Man, what a sick event!  The green race is straight up grass roots.  From the first racer out of the blocks to the bitter end of the after party.  Speaking of the after party, this was one of the best parties I have been to all year, kick ass for sure!   I, myself, didn’t go all that fast.  I hit some rocks, ran some stuff backwards, caught the notch eddy, anyway you get my point.  However, Pyranha did have three paddlers in the top ten;  Dustin, Rob, Jerry and Eric with a impressive 3rd place.  Here is a quick video showcasing demshitz.

Exactly three years to the day I watched my first Green Race I found myself in the Gallimore parking lot with my 10 foot purple Pyranha Mountain 300 listening to Jason Hale shout out his renown pre-race messages. It was amazing to see so many great boaters who have helped form the history of the Green, and humbling as well.
I had one goal for the day: to finish the race. After shoulder surgery in January, I had started running Gorilla in August only to aggravate the joint again. I had put in close to 40 runs of Gorilla when the week before the race I made the discovery that I had lost enough range of motion that I couldn’t sweep my paddle out to roll on my right side.
I swam out of the bottom of Gorilla two days in a row after a perfect season. It was devastating and brought a lot of self doubt and humiliation.
I knew I had put the time in and could run every line on the river forward and backwards.
Knowing that Tommy Hillike would be setting live bait at the bottom of Gorilla added that extra bit of confidence. I was going to come up one way or another.
At 12:52, I jetted out from the pool above Frankenstein and was off. It was amazing, my focus was clear, lungs and muscles burning, I set up for the notch. My strategy was to go left of center off the launch pad to miss speed trap at the bottom but I went a little too deep in the notch. My line off the pad was great, but when I flipped at the bottom and set up to roll, I realized my boat was FULL of water. As the live bait crew grabbed me, it became apparent I had a skirt implosion somewhere between the notch and the trough. They helped me bail my boat, plopped me back in, and I tore off to finish the race with a less than ideal time of 7:20.
After hours and hours of training, I was disappointed with the implosion, but at the same time, considered myself fortunate that I was able to finish and be a part of such a cool event.
The biggest part of me wanted to hike back up and get a redo…. but I guess I’ll have to wait till next year.

www.boushkanaka.com

Since 4 month to prepare only that.
To be on podium.
I won the qualification race; but i was unlucky in final…
My spraydeck opened in first drop.

We were two Pyranha brothers in final. Fabrice Poueyto and me.

First to take the lead Fafa was a sweet time in pool with…miss Tirol !

Final results:

Fabrice Pouyeto (Fra): 10

Eric Deguil (Fra): 9

To forget this bad race. I decided to go to the store and buy chocolat…

To see the race:

Adidas sickline extreme kayak world championship 2009

Next trip: The Green narrow race.

See you on the Green river.

Hi,

I have some news from freestyle.

Last week ICF World Cahmpionship took place in Switzerland. The wave in Thun was very changeable and not so big.

But the event ran over eficient and thaks for organizers.

More info and results: http://www.icf-thun2009.ch

Demshitz Stay out of jail tour was a success! Dave Fusilli Nicole Mansfield and I survived a summer traveling from state to state in the Team Pyranha van ( aka “orange bitch” ) visiting Pyranha Dealers events, rodeos, races; we went everywhere! Here is a video from our last stop on the tour in Ouachita Arkansas with Ouachita Outdoor Outfitters.

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Saturday afternoon before the Pau slalom World Cup. 42 paddlers runned the first boardercross in the new race course.  Abys canoe shop equipped most of the starters with Zone’s to help making the event a success. After a unlucky first run, i took the micro to meet a lot of spectators ( 500 ?) during the show !

 

In 1/4 finale, Maxime Mitaut in fight with Pierrepaolo Ferrazzi win his key for the next run !

 

 

Renaud Doby win the sweet Zone, behind Hugo Caihol ( French junior kayak team ) and Thomas Bersinger who was third in world slalom race in Prague the last week.

 

The girl final run…the landing wasn’t easy. Victory for Nouria Newman, like each run. Second and third Pauline Guiet and Caroline Loir. Now we are looking forward more races in Pau . See you in september !

 

My favourite competition was moved to Val Chiusella and Ivrea’s artificial course this year. The event took place 14. – 17. 5. First day was individual race and „Top 20“ race on really difficult part of river.

Secon day was scheduled team race. We are only me and two guys – Jan Lasko and Matej Sottner from Czechrepublic, so we competed together.

On Saturday the competition started in Ivrea with extreme slalom and after individual sprint.

The most popular was extreme slalom in national team. We positioned 3. place. and time of extreme down river and time of slalom race were counted and Czech team placed on 4. place.

Last day was in token of kayak cross.

The start was from the ramp amd two banners for the touch were in course.

In the end I was overall second in girls category.

Thanks to all those that joined in the Pyranha Summer Series event the other  weekend. Despite the swarms of midgies it was a chilled out and fun affair.

Amy Simcock tested out the Small Burn for the boater cross and came home in 1st position.

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This year Teva Mountain Games competition really stepped up with the international field growing substantially. For those of you who don’t know about it, the Mtn Games is one of the best events in the US. The results of this race are held in high regard for most creek boaters out there, being able to challange themselves against the worlds best. During the week you can check out Mountain Bikers, Runners, Climbers, and many other athletes who come from around the world to compete in Vail Colorado.
Pyranha paddlers were out there representing with Josh Bechtel, the Demshitz crew, Jeremy Laucks, and myself to name a few. The water flows were good, it was actually sunny and not snowing like last year. Here are some of the men’s results:

Name______________COUNTRY_______COMBINED TIME

1. Mike Dawson________NZ__________3.41.63
2. Tao Berman________USA__________3.42.67
3. Pat Keller__________USA__________3.44.29
4. Honza Lasko______Czech R.________3.45.75
5. Sam Sutton_________NZ__________3.47.70
6. Todd Anderson_____USA__________3.47.81
7. Andrew Holcombe___USA__________3.48.61
8. Chris Gragtmans____USA__________3.50.24
9. Ron Fisher_____Switzerland________3.51.03
10. Brad Ludden______USA__________3.52.38
11. Bryan Kirk________USA__________3.53.74
12. Kasper VonK..____Nethr._________3.53.86
13. Dave Fusilli_______USA__________3.54.20
FOR FURTHER RESULTS CLICK HERE
If you get the chance in the future make sure to try to make it out to the Mtn. Games in Vail during the first week of June annually.

Racing the Karnali on Fish Creek in Steamboat Springs Colorado at the PaddlingLife Pro Invitational.
 

Dave Fusilli throwing a loop at the C-Hole Steamboat pro invitational rodeo on the Yampa river. Read the rest of this entry for photos from our past weekend in Steamboat Springs.photos: Anna Bruno

 

 

 

For those of you who do not know about Demshitz, we have an extreme kayaking movie out called Demshitz The Movie that just hit the shelves! With help from Lunch Video Magazine we are selling the movie online for $19.95 US, which includes a solid hour of whitewater kayaking footage in Chile, Argentina, Colorado, California and the Pacific Northwest as well as bonus features that will keep you entertained for years!!! Here are some teasers for the movie! more @ http://vimeo.com/lvmvideo/videos

 

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Dave Fusilli throwin up the air brown at the Reno River Fest.

Demshitz is here in Buena Vista Colorado for Paddle Fest! We have been non-stop from Cheat fest WV to Reno River fest NV and into Californ-i-A ! Check out some of the photos and videos from the trip so far.

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The Norwegian Cup went on last weekend near Arendal in the South-Eastern part of Norway. The total scores of an Extreme Race, a Slalom and a Team Downriver were added together to determine an overall champion. The water levels on Storeelva were better this year than the last, adding just enough water to add extra challenge and make a fierce competition. Team Pyranha -Norway came out strong: 1st in the ladies (myself) and 1st in the men (Per-Christian Pedersen, sharing the honors with Benjamin Hjort). Can’t ask better for a start of a season!

Valerie in the last drop of the Extreme Race

Team Pyranha joining forces for the Team Downriver

Water is still a little low out here in Colorado, but it didn’t stop the 28 kayakers from breaking out the boats for a little racing.  Saturday marked the 4th annual Monarch Mt. snow boatercross.  As far as anyone knew it was the only one of its kind and it was more fun than I could have imagined.  They built the course the day before but it had not been tested by a boat.  I decided to probe the course for them…..needless to say, after my probe run we determined it was way too fast and dangerous as I flew across the pond and over the padding that was supposed to stop me. They shortened and slowed the course in an attempt to minimize the chances of a broken neck!

(Photo by Kaleb Timberlake)

It was basically a giant bob sled course with the finish line on the back side of a slushy pond.  It was a pretty standard boatercross set up.  Heats of 4 with the top two advancing.  After 4 extremely fun and exciting rounds I ended up taking home the gold and making a little cash!

(Photo by Kaleb Timberlake)

I have been getting the Karnali out on the river training for the upcoming racing season and have been impressed with how fast it is, but had no Idea it would be the ideal race boat for snow as well.  HA!

The most exciting/scary part of the day was watching two of the raft teams fly out of the course full speed into a wooden shack on the mountain sending one guy to the hospital.  Fortunatly the injurys were not too serious.

I will definitly be back to this event next year!

Another year, another Green Race. Though this year the race wasn’t quite as big as in years passed, it certainly wasn’t a small race. As you are probably aware of by now, the southeast is nearing the end of a second year of drought. In 2007, the operators of Tuxedo Hydro Station were able to give us a little extra water for the race, but no such luck this year.

The 13th annual Green Narrows Race was held at a low 100% release – a mere 6” on the gauge locals are normally used to seeing read 8” to 9” this time of year. At this low level, the Green is a scrapy, technical creek with tight lines and painful consequences for missed lines. Most lines stay the same but Gorilla, the biggest rapid on the river, also becomes the most technical. Gorilla’s turbulent entrance slot, The Notch, becomes a little steeper and taller but no less terrifying, and a hydraulic that will stop all forward momentum forms on the lip of the monkey itself. Add the fact that this hole has a bad tendency to kick right, toward the river right shelf, and it’s easy to understand why this is combat kayaking. Enter the brave Green Racers.

Chan Jones firing into Gorilla in the new Karnali – Photo courtesy of Clay Lucas

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Last week, the Clemson University Whitewater Club hosted an LVM 27 premiere at Fike Recreation Building. Following dinner and the movie, Pyranha Kayaks hosted a demo and pool rodeo. Casey and I headed down to Clemson Friday evening from Franklin with a pile of boats to join the festivities. We were met with a good turnout of folks at the premiere who blew off homework and other responsibilities to join us in the pool for a bit of fun.

Most of the time we spent in the pool was for folks to spend trying the different boats we had available but the highlight of the evening was the pool rodeo we held at the end of the night. The judges decided to keep things simple by having two classes: Funniest Trick and Coolest Trick. There were no rules, as long as your ride involved a kayak and was the best thing you could come up with in the pool. Some amazing feats of skill and daring were displayed but winners had to be chosen.
Mac, mid-airscrew off the diving board at the Clemson demo
After much deliberation by the judges, it was decided that Todd Henry had performed the Funniest Trick – a bouncing seal launch to faceplant off the high diving board. Mac McGee did the Coolest Trick, an airscrew off the low diving board. Our winners walked away with Pyranha shirts, stickers, and other swag, but we brought enough that everyone who attended got something.
Mac stoked on his new Pyranha shirt
Handing out prizes to the winners
Thanks to Brian and Dave at Pyranha Kayaks for hooking us up with boats and swag for the event, to Penstock Productions for the video, to the Clemson Whitewater Club for organizing and promoting the event and getting food, and to Clemson University for hosting the event. We hope to be back!

Other news in the drought-ridden southeastern US is a recent rain event. After said rain, the aforementioned wonderboy Mac from Clemson met up with me at the Cullasaja River near Highlands, NC to fire off the seldom-run Bricklayer Falls. I’ve heard about this drop and seen the circulating photos of Pat Keller or Joe Barkley running it years ago but never knew exactly where it was. FOUND IT! And…now I understand why this drop isn’t run very often. It’s a nasty 30 foot drop with a sloping entrance, tricky landing, and a terrible cave at the bottom. Mac and I loaded up our Burns, ran the falls at first light the morning after the rain, at a perfect level, and found perfect lines. Here are the goods, as well as a few other shots from that day.
Mac taking one last look while I head for my boat
Me rolling over the lip
Mac givin’ er
And the man behind the lense – fellow Pyranha paddler and brother, Casey Jones

Now, all that there’s left to do is wait in anticipation of the Green Race this weekend and try to control my nerves heading into this event. I’m picking up my new Karnali in a day or two and can’t wait! The weather is chilly now (we just had our first snow of the year last night!) but weather forecasts for Saturday are looking to be perfect for racing. More to follow after the race!

Good lines out there.

Back at the start of October Nottingham played host to the 2008 British Freestyle Championships with all the usual suspects out in force and a surprise or two…

Photo by: Jim Evans from Alpkit.com

Back in 2006 after the 2006 Europeans I decided to retire from OC1 paddling due to the fact it was starting to break me but I decided to give it a go again and see if I could still do it. Well, I can and amazingly I managed to win the 2008 British Champion title!!

Photo by: Jim Evans from Alpkit.com  

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Check the video: Wind River Race 2008
This was a sweet local race put on by the pdxkayaker.org guys. Head to head heats of three or four heading over the Sheppard Falls. The race started about 20 feet above the first drop so we knew there would be some carnage in the landing. I ended up taking 1st followed by Rob Bart and Dave Hoffman. Christie G took home 1st in the ladies race. Check the shot in the video of the girls heat to see someone getting landed on. The river levels are at extreme lows around the Northwest, we’re hoping the rains start kicking in soon.

First Sheppards falls drop.

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If you were near Avon Co this summer from the 15th of June to the 15th of Aug you had the opportunity to make $2,500 doing a little kayaking in Avon new playpark. The town put up the money and what you had to do was make a video of yourself in the playpark and the biggest air won. This was a way to get people into the park. If you check out the video you can see the town of Avon did a pretty good job making a sweet feature that will give up some pretty big air. Check this video of Demshitz takin the money!

Last weekend we had the Spanish Freestyle Championship in Ourense, at the same spot the Freestyle European Championship will be celebrated in two weeks.  The Spanish Championship was a test for the organizers to see how things are and how they should be.

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