Indholdsfortegnelse for KS#55 (fall 2015) i Kayak Session Magazine

For some it is an obsession, for others a necessity; there are also those for whom it is a passion, even a lifestyle. There are countless reasons why people seek the unknown. It’s mystery that often brings out the best in people; going down dark alleys and around blind corners generates a glut of reactions - fear, doubt, adrenaline—our most primal responses, the ones left over from the dawn of our time, when even the most mundane lives were lived so very close to the edge. These are the feelings which are most absent in our modern, controlled, more predictable world. Most of us seek for some or all of these experiences on the water. Rivers cut deeply through bedrock to the very core of the earth, echoing back to…

- The Merced River, South Fork of the Merced, and the Tuolumne are now open to kayaking - Access is limited to these rivers only.Tributaries of these rivers remain prohibited. - Any kayakers who plan on camping must apply for a Wilderness Permit through the Park Service. This is the same process that backpackers must go through. Make sure to understand the rules and regulations surrounding this Wilderness Permit. - Dragging kayaks on or off trails is strictly prohibited. Use of any wheeled or motor vehicle is strictly prohibited. - Commercial filming/photography is STRICTLY prohibited and controlled within the park. Film Permits must be secured prior to any filming projects. Please be advised that this is a lengthy and very controlled process. - Kayaks and kayak gear must be cleaned…

It’s no secret the SUP bug has caught on and people all over the world are taking to SUP boards for everything from family outings, fitness sessions, yoga and downwinders to charging 60-ft waves and class 5 rapids. As the sport started to get popular along the coastlines, a few people, mostly ex-pro kayakers, started to try their luck on whitewater. Over the past five years we have witnessed almost every paddle shop on the planet starting to stock and sell SUP boards. From the cockpit of the ultimate whitewater machine--the kayak--the river SUP paddler may seem a little awkward at first. Over time, however, more and more kayakers have found that adding SUP to their whitewater repertoire offers a new outlet for fun, enjoyment and challenge on the river.…

At U.S.A. Team Trials this year, I noticed Darby McAdams killing it on the wave. At 17 years old, she took the 2nd spot on the U.S.A. Junior Women’s Team, and displayed great promise as a competitive freestyle paddler. In addition to being a talented boater, Darby is also producing her own movies. Keep an eye on this rising young star from Missoula as she competes this year at the Freestyle Worlds and continues to document her adventures. RS: Missoula seems like it has an awesome community of boaters, what’s it like there? DM: Missoula is rad! Not only is there an awesome boating community, but most of the freestyle kayakers out there are women! It’s cool to have a great group of women to paddle with and push me.…

NEWS AND HAPPENINGS KAYAK SESSION BUYERS GUIDE 2016 The partnership between Kayak Session and Paddle Expo will continue this year to bring you the 5th annual Buyers Guide. Presenting all the classics and plus the newcomers to the market, the Buyers Guide represents everything you need to know about gear for whitewater, flatwater and SUP. Available in digital and print format, and free with Kayak Session #56 in November 2015. More information at www.kayaksession.com www.kayaksession.com PADDLEEXPO – SEPTEMBER 17-19, 2015 Paddle expo, the biggest gathering and display of paddlesports goods in the world, is taking place this year September 17th-19th. PADDLEexpo represents all forms of paddlesports and is the place to be, with loads of happenings throughout the show. Interested in checking out the latest and greatest and what’s new…

KS: Tell us about your first encounter with whitewater. It was a rather rough one, right? AG: My first whitewater encounter was the best experience ever. I just wish I had at least remembered part of it! When I was 4 years old, I fell into the river in the monsoon flood (around 15 cumecs). I was swept downstream around 4 km and got stuck on a bamboo bar set up by farmers to redirect water into rice field. Farmers pulled me out and left me on the ground declared dead. When my mothaer didn’t see me around she knew exactly where her son was and started sprinting downstream. When she reached the scene, farmers and villagers tried to calm her down telling her that it was over for her…

Boards For whitewater there is a decision about whether to use an inflatable board, a composite board, or a plastic board. I prefer the inflatable boards for my river running and sometimes for easy wave surfing; but for high performance river wave surfing I prefer the lightest composite board I can find. Inflatables are great for river running because of their durability, performance, light weight, transportability and easy of use. In river running, durability is paramount and performance is best with a good high quality board that is stiff. However, with an inflatable board you have to deal with the “stickiness” factor, which can be a good thing or a bad thing if not prepared. The stickiness factor is the aspect of all inflatables by how they “stick” to rocks…

In kayaking, the focus is generally on pushing beginners to take small, safe steps one at a time. But, even with this positive approach to learning, I end up talking to many frustrated intermediate paddlers. They feel that their learning curve has flattened out and they are unable to achieve further development on the water. In this column I will talk about the need for not only embracing success, but also for seeking out failure. On our way through life we get taught that success equals happiness. We strive to learn and to master, to feel empowered and accomplished. Failure on the other hand is something to shy away from, to not talk about and to forget. I believe this is the wrong approach. To become your very best you…

The most desirable things are often what we can’t have. Our want gives them great value, even beyond the things we currently possess. Our desire to posses is the ultimate motivator. It pushes us to reach new heights. The reaction to “no” is always looking for a way to find “yes.” Yosemite has been the kayaking community’s "no," giving the waterways of this national park a special place in the psyche of exploratory kayakers. The desire for that granite, that water that is so clear it looks invisible, the dramatic landscape, access to the rivers via the network of maintained trails, the potential of whitewater, all these attributes have been fueled and grown to new proportions because Yosemite has been denied to us. So what does it feel like to…

As I cross into Idaho from Oregon, the speed limit changes from 65 to 80 mph. “Shit,” I say out loud.“I can barely control the god damn vehicle at this speed.” Wind whipping across the Western Idaho desert threatens to push me off the road with each off-rhythm gust. I am constantly jerking the steering wheel back left. Correction strokes if you will. Looking down at my cell phone I see a text from Reagan Byrd, co-founder and event organizer for the North Fork Championship. The message informs me that my hotel will be in Crouch, Idaho, a short walk from the Dirty Shame Bar. I had heard that name before, but couldn’t remember where. This was my first time at the NFC and its reputation and my reality were…

There are no better arenas in the world for big wave freestyle whitewater kayaking than the Lac-St. Jean area and the Ottawa River: the wide river valleys can hold thousands of cumecs while the low gradient and long rapids stand up huge river waves and massive features. The Ottawa River and the mighty Mistassibi are un-matched world wide (as far as we know) for wave density. Daily, an average of 3,500 cumecs flows into the Lac St-Jean at peak run off, pulsing down three huge rivers and many smaller rivers and creeks. Water exits the lake through two hydroelectric dams, the Grande and Petite Descharge, into the Saguenay River, which also boasts several large and impressive waves. The number of paddlers who join the Stakeout varies each year, with the…

Hydropower development has been going on for over a century in much of Europe, making source-to-sea free flowing rivers a rarity in many European countries. The Balkans, encompassing Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia have been thus far preserved from that fate due to troubled political and economic circumstances. Nowadays, a more stable political climate generates a favorable environment for development and Balkan rivers are prime targets for power to fuel new growth. For many years, a small group of “insiders” (riverine communities, a few NGO representatives, fly fishermen, and a small number of kayakers) have held secret knowledge of the special river system on the Balkan Peninsula: the Blue Heart of Europe. Nowhere else on the continent can one find such a tremendous number and…