Top Park ‘n’ Huck Spots

Trips

Easy river access. (Photo: Colin Moneypenny) — Top Park ‘n’ Huck Spots

Park your car and get right on the water with these three destinations.

VALLEY FALLS, Tygart River, WV

Check the gauge for levels ranging from 3.7 to 4.7 feet, sign in at the Valley Falls State Park office and put in. This is a two-tiered set that drops a total of 24 feet, with many possible lines depending on levels. Its quick foot shuttle makes running laps easy. The falls themselves are pretty friendly but the hole at the bottom has a reputation for recirculating swimmers. Put in and take out on the right, avoiding the active rail line on the other side of the river.

YOUR RIDE

Wave Sport Habitat

SHUTTLE ROUTE

Take exit 137 off of I-79 and follow WV 310 south for seven miles. At the Valley Falls State Park sign, turn right and continue to the park entrance. The park is about 30 minutes

TRICK OR TREAT FALLS, Quyon River, QC

This forgiving waterfall is on the lower Quyon River, right before it dumps into the mighty Ottawa. Just outside of Canada’s capitol city, it offers aspiring hucksters a friendly, seven- to 10-foot drop with no rapids downstream to worry about. There is no gauge in the area but paddlers can perfect boof strokes, landings and downriver freestyle moves at Trick or Treat from March to December.

YOUR RIDE

Fluid Bazooka

SHUTTLE ROUTE

Take highway 148 west out of Gatineau for about 55 kilometers (35 miles). Park on the side of the road near the bridge over the Quyon River, just past the turn off into downtown Quyon. The put-in trail is on private property so be respectful.

BABY FALLS, Upper Tellico River, TN

At lower flows—around 300 cfs—the Ledges section of the Tellico is a great training ground. You’ll have to run or portage a couple of quick ledges before arriving at Baby Falls. Eddy out on the right and scout the drop. The 14-footer is best run to the right, which will land your boat into an eddy, or boof the left side into the deep pool below. A couple of class III-IV rapids downstream can be easily portaged, or run these as well to further hone your skills.

YOUR RIDE

Esquif L’Edge

SHUTTLE ROUTE

Take TN 165 east out of Tellico Plains. Stay right at the first split and right again onto Tellico River Road. Cross a bridge with the 80-foot Bald River Falls on your right and the Tellico on your left. Cross a second bridge and look for a pull off on your right. This is the put-in. Take out at the bridge about a half-mile below Bald River Falls.

For more whitewater destinaton articles from Rapid, click here.

This article originally appeared in Rapid, Early Summer 2012. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read the rest here.

Lee Valley To Host ICF World Cup

Photo: Courtesy Lee Valley — BCU Selection event at LVWWC

The world’s top canoe slalom athletes return to Lee Valley White Water Centre this summer after the London 2012 Olympic venue was confirmed as host for the first race of the 2014 ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup Series (6-8 June 2014).

The world class Lee Valley venue will stage the first of the five events on the 2014 World Cup calendar before the centre comes back into the spotlight in 2015 when it holds the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships (16-20 September).

“The BCU is delighted that Lee Valley White Water Centre is holding the 2014 ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup. I have no doubt it will be a hugely popular event and I am sure it will keep alive the magic we experienced during London 2012,” said British Canoe Union CEO Paul Owen.

The Lee Valley White Water Centre comprises a technically demanding 300m Olympic standard competition course with a 5.5 metre descent and a 160 metre Legacy Loop with a 1.6 metre descent. It is the base for GB Canoeing’s slalom team, most notably C1 and C2 World Champion David Florence, his C2 partner Richard Hounslow and European Champion Fiona Pennie.

Since Team GB won gold and silver medals at London 2012 the centre has continued to evolve. Over £6 million has been invested into new training facilities, an elite centre, additional car parking and landscaping to enhance the experience for paddlers and spectators.

Lee Valley Regional Park Authority Chief Executive Shaun Dawson said: “We’re thrilled to be hosting the ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup – the first major international competition since the Games – at Lee Valley White Water Centre in 2014.

ICF President and IOC Member José Perurena said: “It is fantastic that we are returning to the home of the 2012 London Olympic Games for the 2014 ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup. It demonstrates that our sport is truly benefiting from the Games legacy and maximizing the facility’s potential to host world class competition.

“I have no doubt that the event will be a huge success and that the technically demanding course at Lee Valley White Water Centre will, once again, test the world’s best paddlers.”

Tickets for the Lee Valley World Cup will go on sale in February.

For more information visit the Lee Valley White Water Centre or the International Canoe Federation.

Canoes Battle Flood

Photo: Get Surrey — Canoe in flooded underground garage

As flood waters continue to rise in Surrey, England, some residents have taken to their canoes as a method of transport and for others, for entertainment.

Floodwaters turned an indoor parking garage into a floodlit lake, as seen above. The same group of young men that paddled the car park-turned-lake videotaped themselves wakeboarding behind a 4×4 on a flooded street several days earlier. Locals residents also also taken to their canoes and kayaks to communte to work and to school.

The flooding is a result of the River Thames breaking its banks do to high rainfall.

See more photos on Get Surrey.

Roll your Kayak Anywhere

Skills

Photo: Maximillian Kniewasser — A kayaker celebrates after rolling in whitewater.

It may take a little practice and adjustment to being upside down, but with these tips from the pros, you will be rolling your kayak anywhere.

When Rapid asked two-time Green River Narrows Race champion Andrew Holcombe to recall his most memorable roll, he replied, “Man, that’s all of them, ‘cause anytime you roll it means you’re not swimming!” Quite right.

In the spirit of not swimming, we bring you advice from three seasoned pros on which rolls work best in the gnarliest places. In cheese grater rock gardens, continuous steeps, relentlessly retentive holes and minibus-eating boils. Even in the pounding fury at the base of a towering waterfall. Here’s how to roll anywhere.

Super Shallow Rock Garden

In shallow, class II–III rapids, the sweep roll is your safest bet. Thin water usually means lots of rocks in very close proximity to your head. The sweep roll’s setup position keeps your body close to the surface and protects your face and shoulders, allowing your helmet and PFD to take the brunt of any impacts. Over the years, this roll has saved me a lot of skin and a lot of swims. —Simon Coward

Bottom of Gorilla on the Green

On a continuous, difficult creek like the Green, reaction time is critical. The sweep roll is quick under a wide variety of conditions. Less time upside down generally equals fewer encounters with rocks and means you’ll be upright before the next must-make move or drop. For me, the only exception to automatically setting up for a sweep is if I feel like I can exploit the natural momentum of a flip by doing a back deck roll. — Andrew Holcombe

Stuck in a High Volume Hole

When running big water, it is only a question of time before you get stuck in a retentive hole. In such unfortunate circumstances, my go-to is a back deck roll. Contrary to popular belief, this roll is the safest for your shoulders. When you flip, lean back, keep your elbows tight to your body and wait for pressure on your downstream blade. This technique also tends to keep you higher in the foam pile, which makes it easier to get control and orientation—two things needed to find a way out of the hole. This is how I escaped the Hole that Ate Chicago on the Stikine. —Maximillian Kniewasser

Monster Boils

In powerful boils, lean forward while rolling or you will go right back over. Try to roll through to the other side of the boil, where there is usually more upward water movement. If your first roll doesn’t work, tuck forward and test which side feels better. Boily water changes constantly. A traditional C-to-C combat roll gives a good compromise of leverage and the ability to change sides quickly while leaning forward. Below the big falls on Callaghan Creek, this roll gets me up time and again. — Maximillian Kniewasser

This article originally appeared in Rapid, Spring 2011. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.

2,500 Kilometers by Riverboard

Photo: Courtesy Ray Chaplin press release — First descent by riverboard, Orange River

Not only is Ray Chaplin the first riverboarder to run the entire length of South Africa’s longest river, the Orange River—he also leaves cleaner, less polluted whitewater behind him.

The former IT professional was inspired when he became aware of the rampant plastic pollution in South Africa’s waterways, specifically the Orange River, which supports dozens of communities from east to west across the country.

Chaplin, born in Cape Town, is the first riverboarder to complete the descent from the source in Lesotho 2,500 km westwards through South Africa to the Atlantic Ocean.

Riverboarding is essentially extreme boogie boarding. Lying on your stomach, half in the water, and kicking with flippers for propulsion, river reading has a whole new meaning—on his Fluid Kayaks’ Anvil, Chaplin’s face was just above the waterline.

On April 7, with no backup crew to shadow him and almost 80 pounds of gear riding on his back, Chaplin began his trek.

“Rapids in Lesotho range from placid and nothing worth writing home about to ridiculously wild,” Chaplin told Rapid. And, he says, being out there alone with loads of additional weight and expedition fatigue made every small feature in the river especially concerning.

Things started off rough with a cold snap in Lesotho where Chaplin woke up on several mornings with snow around him and frozen gear. Then, as he passed back into South Africa, he very quickly noticed the quality of the river declining.

“I came across four towns that are spilling sewerage into the river, drastically changing the ecosystem of our nations’ lifeline,” says Chaplin. “Millions rely on it for drinking water, while travel and tourism, mining and farming sectors are all dependent on it too.”

Once a week Chaplin would take a break from his 10-hour paddling days and take his mission on land, doing presentations on environmental responsibility and the importance of living sustainably to schools, as well as teaming up with members of the plastics industry to organize community cleanups in and around the river. Over the course of the journey, Ray presented to over 9,500 people and filled 5,500 bags of litter.

Just as things began to pick up on the water once again, Chaplin hit another setback. While scouting a set of rapids he slipped on rocks and landed two broken ribs and a severe spinal injury that prevented him from continuing. The injuries delayed the trip nine weeks as Chaplin rushed his rehab to get back on the river where he left off.

Finally, on December 9, after months of isolation and exhausting whitewater navigation, Chaplin reached Alexander Bay where the Orange River empties into the Atlantic Ocean.

“Suddenly I didn’t want it to end. Suddenly I wanted the river to be a few hundred kilometers longer,” says Chaplin. His crew, ready to meet him, was on the South African bank with banners, flags and bubbly, but Chaplin headed straight for the Atlantic Ocean.

It didn’t take long before he ditched the board and charged into the breakers to celebrate completing the first source to sea descent of the Orange River by riverboard.

Visit www.raychaplin.com to read more about Chaplin’s journey and www.fluidkayaks.com for information on the riverboard that supported his 2,500km trip.

Katrina Pyne is a multimedia journalist and freelance videographer based in Halifax, NS. www.katrinapyne.com

Sea Kayaking: Stay the Course

Illustration: Paul Mason — Info graphic image of the three navigational tactics used in sea kayaking.

Navigation skills for sea kayakers should extend beyond merely the use of gps devices and even the trusty map and compass. When the worst happens, Alex Matthews shares his tips for staying the course despite the wind, currents and sudden shifts in the weather.

Point your boat in the direction that you want to go
Pick two distant objects that are roughly in line with each other
Make sure the objects are some distance apart (one nearer, and one farther)
Paddle in a direction that keeps the two objects in line

This technique is calld “Ranging” and is explained in more detail below.

This technique article originally appeared in Adventure Kayak, Summer 2007. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or continue reading here for free.

Rock the Boat: Paddle Clubs that Don’t Suck

Stories

Illustration: Lorenzo Del Bianco — Rock the Boat: Paddle Clubs that Don't Suck

It’s the height of the paddling season and I’m chomping at the bit. I check the calendar of a local paddling club and find…nothing. Zilch. Naught. Nada. By contrast, a casual social media group has four paddles scheduled—all beginner flatwater.

Paddling clubs are dinosaurs. Their stereotype is that of a fusty group watching slideshows about paddling, while not actually getting on the water all that much. They’ll cite cumbersome procedures, declining participation and tempest-in-a-teapot internal politics. Caught between the devil of liability and a sea of seat-of- the-pants social media invites, paddling clubs occupy the netherworld between professional instruction and friends going out for a paddle, with the benefits of neither. It’s time to re-envision paddling clubs. It’s time to become Scottish.

I Googled my old paddling club from when I lived on Scot- land’s east coast. They offer two weekly pool sessions, river trips, weekly surf sessions, kayak polo and slalom tams, two formal balls and they take over a local pub twice a week. They supply the gear, just bring lunch and your “paddling costume.” This, in a town of 17,000 souls, compared to my current home of 2.2 million.

At their best, paddling clubs play three functions. They generate new paddlers, connect existing paddlers to other paddlers and disciplines, and build a social bond.

Social media formats like Meetup.com work for novice-friendly paddles, but become problematic when they venture beyond easy trips. Their spontaneous nature seldom vets skills properly, putting too much pressure on organizers. Unlike clubs, casual get-togethers can’t insure their leaders or subsidize skill development. Paddlers will grow out of them if they aspire to more than flatwater.

Even formal clubs, which often succeed at turning new paddlers into more frequent or better paddlers, usually fail at attracting new recruits. If we want the sport to grow, this is precisely what we need. In Scotland, with no gear, the fact that all I needed to provide was a sandwich allowed me to participate in a sport I couldn’t afford. Two decades later, I’m still thoroughly addicted — to paddling, not sandwiches.

North American clubs could mimic this initiation by establishing a fleet of boats and gear, partnering with paddling shops to provide storage, bulk rentals and instruction—things shops do already. Like clubs, shops have a direct interest in getting the vast numbers of hikers, cyclists, fitness enthusiasts and skiers to add paddling to their quiver.

My city has three separate clubs, one each for sea kayakers, whitewater canoeists and whitewater kayakers. Each has its own vibe, but it means paying multiple dues to join all or missing out on experiences. Paddling clubs should merge, or at least collaborate. The multi-disciplinary Scottish club gave me a chance to paddle whitewater, ocean, surf, and play polo, as well as meet people passionate about each. Combining also offers economies of scale on storage, classes, equipment and insurance.

Let’s take a cue from the Scots. Let’s trade our spray skirts for kilts, speak in thick brogues and make our clubs what they should be: the epicenter of paddling culture.

Neil Schulman lives in Portland, Oregon, and is a regular contributor to Adventure Kayak. He first paddled whitewater on the Tay River in Scotland many years ago. After a long swim, he ended up borrowing a paddling costume.

This article first appeared in the 2014 Annual Paddling Buyer’s Guide. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it on your desktop here.

Video: Snow Canoeing

Videos

Missing liquid H2O? Paddlers in Asheville, North Carolina get creative to get their paddling fix.

No lifejackets are needed for this extreme sport, but put on a helmet—you’ll see why!

Gear: Petzl Tikka Headlamp

Gear

This lightweight headlamp is easy to use with a single button switch and, best of all, its adjustable headband is comfortable and stays put. The Tikka features one high-output white LED delivering 80 lumens and one red LED that preserves night vision. Takes three AAA batteries.

$51 | www.petzl.com

Werner Paddles Gets New Marketing Manager

Photo: Courtesy Danny Mongno — Danny Mongno on Moose River.

Eleven-year veteran of Werner Paddles, Danny Mongno has taken over as the marketing manager, showcasing the brand’s premiere line of touring, whitewater, SUP and fishing paddles.

Most recently he held the role of field marketing manager, so the transition will be a hit the ground running scenario, as Mongno has been working with the marketing department on social media, development of Werner TV content, team management and the managing of a leading retail training module in paddle sports, G.U.I.D.E.

Vice president Don McClain felt this was “the natural progression” for Danny. “Since 2003 he has moved upward through the ranks with dedication to the brand and hard work, we are excited to see him lead us into the future.” Bruce Furrer, president, shared that sentiment but also added, “His time in the field and relationships he has built over the years made him the choice for the job. We cut him loose to spread our family story. Personally, and through the values he has instilled in our reps and our team, we continue to show that we are a legitimate paddling family, which also operates as a powerful company. He is the guy to carry that on.”

Since 1964, family-owned Werner Paddles has been designing and hand crafting ultimate paddle performance in Washington, USA.