If you show up to a crowded surf break in California and act like a jerk, chances are it could end in some slashed tires, a broken board, or getting the snot kicked out of you.
On a recent trip to some popular surf breaks in San Diego, I was sensitive to this issue and took time to inquire about beach etiquette. Rules are posted at each break and after chatting with a couple locals to get my bearings straight, I felt confident about what was acceptable behavior. Kayakers can learn a lot from surfers and establish a similar code of conduct to prevent paddling community drama off the river. As the sport grows, so do incidents of paddlers intentionally or unintentionally threatening river access and offending local communities.
I am lucky to live in one of the best whitewater towns in the country. A huge part of this is due to awesome boaters who conduct themselves professionally and represent the sport well in our community. Overall I'm proud to be a boater here, but sometimes I cringe to drive around with a kayak on my car after seeing some of the things boaters do. I am not perfect by any means and have done my fair share of dirtbagging, but I'd like to continue developing paddling etiquette for anyone who would like to visit popular paddling destinations. Most of this seems like common sense, but it's a good reminder for all of us. This is not a complete list of guidelines, so feel free to add on:
For any paddlers coming the Hood River/White Salmon area to live, participate in events, or for any other reason, we welcome you. Please realize that this is a very special place to a lot of people and we appreciate your cooperation and respect. I would like to live in a place where people are happy to see kayakers rolling into town, and it only takes a few people to ruin the experience for everyone else.
With news of all of the rivers in the Columbia River Gorge flooding, Olin Wimberg, Eric Parker and I drove to the gorge for a weekend of high water paddling and a much needed break from school.
When I arrived home, there was a new Dagger Mamba 8.6 waiting for me, as well as a box from Bomber Gear. Eager to test out the new equipment, I headed to one of my favorite runs in the world-- the Little White Salmon River in Washington state.
The Little White was running at a very juicy 4.3 feet on the bottom gauge and because of a giant ice storm a few weeks ago, there was a ton of new wood throughout the run. I was a little nervous of the new hazards, but I was confident following my brother Todd Wells who knew all of the new dangerous logs and how to avoid them.
I was a bit hesitant taking a boat I have never paddled before on a new run, but I had already heard lots of good things about the new Mamba and was stoked to put it to test on one of the more difficult class five runs in the country. Through the first quarter mile of warm up rapids, I noticed that it accelerated very quickly and was exceptionally fast. The added volume in the bow and stern allowed me to boof as well as in my Nomad, which I have used since I started creek boating. My favorite things about the new Mamba were its speed and the increased volume, two things that fit perfectly with my paddling style. I like to charge down rapids and stay on top of holes and the Mamba helped me do just that.
It took a bit of getting used to the sharper edges but I soon learned to love them. With softer edges in the back I found the Mamba much easier to turn than boats that have similar hulls and speed like the Burn and Remix and easier to roll (yes, I flipped a number of times) as the bow and stern are more rounded out. Last but definitely not least, the Mamba boofed like a dream! From sticky ledge holes to twenty footers, I flew over everything and instead of losing speed and changing direction like many boats do coming out of a hole, the Mamba kept right on track and kept its speed extremely well.
Overall I was impressed by the Mamba’s performance on a very difficult class V creek run. The high volume kept me on top of giant holes as well as very comfortable. As much as I love my Nomad, I’m definitely going to be taking the Mamba on more creek and big water runs. I ended the day rallying off 30ft. Spirit Falls and had a sweet line over the drop and above the man eating hole known as Chaos. I have a feeling the Mamba is going to be seeing more air time over some taller waterfalls in the near future too!
Photo by Eric Parker
On the way back home we stopped at Bridal Veil Falls for a quick park n' huck.
This year I wanted to try something a little different, so I got a Katana 10.4 not knowing quite what to expect. Unwrapping the boat, I was super excited to see the hull that looked like it could definitely handle whitewater.
Plus, it had all of the extra features to make it the perfect boat for long over-nighters on rivers and even to explore the San Juan Islands outside my back door in Bellingham, WA. With a drop-down skag and convenient back hatch, I feel confident taking this boat out on longer trips in the bay, lakes and rivers.
As soon as I got the Katana, I couldn’t wait to see how it would perform in whitewater, so I went to the river I knew best- the Green Truss section of the White Salmon River in Washington. This is the river that I honed in my skills as a class V kayaker, and know it better than any other. I haven’t spent much time paddling long boats in whitewater, but I love the feeling of keeping my speed through everything and not being concerned of getting spun out as easily as in a short boat. Rather, I focus on taking fewer, precise strokes to keep on-line, and getting my bow up as best as possible through holes and ledges. I was impressed with how well the Katana sped out of features and stayed on-line. With its rocker profile, I didn’t have trouble keeping its bow up over drops and making tight turns. Overall, I am stoked to have this boat in my quiver to use on a variety of paddling trips.
Check out this video of my testing the Katana out on the White Salmon River and stay tuned for the release of more Mountain Mind Collective videos!
If you're anything like me, texting and driving is safe compared to driving along a river in the spring time! This year is especially bad if you live in the Northern Rockies, California or the Northwest. After a MASSIVE snow year, all signs are pointing to an equally epic run off. It's time to get ready for spring, paddling and all things awesome!
Here are a few key pointers to get ready for big water.
MOBILITY IS KEY! Avoiding injuries is better than rehabbing and most injuries can be avoided through mobility. Kayakers (myself included) usually have unique (to be read as BAD) posture from sitting in a small plastic boat and pulling ourselves around. There are some easy stretches you can do to get your back and shoulders aligned and mobile. For pointers, visit fellow my good friend and fellow kayaker, Kelly Starrett's blog- the mobility wod Here you will find some amazing "self administered" PT and stretches that will save you a trip to the ortho this year. My favorite is the couch stretch and you'll need some lacrosse balls to work out some major kinks you probably didn't know you had.
Start strengthening your shoulders- this can be done through good hand stands against a wall, walking on your hands, overhead squats or hand stand push ups. Strong shoulders will equate to a safer and better paddling season.
As always, please tell anyone you know between 18 and 39 who has or ever has had cancer about the free adventure programs First Descents offers. If you don't refer them, they'll never know. It's up to you!
Finally, are you looking for a good challenge this year or do you already have one up your sleeve but need a good cause to align with? Check out TEAM FD where you can challenge yourself and do it for a good cause!
It's that time of year when the snow starts melting and the rivers start running and that means you need to be getting in shape for an epic paddling season.
As we all know, strong shoulders are key to a successful paddling season! There are a few simple movements you can be doing now to get your shoulders in peak shape for paddling this year.
The hand stand push up is a great movement that can be done at home or in the gym. There are several variations of this movement ranging from relatively simple to quite difficult. Here is a LINK to a video showing some of those variations.
Overhead squatting- depending on the weight you're using, you can do this at home with a broom stick or at the gym with a fair bit of weight on a barbell. Here's a LINK to a video showing the exercise. One note of caution- please start really light on this as you don't want to blow out your shoulders in the gym.
If all else fails, JOIN YOUR LOCAL CROSSFIT AFFILIATE! This is the best way to get in the best shape of your life in a short period of time.
If you're looking for a goal and want to help a good cause, I always recommend signing up for a TEAM FD challenge to challenge yourself and raise money for First Descents. By doing so, you'll pay it forward to a young adult with cancer so they too can paddle!
I really liked the original Mamba. It was stable, forgiving, easy to maneuver and easy to roll. The perfect boat for beginner whitewater kayakers, and a fun boat for river running class III/IV.
Because we put all of our beginners in the original Mamba I was nervous about the new design and whether it would be just as good. Now that I’ve had the chance to paddle and teach in the new Mamba this season I am a convert! The new series featuring the Mamba 7.6, 8.1 and 8.6 is awesome. It’s even more stable, rolls like a dream for beginners AND is way more fun to paddle for intermediate/advanced paddlers on class IV/V whitewater. It boofs like a champ with easy edge to edge transitions on landing, it tracks better and carves beautiful turns. I’ve paddled it while teaching, while running class IV and I’ve watched beginners excel in it. If you’re in the market for a new river runner I highly recommend the new Dagger Mamba. At Girls at Play it’s our #1 boat choice!
Some small women may find that the 7.6 feels too big, but I’ve also seen very tiny women paddle it well.
I suggest that you take it out on the water and try it to see how it maneuvers and if it fits you. Here are some photos of the Mamba performing in a variety of settings during our Girls at Play whitewater programs this summer including our Mother/Daughter paddle, Beginner Clinics and Creek Week!
Girls at Play Ladies on the Lower G Fundraiser for AW!
Posted: 08.23.2012 by
Anna
Levesque
Ladies on the Lower G will be taking over the river again this year on Friday, September 14th to raise money for American Whitewater (AW)!
As usual, Girls at Play staff is volunteering to be safety kayakers and guides for the day and in exchange, this year, we are suggesting that each person donate on a sliding scale between $25 and $50 (whatever you can afford, keeping in mind all of the great work that AW does for us). All of the proceeds go to AW so that they can continue to work for the river access and conservation that we whitewater paddlers have the privilege of enjoying.
The idea is to get a bunch of awesome, fun, women paddlers together enjoying the river and helping each other gain confidence and skills. This is a great day to come out for your first time down the Lower G. We are taking up to 20 paddlers so be sure to make your donation early.
We’ll meet at the take-out to the Lower Gauley (upper lot) at 10 a.m. Please bring a lunch to eat on the river and be prepared to help with shuttle.
IMPORTANT! You must register ahead of time! For safety and fun we are limiting the group to 20 women. You can register by calling Girls at Play at 828.333.4482 and giving your donation via credit card OR by choosing one of the donation options below and paying online. We can’t take any money on park service land so everyone has to book ahead of time by credit card. We look forward to paddling with everyone and supporting AW!
Do you have trouble ferrying or feel that you get pushed off-line a lot? If so try paying more attention to the angle you're setting with your kayak before you make your move.
Setting the correct angle can mean the difference between a ferry that feels hard and sloppy and a ferry that feels easy and precise. It can also mean the difference between struggling to be on-line and hitting your line effortlessly.
I've witnessed kayakers paddle fast and furiously only to end up tired and struggling. In their attempt to paddle as hard as they can they forgot about other important whitewater technique such as boat angle. Paddling hard only helps you if you have the correct angle to get you where you want to go.
It's true that paddling as fast or faster than the current will help to keep you upright, but as you progress from a beginner to an intermediate paddler you need to be more selective about when and how you take every stroke. If you have correct boat angle when ferrying and entering rapids then you are setting yourself up for success and you don't need as many strokes to carry your speed.
When you're entering a low-volume, technical rapid your angle is important because you don't have a lot of room to make big maneuvers and if you start paddling too hard without paying attention to where you're going you can quickly end up in the wrong place. Look at the water in front of you and decide whether the move requires moving with lateral momentum or straight ahead and then set your angle accordingly BEFORE you enter the rapid.
In big water you need to set your angle early so that you're ready to carry your speed when it's time to make a move. It takes a lot of time to change your angle and then pick up your speed in a big rapid. If you've anticipated and already have your angle to the left or right of an obstacle then you're ready to move when the time is right.
In ferrying angle is THE most important piece. If you set a good angle (45 degree relative to the current) BEFORE you cross the eddyline then you allow the water to carry you over to the other side effortlessly. Setting a good angle for your ferry also requires that you feel what the water is doing to your boat in addition to reading the water with your eyes. My favorite drill to work on this skill is to set your angle and then ferry with your eyes closed. Pick an easy spot to start so that you feel comfortable closing your eyes. Have a friend spot you just in case. I've had several students, both beginners and intermediates who react in shock when they get the angle right because it feels 'so easy!'
So next time you go out focus less on paddling and more on setting your angle. You'll notice more precision and less energy wasted. Have fun out there and always be thinking of your angle before speed!
Hey all hope everyone's summer has been good. It's been a fun one here in the southeast a little on the hot side I suppose but that's just a great excuse to get in the water!
I'm going to take a moment to talk about catching eddies, actually what I really want to talk about is making it easy. No more almost making it but sliding out the back or struggling to cross the eddy line. Eddies can turn from your nemesis into your friend by following one easy concept: Let the eddy do the work! Often times we work way to hard to get into these things, I've found that if I follow the three straightforward tips below (also illustrated in the videos) those eddies are no longer such a challenge.
Step 1: Set your angle and paddle.
Ideally you want to set your angle so that you are pointed downstream but into the eddy. Then you've got to paddle, you won't make it by just looking:)
Step 2: Hold that angle and speed all the way into the eddy.
This is the letting the eddy do the work part. Oftentimes we are tempted to initiate our turn before we actually get into the eddy which causes our boat to slip or slide along the eddy line. If you drive your kayak all the way across the eddy line and let the slack water in the eddy begin to turn your boat your problems (well most of them) will be solved.
Step 3: Paddle through that turn.
Once the eddy water begins to turn you its important to remember to keep paddling, this provides speed around your corner which also helps stop that sliding feeling. If you paddle on the inside of your turn it will make your eddy turns silky smooth. Tip: Try using a wide stroke like a stern draw or sweep for large eddies or turbulent eddylines this will put you deeper in the eddy. Try a more vertical stroke like a bow draw or even a regular forward stroke for those small eddies. Remember these strokes are placed in the eddy not the current
Enjoy the video examples below and happy eddy catching!
Green Race! My most anticipated race is right around the corner, first racer at high noon this Saturday. The runs are in, the attainments done, the smack is being laid down, bets made, the list of what surrounds this race goes on and on.
This year is a special one for me as its my first one back on my road to recovering from a herniated disc. It's been super fun to be a part of everything again and I can't wait to fire out of that start gate. But that's Saturday and this is today. I noticed something in the parking lot the other day, after a particular unimpressive display of practice race runs on my behalf. As I told my story almost every one joined in with a spectacular crash story of their own and many of them were from that day or the one before. Most of them are pretty funny cause most folks made it out relatively unscathed. Then I got to thinking, partly from my own experience and from listening to everyone else's tales of the crash, "Man I've got to go back out there tomorrow and do this again". Then I realized that I'm in this situation every year cause let me tell you the lines are not always there. I think this is a very common thing in competition, especially in sports that carry a good bit of danger in them. How do you get back out there after a big crash and move forward? Some folks say you need to realize the danger and fear to learn from them, I think you need a bit of short term memory loss:)
That's not to say you don't learn from a mistake but a lot of times you've just got to forget it happened. Cause you're gonna run the monkey backwards, you're gonna surf the speed trap, you're gonna pin and you're gonna piton Zwicks. After each one of these things happen you need that short term memory loss to kick in so each run after the crash can be the best one ever. Make no mistake this doesn't mean forget about the consequences or paddle outside of your ability. It just means that when you roll out of that start gate the only thought going through your head needs to be
" This is going to be the run of my life!" So good luck to all you racers and keep your eye on the prize!
Focus on the horizon line and forgot those other runs!
