Author Archives: "Canoe & Kayak"
Humpback-ed
A dauntingly close encounter this week involving a kayaker and two humpback whales in California’s Monterey Bay is sure to fall under a believe-it-or-not type of scrutiny.
Across Canada by Water
It was snowing, the temperature well below freezing and the Arctic waterways turning to ice when six friends finished a cross-Canada canoe journey on October 14 in Inuvik, Northwest Territories, on the Mackenzie River.
Through the Rain and the Night
With water flowing fast and pushing flood levels all summer, Missouri American Water MR 340 organizer Scott Mansker was doubtful that this year’s 340-mile heartland odyssey from Kansas City to St. Louis could even happen.
Kayak community gears up for week of traditional Greenland training and competition
ISSAQUAH, WASHINGTON — Paddlers from across the region are traveling to the Seattle area this October for Greenland Week, a celebration of traditional kayaking skills being held from Wednesday, Oct. 26 to Sunday, Oct. 30 at Kayak Academy’s Center at Lake Sammamish State Park in Issaquah, Washington.
Kokatat Sponsors Greenland Week
The people of Greenland, in the sub-Arctic, are the originators of many of today’s kayak designs and gear, most notably the Greenland paddle.
Kayaker Captures Amazing Blue Whale Footage, Above and Below Surface
Majestic blue whales have been feeding off Southern California for months, luring marine mammal paparazzi of all types, including TV news crews, onto whale-watching boats. But some of the most amazing footage was captured off Redondo Beach recently by kayaker Rick Coleman, who was using his helmet camera.
Packing Light
Canoes have a problem: They’re not always floating. Sometimes you have to carry them. And that can be an issue, especially in the Adirondack region of upstate New York, the birthplace of John Rushton’s legendary pack canoe. The map tells the tale: a scattergun-like array of remote lakes and rivers stretching from New York to the tip of Maine. Every one is a unique and beautiful place to paddle. All you have to do is get there. And therein lies the rub.
Countdown for Condit: T-minus two weeks
The excitement of restoring Washington’s free-flowing White Salmon River is reaching fever pitch. On October 26, a hole will be blasted in the base of the 95-year-old, 125-foot Condit Dam, and Northwestern Reservoir will drain in a matter of hours. The explosion will mark the beginning of a regionally and nationally significant river restoration effort.
EPA Finalizes California’s List of Polluted Waters
More of California’s waterways are impaired than previously known, according to a list of polluted waterways submitted by the state to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and finalized by the agency today.
Kokatat teams up with whitewater superstars Eric and Dane Jackson
Kokatat is excited to announce a new strategic alliance with whitewater kayaking superstar Eric “E.J.” Jackson and his son and reigning Junior Freestyle Kayak World Champion Dane Jackson.
Currents TV: First Descents
This summer ended with First Descents coming to Canada for the first time. The decade-old, ever-expanding nonprofit uses kayaking to clear the heads of people who escaped a deadly disease, and helps them navigate chutes and boulders to the next stage of their lives. By all accounts, it’s a powerful program for campers, volunteers and staff in this burgeoning phenomenon within the paddling community.
Wenonah Canak – Packing Light
As the name would suggest, Wenonah’s new Canak isn’t really a canoe or a kayak; it’s a blend of both.
Old Town Pack Canoe – Packing Light
An extremely practical little boat, the Old Town Pack is built for abuse, if not speed.
On the Warpath
One hundred fifty years ago this month, our young nation was beginning its darkest hour—a four-year Civil War that would claim nearly 700,000 lives. Today, a century and a half later, that agony lingers deep in our collective consciousness. And one of the best and most peaceful ways to visit these battlefield sites is by paddling the bodies of water that have defined them through the years.
Hornbeck Blackjack – Packing Light
Constructed entirely of carbon fiber, including the thwarts and backrest, and made in Peter Hornbeck’s pine shed just a short drive from our put-in at Follensby Pond, the Blackjack is simply the lightest pack canoe you’ll find anywhere.
Swift Pack 13.6 Carbon Fusion – Packing Light
If you want an open-deck canoe that feels like a kayak, consider the Swift Pack 13.6, a pint-sized lightweight carbon/Kevlar trimmed solo canoe that paddles exactly like Swift’s popular Adirondack Kayak.
Placid Boatworks Spitfire – Packing Light
Touted by this Adirondack boat-crafter as “the most sophisticated pack canoe ever designed,” the handmade SpitFire is a modern remake of the classic Adirondack pack canoe—only longer, faster, and more stable than Rushton’s original.
Buyer's Guide
