paddling, and all have a purpose.

There are three long-distance paddles underway or in the planning stage right now that have caught my attention, and each is an inspiration in its own right.

In Australia, Scott Timbrell and Rob Lowe recently set off on a 665 km ocean paddle -- about 400 miles -- from Byron Bay to Sydney's Bondi Beach off the east coast of New South Wales.

Their goal? To raise $10,000 for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, while raising awareness of this disease: 3,000 men die of prostate cancer in Australia each year, which is equal to the number of women who die of breast cancer there annually.

But here's the kicker: Neither of the pair has ever been in a kayak before, though from the looks of their blog, they got plenty of safety gear and training leading up to their departure two days ago.

For me, I just love the enthusiasm they display on the blog: "It's 665 kms of New South Wales coast line!" the pair write. "This isn't a group organized trip - it's just the two of us and neither of us has ever been in a sea kayak before. We've both got jobs that'll sack us if we don't get back in time. There are tides, fog, waves, wind, maps, sharks, sores, cramp, reefs, cliffs and surf beaches to contend with. There's only 5 months to plan and train for the journey. We'll be celebrating Christmas and New Year in a kayak!"

I can't think of a better place to ring in the holidays. Good luck to both of them.

Their mission is similar to that of Joe Forrester, a medical student at the University of Virginia who's planning on paddling nearly 4,000 miles from Three Forks, Montana, on the Missouri River, down into the Mississippi and then all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. His purpose? To raise $20,000 for the National Parkinson Foundation.

After Forrester's grandfather received treatment for the disease in 2005, he was amazed by his improvement afterward, and his mission, "Paddling for Parkinson's" was born.

"After treatment, he seemed like a whole new man to me," Forrester writes on his blog. "As I was thinking about this trip, I thought, well, I could just organize this trip for myself and it would be a wonderful experience. However, if I put in a bit more work and time, I would have the opportunity to change this trip into something really special that would make a huge difference in a number of other people's lives. I decided it was worth the work, and asked the National Parkinson Foundation if I could raise money for them. And here I am today."

Forrester will start his journey next summer, in 2009.

As a former Cavalier myself, all I can say is my hat's off to you, Joe. Wahoowa!

Then, there's the pair of "Dan and Mike," who are paddling 1,500 miles on the Florida Circumnavigational Saltwater Paddling Trail. While they aren't paddling for any cause outside of the sheer joy of being in a boat and camping on the beach for four months, for me, that's reason enough.

Spending that much time in a boat is good for anyone's soul, I think, and I bet they'll come back from the trip with a fresh perspective, and the ability to inspire others.

I can't think of a better cause than that.

Long Distance Paddling For a Cause originally appeared on Outdoors FanHouse on Mon, 22 Dec 2008 18:56:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Affordable Gift Ideas For Paddlers

Joe Bousquin — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 16:40:00 EST

Filed under: Kayaking

Okay, okay, so your holiday budget just doesn't include $1,200 to plunk down on a new Jackson Hero for that special paddler on your list. (Note to my girlfriend: Honey, please totally disregard this. I don't want one that bad. Really.)

But here are some affordable gift ideas that will make any paddler gleeful, without breaking your bank.

Pogies. Yup, it's that time of year when paddling can be darn right chilly. Get your paddling purist a pair of pogies to keep his or her hands warm. Designed like mittens that fit over and onto a paddle shaft, they keep your hands warm, while still allowing you to have skin-on-shaft contact with your paddle, something gloves can't do. That's important for people who like warm hands, but also still want to "feel" the water with their paddle. You can get good ones for $25 to $35 from companies like NRS, Snapdragon and REI.

AW Membership. Every paddler should be a member of American Whitewater, the conservation and access advocates who protect all of our rivers, while keeping them open to our use. Annual membership starts at $35, and includes a subscription to the American Whitewater Journal, one of the best kayaking reads anywhere. If you spring for an extra $5 by Dec. 31, you can also enter your paddling person in a contest to win a free Dagger Kayak. Sign up here.

Dry bags. This is one of the best Christmas presents I've ever gotten. You can never have too many dry bags around as a kayaker, because you inevitably either a.) leave them in someone else's shuttle vehicle, b.) lose them to the river gods at the end of an absent minded lunch break when you forget to put them back in your boat, c.) lose them to the river gods at the end of a swim because of your absent mindedness when you did not clip them in to begin with, or d.)wear a hole in them by letting them roll around in the back of someone else's shuttle vehicle or your own kayak without being clipped in. Best of all, they're cheap, with some going for just
$10 at REI.

Kayaking Christmas Ornaments. There are a lot of these out there these days. I saw this cool one from Hallmark portraying Snoopy in a canoe with three Beagle Scouts. The company Inside Outside also has a bunch of great paddling-related ornaments, too. My favorite? One of Santa's reindeer trying to stuff a kayak down the chimney, pictured above. Check it out here. Price: $12.95.

Ear Plugs. As someone who can't hear as well as I should -- What's that, honey? -- ear plugs are something I always mean to buy for myself, but don't very often. Kayakers often develop a condition known as "Surfer's Ear," where cold water entering the ear canal causes a bony growth to form over the ear drum. More than a decade-and-a-half into my paddling career, I wish I had been more adamant about wearing earplugs from the very beginning. My problem? I ALWAYS lose them. Sort of like dry bags, a paddler can never have enough. You can get them at paddling stores, drug stores -- or my favorite -- home improvement stores like Lowe's, in the safety equipment section, usually next to the goggles and masks. Price: $5.

Same with nose plugs -- you can never have enough. They get nasty and wear out pretty quick, so it's nice to have a stash around when you need them. Check these ones out from Smiley's. Price $8.95, with leash.

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas.

Affordable Gift Ideas For Paddlers originally appeared on Outdoors FanHouse on Fri, 19 Dec 2008 16:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kayaker Paddling Alone Drowns in Tennessee

Joe Bousquin — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 16:45:00 EST

Filed under: Kayaking

Bad news from Back East. While heavy rains this fall have let lots of paddlers get on good runs, too much water can be a bad thing. And deadly at that.

Russ Burrow, an experienced Southeast paddler, drown on North Chickamauga Creek last week after putting on the river alone at flood stage.

Police pulled his kayak and body out of the creek on Saturday morning, after friends reported him missing on Friday because he didn't show up for work. You can read a report on the incident here.

A resident of Chattanooga, Tenn., Burrow was 31, and left behind two children.

The fact that Burrow was paddling alone on extremely high water has set off a barrage of posts on BoaterTalk, the main forum for whitewater paddlers in the East.

While some folks have pointed to this death as an example why kayaking should always be a "team" sport, others have talked about the high water conditions present that day: North Chickamauga, a Class IV run at normal flows, peaked at over 7,500 CFS the day Burrow put on.

To put that in perspective, consider this: a "low" flow on the Grand Canyon is around 8,000 CFS. Today, the North Chick today is running at 763 CFS, and that's after getting a bump from more rain yesterday and today.

On a post on BoaterTalk, Southeast boater Will Pruett, who said the North Chick is his "home" run -- meaning he paddles it often -- said he was scouting the river just before Burrow put on. "The creek was in a full throttle rage mode that I have never seen before."

Pruett said he talked to Burrow before he put on, and other posters to the message board said Burrow was mostly concerned about trees having washed into the river. He scouted the entire length of the run, and after seeing no wood, decided to put on.

I agree and see the perspective of a lot of the paddlers talking about this in the Southeast right now. First, Burrow's death is tragic and sad, regardless of what conditions were when it happened. My thoughts go out to his family, and his two surviving children.

Without preaching, though, river deaths -- as tragic as they are -- always have to be examined.

Just as the National Transportation Safety Board examines airliner crashes to determine if anything went wrong that can be fixed in the future, it's imperative for paddlers to look at how other paddlers drown. It's the only way I know to learn about situations that can kill you without actually "going" there.

While many paddlers enjoy the heightened awareness they feel when paddling solo, I lost my taste for being on the river alone long ago. Safety aside, I enjoy the camaraderie of being out on the river with my bros.

But I also really do look at kayaking as a "team" sport. And the team's number one goal should always be to get everyone to the take out safely. That said, it's up to each individual paddler to make a decision about paddling alone.

Second, the water level on the North Chick that day seems extremely high. As a general rule, I like my rivers on the lower side -- I don't get as scared, and I tend to enjoy myself more. High flowing rivers are strong and swift, and if things start going wrong, they can snowball in a hurry.

This isn't to say that rivers are any "safer" at low flows -- river beds without enough water to push you through a pinch can kill just as easily. But in general, I think lower flows make a run more manageable.

Of course, my views may be due to the fact that my skills -- and lines -- aren't always perfect.

Many of the paddlers on the leading edge of the sport like their flows big -- Scott Lindgren comes to mind -- and others have made careers pushing those limits. I commend and respect them for doing so.

But whenever a kayaker dies, it gives me pause. I think about the risks I take on a routine basis, and the river's universal indifference to the things that get wrapped up in its rush.

Kayaking is supposed to be fun, and the fact that it can also be deadly is troubling. I think about my own family, and the effects my sport has on them -- to this day, I can't show my mom videos or pictures of me kayaking. It just scares her too much.

But I also remember a point in my paddling career, after I started running Class V on a regular basis, when I made a decision that the risks I take are worth the enjoyment -- and the feeling of being alive -- that I get from paddling.

When things like this happen, it's worth taking a moment to reflect on why -- and how -- we paddle. Like I said, I don't want to preach, but if you paddle, these issues are worth thinking about.

Now get out there, and be safe. See you on the river.

Kayaker Paddling Alone Drowns in Tennessee originally appeared on Outdoors FanHouse on Wed, 17 Dec 2008 16:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kayakers 4 Kids Go Big. Plus: The Last Descent Update

Joe Bousquin — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 20:28:00 EST

Filed under: Kayaking

I'm happy to report that the First Annual Kayakers 4 Kids Decorated Christmas Parade was a swimming success. Or at least a paddling one.

More than 20 paddlers showed up Saturday evening on the banks of the Sacramento River with their kayaks decorated in all hues of holiday lights and cheer to raise awareness for -- and donate toys to -- the UC Davis Children's Hospital.

"This is amazing," said Carrie Muntz, a paddler, nurse at the hospital, and organizer of the event. "When we started organizing this, there were only five of us who were going to do it. One thing led to another, and it snowballed into this."

Muntz said she got the idea for the parade from friends who had organized a similar event on the Deschutz River in Oregon. The collected toys, which were overflowing from the plastic bins set out for them on the docks Saturday, will go to children who are in the hospital on Christmas day. The hospital treats more than 100,000 kids each year.

Launched from the floating dock at the Virgin Sturgeon Restaurant, the colorfully lit kayaks were decked out with shimmering Christmas trees, giant Yule candles, twinkling lights, glow sticks and even a fully-lit, grazing reindeer, courtesy of Muntz.

Participants included Muntz, her husband Tom and son Tyler -- who looked suspiciously like Santa -- Confluence sales rep Jared Noceti, and film maker Scott Ligare.

The kayakers braved the cool Sacramento night -- temps were in the 40s at paddle time -- to light their kayaks, and treat lucky diners up and down the Sacramento River's Restaurant Row to a unique, holiday sight.

Leaving from the Sturgeon, the parade made its way upstream about a quarter mile before coming about.

Then, in full holiday regalia, the flotilla paddled downstream about a half mile to the delight of diners at the Sturgeon, Chevy's Fresh Mex Restaurant and Crawdad's River Cantina, who were treated to a special, riverside rendition of Jingle Bell Rock.

Thankfully, as one onlooker pointed out, the kayakers proved they could paddle better than they could sing. Paddling back upstream against the Sacramento's mild current, all paddlers made it safely back to the dock.

With the first parade in the books -- and plans for next year's event already in the works -- the evening's only remaining questions was a rhetorical one: Do you think Santa would be able to get down the chimney in a kayak?

If Saturday's good cheer is any indicator, I'd bet on it.

Editor's Note and Update: Film maker Ligare made a special effort to take part in the parade. He had just wrapped up the finishing touches on "The Last Descent," an upcoming, environmental epic on global, large-scale dam development, that evening. I wrote about the movie and its mission here.

The film, which I was lucky enough to be asked to help write and narrate, follows paddlers as they travel to threatened rivers in Nepal, India and Africa. It will premier at the Patagonia-sponsored Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival -- the largest of its kind in the U.S. -- in Nevada City, Calif., Jan. 9 through 11.

Kayakers 4 Kids Go Big. Plus: The Last Descent Update originally appeared on Outdoors FanHouse on Mon, 15 Dec 2008 20:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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L.A. River Kayaker Cleared

Joe Bousquin — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 16:36:00 EST

Filed under: Kayaking

Here's a kayaker who puts her paddle where her passion is.

Heather Wylie, a biologist who was threatened with suspension from her job at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for kayaking on the Los Angeles River, has now left the agency to pursue a career in environmental law, while being cleared of any wrong doing.

Read more about it here.

The move comes after the Army Corps backed down from threatening to suspend Wylie, who took her trip last summer to prove that the L.A. River is "navigable-in-fact." That's important, because rivers that are determined navigable are protected under the Clean Water Act.

While the L.A. River is widely known for the concreted trench that runs through downtown Los Angeles -- which Hollywood has made famous with everything from car chase scenes to death-defying feats of skateboarding bravado -- it winds through more than 52 miles of Southern California. Its tributaries extend even farther, high up into the San Gabriel and Santa Susana Mountains.

But the Army Corps, like any good government agency under the Bush Administration, was trying to roll back Clean Water Act protections in the entire L.A. River basin so that development could run wild along its banks. When an earlier court ruling gave the Army Corps -- along with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) -- the ability to severely restrict which rivers were covered by the Act, the agencies jumped at the opportunity.

As Wylie pointed out in an editorial in the L.A. Times, the Army Corps' and EPA's actions were a thinly veiled attempt to allow developers to write environmental law.

"With a big assist from the Bush administration, developers and industry successfully lobbied the agencies to use the new guidebook as an opportunity to push the majority of our nation's streams and wetlands out of reach of the Clean Water Act," Wylie wrote. "In the view of many, the restrictive standards cripple the Clean Water Act."

Yet, after Wylie took her trip -- which only got national media attention when the Army Corps threatened to suspend her -- the EPA took an about face, and stripped the Army Corps of any further responsibility for determining the status of the L.A. River, as well as Arizona's Santa Cruz River.

Now, with the help of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), a watch-dog group that holds the government's feet to the fire in abiding by its own environmental laws, the Army Corps has also released Wylie from any claims of wrong doing for her publicly minded paddle this summer.

"I am delighted with this resolution and am looking forward to the next adventure in my life," Wylie says in a press release on PEER's Web site. "I had a great time kayaking the L.A. River and we were successful at stopping the Corps from rolling back Clean Water Act safeguards on the L.A. and Santa Cruz Rivers systems. I urge every public servant that knows of betrayal to the public trust to contact PEER and actively bring attention to these issues - we must hold our public agencies accountable in order to bring about change."

I couldn't agree more, and especially like what Wylie had to say in the L.A. Times about public employees' duties to act responsibly on the public's behalf.

"As a federal employee, I did not forfeit my 1st Amendment rights to speak out or to petition my government to redress wrongs -- on my own time," she wrote. "To my surprise, my demonstration about the Clean Water Act has turned into a fight about the extent to which public servants will be allowed to serve the public, our true employers, while off-duty. I stand by my actions, and I have not put my paddle away."

If I ever need an environmental lawyer, I think I know whom to call.

L.A. River Kayaker Cleared originally appeared on Outdoors FanHouse on Fri, 12 Dec 2008 16:36:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gold Medalist Sues Over Kayak Mold

Joe Bousquin — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 19:53:00 EST

Filed under: Kayaking

Here's a bummer having to do with the business side of the paddling world.

Two-time Olympic gold medalist kayaker Greg Barton, who co-owns kayak maker Epic Kayaks, is now embroiled in a law suit with a Chinese manufacturer that won't give back the molds Epic uses to fabricate its kayak hulls, according to China Sourcing News.

The dispute started back in 2005, when Charleston, S.C.-based Epic contracted with a Chinese company called Flying Eagle to have its boats manufactured at its factory in Fuyang, an industrial city south of Shanghai.

Flying Eagle, the article says, also built many of the rowing shells used by several national rowing teams at the Beijing Olympics.

But after working together initially, Epic decided to go with another manufacturer because of pricing and project management disagreements with Flying Eagle.

There was just one problem: its molds were still in Flying Eagle's factory, and the company couldn't produce any more boats without them.

Barton spent three months in China trying to negotiate for the molds' release, but Flying Eagle kept escalating its demands, the article says.

If Epic had agreed, the report says, it would have been potentially left on the hook for up to $1 million in penalties.

Epic decided to sue "rather than pay what it regards as ransom," the report says.

This is really sad. Besides the naming rights that go with a rapid's successful first descent, kayak molds are the closest thing to intellectual property that our sport has.

While the differences are subtle, a small tapering of an edge here, or flattening of the hull there can create huge differences when you paddle on the water.

Designers spend hundreds of hours testing and shaping the "plugs" that are then used to make the molds that ultimately give birth to kayaks. The process of developing a mold takes months and sometimes years, and can cost tens of thousands of dollars.

More than a decade ago, when I was writing for the Wall Street Journal, I was lucky enough to see kayak maker Dagger's facilities in Harriman, Tenn., with founder Joe Pulliam, who gave me a great tour of the shop.

I can remember to this day the pride and passion that he and his boat makers had then, and the protectiveness that was tied to each mold -- they were very much those guys' babies. And they were the designs that kept pushing boat hulls -- and the boundaries of the sport -- to their limits.

I can only imagine how Barton and the folks at Epic must be feeling these days, knowing their babies are sitting on some cold factory floor in China, without the love of a passionate designer to put them to good use.

From a more practical stand point, though, I'm sure they've got a lot of money tied up in them, too. Not being able to produce new boats right now, when the economy's in the shape it's in, can't be a good thing.

Let's hope for Epic's sake this thing gets worked out amicably, and soon, so that these babies can come home, or at least be put to good use at another facility.

Gold Medalist Sues Over Kayak Mold originally appeared on Outdoors FanHouse on Wed, 10 Dec 2008 19:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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No Water Needed: 'Land Paddling' Takes Off

Joe Bousquin — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 18:44:00 EST

Filed under: Kayaking, Skiing-Snowboarding, Surfing

Here's a question: If the paddle you use is made for the asphalt, and not the water, is it really a paddle at all?

Yes, says Steve McBride, owner of Kahuna Creations, a board and paddle maker out of Ogden, Utah, whose Kahuna Big Stick is getting mad attention in the extreme-sports cross-over space.

Kind of like the paddles stand up surfers use to paddle through the ocean waves, the Big Stick is a "land paddle," designed to help long board skateboarders propel themselves down the asphalt.

While the Big Stick's shaft looks like any other hand-crafted paddle, its business end has a round, carbon-rubber tip that let's you "paddle" down the road. Different models retail for between $90 and $150.

A skater and long-time board rider, McBride says his goal was to take the grating motion -- and fatigue -- out of riding a long board over big distances.

"One thing that always bugged me about riding a skateboard is if you're kicking for a long time, it's kind of jarring, and it gets rough on the body," McBride says. "We starting thinking about stand-up paddling, and whether you could do it on land."

Turns out you can. And in a big way, too.

Kahuna Creation's Web site is full of some great land paddling tales, including the recent trek of Scott Raynor and Stephan Reinhardt, two soulful skaters who "paddled" from Oregon to Virginia on their skateboards, using the Big Stick along the way.

"When you're paddling with it, it kinda feels like you're in the water," Reinhardt says on the site. "It's just really calming." He also said the paddle helped the pair get up the Rockies, while acting as a brake when they came down the other side.

Check out this video of the pair on their paddle trek.

McBride says the trek attested to the Big Stick's durability, whose tip lasted all the way across the country.

Old-school surf pro Buttons Kaluhiokalani, pictured above, has taken to land paddling, too. Like stand up paddling on a surf board, he says it helps him get a great, upper body work out.

And while UFC fighter Kendall Grove is also featured using the Big Stick on the company's Web site, the most famous land paddler yet may be actor Matthew McConaughey.

Hollywood's "It" guy for anything outdoorsy and cool, McConaughey was recently caught by Splash News paddling his long board and Big Stick through the streets of Malibu, his dog at his side.

With winter putting a chill in a lot of paddlers' bones, and keeping many off the water, "land paddling" might be just the thing you need to feed your jones, and keep your upper body in shape during the colder months.

No Water Needed: 'Land Paddling' Takes Off originally appeared on Outdoors FanHouse on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 18:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kayaking for Kids in the Holiday Spirit

Joe Bousquin — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 14:44:00 EST

Filed under: Kayaking

Here's a great way to get in the holiday spirit, while supporting a good cause, and getting out in your kayak.

If you're in the Northern California area on Dec. 13, make sure to take part in the First Annual Kayakers 4 Kids Decorated Christmas Parade down the Sacramento River.

The event, which benefits the UC Davis Children's Hospital, will include paddlers decorating their kayaks in all forms of holiday cheer, including antlers, lights, angel wings and other decorations.

Starting just after dark, paddlers will launch from the Virgin Sturgeon Restaurant on the Sacramento's banks. The route will go about a quarter mile downstream along a course that's the closest thing to Riviera waterfront California's Central Valley has to offer. Get details here.

My inside sources also tell me that the world's most magical paddler will be in his boat, presumably a red one. Unverified at this point is whether Santa will be able to get all eight of his reindeer in kayaks as well, or how proficient his hoofed helpers are with a paddle.

During the parade, donations of toys will be collected for children who are in UC Davis Children's hospital over the holidays. One of Northern California's most comprehensive medical facilities for children, UC Davis Children's hospital cares for more than 100,000 children each year with conditions such as autism, asthma, obesity, cancer and birth defects.

Paddlers should bring their skills -- the event isn't intended for novices -- a decorated kayak, and toys to donate to the cause. Even if you're not in Sacramento on Saturday, you can help kids in the hospital over the holidays at the UC Davis Children's Web site.

Sponsored by the Children's Miracle Network, the event is spearheaded by Tom and Carrie Muntz, two NorCal paddlers with a history of serving the community. Tom's a retired California Highway Patrol officer, while Carrie is a post-anesthesia care nurse nurse at the hospital, where she's worked for 27 years.

"Being stuck in the hospital at Christmas is tough on anybody," Carrie said in a post on the hospital's Web site. "But when we give them Christmas presents they get so excited. We know that it makes a big difference in their hospital stay."

I guess I'll have to get out that Christmas wreath that's been sitting in my attic, and put the day-glow sticks on my paddle. See you there!

Kayaking for Kids in the Holiday Spirit originally appeared on Outdoors FanHouse on Sat, 06 Dec 2008 14:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kayaking Commuter Dodges Ships to Save Money, Gas

Joe Bousquin — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 01:01:00 EST

Filed under: Kayaking

What are you doing to save the planet? Or at least a gallon of gas?

For Sean Patch, a New York City school teacher, the answer's an easy one. Instead of burning more dinosaurs battling the daily commute into Manhattan each day, he now paddles his kayak across the Hudson River.

Not only does that save on fossil fuels, it also saves him bucks: $15 a day to take the ferry round trip from Weehawken, N.J., into the city, and back. And on a teacher's salary, that adds up.

As any good teacher would, he's learned to teach a life lesson to his students from the experience, and now poses this question to his algebra classes: "Mr. Patch kayaks to work. He bought the kayak for $850. He no longer has to pay for the ferry $7.75 each way. How much has he saved?"

While that brain teaser is sure to give his kids' heads a work out, Patch says he can't afford to let his own mind slip during the watery trek, either. In a busy place like New York, his daily paddle is anything but calm and worry-free.

"There are definitely a lot of risks involved," Patch told WCBS 880 radio. "It's not just a simple, kind of straight paddle across and it's fine and dandy."

He told the radio station that he uses a radio to talk to ferry boat drivers, and has to be vigilant of the barges, tankers and other ships that shuttle in and out of the Hudson each day.

But he also gets to watch weather systems form over the dramatic backdrop of New York City, and feel the peacefulness that comes from a daily morning jaunt across the water.

As a reformed Manhattanite, I can attest that that's something you're not going to get in the Lincoln Tunnel, or riding the Path train.

I do wonder where Patch leaves his kayak once he gets to work, though. I used to have to shove mine into the service elevator at the back of my building to get it in and out of my apartment.

It reminds me of a story in Australia a while back, where kayakers were part of a $280,000 government study in ways to lessen congestion on Tasmanian roads. The kayakers' wish? Waterfront parking for their boats in the Hobart Harbor once they got to work.

Sounds like a great idea to me. With all the focus on people doing their part to fight global warming, I wonder how long it will be until New York City follows suit.

Kayaking Commuter Dodges Ships to Save Money, Gas originally appeared on Outdoors FanHouse on Fri, 05 Dec 2008 01:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lost Kayakers, Kayaks, Spur Rescues

Joe Bousquin — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 19:58:00 EST

Filed under: Kayaking

Blame it on the weather, or maybe just the time of year.

Search and rescue teams around the world seem to be getting a slew of calls involving errant kayakers.

Some have been innocuous, if not annoying, while others have been truly life threatening. Still others seem to have stemmed from concerned citizens calling in about kayaks they've seen in the water, with no kayakers in sight.

Take the false alarm reported in Diana, N.Y. on Thanksgiving Day. According to local news station WTTI 50 out of Watertown, the Lewis County Sheriff's department got a call about an overturned kayak floating in the Oswegatchie River just after noon.

Seven different local rescue and first responder agencies answered the call, and sent personnel to the river, including dive teams, to look for the missing paddler.

But they ended up finding the owner on land, and concluded no one had been in the water. Makes you wonder what it cost to send all those rescue folks out there -- and I'm sure any of the volunteers who are almost always involved in these efforts didn't appreciate getting pulled away from their Thanksgiving turkey.

In Wellington, New Zealand, rescuers dispatched a helicopter, search boat and rescuers from the police and coast guard to look for two party-goers who launched a kayak into nearby Titahi Bay at 1:30 a.m. When the boat washed ashore empty nearly two hours later, the couple's friend called authorities, according to the Wellington Dominion Post.

But after the search ensued, the pair was found at home, asleep. Police said at least one of the pair was heavily intoxicated, and that the brief search effort would cost well over $2,000.

"They've capsized, swam to shore, didn't tell anyone and went back to bed ... They had no safety equipment and obviously they've wasted a lot of people's time," Maritime Police Sergeant Dave Houston told the newspaper. Westpac rescue helicopter spokesman Dave Greenberg quipped, "We're all there to save lives and it is frustrating to be put up there in the air looking for people who are safe in bed."

More serious was an incident farther north in the country, near Auckland, where rescuers piloting two boats and a helicopter plucked a kayaker from Arkles Bay after he lost his paddle and spent 45 minutes clinging to his capsized boat in frigid waters about a third mile from shore, according to the New Zealand Herald.

Then, there's the report from the Cape Cod Times, where police yanked a paddler from 45 degree waters off Washburn Island after another paddler called for help on his cell phone.

For paddlers, I think there's two important take aways from these reports. First, when you're paddling in cold water, always wear a dry suit, with enough insulating layers underneath to keep you warm. Remember, wearing a dry suit isn't an expensive luxury that's just a "comfort" item during the cooler months. In cold water, it could be the difference between life and death.

Second, as paddlers, we always need to be vigilant of the alarms that are set off by the sight of a lone, overturned kayak. For people who don't paddle, that uniquely eerie image almost always has an assumption of horror behind it.

While the incidents in Watertown, N.Y. and Wellington, New Zealand don't seem to have involved any real danger to the paddlers themselves, the real risk is if authorities and the public become jaded to these kinds of reports.

That's why I always advocate for my paddling brethren to hike back into a river gorge where they had to abandon a broken boat, or retrieve abandoned or lost gear later. Doing so makes sure it doesn't end up at the center of a mystery downstream in the next flood, or cause authorities to launch expensive searches for naught.

As paddlers, it's our first responsibility to keep ourselves safe, and do everything we can to self rescue when we get in trouble. But we also want to be able to call for real help when it's needed -- as it was in Cape Code and Auckland.

Making sure that rescue authorities can trust us to take care of ourselves -- while still coming courageously to our aid when it's really needed -- is a delicate balance that we all have to work to maintain, too.

Lost Kayakers, Kayaks, Spur Rescues originally appeared on Outdoors FanHouse on Wed, 03 Dec 2008 19:58:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Watercraft Endangered by Ocean Change

Wina Sturgeon — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 07:50:00 EST

Filed under: Kayaking

The latest changes in the ocean are a growing danger to watercraft. If you have a boat that you use in ocean water, you have to be careful than ever to rinse it off afterwards. The ocean is getting more acidic. In fact, new studies show that the acid level of ocean water is increasing more than scientists every guessed that it would. This can eat away at the paint of your expensive boat and also shorten its engine life. It is something all watercraft owners should be worried about, including surfers, since more acid in the water will also eat away at the resins in surfboards.

This isn't just a suspicion of environmentalist, it's something that has scientists really concerned.

A bunch of different scientific studies have backed up warnings that entire oceans are showing higher acid levels in the water. The most recent was done by University of Chicago scientists, who released this alarming news this week in a study paper that was posted online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The higher acid levels are not only a worry for those who use fishing boats, kayaks and surfboards in sea water. Those who play in ocean water may find their skin more itchy after surfing or swimming. The worst part is that high acid levels can also hurt marine life. The shells of such creatures as lobsters, scallops, crabs and mussels are made of a form of calcium, which can be dissolved by acidic water. That can interrupt the food chain and hurt the viability of the ocean to support marine life.

Global warming is the largest cause of the changing pH of the ocean, and that could mean problems for land life as well. The salty water does more than anything else on the planet to absorb all the planet-warming carbon dioxide produced by the burning of fossil fuels. In fact, oceans absorb nearly half of all the carbon dioxide produced by humans, by everything from cars to industry. But this help from the sea doesn't come without a price. The oceans have become a reservoir of carbon dioxide, holding more and more of it. That's what is increasing the acid level of the water. As the CO2 in the water rises, it makes the water more corrosive, endangering plant and other marine life, and making the problem of global warming even more of an issue.

So if you notice the shine dulling on the hull of your boat or the skin of your surfboard, it's not just normal wear and tear. It's proof that the Atlantic and Pacific are doing their job of taking in pollution produced by humans, but at a very high cost.

Watercraft Endangered by Ocean Change originally appeared on Outdoors FanHouse on Tue, 02 Dec 2008 07:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Record Descent? Gamache Runs 108-Foot Vertical Drop

Joe Bousquin — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 12:45:00 EST

Filed under: Kayaking

Here's a huck worth noting.

Paul Gamache, a West Coast paddler who lives in Seattle, recently dropped Cascade Falls, a 108-foot spouting beauty on British Columbia's Cascade Creek, seen in a video still here.

If confirmed, Gamache's plop would qualify as a world record freefall waterfall descent, besting Tyler Bradt's 107-foot clean descent of Alexandria Falls on the Hay River in Canada's Northwest Territories in 2007.

Gamache and paddling partners Cody Howard and Ryan Bradley measured the entire height of Cascade Falls, from lead-in to landing, at 112 feet.

But just to be sure, Gamache says the crew brought in a geo-engineering team, which measured the complete vertical drop of the falls at 108 feet, 2 inches. An official report from the firm should be forthcoming.

The following dispatch comes from the Huckin' Huge Web site:

"Cody Howard and Paul Gamache arrived on the site the day before. After spending a full day of rappelling, scouting, 'ghost shipping' and discussing the lines, they determined that the falls were marginally runnable. Ryan Bradley of Bellingham, WA to came out to help run critical safety, rounding out the crew.

"Early morning on November 22, 2008 Paul was belayed into the undercut holding tank by Cody from his stern grab loop. After sitting in the tank for a terrifying 5 minutes, waiting for safety to be set, he then dropped off the edge, free-falled, tucked and rolled up at the bottom with everything intact, and no skirt implosion."

Video of the descent is slated to appear in "The Risen Sun," Howard's upcoming film.

Why all the hair-splitting over the height of the falls? Well, as with everything else, when running waterfalls, size matters.

After Tao Berman set a waterfall drop record of 98.42 feet on Alberta's Johnston Falls in 1999, controversy arose over whether the falls was truly "vertical," since Berman skipped off an outcropping rock on the way down.

Then, when Ed Lucero originally dropped Victoria Falls in 2003, paddlers started squawking over whether that run was really "successful," since Lucero ended up swimming out of his kayak at the bottom.

When Bradt subsequently cleaned that drop and stuck the landing -- albeit with an imploded skirt -- in 2007, that put the controversy to rest, at least for a while.

No telling whether people will question the "cleanness" of Gamache's run of Cascade Falls, since he rolled at the bottom.

If you ask me, that shouldn't really matter at all, especially since he rolled up in his boat, with everything in tact, save for a bloodied pinky finger.

Bottom line is, Gamache nailed a huge huck, and has the video, still pictures and engineering firm records to prove it.

Gamache says that no matter what comes of his run, he's pretty darn pleased to have done it, while living to enjoy the inevitable after-paddle glow that comes from this kind of accomplishment.

"People will always argue what's a record and what's not," Gamache says in an email. "Fortunately it doesn't really matter to me one way or the other, it was pretty fun drop."

Record Descent? Gamache Runs 108-Foot Vertical Drop originally appeared on Outdoors FanHouse on Fri, 28 Nov 2008 12:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Paddlers, Cities, Thankful for Whitewater Parks

Joe Bousquin — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 12:36:00 EST

Filed under: Kayaking

Here's something for paddlers to be thankful for.

Officials in Basalt, Colo. have earmarked $100,000 for a new, "moderately difficult" kayak park in the Roaring Fork River, south of Aspen.

The expenditure still needs to be approved by Pitkin County Board of Commissioners, but if they give it the green light, the park will include a kayak wave, trails along the river and a small launching area.

Perhaps best of all, the course will be designed so that a wave will form with as little as 200 cfs of water, making it a viable paddling option during Colorado's rain-starved summers. Read more about it here.

While the Basal park will be relatively small, it's the latest example of how municipalities across the country are putting money into whitewater parks, and reaping benefits from these expenditures.

The reasons why are easy to understand: whitewater parks take an existing resource, and usually with minor modifications, create a place for residents to recreate and a draw for spectators who can look on from the banks or bridges, and hopefully leave a little money behind at local businesses as they do.

"I walk into my office, look at all the other issues on my desk, and say 'Where is that kayak park proposal?'" Pitkin County Attorney John Ely, who's been spearheading the park, told the Aspen Daily News.

Take Reno, Nev. While Las Vegas is known as America's Playground, the Biggest Little City in the World has enjoyed a renaissance in recent years, centered in part around the Truckee River Whitewater Park at Wingfield.

The course, which opened in the fall of 2003, comprises a tastefully modified section of the Truckee that blends in natural river rocks with man-made features. Since then, it has put a new swagger into Reno's psyche, and is the site of the annual Reno River Festival, which draws as many as 40,000 people each year.

At a cost of $1.5 million, the course rejuvenated a section of downtown that was a refuge for brown-bagging miscreants, and a riverbed that had all the allure of a sewage storm drain.

"It's amazing," says Charles Albright, a U.S. National Kayak Team member and president of the Sierra Nevada Whitewater Club who lobbied for the park's creation for years. "We told the city they'd be amazed at what would happen, and that's exactly what has happened: they can't believe it."

The same story can be told at dozens of other cities across the country.

In Golden, Colo., the Clear Creek Whitewater Course has refocused the town's attention on the river that runs through it.

"It has spurred a change in the way the buildings are oriented," says Jerry Hodgden, chairman of parks and recreation board for the City of Golden. "The businesses along the creek are putting patios for dining so you can watch kayaking as you eat."

In Vail, Colo., the Gore Creek Whitewater Course has become the centerpiece of the Teva Mountain Games, an event that boasted a total purse of over $100,000 last year, and brings millions of dollars into the Rocky Mountain hamlet annually in a matter of days.

And a small dam refurbishing project on the Trinity River in Fort Worth, Texas. that turned three potential hazards into play holes proved so successful city organizers have put themselves whole-heartedly behind it.

"When you look at the economic development model, people start to see that if we build it, we're going to draw," says Randle Harwood, Fort Worth's assistant director for parks and community services who gleefully notes that North Texas topography is "flat as a pancake." "They're coming from hundreds of miles away," Harwood says. "We're beginning to see how religious these kayaking folks are about their recreation."

Take Nate Brown, of Boulder, Colo.. He's spent cockpit time in parks in Boulder, Salida, Gunnison and on the St. Vrain in Lyons, Colo.

"Parks are great because they maximize the potential of the low water. Otherwise, at some point, we wouldn't have anything to paddle," says Brown. "It's kind of like how bouldering came to climbing. You can work on a single move that you wouldn't do in harder water. The risks are minimized, and plus, you don't have to deal with shuttle."

Courses have sprung up all over the Mountain West and beyond. Colorado boasts more than a dozen whitewater parks in recreation hotspots other than Vail and Golden, such as Breckenridge, Boulder, Gunnison and Steamboat Springs. Auburn, Calif., recently transformed an old proposed dam site into a whitewater park, and Charlotte, N. C. is the site of the $38 million, U.S. National Whitewater Center on the Catawba River, home to the U.S. National Team.

But some more unlikely locales across the country have also made the plunge into the whitewater park craze. Southbend, Ind., is home to the East Race Whitewater Course while Green River, Wyoming offers a course just minutes from Interstate 80, giving road-weary paddling trippers an opportunity to recharge between river destinations.

"It's beginning to become clear that when you have recreation attracting people to your town, it becomes an economic benefit," says Hodgden, from Golden's Parks and Rec Board. "We've always had an aggressive parks department, and we're always looking for unique things. I suspect we're not much different from boards in other towns."

Now, it looks like Basalt is one of those towns, too.

Paddlers, Cities, Thankful for Whitewater Parks originally appeared on Outdoors FanHouse on Wed, 26 Nov 2008 12:36:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ohiopyle Falls May Open to Paddlers

Joe Bousquin — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:20:00 EST

Filed under: Kayaking

Here's a win for East Coast paddlers. Or at least, it could be.

Officials are considering opening Ohiopyle Falls on the Youghiogheny River to paddling. The 18-foot-high marvel has tempted paddlers for decades, and while plenty a paddler has plunged over the lip, with the exception of sanctioned events, they've had to do so illegally.

Now, the Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks, which runs Ohiopyle State Park, is considering allowing paddlers to run the falls legally at certain times during the year. You can read more about the details here.

Ohiopyle Falls, which is on an otherwise mellow section of the lower Youghiogheny River, has been the scene of the annual American Whitewater Ohiopyle Over-The-Falls competition for the last nine years. Running the falls is allowed during the event. Otherwise, paddlers have to break the law to enjoy this natural wonder.

These kinds of restrictions on paddling certain rivers, or in certain areas, are enough to make a paddler's blood boil. Organizations like American Whitewater, which deserves the support of anyone who paddles, dutifully lobbies governmental agencies across the country to help them see the light, as they're doing in the Ohiopyle case.

In my view, people should be able to make their own decisions -- and held responsible for the consequences of their actions. But paddling, too often, seems to be restricted, simply for the fact that people haven't been doing it in big numbers for that long.

Take the case of Yosemite National Park. While big wall climbing on challenging and dangerous routes such as El Cap and Half Dome is permitted there -- and has been encouraged at least since the 1940s -- the policy toward paddling in the park is anything but consistent. While families are allowed to float the flat stretches of the Merced River in blow-up rafts in Yosemite Valley, I've had friends chased off the Class V, Park Boundary run.

And the fact that the Tuolumne River is off limits to paddling -- albeit, ostensibly to protect San Francisco's drinking water supply -- truly boggles the mind. I say that because pack trains of horses and mules go up and down the river trail on a regular basis, and leave plenty of their own droppings to get into the river. The irony of the ban is featured in the upcoming film, "The Last Descent," which will be coming out in early 2009.

And in Yellowstone National Park, the situation is even worse. While snowmobilers are allowed to tear up the back country and put themselves in avalanche danger all they want, paddlers are prohibited from running the Yellowstone Gorge, which is supposed to be one of the best Class IV/V overnight paddles in the country.

At Ohiopyle Falls, officials are still mulling whether they want to open up the falls to the possibility of paddlers going over them with their consent. "We have to balance the issues of safety and recreational use of the river," David Barrett, chief of operations for the Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks, told the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. "If you permit something like this and get in over your head, you can't easily back out. What happens if someone dies?"

If someone were to die running the falls, it would be a horrible tragedy. But it would also be the consequence of the risk that person chose to take. As athletes, and human beings, we should all have the right to make that choice, without being encumbered by agencies who are trying to protect us from ourselves.

Ohiopyle Falls May Open to Paddlers originally appeared on Outdoors FanHouse on Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Baja Surf Safari

Joe Bousquin — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:31:00 EST

Filed under: Kayaking, Kiteboarding, Motocross, Surfing

Back from our trip to Baja, I have a new appreciation for board surfing, kite boarding, the stand-up paddle craze, motocross, and of course, sanitary conditions in general.

Eleven friends and I ventured on a 10-day, 1,200-mile surf, kite-board, motocross and kayaking/camping safari down the Baja California coast. In general, we had good weather, though the wind kicked up a bit, which just made the swell better.

I wrote a while ago about how lucky I feel to be a paddler, because I get the opportunity (or have the excuse) to go on these trips. My experiences over this time only affirmed that for me -- blessed be the clan of the paddle.

Here are some photos, taken by aspiring photog -- and long boarder -- Justin Orban. Hopefully, they'll offer inspiration for your next paddlefest to be.

First, it's important to come prepared. Above is Big Red, packed to the gills.

If you look closely, you'll notice a motocross bike tire sticking off the back of the truck. More on that later.

Of course, one of the nice things about going to Mexico is you always get a warm welcome. This was our view from the toll road coming in.

By the time we got to camp at Punta De Jacinto -- a place surfers call "Shipwrecks," all was good.

We took to the surf, in a big way...

There was some stand-up paddling...

Some surf kayaking...

Even a little kite boarding action...

But, not to leave the land totally behind, we made sure to take a couple track days. Remember that moto bike?

Some days, the line up could get crowded...

But other times, it was just us and the waves...

Good surf made for a lot of good cross-sport activity...

And even a few sports paddling together...

As the week went on, we got into a daily groove...

And began each day with a new perspective, but only after stretching, of course.

This was, by far, one of my favorite trips. Not because the surf was epic, or even because we did much of anything. But mainly, just because we got to spend time in the water, and sharing a lot of paddling time together.

Each day, we watched the sun go down together, before getting ready to do it again. I think I'll be heading back next year, too.

A Baja Surf Safari originally appeared on Outdoors FanHouse on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:31:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kayakers Top 45 MPH Off 330-Foot Drop

Joe Bousquin — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Kayaking

I love the NFL. I especially love it when the networks clock how fast NFL players move, like when Reggie Bush returned a kickoff at 22 mph.

As impressive as that is, though, Bush has nothing on two paddlers in the UK, who topped 45 mph running the spillway of Britain's biggest dam last week.

Two un-identified kayakers (who are likely trying to avoid fame because it would come with fines) hurtled down the 330-foot spillway at Llyn Brianne Reservoir, reaching the top speed at the crux of the ramp's 3:1 slope, according to Britain's Western Mail newspaper.

While impressive to those of us who paddle, the dam's owner was less than amused.

"Welsh Water strictly forbids water-based activities at our Llyn Brianne reservoir and will take appropriate action against anyone found to be breaching this restriction," the company said in a statement. "Reservoirs can be dangerous for various reasons and those involved in water sports in inappropriate locations, such as at Llyn Brianne, put themselves and others at unnecessary risk."

It's not the first time paddlers have hucked the ramp, though. Nine-time UK National Whitewater Freestyle champ Shaun Baker made the descent four years ago, though he told the newspaper he'd likely wouldn't do it again. "Unbelievably I came out of that ride with no injuries at all but I am completely serious when I say to anyone tempted to do it, don't. This run is deadly."

Since then, it looks like a lot of other paddlers have followed. Enter "Llyn Brianne" into YouTube for some great video of these descents on this looks-too-good-not-to slide.

Of course, running 330 foot spillways is absolutely nuts. Dams are dangerous. But then, so are rivers. All of this is my way of saying, "Don't try this at home."

But I will also say that if there's water to run, people will run it. That's what keeps people pushing the sport. And why I love it, along with the NFL.

Check out this video of the feat.

Kayakers Top 45 MPH Off 330-Foot Drop originally appeared on Outdoors FanHouse on Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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