Author Archives: "CanoeKayak.com"
Boundary Waters Burning, but OK for Paddlers
With wildfires affecting some 2,700-acres of northeastern Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, paddlers are being forewarned of “rolling closures” in certain burn zones. Still, officials and locals are saying the Pagami Creek Fire—aflame since it was first detected, Aug. 18, after a lightning strike—has yet to seriously impact paddlers and paddling opportunities.
Three Brothers (+1), Down the Mississippi
Last night, the three Bragiel brothers—Peter, Paul and Dan, and their paddling friend, Tony Corella—pitched camp on a sandbar of the lower Mississippi River, about 20 or 30 miles upstream of New Orleans. It marked their 58th straight night out; they’d set out in two canoes from the Mississippi’s headwaters, Lake Itasca, Minn., on July 14.
Bratislava #6
It was a disappointing morning for the U.S. paddlers, including for my sentimental favorite, the McEwan and Eichfeld team. The drama of qualifying heats lies not in the placings within the top ten, but “on the bubble”—those paddlers who are just inside or just outside the cutoff.
Hudson Bay Found
The final day of Natalie Warren and Ann Raiho’s 85-day canoe trip from St. Paul, Minn. to Hudson Bay will be remembered in one way: “The overwhelming feeling was hunger,” says Warren, 22. “For some reason we didn’t eat… I don’t know why.”
Bratislava #4
Was I nervous this morning? Nah. It was just everyday forgetfulness that made me fail to put the battery back into my camera. And if I was completely exhausted after the the first C-2 heat, well, blame jet lag. It had nothing to do with watching my son race in his first World Championships.
Bratislava Chronicles #3
BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — The official Opening Ceremonies of the 2011 Canoe Slalom World Championships did not begin until 7 p.m. Tuesday local time, so during the day there was training as usual on the course. With boat and gear inspection taking place off to one side, it was a good chance for me to meet new people as they stood in line.
Bratislava Chronicles #2
I’m getting the feeling that the 2011 Canoe Slalom World Championships has an inferiority complex. Today the home page for the World Championships features a photo of Michel Martikan with the caption, “Road to London Adds Extra Excitement to Canoe Slalom World Championships.”
Setting the Stage in Bratislava
By Jamie McEwan Here I am—Bratislava, Slovakia! Site of the 2011 Canoe Slalom World Championships! Ouch, I’ve done it already: I can’t even write two sentences (one a fragment) about the Worlds without stumbling over Slalom’s Eurocentrism. Here they don’t say “Canoe and Kayak Slalom” because for Europeans, “canoe” is the generic word for canoes [...]
Bradt’s Back
In March, Tyler Bradt crushed his L1 vertebrae after landing flat off of Oregon’s 100-foot Abiqua Falls. Three days shy of the five-month anniversary of that accident, on Aug. 17, Bradt—the 25-year-old reigning waterfall-drop world record holder, at 189 feet—was back, for a run down a legendary line, “The Box.”
Ask Eddy
Ed’s note: In the interest of, you know, facilitating dialogue, we’ve decided to start rolling out one of the magazine’s longtime recurring features, “Ask Eddy,” here on the website; below the latest, from the August 2011 issue. We invite readers to submit future questions for Eddy’s consideration here, at our Facebook page or by regular ol’ email: AskEddy@canoekayak.com.)
The 54-Hour Finish
After battling near-constant headwinds and 20-foot seas on Ireland’s west coast, sea kayakers Jeff Allen and Harry Whelan thought the island’s sheltered east coast would be the easiest part of their attempt to set a new speed record for kayaking around Ireland. At a pub in Kilkeel, Northern Ireland, Allen, 49, and Whelan, 42, challenged themselves to knock off the last 225 miles in three days.
Confluence Announces Expansion and Move to New Facility in South Carolina
EASLEY, S.C. (August 24, 2011) – Confluence Watersports today announced that the company will move to a new facility in Greenville, S.C. The new location is within 10 miles of the company’s current operations.
‘Sea Kayak Rescues’ DVD Coming Soon
World-class sea kayak instructors Shawna Franklin and Leon Somme team up with award-winning filmmaker Bryan Smith—Kokatat athletes, all three—in Sea Kayak Rescues, a comprehensive modern guide to rescues for all paddlers.
A Few Days to the Bay
Speaking by cellphone from the native community of Oxford House in northern Manitoba last week, Natalie Warren enthusiastically riffs about the 76 days she’s spent so far on a 2,250-mile canoe expedition from St. Paul, Minn., to Hudson Bay.
Wilderness Systems Earns Third Consecutive “Boat Brand of the Year” Award
Canoe & Kayak Magazine honored Wilderness Systems as “Boat Brand of the Year” at the 25th annual “Paddlesports Industry Awards.”
Creek Streak
Squatting in the rain on the banks of Washington’s East Fork of the Lewis, MacGyvering a drain-plug from a rotten stick and duct tape, it hit me; creekboating is an odd human behavior. The practice pushes the limits of what’s possible in a small, plastic boat, and challenges manufacturers to make reliable kayaks that paddlers can trust.
Big Dog Drop Zone – Creek Streak
This new dog knows all the old tricks, and does them well. Britain’s fastest-growing kayak manufacturer designed this high-volume displacement hull beast with a long waterline for speed and highly controlled, confident paddling. “It’s perfect for tight lines in big, pushy water,” one tester said. “It would be great on the North Fork Payette-anything large and continuous.”
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