Kokatat continues their support of the HTTD series for a third season!
Kokatat has stepped up to the plate for their third season with the World Kayak HTTD series. Kokatat is known for their amazing quality dry gear. They are an awesome group of paddlers located in northern California who have a true passion for the sport. Look for some seekers headed to a throwdown event near you. There are some exciting announcements coming from Kokatat for our Championship event at NOC later this fall. Make sure to support this great company by checking out their gear at your local retailer.
Later ; Colin
Mountain Khakis signs on for their 5th season of support for the Hometown Throwdowns.
Hello spring! It is that time of year again and the World Kayak Hometown Throwdown series is getting underway for 2012. This year things are getting off to a great start with the addition of some creek races to our event series. Once again our partners have stepped up big and are going to be hooking us up big time. The first WK partner to answer the call this season and commit to another great year is Mountain Khakis! The good folks at Mountain Khakis have been with us for the past five years and continue to keep us looking good once we dry off. Make sure you visit them at http://www.mountainkhakis.com/. I am super excited to see if the new Cargo pants can dethrone my Alpine Utility pants as my favorite piece of clothing I own.
Later ; Colin
Nationals at KWP in Idaho. Big prize money!
Dear Friends,
Here is the information on Nationals. Thanks so much! Devon
Classes: This is a stand alone NATIONALS and separate from the point series.National Champions will be crowned in the following classes:
K1M Pro, K1W Pro, K1M Open, K1W Open, K1M Jr, K1W Jr, C1, OC1, and Cadet
Community Service: TBD
Contact: devobarker@yahoo.com
Registration: through morning of July 6 , 2012
Activities: Free concerts on site over the festival weekend. Bands TBA.
Awards:Prizes & Purse Total $15,500 Pro class K1 Women & Men’s purse
1st $2000
2nd $1,750
3rd $1,500
4th $1,250
5th $1,000
C1 Unisex 1st $300
2nd $200
Event date – July 7-8
Visit: www.kwpid.com for more info.
Winter Paddling precautions Part 2
On this posting I am going to mention a few things about choosing a run during the winter season.
1) Length of run.
- Try to choose shorter runs in colder temperatures to keep warm.
- If you can leave an extra shuttle car in the middle of the run for an additional take out in case someone is to cold to continue.
Remember that one of the first sings of hypothermia is loss of brain function.
2) Difficulty of run.
- Select a run well within your and the groups ability. With the extra challenge of the temperatures and possible water level fluctuation. I recommend that this is not the time to push your limits.
- If you haven’t done a lot of winter paddling or get cold easily choose a run below your current ability to see how you and your group deal with the cold. Then you can reassess the run as you get used to the temperatures.
3) Know your group
- As always learn your groups paddling ability
- Know if they have paddled during similar conditions,
- Be sure they are aware of the conditions and how it will affect them.
- Make sure they can handle the cold.
- I usually try to get a larger experienced to less experienced ratio of paddlers this time of year. ( also keep in mind experienced with winter paddling
Remind everyone that it is cold out there and if they are not prepared for it they should be asked to not paddle.
3rd Annual Ocoee River Race Supports First Descents!
Over 70 paddlers and 4 rafts, joined the Tennessee Valley Canoe Club for the 3rd Annual Ocoee River Race. For the past 3 years, TVCC has hosted a downriver race on the Ocoee River. The past two years it has been supporting First Descents. Check out the video from the “Duo Division”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDf2ELZEKF4. TVCC is proud to have raised over $1,000 dollars for First Descents! Check them out at www.firstdescents.org
Boise Whitewater Park Update
The long-awaited Boise River whitewater park between Quinn’s Pond and Veterans Memorial Park is a construction site today, surrounded by chain-link barriers. A wintry chill kicks up off the water, and the river itself has been diverted through Quinn’s Pond while crews rebuild a century-old diversion dam.
If everything goes as planned, kayakers will be navigating dramatic man-made waves this spring.
Read more HERE.
Boise Whitewater Park Update
The long-awaited Boise River whitewater park between Quinn’s Pond and Veterans Memorial Park is a construction site today, surrounded by chain-link barriers. A wintry chill kicks up off the water, and the river itself has been diverted through Quinn’s Pond while crews rebuild a century-old diversion dam.
If everything goes as planned, kayakers will be navigating dramatic man-made waves this spring.
Read more HERE.
Winter Paddling precautions Part 1
Living in the Fraser Valley we have a great opportunity to paddle year round. With this in mind everyone needs to re-evaluate there risk management plans. Weather you are paddling with a couple of your friends that you paddle with everyday or are going out with a group that has come in just to paddle.
Hypothermia is something that we should be aware of year round but it definitely takes it place at the top of our priority list this time of year. Here are a few tips you should think about in this area.
1) Dress for a swim.
- You should always be ready to spend some time in the water.
- Extra layers are recommended.
- Remember if you do get to warm you can always do a couple of rolls and cool off.
- If anyone in the party is not dressed for the weather have extra gear on hand for them or don’t let them paddle.
- Even if they probably won’t swim they would be useless if needed in a rescue. ( if they can’t spend time in the water how can they help you if you get into trouble) Think about the group safety not just one paddler
- Head socks made of fleece make a big difference in keeping you warm. You may need to readjust you helmet outfitting to accommodate the fleece liner.
Gloves or poggies for your hands.
- I prefer poggies since you still have the ability to “feel” what you need to like Paddle ,Grab loop. The down side is they are attached to your paddle so I keep a pair of gloves in my boat in case I need to do things with my hands other than paddle such as rescues and rope work.
- Gloves give you the benefit of keeping your hands warm weather at all times. The biggest thing you need to keep in mind is can you feel your grab loop. If you are paddling with gloves before you hit the water close your eyes and make sure you can find your grab loop with your eyes closed.
These are just a few things to keep in mind. Some of my best paddles have been with the snow on the ground but please paddle safe.
Kay-Uwe
Log jam on the French Broad
There’s a massive log jam on the French Broad. It’s expected to break, sending a wall of water down the river. If you are heading to the FB today, rethink your plans!
ABC 13 News Video: Massive log jam on the French Broad River
New Nantahala Ambassador
Amanda Gettler joins the World Kayak Team as the new Ambassador for the Nantahala region in Western North Carolina.
Read more about Amanda: http://regions.worldkayak.com/nantahala/the-nantahala-ambassador/
