YakYakYak

Immersion Research is sending Idaho’s Team Low Pressure to Madagascar!

Check out the video HERE or go the the IR WebSite.

I just spent four days surfing on the Salmon River 5 miles upstream from Riggins, Idaho.

The easiest way to find all of the Salmon River Surf Waves is to buy The Playboaters Guide to Idaho. This book has everything you need to surf year round on the Salmon River. In addition, you can check the flows at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/id/nwis/uv/?site_no=13317000andamp;PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060 and also check the road openings at http://www.salmonriverroad.org/construction/ as they are improving this road as it serves at the put-in for the Lower Salmon and the take-out for the Main Salmon.

I had a great time surfing with locals Erik and Wayne. Dave Turner, green All Star in the video also came down from Spokane. Enjoy the video and thanks to Dave and Chris for taking the footage.

I am headed back to the Salmon today. Come surf! Devon

Download CatspawFastpaw.mov (Right click link and save as…)

Come join us Thursday, September 11th

Registration at 5:30pm, BUT BEST TO REGISTER ONLINE HERE. We meet at the Gutter near Horseshoe Bend. Enjoy the last of the Summer – hope to see you there! If you need directions or have any questions feel free to contact me at gary@worldkayak.com

The last time the Snake Rivers SF peaked over 10,000 CFS on Sept. 1st was 1966

Check out the Idaho Statesman article HERE!

I just got this update from Devon Barker -Gary-

Dear Friends, I wish you could all be here with me. Enjoy the photos and thanks for all of your support!

Devon

Scootering, biking, and kayaking in Thun, Switzerland

It is amazing here in Thun. The wave is just down stream of a covered bridge decorated with flowers. The bridge has gates to release the water from the lake that makes Thun a wonderful summer time attraction. Many of us are camping on the lake 4 KM from the wave. There are free bikes or scooters for use during the day but cost 10 Swiss Fr. if you want to keep them over night. Ruth Gordon and I are biking back and forth. I scootered the first morning but it was a long trek. The bike ride is along the lake with castles on the shore and scattered beaches and houses along our route. The wave is a wonderful color blue but a little flat. It is a little like Couch wave at the low levels but the scenery does not look like the Salmon River in Idaho at all! The VW Multivan River Jam is the third event on the World Cup Tour. Prelims begin on Thursday and we wrap up the event on Sunday. Enjoy the photos!

My best to all of you from my tent on the lake in Thun, Switzerland!

Devon

Greeting from Augsburg, Germany.

I have been here, the site of the 1972 Olympics andamp; 1995 Freestyle World Championships, for a week. It has mostly rained but the famous feature, Washing Machine, is great. The loops are super fun and the super clean cartwheels are the best. I was in 7th but ended up in 10th after semis. I would have like to do better but this World Cup Tour has been a blast with lots of great training.

The camping in the rain is a little hard but on a few dry moments we have been able to play uno, monopoly, and I borrowed Jason andamp; Karen Craigandrsquo;s scooter to go to town in the sunshine this morning. Enjoy the photo as they speak more to our experience here in Germany than I could write.

Live from the campground in Augsburg! Devon

Devon Barker sends this news from the World Cup of Freestyle Kayaking…

August 10, 2008

Today is the first day of my travels to Europe for the World Cup of Freestyle Kayaking. Traveling from Idaho is a little bit harder than many other places. I flew this morning from Boise (BOI) to Las Angles (LAX) to Vancouver, BC and then I will fly to London, England, to my final destination of Prague, Czech Republic. I am in Vancouver with a 5-hour layover.

I went to Tim Hortonandrsquo;s, the equivalent of Star Bucks but in Canada and got coffee and two donuts and now am working on a little bit of internet work before I go out for lunch to pass the time. When I get on the plane at 5 pm it will already be 1 am in Prague. They will serve us a quick dinner and we will go to sleep to try and acclimate to the new time zone. I will be 8 hours ahead of you the whole time I am in Europe.

The last time I was in Prague was in 2005 when I traveled with Lenka Novonta for three freestyle competitions. Lenka is on the Czech Team and lives just outside of Prague. I met her on the Payette River in 2001 while she was in Idaho working as river guide for the summer with Cascade Kayak and Raft. We will travel to Augsburg, Germany and then Thun, Switzerland together for the rest of the World Cup tour. Then, back to Prague, 8 hours from Thun and I will spend one last night before flying to home. My return trip is a little better; I fly Prague, London, Vancouver, Portland, and then Boise. To my students, I will see you on September 4^th! Study hard and learn lots about Europe. I will be bringing back pictures and video to share with you!

You can follow the world cup tour at http://www.kayaksession.com/intro-WC2008.php and at www.jacksonkayak.com.

Ms. Devon

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August 13, 2008

Kayaking as Gateway to the World

I just finished my first training session at the Prague Whitewater Canoe and Kayak center. This course was built in 1985 during the communist regime in Czechoslovakia. Czechoslovakia, now two countries the Czech Republic and Slovakia were under communistic rule for a long time. These countries split in 1991 shortly after the end of the communism. The Russians occupied Czechoslovakia from 1948-1989. This course was built as a training center for salmon kayakers so they could dominate the world in paddling. A man named Dufeck trained very hard and won the first round in the 1953 World Championships in Italy but then threw the race so the limelight would not be on him. He could have won but without the attention on him he was able to escape by paddling to another country. He paddled his way away from communism to freedom. It is so striking to me to not be a World Champion Gold medalist because it was more important to choose freedom. It is stories like this that help me to realize how lucky we are to be Americans our whole lives. I know not the struggle for freedom.

When I left Idaho this year I was homesick before I left. I am usually homesick a few weeks after being abroad but then I am okay, as I know I will be coming home soon. I was welcomed here by many of my friends from around the world and that helped me to feel a little more at home.

During my training session I was reunited with Marsha from St. Petersburg, Russia who I met while paddling on the Nile in Uganda, Valrie and Erik from Canada/Norway (she is a citizen of both countries), we paddled in Spain together eight months ago, Jessie Stone from New York, but spends most of her time in Uganda running Soft Power Health, Ruth Gordon from Canada, and many of my Czech friends I have not seen in three years. The international atmosphere is amazing here. Meeting my friends from around the world helps me to be a little less homesick and knowing that I have the freedom to travel to anywhere in the world to see them is an amazing. I think my next stop might be to St. Petersburg to paddle. I will leave you with a few Czech worlds and another website to check for video of Prague and the kayaking at the course.

Cau- Bye for now, Bless you all for your support. Devon

Thank You- dekuji

Toast- nazdravi

Hello- Cau, Ahoj, Dobry den

To Play- hrat si

Check out www.southmainkayakteam.wordpress.com for a map link, (World Cup Map), video, write-ups, and pictures for the World Cup Tour 2008.

Devon Barker P.O. Box 4445 1005 Woody Dr. McCall, Idaho 83638
C-208.413.0319 H-208.634.2581 www.barker-river-trips.com

Call or check these links for DARE TO KAYAK presentations for schools andamp; youth groups
 http://www.jacksonkayak.com/teamjk/teamm…
 http://www.nrsweb.com/team_nrs/team_memb…
 http://www.hughesriver.com/devon-barker….

Check out my great sponsors and their gear and services for an Idaho Vacation!
 <a href=”http://www.smithoptics.com” title=”http://www.smithoptics.
” target=”_blank”>www.smithoptics.com www.wernerpaddles.com www.brundage.com www.salmonrapids.com www.gratefulheads.com www.nrsweb.com www.jacksonkayak.com andamp; www.murkywaterkayak.com www.RiverRanchMcCall.com andamp; Back Country Chiropractic andamp; Wellness Center McCall, Idaho

Storms this week caused blow-outs creating new rapids.

Wow, Nature is doing it again on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River.

The U.S. Forest Service reports that heavy thunderstorms earlier this week along the Middle Fork sent a whole bunch of debris crashing down several tributary steams creating three new rapids.

Check out Zimoand#39;s article HERE!

Excellent news for those of us here in Idaho, and anyone planning on visiting the state!

Roger Phillips – rphillips@ idahostatesman.com Edition Date: 07/17/08

Non-motorized boaters will not face a state registration fee this year, according to a task force appointed by Gov. Butch Otter.

Full article HERE!

Image from KayakIdaho.com

Paddle Strokes, Water Safety, Rolling and Bracing! Instructor- Devon Barker- member of US Kayak Team Dates: August 2- Womens Clinic 5pm to 7:30 pm August 3 Kids Camp

10:30 am to 12:30 pm Introduction to Paddling Strokes andamp; Concepts

1pm to 3pm Rolling and Bracing *Prior paddling experience needed or the Introduction to Paddling Strokes andamp; Concepts

Location- Backwoods Adventures on Payette Lake, North Beach, McCall, ID
Cost- $50 for each session

Instruction will include paddle strokes, water safety, andamp; rolling and bracing technique for beginner to advanced levels. Kayak equipment provided as needed.

Contact Information- 208.634.5750 or 208.469.9067 or
ariana100999@frontiernet.net

Private lessons are available upon request