The kayaking this weekend at the Teva Mountain Games was awesome. I was around for the freestyle semi-finals and finals on Saturday, and for all of the raft cross and eight-ball races on Sunday. The eight-ball was wildly entertaining, as usual, but my favorite minute of action had to be Stephen Wright’s winning 1310-point ride [...]
Last week I was on vacation in Utah, just north of Marysvale. One morning I took a guided whitewater trip on the Sevier River; most of our group went with the large raft, but three of us chose to go it alone in NRS inflatable kayaks. Our trip was about 10 miles long, and included [...]
Since my last post, I have added the following gear to my complement:
- AT4 E play paddle (small-diameter bent shaft)
- Stohlquist women’s Cruiser PFD
- Warmers 1/2-finger Barnacle gloves
This last weekend I went out kayaking on a local reservoir with a friend on Saturday and Sunday. We mostly chased each other around on the water, getting [...]
The way I see it, if I’m really going to get serious about whitewater kayaking, there are certain things I need: kayak, spray skirt, paddle, PFD, helmet, and a dry top (or other insulating layer, e.g. neoprene top). I’m also tempted to get a pair of paddling gloves.
I have the kayak and spray skirt. They’ve [...]
My little sister did the bouldering competition again this year, and some family friends qualified for the bouldering World Cup event, so my entire family was in Vail this past weekend. I was there Thursday afternoon through Sunday, so I got to see almost all of the kayaking events. My only real regret is that [...]
As promised, a report on my first “real” excursion in my new Fun:
It was windy out on Boulder Reservoir last weekend, as happens rather frequently in Boulder, and as a result I had to fight for every inch. In my old kayak, this would have been fair grounds for throwing a real fit; in the [...]
Here in fabulous Boulder, Colorado, this weekend’s forecast is calling for 70-degree weather. However, thanks to runoff from this winter season’s abundant snowfall, the local whitewater is maintaining a somewhat cooler temperature. Seeing as I haven’t yet acquired a drytop or other means of avoiding hypothermia in such conditions, I’ll stick to the nice, sun-warmed [...]
Preliminary findings on my 2007 JK Fun:
So incredibly comfortable. Wow. I know my opinion in this matter is just another drop in the metaphorical bucket; however, I’m pleased enough with my boat that I’ll go ahead and add my voice to the multitudes that sing the praises of the Jackson Kayak design team.
At Confluence Kayak [...]
As of this afternoon, I am the proud new owner of a Jackson Fun.
This weekend kayaker is going kayaking this weekend!
Yee-haw!
I began my forray into the wide world of kayaks with the following criteria in mind:
1. I really want to paddle whitewater.
2. River-running is what caught my interest in the first place (as in, “ooh, that looks fun, I want to do that!”).
3. The more I see, the more I really want to try playboating.
And [...]