Dec 08 2009
More photos from free clinic.
Thanks to Matthew Koch with www.adriftimages.com for sending me some new pictures of the free clinic for this write-up.
Hope to see you all on the river soon after a short leave of absense.
Jeremy Adkins
Tag Archive 'freestyle'
Oct 24 2009
Coming home to RAIN!!!
After getting back from West Virgina there was rain at home. I had some stuff to catch up on but here are some shots from a quick stop to the Mulberry and Locust Fork branches of the Warrior River. When these two places are both in at the same time you can hit every trick in the book in one day. Great fun and one of the best holes in the Southeast with no publicity.
Oct 13 2009
Improvements in Freestyle!
With great water and weather, the time came to take friend and fellow paddler, Steve Doyle on his 1st day private instruction freestyle class. Steve has has been wanting to take the class and what better time than a sunny day off in the middle of the week. The day started out at Ender Hole on the Locust Fork of the Warrior before we went over to the Mulberry Fork of the Warrior. With two different rivers it allowed us to work on different moves in different locations. Learning at different locations helps you tweak all different aspects of your freestyle. While on the Locust Fork we hiked up to Big Scarum and check out the waterfalls.
This day was great for him as I saw him improve his skills as the day progressed.
To my surprise there was a fire barell from NAWF 5 miles downstream at Ender Hole.
Some of the skills we worked on with great imrpovements were rudders, spins, cartwheels, edge control, rock-a-babies, double pump, reverse double pump, offside roll, forward sweeps, backward sweeps, blunts and setting up by surfing out to the corners. Great day and way to go Steve. Keep practicing and everything will come with perseverance.
Here is a photo of a perfect cartwheel Steve did after he started leading with his eyes and committing to pushing and pulling his sweep strokes.
SYOTR,
Jeremy Adkins.
Team Jackson Kayaks
Oct 05 2009
Gauley Festival Always Rocks!
Upon meeting Anne Connelly Thursday afternoon, the two of us set off on the 9 hour trek to the 2009 Gauley Festival. Anne is a one of a kind individual as she earned the 2008 American Whitewater volunteer of the year award. Not only is she a fantastic boater, with her humor and entertaining personality, there is no one I’d rather accompany on a road trip. We arrived at the Gauley River dam late Thursday night forcing us to set up the tent in complete darkness. Since the tubes were on and it was so quiet, I decided to walk down and grab some photos. With the night lights shining, the area looked beautiful, giving me some great shots of the water. Underneath the lights, I spotted a huge, neatly spun web along with a spider who didn’t seem to mind posing for a few minutes. Gotta love a little nature at night.
Friday morning came way too early for two exhausted night owls. Anne and I drove over to NARR to meet a group with whom she planned to paddle. Anne did the Ladies of the Lower Gauley trip to help raise money for American Whitewater.
I ran into some friends who talked me into taking on the Lower G for the first time in 15 years. Most of my life I have heard that the Lower Gauley has better playboating than the Upper, however after spending all day on that portion of the river, I would have to disagree. While it does hold some good playspots, most of them are really shallow hindering the ability to go big or get vertical. But at least I got in one good move…a huge air blunt at Lower Mash highlighted my first day. The 2010 All Star did help the situation as its size and shape allows you to paddle so well downstream. The stern is small but as long as you lean forward in the attack position, it is so easy to handle. I don’t think any big moves could have been possible in a larger boat, so I was very happy to have the All Star on this trip. Though my trip didn’t produce many more great moves, as the day came to a close, the sun setting into the beautiful Gauley landscape reminded me of how much I appreciated the opportunity to run its river. And as darkness filled the sky, the festival began with the ever famous, Piano Man center stage. Wow!! Every year I have to write about this guy! Not only is he talented, he is so much fun to watch and really gets the weekend of entertainment started off right…well, him and the abundance of margaritas floating around.
Saturday was about as kind to me as the previous, thanks to the long visit in Margaritaville. I dragged myself out and met some other friends who had never been down the Upper Gauley. I agreed to take 5 newbies down and only had one to swim. It was truly a great day with great lines. The Upper Gauley is one of a kind and gives boaters that feeling of satisfaction when its all said and done. That night it was back to the festival where some great activities were going on. Jackson Kayaks held The Sponge Givaway with a new boat offered as the winning prize and, as usual, there were many rounds of the never ending, Ro-Sham-Bo and numerous spirits available. What a great time we all had again this year. The highlight of the weekend, for me, however, happened on Saturday night. I was introduced to an amazing dance appropriately named, The Caucasian. I would like to thank this dance for bringing back the annoying early 90’s chant, “Go white boy, go white boy, GO”. Here is a link to the Caucasian.
Sunday morning started my last Gauley run of 2009. To change it up a bit, I hopped in the Hero and I have to say, I love it more every time I paddle it. This boat is quick and short, turns on a dime and boofs like a dream. What more could you ask for in a creekboat? Definately the best in my book!! Just try it!
While on the river, I ran into 5 more new paddlers and ended up showing them down as well. By the way, great lines, guys!! In the process of helping one young lady get her boat back I ended up saving a Dynamic Duo. If you’ve ever had to pick up this ginormous boat, full of water, then you know how ridiculously heavy it is. If you don’t want to know…don’t swim unless you want to deal with over 1,000 lbs. of water. Needless to say, after that, my weekend trip had come full circle…I left the Gauley as exhausted as I had arrived 3 days before. But despite how worn out I am every time, it is honestly one of my favorite trips each year.
I hope to see you on the river soon,
Jeremy Adkins
Team Jackson Kayaks
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Sep 13 2009
Free Kayaking Clinic in Alabama on November 14-15th.
Free Kayaking clinic on November 14 and 15th. If you want to learn this is your chance. Special thanks to Jackson Kayaks for all their help and providing kayaks for all those interested in learning. Email me at FlyinSkeleton@cs.com and I will give you all the details and add you to the newsletter.
Hope to see you all there.
Jeremy Adkins
FlyinSkeleton@cs.com
Aug 07 2009
NOC/ Dagger Shootout
The weekend of the Noc/Dagger Shootout was scheduled to begin with some much needed practice for me at the Ocoee early Friday Morning. After a DAM good breakfast, my wife, Shannon and I were off to the river. Unfortunately we noticed much heavier traffic than usual and as we approached the private takeout of Lake Ocoee, we were brought to a complete stop suddenly staring at a line of vehicles for miles. Unaware of the situation, we sat there for about 45 minutes hoping the traffic would clear. Finally, out of concern, I got out of the car and walked up to see what was going on. According to a ranger, a minivan lost control and flipped into the ditch leaving the driver badly injured. We were encouraged to turn around and head home for the afternoon as it would be hours before the wreckage would be cleared. We turned to car around realizing that at 2:30, the delay would be long enough to lose out on water for the day. As we headed back, we were stopped yet again to clear the bridge for the medivac helicopter to land and retrieve the victim. Needless to say the water ran out while I was stuck between a wreck and a helicoptor, something you don’t see everyday. But this random event seemed to kick off a theme for our weekend. Saturday morning started early with a 6:30 am departure for our ride to North Carolina’s Nantahala River where I was to compete in the NOC/Dagger Shootout. On the way, as we traveled through Ducktown, TN we noticed some very strange weather. Suddenly lightening began to strike all over, but in an upward motion accompanied by deep rattling thunder that even seemed to shake the car as we drove. As we continued on, however, the sporadic storm drifted away and we arrived at the river to beautiful clear skies. I was excited to find that the NOC staff had not only put alot of work into building a good hole, but had also improved the atmosphere throughout. For those o you who have not been there in a while, NOC now offers alcohol on the concessions porch and have created a permanent, sweet play feature right beside the beer stand. While a bit flushy and dynamic, the hole will give up almost any freestyle move. Noon kicked off the competition which consisted of 3 rides, 1 minute and 30 seconds each. Even for Pro Men’s, this is a long time spent in a flushy hole. I would be lying if I said I didn’t spend quite a bit of time winded in between runs. Though my rides were not to my satisfaction, it turned out to be a great event. The experience was alot of fun and gave me the opportunity to see the community push for change. The 2010 All Star was a dream to paddle on the wave being that it was very fast, loose and has alot of pop. Excitement rings through me thinking of next year and pushes me to put in more practice for the event. Though I was pleased to learn I had made finals, I was unable to compete in them due to a prior engagement. Next year, I plan to secure the full weekend for the competition and hopefully will go all the way through. Special thanks for all the people that helped put it together, the hospitality was fantastic and your work toward change at NOC is much appreciated. On Monday, I stayed and played at the Ocoee. It was so fun to have a day to just throw it down in the new boat and to look up and see my wife on the bank cheering me on.
Jeremy Adkins
Jul 27 2009
20 Years of life, memories and photos!!!!
This year marks the 20th anniversary of when my father introduced me to the sport. The last 2 decades have taken me through many journeys to many places in the world. Along the way I have had many experiences, most of which shaped the course of my life and who I have become. The goals I set for myself along the way have started to become a reality while growing closer to accomplishing new ones every day. However, nothing could top the relationships I have gained on the river. Those who share the common bond of whitewater kayaking have truly proven themselves some of the best people I’ve had the pleasure to know.
While words will not do justice the talent of those I have learned from nor would a paragraph be able to sum up the experiences I have been so blessed to have in the past 20 years, I will attempt to show you all what this sport has brought to my life.
As my website continues to grow I will be updating material and photos to the following montage- one will depict me, my adventures, journeys and new discoveries. The other will contain memories of the above-mentioned friends whose talents continue to amaze and inspire me daily.
I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoy the memories. Please feel free to ask questions or request information, as it is my dream to introduce this wonderful sport to anyone and everyone interested.
I hope to see you all on the river soon because for me, the journey is constantly changing, but for you it could be just the beginning.
Jeremy Adkins
Edited by Shannon McCrory Adkins
My first run on Second Ledge, Section 3, Chattooga River.
My first swim because they were trying to deck dance.
My first canoe surf.
My Dad at Slam Dunk before the Olympics.
First run on Nantahala Falls.
Picture that appeared in Paddler Magazine.
60 pounds and doing huge enders at Hell Hole, Ocoee River.
First Back Ender at Ender Hole, Locust Fork of the Warrior.
Surfing with Dad at Surfing Rapid, Nantahala River.
Ender at Nantahala Falls, and Ender at Coosa River.
Old School Pirouette at Coosa River.
Surfing on top wave of Hell Hole, Ocoee River.
Pirouette on top wave of Hell Hole, Ocoee River.
Pirouette at Ender Hole, Locust Fork River, and Cartwheeling at Grumpy’s, Ocoee River.
My first run on Gorilla, Green River.
Pirouette at bottom of Lost Paddle, Gauley River.
Big Right Blunt Maryland Chute, Potomac River.
Cartwheel below Great Falls of the Potomac River.
Big right Blunt on top wave of Hell Hole, Ocoee River.
Right after I cut my head at Gorilla, Green River.
Air Screw, Garb, Ottawa River.
Top wave, Big Side of Moccasin Gap, Coosa River, the learning of the McNasty.
Left Space Godzilla, Ender Hole, Locust Fork River, Photo by David Haynes.
Another Pic of Hell Hole, Ocoee River, Photo by Toni Martin.
Space Godzilla at Slice n Dice, Ocoee River, Photo by Toni Martin.
Top wave, Big Side of Moccasin Gap, Coosa River, Alabama. Photo by BJ Adkins.
Little Side of Moccasin Gap, Coosa River Nationals.
Little Side of Moccasin Gap, Coosa River, Photo by Toni Martin.
Photos by Bryan Kirk of me at Cable Falls, LRC
Big left Air Blunt at Garb on Ottawa River, Canada.
Another Hell Hole, Ocoee River. Always liked the spray off the boat.
One of my favorite creeks, Tampax, Bailey’s Creek, Colorado.
Clean Pan Am, Garb, Ottawa River.
Reverse Freewheel, Short Creek Falls, NAWF, Photo by Samantha Brunner.
Push Button, Ottawa River.
Party Surfing on Blackwater.
Blue angel on first drop of Talullah River.
Another party surf in Hell Hole, Ocoee River.
Right Air Blunt, Garb, Ottawa River.
Oceana, Tallulah River, Photo by Adam Goshorn.
Tampax, Bailey’s Creek, Colorado.
Ottawa River, Canada.
Avalanche, Oh Be Joyful, Colorado.
Jul 18 2009
2010 All- Star, Best birthday present…EVER!!
Last weekend I had the pleasure of spending my birthday with my wife, good friends and in the most amazing freestyle boat I have had in my 20 years of boating. Most boats are one-dimensional and are good at specific aspects of freestyle, but fail to meet the standards at other playspots. Many of my previous boats have either spun well, cartwheeled, looped big or paddled downriver, but never did any one boat excel at it all…until now. The 2010 Jackson Kayak All Star does everything so well, it is a dream to paddle. On the Ocoee River, I realized that each move I have executed throughout the past 20 years was suddenly easier and more consistent allowing me to feel as if I was running the Ocoee for the first time. What a great experience it was while productive as I was able to take the opportunity to work on almost every move depicted in the Triktionary. Make sure you get in this boat and try it, I cannot recommend it enough. The All Star will change your view of freestyle kayaking and make all the moves you are working on so much easier to hit. So, If you see me on the river, please don’t hesitate to ask to try it out. It is truly indescribable so give it a shot and see for yourself. The following are top ten reasons to paddle the 2010 All Star though I’m sure you will find there are so many more.
10 reasons you should paddle
a 2010 Jackson Kayak All-Star
1. Speed/ Faster- The 2010 All Star is faster than 2007 All-Star despite being 4 inches shorter. It actually holds speed better toward the corner than any other boat I have ever paddled. This makes setting up for moves easier, better downriver freestyle moves and more consistently surfing those hard to get waves like the top wave at Hell Hole.
2. Edge to edge transition- The boat has great edge-to-edge transition. Whether getting speed to the corner or carving to the top of the pile the edge to edge transition is great for setting up for moves. In addition the boats edges aids in your downriver creativity because you can change from one carve to another so quickly.
3. Comfort- The boat is narrower but has more knee and foot room making you train harder with no breaks. With the Happy Feet, Happy Seat/ Thruster Combo, 200 beaded Sweet Cheeks there is nowhere you do not have contact with your body parts that are essential for doing any freestyle trick. The new hip pad design holds your hips into the backband giving you more response when you are upside down or trying to roll quickly. Comfort also plays a key roll in your learning curve. If you can not stay comfortable in the boat you can never paddle it as long as you want to. Being comfortable definitely aids in learning faster.
4. Volume Distribution- With all the volume around the cockpit you are more retentative, get air more consistently and have a better center of balance, giving you an easier time sticking all the moves. The volume distribution also aids in paddling downriver because you can still turn the boat quickly but it resurfaces well in the waves and holes.
5. Hull- Many features are either easy to set up on by bouncing down the face or spinning on the corner. This boat is amazingly good at bouncing down the face or spinning to the corners. This makes all features extremely fun because any move is possible. The hull of the boat that gives you endless possibilities at any playspot will not limit you. The boat spins, carves and surfs better than any boat I have paddled yet.
6. Downriver Ability- This is one thing many people were worried about because the boat is so short but do not worry because this boat is a dream to paddle downriver. The boat length, resurfacing ability, edge-to-edge transition, speed and comfort make it hard to put into words how fun it is. Just take it out and see for yourself. You can make a class 2 rapid feel so much harder but still stick the lines on the class 4 rapids.
7. Boat Length- The boat is shorter making moves easier because you have less swing weight and will not hit bottom. The length also aids in completing moves because you can throw it around faster and stronger. Just go back to your favorite spot and you will hit more moves in a day than ever before. With this length the downriver moves will really open your eyes because you can commit to rapids that usually would not have the depth to attempt them.
8. Old School Ability- Even though the boat is short it still held stability on edge and on ends. This enables splats, blasts, bow and stern stalls, wavewheels, blunts and super cleans to be more prevalent and consistent. When you can throw a huge loop into 50 ends without stopping the possibilities are endless. The future is now upon us. Get in the boat as soon as possible.
9. Multi colors- Get your boat with the colors you want and have your niche on the water.
10. Goes bigger- Because of all the things we have talked about the result is bigger/ faster moves. You can throw more consistent big moves because of the length but when you get to the right spot you can absolutely go huge. This boat is unbelievably amazing and I cannot wait to get it out on the Locust Fork (Home of NAWF) and the Mulberry Fork of the Warrior.
Because I had so much fun on my birthday I decided to tell you my top ten things that I did on my birthday weekend.
Top 10 things I did on the Ocoee River for my birthday.
- Paddled the 2010 All Star on a river with thousands of playspots.
- Brought my wife (Great company and you get more photos.)
- Got into a Mega Rocker at Hell Hole and did huge enders and pirouettes.
- I saw a black bear, Gray Fox and Emily Jackson Troutman. No Nick though
- Taught a playboating clinic the first day I got there with a Father and Son from Texas.
- Did a 5 second mystery move at Flipper in a plastic boat.
- Took a friend down the entire river for the first time. (Way to go Kelley)
- Did a Macho Move so big I landed looking right back at the raft in front of me.
- Mountain biked 4.5 miles downhill Chilhowee Mountain in 20 minutes.
- Threw a 50-point cartwheel somewhere on the Ocoee River.
After 20 years of boating and it being my 20th year on the Ocoee River I want to tell EJ thank you. David and EJ have completely outdone themselves on this new boat. Way to go guys. I am proud to say that I paddle for Jackson Kayaks and look forward to building a foundation to start kid’s programs in the Southeast.
Hope to see everyone on the river soon.
Jeremy Adkins
Until Next Time!!!
Jun 23 2009
First Day in 2010 All- Star
First day in 2010 All- Star. What do say about this boat? With not much water around and Sunday being Father’s Day another trip down to the Coosa was in order. The water on this trip was around 4,000 cfs which makes all the waves flushy. My goal on the day was to play with the boats edges and get the outfitting set to the upmost comfort. Unlike the other trip we learned from our mistakes and brought along a sit-on-top to carry two coolers of beer. Quenching the thirst is a must on the Coosa due to the 100 degree temperature, water and rocks. I did not take many pictures due to the water level but I did want to take a few of the new boat just to see how the trim was in the water. Needless to say it was great. I will paddle it on something bigger and give a better review. Here are few pictures so you can view the boat on the only water we have in the entire state right now.
The boat carves great and has stability on edge.
The boat is short enough to get some great party surfing.
Here is a picture of me doing some old school Ender to test how the boat would feel on the feet when I stood up.
This boat has some of the best edge to edge transition of any boat I have ever paddled. Truly is one of a kind.
Here is a picture to all my friends in Colorado and Tennessee while I am stuck in Alabama. It is so hot!!!!
I hope to see everyone on the river really soon and shredding it up.
All the best,
Jeremy Adkins
flyinskeleton@cs.com
Jun 14 2009
Quick Trip to the Coosa… A.K.A. Gump Town.
Coosa River
With the Spring to Remember over the water in North Alabama has started to decline. This brings us to the only dam-controlled river in Alabama, the Coosa. The Coosa is an old favorite that with the right water is a great place to train and throw some of the biggest loops in the world. It used to be home to the Coosa Rodeo but soon might have a competition coming back thanks to World Kayak Hometown Throwdown. In addition there have been many videos that have done segments on these great rapis and the environment. The Coosa divides into many channels on the way down but at 8,000 c.f.s (7,800 on this day) the Big Side and Small Side of the Mocassin’s Gap were the only ones going off. There is a large rock dividing the two with plenty of people to interact with.
The Big Side has three waves in a row with the first being the most fun. It is nice to surf a wave where the water comes in smooth for over a mile upstream.
At lower flows this spot can offer up some really nice hole moves when it becomes a pourover. My favorite move here is the old school blunt sandwich, which is a blunt to backstab combination and at higher flows the really big Macho Moves, Kickflips and Flipkicks. Here are few pics of this wave. The second and third waves change a lot depending on water levels. The biggest wave gets glassier at higher flows but at this level is
great for blunts,
throwing edge turns,
learning to carve hard toward corners,
old school paddle twirls and shutter rudders and
flipping over the locals.
The main hole in the back is the best feature on the river but takes around 8,600 c.f.s. to become consistent. Here is a picture of it forming. When the water comes it is super deep and has a green highway of water to plug. You can throw a huge flip in a creek boat here. Here is a photo.
Most people do not realize that the Space Godzilla and Air Loop were actually invented in this hole. Meaning the aerial revolution actually begun in Alabama. Cray Huh! And yes it is true I was in the eddy with Javid. Here are a few pictures so you can see the different waves. Even though it was extremely hot, the water felt great and there was a lot of eye candy on the rocks. At times the rocks were actually too hot to stand and shoot photos. There are not many places you see that many bathing suits on the rocks while all holding a beer. The Small Side offers a great purover for bigger tricks and an even better little hole/ wave. This little feature was one of the first to have professionals really perfect the blunt. Be careful here though the rides can get really long and the eddy lines are no forgiving on this side. If you are in Alabama and the Coosa is running remember it has great playspots and a lot of flatwater but most importantly on a river trip watch out for snakes, jetboats, alligator gar and fish hooks. They are more dangerous that the rapids.
Hope to see everyone on the river soon and remember if the sign says ONE WAY please go ONE WAY.
Jeremy
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