Indholdsfortegnelse for summer 2017 i Kayak Session Magazine

When Brutus spoke these words in William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, he spoke of battle strategy, of going with the flow, moving with the current of the moment to not miss opportunity. If there is a tide in the affairs of men, then there is one even more so in the affairs of paddling. Paddlers around the globe understand the power of living in the moment, of waiting and watching river levels to hit the perfect flow, and when the river is ready, dropping everything in pursuit of a passion. “And we must take the current when it serves.” This spring, paddling communities around the world have been humbled and shocked by record flows. Evan Moore and friends venture into the Cataracts of the Kern at levels more than twice as…

I have run a few “women-only” clinics on the river, and it seemed like a good initiative at the time. Women were happy to be on the water together without any male interference. Today, I am not so sure about this concept. Do women really need to surround themselves with only females to be able to relax and enjoy the river? Does promoting the ‘need’ for women-only paddling move us further from gender equity? It is not often I see a “men-only kayaking trip.” This may be because women are outnumbered in the sport – sometimes there aren’t women to invite along- but I also think it is linked to the uproar that would follow if women were purposely and publically excluded. When I look at other sports, such as…

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NEWS AND HAPPENINGS GO-PRO KING OF THE ALPS 2017 9TH - 11TH JUNE Once again, the Passer River in South Tyrol, Italy, will host the King of the Alps Race. The KOTA will be part of the Extreme Kayak European Cup (EKEC), the first kayak race circuit in Europe. The event is proud to be one of few welcoming C1 and OC1. The format will remain the same: a marathon (6km III-IV) qualification run followed by a class V final down a 300-meter course. Since a king is nothing without trusted knights, this year another challenge has been added: A hard-core team race, the Extreme Kayak Team World Championship! Two knights brave enough will have the opportunity to paddle the mighty final section with the addition of gates. Teams will…

“FROM A MULTIDAY SELF-SUPPORT ADVENTURE TO A RAFT-SUPPORTED TRIP WITH MANY OF YOUR BEST FRIENDS, THE MARAÑÓN HAS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE.” The Marañón is not called the Grand Canyon of the Andes for nothing. Steep canyon walls tower over the river, where the stunning scenery, side canyons, adventurous feel, and multiple days on the water inspires comparisons with its better-known northern sibling. From the myriad of cactus plants to the pumas living on the banks of the river, the Marañón nourishes a diverse range of flora and fauna as it makes its way to the Amazon basin. Communities still exist in the neighboring mountains, making a living farming and fishing as they have done for centuries, despite potential hydro-projects that threaten the river and their way of life. In the…

 There is power on the island of Hawaii. Along rugged coastlines, waterfalls cascade down mountain cliffs to meet the sea. In a land made from both fire and water, many who have sought Hawaii’s whitewater have been left wanting, the torrents needed to flood its volcanic pathways refusing to come. Last year, Nick Troutman, Joel Kowalski, Thomas Fahrun, Dane Jackson, and Rafa Ortiz tasted Hawaii’s potential, but hot sunny days left them largely unfulfilled. This January, joined by Kalob Grady, they returned in search of redemption. “THE HONOLII RIVER WAS A GEM, WITH FANTASTIC WATERFALLS, STEEP SLIDES, AND ONLY A FEW MINOR PORTAGES.” A kayaking mission to Hawaii encompasses the true meaning of perseverance. In a land known for sun, you must wait for the rains to fall and the…

Most people who have competed in sport have heard of the concept of tapering prior to a big competition.Tapering is simply reducing the volume of your training regimen to allow your body to perform at peak performance. Tapering can help assure you are not mentally and physically tired. It gives your body a chance to rebuild itself so you can be as ready as possible. Tapering also gives your mind a chance to rest and be hungry for the challenge of competition. There are appropriate times for tapering, and there are times when it is not your best option. In this column, I give some tips on knowing when to taper, and share some tapering techniques for kayaking. Appropriate events to taper for are ones where your physical prowess supersedes…

“I HAVE SEEN BIG WATER YEARS, I HAVE SEEN THE WORST RECORDED DROUGHT IN HISTORY, BUT I HAVE NEVER SEEN A YEAR LIKE THIS. THIS IS A ONCE IN A LIFETIME YEAR.” My earliest childhood memories all involve the Kern River. Growing up the son of local paddling legend and Sierra South Paddle Sports owner Tom Moore, I was thrown into the world of whitewater practically from birth. My first strokes in a kayak were on this river. The local community has seen me grow as a person and a paddler. I am now twenty-one years old and have been paddling all around the globe, but the Kern River will always be my home. I have seen big water years, I have seen the worst recorded drought in history, but…

After paddling the Marañón for the first time,Australian kayaker Ben Webb felt as though he had found his purpose: Save an amazing river from a multitude of planned large-scale hydroelectric projects. In 2014, Ben moved to Peru with the goal of connecting more people to the Marañón River to aid its protection from dams. The idea was to engage the Peruvian population and give young people an opportunity to experience the river firsthand. While many have such vague, lofty goals, Ben has turned his into reality. He created a group that called themselves ‘Remando Juntos por el Marañón’ or ‘Remando Juntos’ for short; in Spanish this means “Paddling Together for the Marañón. Many photos, videos, and paddle strokes later, members of Remando Juntos joined the Waterkeeper Alliance to create Marañón…

Lorenzo Vellutino comes from a long bloodline of whitewater legends. Born and raised in Cusco, Peru, the 15-year old Lorenzo Vellutino was exposed to whitewater at an early age by his family, who were some of the original pioneers of Peruvian whitewater, logging some of the first descents on legendary rivers such as the Colca and Cotahuasi. His parents, cousins, uncles, and grandparents all have been involved in running rivers in Peru as well as other destinations around the globe (KS 49). A rugged and mountainous country split down the middle by the Andes Mountains, Peru’s rivers have a reputation as some of the hardest whitewater in South America. Consequently the country has consistently produced a long list of wonderfully talented kayakers, formed by the environment they grew up paddling…

If you spend time on rivers anywhere in the world, it’s likely you have already heard of giardia, or even had personal experience with it. What most people don’t know is that giardia is one of the most common parasitic diseases on the planet. Nearly three hundred million people have symptomatic giardia infections every year, and symptomatic infections make up only 30% of all giardia infections. Thus, many people actually have giardia, but may not know it. It is estimated that 7% of the population in the developed world has giardia. In the developing world, up to 30% of the population is infected! Giardia is caused by a type of parasite (Giardia Lamblia) known as protozoa, which are transmitted to people through a fecal/oral route via cysts found in feces.…