canoe
Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge
10.06.2008
Words and Photos by Jeff Kinney Sweat spiked with sunblock dribbles down my face and stings my eyes as the sun hammers me and everything else in Eastern Maryland’s Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. It’s 96 degrees, and the air is so saturated with moisture that I just might need gills. But the searing heat isn’t [...]
Mission AccomplishedTim Finishes Building His Own Kayak
09.26.2008
This is the fourth part in the series on “How to Build Your Own Kayak” Part One Part Two Part Three This day seemed so far away. Nearly a year has gone by since I tore through boxes of plywood, fiberglass, and resins that would one day be my very own double sea kayak. Building [...]
Boater VoterFour reasons to vote this year (and one call to action)
09.26.2008
Your political mascot might be an elephant, a donkey, or even a bull moose, but if you’re reading C&K that means you have a personal interest in protecting the places you love to paddle. Well, now is the time. Thousands of politicians are running for office this fall, which means there’s no time like the [...]
Negotiating NootkaKayaking British Columbia’s Vancouver Island
09.26.2008
The thing about hard rains is that once they let up—and they must, eventually, let up—when you flip your hood back off your brow the sudden brightness feels a lot like, well … happiness. That’s how it felt to me, paddling in Nootka Sound on the west side of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, after [...]
Gauley Fest Lives Up to Billing as World’s Largest and Best Riverfest
09.24.2008
Exhausting crazy fun reunion. That is the best description of Gauley Fest that I can come up with. It all starts with Friday’s biblical proportion locust style swarm of kayak-laden subarus, trucks, vans and homemade jalopies encroaching on the small town of Summersville, West Virginia. Then comes the fun. As old friends, kayaking buddies, acquaintances [...]
SubsportIs squirt kayaking making a comeback?
09.23.2008
I first saw a squirt boat in 1989, on a stretch of tidal whitewater on Maine’s Sheepscot River. I was 14 and kayaking with my Dad. A pointy bow shot straight up from an eddy just downstream of us, its turquoise sparkles gleaming through saltwater foam flecks in the May sun. The bow fell and [...]
Canoe QuartetFour new , highly specialized rides
09.23.2008
DOWNRIVER WEEKENDER Esquif Pocket Canyon $1,320esquif.com L: 14 ft 6 in W: 34.5 in D: 15.5 in 59 lbs. Available in: Royalex A radically downsized version of Esquif’s expedition-oriented Canyon, this tandem canoe is designed for moving water, tight maneuvers, and a modes load. Four inches of rocker lends quick pivoting ability and the short [...]
Emily Jackson Takes Women’s Freestyle Pro World Cup Title
09.11.2008
Competing in her first international competition at the pro women’s level, Emily Jackson proved that this 18-year-old deserves the title of the “future of women’s kayaking” by winning gold at the recently concluded World Cup of freestyle kayaking held in Europe. Jackson crossed the Atlantic en-route to the World Cup with an undefeated record from [...]
Robert F. KennedyAmerican Icon, River-Runner
09.10.2008
As many of you have seen…we have been running a series of profiles on prominent paddlers in the Canoe & Kayak magazine. I will be running the series on our web site over the next few months. We’ll start with Robert F. Kennedy, which appeared in our August 2008 issue. If there’s such a thing [...]
Manhattan’s Mayor’s Cup Race Set to Run in October
09.10.2008
The Mayor’s Cup New York City Kayak Championship is an elite kayaking race around Manhattan Island. This 26.7 mile marathon race will be North America’s premier paddle sports event and soon to be New York City’s largest water event. The Mayor’s Cup will draw some of the world’s and the regions most accomplished paddlers. This [...]
Waterproof Digital Marvels Add to Your Paddling Experience
09.05.2008
These electronic marvels are not critical to your paddling success , but they sure make a day on the water more fun. And the best part is.. all of these electronic marvels are waterproof and perfect for enhancing your paddling adventures. All the quoted prices are approximate and usually you can find bargain prices on [...]
Rafting California’s Tuolumne River
09.05.2008
The question seemed straight-forward but the result was unexpected. “Do you want to surf?” Adam Crom had asked from his perch on the back of our blue five-person raft. Four voices sang out “Yes!” in anticipation. “Right turn, right turn, right… now stop!” came the staccato commands from our confident Sierra Mac boatman. As we [...]
US Surfski Championships in San Francisco Sept 20-21
09.05.2008
The 2008 US Surfski Championships will be staged from Crissy Field in San Francisco, Sept 20-21. Crissy Field is located just inside the Golden Gate Bridge on the South side. This location offers spectacular views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island, a large sandy beach for launching surfskis, easy viewing opportunities for spectators, [...]
25 Year Old Gauley Fest Set to Run Sept 19-21The event is billed as tHE largest river festival in the world
09.04.2008
Gauley Fest just keeps getting bigger and better! Started in 1983 to celebrate the derailment of a hydro-electric project that would have disrupted the flows on the Gauley River, Gauley Fest has grown to become the largest river festival in the world. The festival is a showcase for American Whitewater and the top whitewater vendors [...]
Perfect CircleCanoeing Canada’s Bowron Lakes
08.28.2008
“Ready: standing draw … now!”Chris yells from the stern, as we slide into the Chute and spin across the eddy fence. Suddenly we are barreling straight down the Class II Roller Coaster section of the Isaac River in his restored cedar-canvas Chestnut canoe. As I watch out for rocks in the transparent, emerald water, my [...]
Dog Paddling TipsHow to take Rover boating safely
08.27.2008
Some days on the river, it can feel as though the paddling world has gone to the dogs—and we say why not? An instinctive swimmer, man’s best friend is a model boating companion, unlikely to Bogart the last beer and entirely incapable of critiquing your stroke. We asked a few experts for advice on how [...]
Central California Coast Kayaking
08.26.2008
In the depths of a gaping sea cave, I struggled to keep my bow straight while trying to punch through the whitewater-choked exit. As I fought the wishy-washy conditions, an all-too-calm southern sea otter swam in front of me. On its back it barely put any effort into the turbulent surf. Not a care in [...]
Buyer's Guide
