Here’s a few of pics from the Peak UK White Water Challenge at the Nene White Water Centre last weekend. The course is a small artificial course with the main play feature being good for pretty much any hole move going. People were hitting Phonix Monkeys, McNasties and all sorts with us C1 boys schooling the kayakers scores in the heats by over 200 points!!

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Last week a couple of friends of mine and I were allowed to do a couple of test runs down the new artificial course in Leipzig/Germany. Actually, there are two courses, a little and a big one, but they are not officially open yet because there are still many things to be done at the sight.

Once it’s open though I’m sure it will great fun for all the freestyle and slalom kayakers out there, as the course is pretty steep and has relatively much water on it for an artificial one. When they have finished adjusting the obstacles, there will definitely be some nice play holes and waves on course and international freestyle events could be held there. I’m looking forward to it!

Unfortunately I have no pics so far, I might post some later…

This summer, the sort’s local canoe club and the town council have rebuilt a new freestyle spot in Sort. The spot is in the same place that was in the worlds in 2001 or in the european champs in 2004. 

The high flows of the spring of 2005 destroyed the spot of the European Champs in 2004, so there wasn’t a spot any more. 

The new spot is similar to the spot of the worlds, but we just have seen it in low water level, so next spring we’ll see if it becomes on a powerful hole or a big wave. 

I think this spot is a very important thing for the locals who live there because in the last few years freestyle boating in Sort has been decreasing. Furthermore, it will attract more paddlers than before, so tourism will increase, what is important because tourism is the main economical activity. 

Although the spot was created in mid july there have been an international competition, the 43rd International Rally of the Noguera Pallaresa, that includes freestyle, slalom, whitewater racing, an eskimo-roll competition … 

Photos in a few days…

Andria and I have had an excellent year on the road so far working on new guidebooks and paddling as much as possible. You can read trip reports of our travels in the NEWS SECTION of our WEBSITE, but I thought I would post a few photos up here for folks to check out.

Me testing out the Burn in April on Little River Canyon Falls, Alabama, USA

Me on Entrance Falls, Vallecito Creek, Colorado in June.
Photo by Chad Higinbotham

Andria on Mesa Falls, Idaho in July

Andria on Callaghan Creek, BC, Canada in August

Andria and Taylor Cavin doing the simul-drop on Rogers Creek, BC in August.

Stay tuned for more, the year is not over yet!!!!

With the World Cup of Freestyle Kayaking making a stop in Watertown, New York there was a lot going on, and a lot of new people in town.  Everyone seemed to be enjoying all that the great city of Watertown has to offer.  The world Cup seemed like a great event and a great idea, but I’ll let Jeremy and Matt tell you all about that. 

I managed to sneak off with a few friends to check out the Eagle section of the Beaver River.  It is located about 1 hour East of Watertown.  I call it the South Silver of the East.  In about a half a mile it drops almost 200 feet over 4 separate rapids.  The weather was terrible so the pictures aren’t all that spectacular.  I did four laps, walking back to the top each time.  It was so fun I couldn’t stop.  

Taking some time off from school this year opened up my schedule for some epic kayaking trips. Starting off the year in Ecuador with a month-long kayak vacation set the bar for the months to come.

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This august a motley crew consisting of myself, Ali Donald, Dave Carroll, Rosie Cripps and Sam Hughes found ourselves on the roof of the world in Ladakh, India. The idea was to paddle some classic multiday rivers like the Tsarap, Zanskar and Indus.

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Well what a weekend it was over in wet and windy Wales here in the UK for the Coaching Festival at the Tryweryn. Loads of people turned up for the event either for a boat down the river of for one of the many courses going on and the new Ammo and Recoil generated a lot of interest on the stand. It was the first time these new toys had really been seen in public and the Ammo in particular got loads of attention.

Luckily, being fairly short I managed to squeeze myself into the small pre-production boat and give it a whirl. I have to say that I’m not sure I have had so much fun in a boat for ages. Get the Ammo down the river and it’s incredibly manouverable cutting in and out of eddies with ease using those seriously cool edges and short length. Get it on a wave however and it paddles just like a playboat. Spins, small sidekicks, blunts, you name it I’m sure this boat will do it!! In fact, I had about seven, “one last go’s”. I can’t wait to get my paws on a larger one and giving it a spin.

Check out the pic below of me running a rarely run drop in the Ammo. Can you name it?

Photo by: Andy Marsh

Fall is my favorite season in New York.  Every weekend in September and October there is a great class IV/V dam controlled river to paddle on (thanks Chris Koll, Pete Skinner, and American Whitewater).  I kicked off the fall dam release season with runs on the Raquette River and Moshier section of the Beaver. 

Saturday I found myself doing lap after lap on the Raquette.  I just could not stop it was too much fun.  Sunday I ran the Moshier section of the Beaver River, which is the gem of the Beaver river system.  Sunday was the only day the Moshier section will run all year so I motivated for 3 laps down the 4 mile run.  Monday I went back to the Raquette for another 4 laps. 

 I only got a couple of pictures because I was too busy paddling. 

Next week it’s on to the Eagle section of the Beaver.  Yahoo !

Yep, that s right, we out here in Norway are always busy! This weekend the rains finaly came!!!! Yehaaar. Liz came out and we headed up to the Myrkdale River. Seemed like a good day to test a new PFD!

The Front, full harness, reflective tape and low profile shoulder straps. (more…)

Well its been the driest summer ever (except when Rob visited!!) and finally it has started raining again!!!!

Here are some images of summer fun.