KFClassicS Matlacha Classic Results

 

While watching the sunrise and sipping on a cup of mudd, I began reflecting upon the Matlacha Classic. You should know first off that Matlacha/Pine Island is one of my all time favorite places to go to. It’s all ‘Old Florida’ and famous for its fishing. Tarpon, permit, snook, trout and redfish are the scaly Gods of the Flats as well as a few denizens of the deep such as Hammer Head and Bull Sharks. Collectively they prowl the flats and mangrove lines to generally look for anglers to frustrate. They have had many sunrises to perfect their craft and they are quite good at it.

The sharks add an element of tension and fear just to intensify the experience of fishing Matlacha and make sure that you are paying attention as I experienced firsthand last year. There really was no danger…just a huge bull shark rushing at my starboard side and at the last possible moment maneuvered around my bow…a deep sigh of relief followed as I recall.

As the sun brightened I found myself staring deeply through its reflection in my half filled cup. My thoughts went to reliving fishing there and how fortunate kayak anglers are to see and breathe such experiences at will. I envisioned fighting the largest fish caught by Mike Carey at the latest Classic and standing up in my Predator 13 like Otis Coblentz did to watch a large school of reds tailing on the flats in the early morning colors on tournament day. Wow what a thrill, but alas I must do my part so others may do what I also love so very much. Fishing Matlacha & Pine Island is a must for every kayak angler to experience. With that said, let us take a look at the results and how the overall standings have changed.

As you may have gathered Mike Carey not only caught the largest fish of the ...more

Paddlers stir high hopes of reviving Olympic venue

The future of the Lake Lanier Olympic Venue might be written in this week’s USA Canoe/Kayak Sprint National Championships.
The event, which concludes Sunday, features some of the world’s top paddlers at one of the nation’s premier facilities.
An estimated 500 competitors will be on hand, with another 1,000 attendees expected each day of the event.
But off the water and outside of the competition, venue officials hope the event leaves its financial mark on Hall County.
“I’m not sure what the economic impact is going to be, but it’s going to be large,” said venue manager Morgan House.
Though it’s difficult to predict, local officials said events like the canoe/kayak championships could generate nearly half a million dollars in tourism-related spending.
House said he’s been getting inquiries from participants and attendees about where to eat and stay, promising big bucks for local restaurants and hotels.
“Plans to improve the venue’s facilities, enhance activities and diversify the ...more

Special giveaway offered for annual canoe and kayak race today at Higley Flow

 

COLTON — The 20th annual Round the Islands Canoe and Kayak Race kicks off at 10 a.m. today and will be highlighted by a special giveaway following the event.

The competition begins and ends at Brookfield Power’s “Big Rock” picnic area and boat launch off Pine Road on Higley Flow.

The day will feature a variety of races, fireworks and food and is sponsored by the Higley Flow Association.

“We are unusual in that we get way more kayaks than we do canoes. We make a real effort to have classes that people will be competitive in,” association member Judy A. Fuhr said. “We usually have about 30 boats in the races.”

The youth race totals approximately 1 mile, while the adult course stretches about 4 miles.

“We emphasize that it is competitive but also recreational and is low key. There are classes for advanced paddlers but also for less experienced ones,” Ms. Fuhr said. “Usually we start in waves. We start the youths before the adults.”

There are six different classes, with more added on race day to accommodate all boaters.

Ms. Fuhr said that the adult racers typically return by 11 a.m. and then there are paddle boat races, food and refreshments served.

Since the death of avid kayaker Charles M. Palmer in 1997 at the age of 78, his family members have presented the Veteran Paddler Award in his memory at the conclusion of the races.

This year, however, Mr. Palmer’s son Lawrence will be donating his father’s favorite kayak in a free giveaway.

“(We’re involved) because of my dad’s interest in kayaking. He taught hundreds of kids to waterski and was really into kayaking. He was very active even at his ...more

LCKC athletes enjoy opportunity to host National Championships

Three-day event wraps up Saturday at Lake Lanier Olympic Venue

For 2016 Summer Olympic hopeful Chris Miller, the USA Canoe and Kayak Sprint National Championships are a spirited and friendly competition, and not the demanding slate of rigorous competitions in Europe he’s already been exposed to this summer.

Miller likes this weekend’s competition to proudly display waters at the Lake Lanier Olympic Venue, and home course of the Lanier Canoe and Kayak Club, but this docket of races on Lanier was more about reconvening with old friends.

“This (Lake Lanier) is the best venue for racing in the world,” said the 22-year-old Miller, who is from Gainesville, and ...more

Uriah was fully alive

 

Uriah Shaffer wanted his ashes spread on the Crystal River, according to his friend David Ockers, who was with the 39-year-old Carbondale man when the river claimed his life this spring.

“He went out doing what he loved in a place he loved,” Ockers said in an interview Friday.

Shaffer had introduced Ockers to kayaking in 2002, years into a friendship that started at Colorado State University, where both majored in construction management. He loved to kayak and ski, and played guitar despite having lost pieces of several fingers in a childhood accident.

He grew up in Delta County, went to middle school at Orchard Mesa in Grand Junction and graduated from Fruita High school in the class of 1993. After college, he returned to the Western Slope and was working on being closer to his family and had many friends in the Grand Junction area, but had been staying with Ockers in the Roaring Fork Valley off and on for several years.

Ockers described him as a dancing fool, poetic songwriter, great joke teller, Broncos fan and ...more

GLSKS 2014 Recap!

 

The 2014 Great Lakes Sea Kayak Symposium, the 30th anniversary of this event, is officially in the books and 157 participants, and coaches were greeted with extreme Upper Peninsula temperatures, bitterly cold Tuesday and Wednesday, followed by four outstanding days of sunshine!  Ten different states, and two countries were represented this year with participants traveling near and far, coming to Grand Marais to enjoy the camaraderie of Midwest kayakers and the chance to explore the world class destination of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

2014 GLSKS RECAP

 This summer Down Wind Sports hosted the 30^th annual Great Lakes Sea Kayak Symposium- the oldest kayak symposium on the Great Lakes.  Stan and Emma Chladek started the symposium in 1984 which was the event that started the organized phenomenon of ...more

Mark your calendar for upcoming Kayak Camping Program

Join fellow paddlers for one of the most popular programs from past Calusa Blueway Paddling Festivals. A free Kayak Camping Program will be led by Pat Owen from 7 to 8:30 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 19, at the Wa-Ke Hatchee Recreation Center, 16760 Bass Road, Fort Myers.

Owen is an American Canoe Association Instructor and a Florida Master Naturalist with extensive experience paddling and camping along the Calusa Blueway Paddling Trail, a Lee County Parks & Recreation trail. She also has experience through the Ten Thousand Islands and the Everglades. She ...more