Yak…Yak…Yak…

The open event at this years Reno River Festival wil be a World Kayak Hometown Throwdown!

World Kayak is happy to announce that the open at this yearandrsquo;s Reno River Festival will be a Hometown Throwdown (HTTD). The open event will be held on Friday May 8^th. The event will be conducted and scored like all other HTTDandrsquo;s. The top three paddlers from the K1-A, K1-W, and K1-JR will be carried on to the invitational event on Saturday. As always there will be a K1-B category so that all boaters of every skill level will have an appropriate peer group to compete with. Bring the heat and all of your freestyle skills, but do not forget to bring your style as well. We always give points in the HTTDandrsquo;s for style. All prizes will be raffled off based on participation, and believe me that when I say our fantastic sponsors have stepped it up for this very special event, I mean it!

There will also be a secondary competition that will start now and end Thursday evening at 10PM. All you have to do is pre register for the event at www.worldkayakblogs.com/throwdown/register/104/ Once you are registered online send an email to colin@worldkayak.com with your prediction for the flow of the Truckee River in the whitewater park at noon on Friday the 8^th of May. At the mandatory competitors meeting we will award the competitor whoandrsquo;s guess comes closest to the actual flow without going over with a very nice prize. In the event of a tie we will rock, paper, scissors for the win. The prize will be a VIP bracelet for the kickoff party on Friday evening. This VIP bracelet will get you all the food and drink you can stomach from 7-9PM. You will also win a pair of Smith Sunglasses, a pair of Mtn. Khakis, and a full tube of Nuun active hydration. Not a bad way to start the river festival weekend! F or a great video of the Hometown Throwdowns go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5fqOC9PNBk

Seems like we have been looking forward to this forever – but it looks like good things are happening quickly. Sweet!

With help from the friends of the park, the City has just successfully negotiated and signed a deal with the Thurman Mill Canal Company that owns rights to the diversion now known to kayakers as the 36th st. Wave. The agreement allows the city to demolish and re-build the diversion structure including play wave features.

Design now has the new structure as a bladder type diversion with two engineered andquot;Wave Shaperandquot; features that will allow creation of any kind of wave imaginable for freestyle kayaking. Preliminary design and models show that this may be the best wave shaper in the world. The Agreement with Thurman Mill was a milestone that was difficult and a prerequisite to any development of the park features. Design also includes installing fill for a wider section of land between the wave (river) and the pond that alows for the bike path to be routed closer to the pond and adding a river side path to be constructed for spectators and kayakers to move up and down river on seperate from the bike path. Lots of spectator seating will be built into the design similar to what is at the park in Reno. This also opens the door to launching a more focused fund raising campaign. Economic conditions will result in the city holding off on the second year of $750k funding, however, other pledges have secured $1.3 million. Also, the Esther Simplot park is being pushed forward by the Simplot family with their own design firm and funding. The Simplots are currently very positive about the overall park and the in stream features. The city may receive some funding from the stimulus package for a pedestrian bridge over the river and the city has prioritized this project. The city selected McAlvain Construction to construct the park features and they are actively working on the project now with groundbreaking date yet to be defined. The Thurman Mill agreement probably means a date for groundbreaking may come sooner than later.

Slideshow and roll/bracing session at BSU

From Devon Barker: Dear Friends, Come learn to roll or work on your brace for free at BSU! Oct. 5th! I am holding a video presentation followed by a pool night at BSU. All the details you need are below and in the attachments. I cannot wait to see all of you right before I leave for the Surf Wolds in Spain! You can also check out the info on www.jacksonkayak.com! Paddle in Peace, Devon BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS RECREATION AND ALPENGLOW KAYAK SHOP PRESENT WOMEN AND KAYAKING Spend the evening with not only a renowned kayaker, but also a renowned female kayaker. Devon is the World Surf Kayak Champion, a 2-time National Freestyle Kayak Champion, a National Certified Board Educator, and the creator of Dare to Kayak. Everyone is welcome to watch a slideshow of her incredible adventures on the World Kayak Tour and her other kayak trips around the world. Her story and experiences will inspire female kayakers of all skill level. Then spend a few hours in the pool working on rolling techniques and outfitting kayaks to be more specific to women. Women and kayaking will be held on Friday, October 5 from 6:00pm until 7:00pm in the Student Recreation Center classroom for the slideshow, and then we will move to the Boise State Pool for rolling techniques from 7pm until 10pm. The cost is free. Dont forget your water bottle and swimwear. Contact: Geoff Harrison, Assistant Director for Outdoor Program, (208) 426-2628,  gharriso at boisestate.edu. Media Contact: Heather Gribble, Promotions Coordinator for Campus Recreation, (208) 426-5674,  heathergribble at boisestate.edu. For additional details visit our web-site: http://rec.boisestate.edu/outdoor/climbi….

By Zimo – Idaho Statesman Edition Date: 06/15/07 LINK KAYAK IDAHO has a info regarding this HERE

Boise’s proposed whitewater park got a jump start Thursday when Boise Mayor Dave Bieter announced that his proposed budget includes $750,000 in seed money for a quarter-mile whitewater park on the Boise River.
The jump start was much needed for a park that has been on the minds of kayakers and city officials for about a decade.
Whitewater boaters in the Boise area have been jealous of the whitewater park on the Truckee River in Reno. After all, we thought of it first. But Nevadans jumped on the idea, pumped money into their project and are reaping the benefits of tourism and an incredible city amenity. Practically every ad you see for Reno has a kayaker in it.
It is luring whitewater competitions, tourists who want to take kayaking lessons and people who want to go downtown and just picnic by the Truckee River. It also lures anglers.
We call Boise’s proposed park a whitewater park because it will have rapids and play areas for kayakers and canoeists. But it is more than a whitewater park. It is a river park. It will be a place where Greenbelt goers can sit on the side of the river and have a picnic. It will be a place to sit on an improved river bank and watch birds, read a book or even watch fish jump.
Yes, the river park, just upstream from Veterans Park, also will improve trout habitat. Right now the area is a mess with concrete, re-bar and other unsightly debris from irrigation diversions and past industrial use.
The park is a chance to create part of the river that will be trout friendly.
Yes, it’s good to jump start for Boise’s river park.
Thanks Mayor Bieter. I owe you a river trip.

Devon makes Idaho proud with a good showing at the Worlds in Ottawa.

This is Devons update from the Jackson Kayak website:

Inspired World Championships May 5, 2007 By Devon Barker:

Friday was Semi Finals and Finals on Mini Bus Eater Wave on the Ottawa River in Canada. I finished 7th but missed my air blunts which would have advanced me into the finals. As I watched the Womens finals I was so inspired by the skill level from Ruth Gordon. I am fired up to learn Pan Ams and improve my clean blunts. Ruth is our new World Champion! WC Here is a link to the results.

In the finals the tow in rope broke. Tyler Curtis flipped on the tow when it broke and then it was too long during Nick Troutmans ride costing him an unlucky flush. The judges gave both Tyler and Nick another ride. If I was not inspired enough by Ruth Gordons performance EJ made sure to top off my day by winning another World Championships. He is amazing! Dan Burke won the C1 finals with an awesome McNasty at the buzzer. It was fabulous. Emily won Jr. Women and Garcia (NRS Ambassador) won Jr. Men. We were all on our feet cheering throughout finals. Nick and Dane both got 3rd in Sr. Men and Jr. Men. The closing ceremonies were great and we were clad in our new Nike uniforms. I am off to Reno and then the Colorado for clinics, demos, Steamboat, and Vail. Then I will head back to Idaho to work on clean blunts and pan ams! Maybe Skook, maybe Wenatchee, but for sure Gold Hole! Tow-In Surfing Video (QuickTime 5.4 MB)

Going West!
devon

Devon makes Idaho proud with a good showing at the Worlds in Ottawa.

This is Devons update from the Jackson Kayak website:

Inspired World Championships May 5, 2007 By Devon Barker:

Friday was Semi Finals and Finals on Mini Bus Eater Wave on the Ottawa River in Canada. I finished 7th but missed my air blunts which would have advanced me into the finals. As I watched the Womens finals I was so inspired by the skill level from Ruth Gordon. I am fired up to learn Pan Ams and improve my clean blunts. Ruth is our new World Champion! WC Here is a link to the results.

In the finals the tow in rope broke. Tyler Curtis flipped on the tow when it broke and then it was too long during Nick Troutmans ride costing him an unlucky flush. The judges gave both Tyler and Nick another ride. If I was not inspired enough by Ruth Gordons performance EJ made sure to top off my day by winning another World Championships. He is amazing! Dan Burke won the C1 finals with an awesome McNasty at the buzzer. It was fabulous. Emily won Jr. Women and Garcia (NRS Ambassador) won Jr. Men. We were all on our feet cheering throughout finals. Nick and Dane both got 3rd in Sr. Men and Jr. Men. The closing ceremonies were great and we were clad in our new Nike uniforms. I am off to Reno and then the Colorado for clinics, demos, Steamboat, and Vail. Then I will head back to Idaho to work on clean blunts and pan ams! Maybe Skook, maybe Wenatchee, but for sure Gold Hole! Tow-In Surfing Video (QuickTime 5.4 MB)

Going West!
devon

Idaho Statesman – Edition Date: 04/16/07 D.A.R.E. spin off gets kids hooked on kayaking. Champion kayaker from McCall has created a program that offers an exciting alternative to drug use…

As she has been living her dreams, a McCall kayaker has put a new slant on the D.A.R.E. program, which is a national drug prevention effort. Devon Barker, a certified teacher and a member of the U.S. Kayak Freestyle Team and the U.S. Ocean Surf team, melded her enthusiasm for teaching kids and her zeal for kayaking to offer an adjunct curriculum to the D.A.R.E. program. She calls her program “D.A.R.E. to Kayak,” and conducts classroom presentations and water-based experiences that suggests to kids an alternative to the temptations of drug abuse.

Barker first presented the program in 2001. She had left her full-time position teaching elementary school and was heavily involved in competitive kayaking. But she still wanted to reach out to children and share her love for kayaking and how it enhanced her life.

Lately, she’s been able to do that, as her adventures have touched the lives of school children in Idaho, Nevada and North Carolina. Kids engage in Barker’s sessions, where they gain knowledge about making healthy choices and ideas on how to be involved in activities that steer them away from drug use.

“I feel most passionate visiting schools in Idaho; we have such incredible whitewater,” Barker said.

Youths in McCall, Lewiston, Riggins and Grangeville were recent recipients of her program.

Modeled after the national program D.A.R.E., which she was required to teach when she worked in the public schools, Barker’s program has a unique emphasis. The original D.A.R.E. stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education, and it was created in 1983. It’s a drug abuse prevention program that works on skills children need to dodge drugs, gangs and violence. School districts across the nation use the program.

Traditionally in D.A.R.E., students are given accurate information on drugs, alcohol and tobacco. Instructors teach solid decision making skills, as well as teach the children to recognize and resist peer pressure. Positive alternatives to drug abuse are covered as well.

D.A.R.E. uses police officers to provide lessons in the classroom for students in kindergarten to 12th grade. Barker adapted the program by adding sessions in kayaks, creating her own lingo and meaning for what D.A.R.E. stands for, and gearing it to two age levels grades 3-6 and 7-12.

Barker said what D.A.R.E. means to her is: Dare to be who you want to be; Always do an activity that you love; Risk losing so you can reach your goal; and Everything can be achieved with hard work, dedication, clear vision and a deep down drive that says “You can do it.”

She focuses on how cool kayaking is while she strives to raise children’s self-esteem. Classroom presentations may include interviews with other successful kayaking kids on the U.S. Junior teams, as well as videos and journaling.

Barker uses kayaking as an example of an adventure sport that is a healthy alternative to using drugs. Kids get a taste of a sport that has taken Barker to distant places.

As a member of the U.S. Freestyle Team since 2002, she has traveled in America and to Europe, Chile, Australia and Canada for competitions. In 2004 and 2005, she was a national freestyle kayak champion, in addition to winning surf kayak awards.

D.A.R.E. to Kayak operates on a donation basis. Now on her sixth year of a leave-of-absence from full-time teaching, Barker competes in kayaking events full time. That means she has an extensive travel schedule and conducts her correspondences and her D.A.R.E. presentations while on the road in the areas she competes. After the World Championships in April, she will head to Reno and Colorado in June for a West coast competition tour.

Her D.A.R.E. to Kayak emphasis involves encouraging kids to get involved in activities that keep them mentally and physically active. She said she tailors her program to the unique needs of the school or youth group she works with. For the younger students, she provides D.A.R.E. to Kayak, but the older students get Extreme Challenge.

Presentations can run from 60 to 90 minutes in a classroom. A second layer of instruction involves a few hours at a pool, pond or lake for water-safety education. Students get hands-on experience by paddling a kayak and practicing safety techniques, including getting out of a capsized kayak.

This winter, Barker worked in McCall with a Boy Scout troop from Eagle that went to the mountains for a winter camping weekend that included D.A.R.E. to Kayak classroom instruction and kayak sledding on snow, “a neat little twist in it,” Barker said.

Typical indoor classes are held to a maximum of 50 children, while on-water sessions include a maximum of 30 children participating in pairs. Barker borrows kayaks from area retail shops.

Jackson Kayak, a company that designs and produces child-sized kayaks, sponsors Barker and hosts her Web page.

Contact Barker for presentation information.

Idaho Statesman – Edition Date: 04/16/07 D.A.R.E. spin off gets kids hooked on kayaking. Champion kayaker from McCall has created a program that offers an exciting alternative to drug use…

As she has been living her dreams, a McCall kayaker has put a new slant on the D.A.R.E. program, which is a national drug prevention effort. Devon Barker, a certified teacher and a member of the U.S. Kayak Freestyle Team and the U.S. Ocean Surf team, melded her enthusiasm for teaching kids and her zeal for kayaking to offer an adjunct curriculum to the D.A.R.E. program. She calls her program “D.A.R.E. to Kayak,” and conducts classroom presentations and water-based experiences that suggests to kids an alternative to the temptations of drug abuse.

Barker first presented the program in 2001. She had left her full-time position teaching elementary school and was heavily involved in competitive kayaking. But she still wanted to reach out to children and share her love for kayaking and how it enhanced her life.

Lately, she’s been able to do that, as her adventures have touched the lives of school children in Idaho, Nevada and North Carolina. Kids engage in Barker’s sessions, where they gain knowledge about making healthy choices and ideas on how to be involved in activities that steer them away from drug use.

“I feel most passionate visiting schools in Idaho; we have such incredible whitewater,” Barker said.

Youths in McCall, Lewiston, Riggins and Grangeville were recent recipients of her program.

Modeled after the national program D.A.R.E., which she was required to teach when she worked in the public schools, Barker’s program has a unique emphasis. The original D.A.R.E. stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education, and it was created in 1983. It’s a drug abuse prevention program that works on skills children need to dodge drugs, gangs and violence. School districts across the nation use the program.

Traditionally in D.A.R.E., students are given accurate information on drugs, alcohol and tobacco. Instructors teach solid decision making skills, as well as teach the children to recognize and resist peer pressure. Positive alternatives to drug abuse are covered as well.

D.A.R.E. uses police officers to provide lessons in the classroom for students in kindergarten to 12th grade. Barker adapted the program by adding sessions in kayaks, creating her own lingo and meaning for what D.A.R.E. stands for, and gearing it to two age levels grades 3-6 and 7-12.

Barker said what D.A.R.E. means to her is: Dare to be who you want to be; Always do an activity that you love; Risk losing so you can reach your goal; and Everything can be achieved with hard work, dedication, clear vision and a deep down drive that says “You can do it.”

She focuses on how cool kayaking is while she strives to raise children’s self-esteem. Classroom presentations may include interviews with other successful kayaking kids on the U.S. Junior teams, as well as videos and journaling.

Barker uses kayaking as an example of an adventure sport that is a healthy alternative to using drugs. Kids get a taste of a sport that has taken Barker to distant places.

As a member of the U.S. Freestyle Team since 2002, she has traveled in America and to Europe, Chile, Australia and Canada for competitions. In 2004 and 2005, she was a national freestyle kayak champion, in addition to winning surf kayak awards.

D.A.R.E. to Kayak operates on a donation basis. Now on her sixth year of a leave-of-absence from full-time teaching, Barker competes in kayaking events full time. That means she has an extensive travel schedule and conducts her correspondences and her D.A.R.E. presentations while on the road in the areas she competes. After the World Championships in April, she will head to Reno and Colorado in June for a West coast competition tour.

Her D.A.R.E. to Kayak emphasis involves encouraging kids to get involved in activities that keep them mentally and physically active. She said she tailors her program to the unique needs of the school or youth group she works with. For the younger students, she provides D.A.R.E. to Kayak, but the older students get Extreme Challenge.

Presentations can run from 60 to 90 minutes in a classroom. A second layer of instruction involves a few hours at a pool, pond or lake for water-safety education. Students get hands-on experience by paddling a kayak and practicing safety techniques, including getting out of a capsized kayak.

This winter, Barker worked in McCall with a Boy Scout troop from Eagle that went to the mountains for a winter camping weekend that included D.A.R.E. to Kayak classroom instruction and kayak sledding on snow, “a neat little twist in it,” Barker said.

Typical indoor classes are held to a maximum of 50 children, while on-water sessions include a maximum of 30 children participating in pairs. Barker borrows kayaks from area retail shops.

Jackson Kayak, a company that designs and produces child-sized kayaks, sponsors Barker and hosts her Web page.

Contact Barker for presentation information.