Last Chute Out of 2014 and Final Point Standings

 

The last Chute Out of 2014 was held Sept. 25th at the MD Chute. The lack of rain meant that the level would be low, 2.7ft to be exact. That meant that retentive moves would be hard to come by at the MD Chute. The lack of daylight would also force us to get the event started early, which wouldn’t be a problem.

Some folks would be basking in the Gauley afterglow ( I know I was ), and we were not expecting a big crowd due to that and the water level, but seven hardy competitors showed up nonetheless on an overcast, drizzly, kinda fall like day.

We all managed to have a great time and wrapped up the Chute Out Series on a high note. To reward the folks for participating, we had a double round of the raffle, so ...more

A canoeing legend who once wrestled a bear — and won

 

Mike Herbert is a three-time Olympian in sprint kayaking and has won 27 American crowns, but he is just as well-known among his peers as the paddler who once bested a bear with his bare hands.

Call him the Daniel Boone of kayaking. Herbert likes to hunt and prefers wild game for healthy eating. He once ran with the bulls in Pamplona. And he has wrestled and pinned a bear.

Herbert burst on the national kayaking scene in the late ’80s, an athlete who came not from an established canoe/kayak club on the east or west coasts, but from the Ozark Mountains of ...more

American Whitewater Gauley Fest 2014

 

Gauley Fest 2014 has come and gone and once again Kokatat was there to support the event and American Whitewater. Here are few pictures from the WorldKayak Gauley First Timer’s trip. Kokatat has been a WorldKayak sponsor for a number of years and their team paddlers help out as guides for the trip, making a number of peoples first time down the Gauley fun and safe ...more

Also posted on playak.com

Kayak Fisherman Shocked When Bull Shark Jumps Out Of Water To Steal His Fish

 

Angler Jason Downs was fishing from his kayak near Navarre Beach in Florida and reeling in a 10-pound grouper when he was greeted by a bull shark jumping out of the water to steal his catch.

One of the beauties of kayak fishing is how in tune you are with everything; the fight is more exaggerated because the fish drags the kayak around, you’re burning more calories by using your core to keep your kayak afloat, and you’re sitting inches off of the water. It’s all pretty exciting even when there aren’t leaping sharks involved.

AdaptNetwork has the story on Jason Downs:

Kayak fisherman Jason Downs was fishing off Navarre Beach on the Emerald Coast of Florida. He had hooked a 12-pound grouper but was not the only one looking for a fish at the time. A bull shark had also decided that that grouper would make a tasty meal and suddenly leapt out of the water next to Jason’s kayak to attack and devour the ...more

Old School Boaters Celebrate Return of Worlds to U.S.

 

When the Whitewater Slalom World Championships come to Western Maryland Sept. 17-21, 30 miles away in Ohiopyle, Penn., a different set of paddlers, many of them retired slalom racers, will be reminiscing about the good ol’ days on the river. In an event being organized by former racer David Curran, the Old School Boater Gathering is drawing racers from as far back as the ‘60s – even a few who competed in the 1972 Olympics – for a get-together Sept. 20 at Wilderness Voyageurs’ Falls City Restaurant in Ohiopyle at 5 p.m. Beforehand, for those still able to fasten their skirts, there will be an unofficial Yough Loop paddle at 2 p.m. We caught up with organizer Curran for his rationale behind the rendezvous…

Canoe & Kayak: How’d you come up with the idea?

David Curran: The Worlds haven’t been here in 25 years when they were held on the Savage River in 1989. The location is near the Yough, a place many East Coasters cut their teeth learning the sport. So it got me thinking. Since it’s a drivable event, perhaps a bunch of folks would like to get together at a place they have fond memories of: the Yough. Tom Southworth, an Olympian from 1971, told me, “My wife, Nancy, and I met on the Yough! The first time I laid eyes on her she was out in the river below the falls ...more

Extreme kayaker braves Tahquamenon Falls

 

For most people, falling over a rushing waterfall into a river sounds like their worst nightmare, but for extreme kayakers, like 28-year-old Marcelo Galizio from Brazil, it's what they live for.

"This kayak was made for waterfalls and steep creeks," says Galizio.

It's exactly what he is going to need when he rides his kayak over Tahquamenon's Upper Falls. 

"I really love what I do and I get super excited. I've been waiting two months here in the U.P. just waiting for rain, for the water levels to run this waterfall."

Tahquamenon's 51 foot drop poses no threat to Marcelo, who's kayaked over 100 waterfalls around the world in ...more

Kayaking the Katherine River

 

AS I SIP ON MY morning coffee and pore over the day’s headlines, a menacing photograph grabs my eye. A large saltwater croc is lunging from the cover of the NT News. Its enormous mouth is open wide, revealing sharp teeth that hint at the crushing power of mighty jaws. Alongside the image, the ­Darwin-based newspaper’s cover line reads: “Kids use live dogs for croc bait”. I suddenly feel a bit sick. I’m about to embark on a three-day kayaking trip down the Katherine River: was this a sensible decision?

Under normal circumstances, such an image would send me packing. Instead, I rationalise that the ­Katherine is a freshwater river so there won’t be any salties lurking in its depths. Right? I tell myself this again, later in the morning, as I board a coach headed for a popular kayaking spot on the outskirts of Katherine township, about 320km south-east
of Darwin.

Three and a half hours later, after a drive through the lush savannah woodlands of the Top End, I’m met by tour guide Collin Jerram. Clad in ...more

Kayaking for science

 

TYBEE ISLAND, Ga- For 16 years kayak races have been used to raise money 

for the Tybee Island Marine Science Center. 

The staff depend on these local fundraisers to operate on a daily basis.

Debbie Kearney helps organize the Tybee Island Kayak Races. 

She believes in supporting the center that does so much for the community. 

The center is home to dozens of sea critters and hosts a variety of educational programs throughout the year.

Beth Palmer works at the science center. She says the support from the community 

has gone a long way for the last 16 years.

“It’s greatly needed because we have a ...more

The Valley Mill August MD Chute Out: “Do it for the Love!”

 

The August MD Chute out usually has a few things you can count on;

1) low water levels

2) heat and humidity

3) low attendance

This August Chute Out would have one out of three, but a great crowd showed up, with 18 competitors and we had great weather for the end of summer. We had full classes in just about every category; Juniors, K1A, K1B, C1, with the exception of K1w.

With the level being just under 2.9ft, the only play spot would be the good ol’ MD Chute. The spot would be on the very low side of good, but even with it not being “ideal” by any means, there were some impressive moves being thrown nonetheless. Local paddler Jordan Poffenberger (current National and World Champion in C1 managed to get some sweet McNasties out of the feature)

We had a big B-class with six competitors who were also throwin down some nice cartwheels and even going for loops on occasion. The rock was definitely in play, however, so once in a while a nice THUMP would be heard when someone was too far left with that cartwheel or loop, and a chuckle would be heard from the crowd.

In the junior class we had Maddie Kimmel, Tom Dolan, and Kaelin Friedenson. These kids were impressive! Kailin’s score would’ve placed him in 3rd in the men’s B class!

The format called for three 30 second rides, with your two ...more