Indholdsfortegnelse for fall 2017 i Kayak Session Magazine

There is something about opening a magazine for the first time and hearing the spine crack as you caress the glossy pages to glimpse the images and stories it contains. Not that long ago, what happened in the global whitewater world was rumor - we had to wait until after the fact to get the gossip, the news, and catch up on what happened. Even video edits took weeks, months, sometimes a full year. The Internet and later, Facebook, changed the way we share and interact with each other. With the advent of social media and introduction of smartphones, we suddenly had the world at our fingertips, instantly accessible nearly all the time. By bringing communication to a virtual sphere, technology has connected a global community, but also created a…

 “Astonishment is the beginning of knowledge,” said the ancient Greek philosopher Plato (Platon in his native Greek), one of occidental philosophy’s most influential thinkers. How right he was! It is no wonder that Plato formed his hypotheses in Greece, a country responsible for much of the world’s knowledge. Though I believed I had knowledge of Greece, I was astonished to learn that Northern Greece is a breathtaking paddling destination. My first strokes on a Northern Greek river dissolved prejudices I had harbored for years. "THOUGH SEEMINGLY IMPLAUSIBLE, THE RUMOR OF A GREEK WHITEWATER PARADISE LINGERED IN MY MIND LONG AFTER I FIRST HEARD ABOUT KAYAKING IN NORTHERN GREECE…" Though seemingly implausible, the rumor of a Greek whitewater paradise lingered in my mind long after I first heard about kayaking in…

Focus is a word we learn around grade three that gets used all of our lives. Growing up, “Come on EJ, you have to focus,” was common feedback from my teachers, as well as my mom and dad. But what does that mean, exactly? Anyone paddling whitewater kayaks on hard rivers or creeks, a slalom course, or in freestyle events needs the right focus to do well, but it is a different type of focus from what you need when you are lifting weights or studying for an exam. When I was on the Olympic Team, we were sent to the USOC Center in Colorado Springs for physical and mental evaluation and training. The sports psychologist and hypnotist there tried to convince me that in order to have my best…

LIQUIDLOGIC - DELTA With soft edges, smooth Braaap-inspired rocker and a shorter platform, the DELTA V allows the paddler to go anywhere their intended line takes them. The Delta V features a unique stern “Turbo Booster” design which accelerates the kayak forward when engaged after a drop. Combine this with the nimble and intuitive feel which allows the boat to make difficult maneuvers seem effortless and you have one powerful design. Simply put, this creek boat will have entry level paddlers falling in love with it immediately and top paddlers choosing it every time they are pushing the boundaries of the sport. Length: 8’6”/ 259 cm – Width 27”/69 cm Weight: 49Lbs/ 22 KG Volume: 88 Gal/ 333 l. LIQUIDLOGICKAYAKS.COM PEAK UK - ONE PIECE SUIT Peak UK’s unique and…

NEWS AND HAPPENINGS MACHU PICCHU KAYAK FEST, PERU, NOVEMBER 2017 On November 2-4, the Machu Picchu Kayak Fest will once again fill the streets of Santa Teresa with color as kayakers celebrate the sport and the spectacular scenery of South America. Now in its second year, this event will showcase the world’s top kayaking talent on different sections of the Vilcanita River, located near the Inca’s citadel in Cusco, Peru. With beautiful sections of whitewater ranging from Class II to V+, the event is enjoyable for kayakers of any level. Beginners can have fun under the stunning landscape of the Peruvian Andes, while professional and expert kayakers can challenge themselves with Class V and V+ whitewater. All skill levels will be accounted for in each of the four competitions that…

Nathan “Nate” Pruzan has earned some attention in kayaking communities across the western US, where this young Jackson Hole-based paddler has been taking full advantage of what has been a good water year in the Western Rockies. The 10-year-old son of Jackson Hole whitewater pioneer Aaron Pruzan has already paddled rivers in Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon. This spring, Nate was the youngest competitor at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival in Montana, and ran the lower 5 on the North Fork of the Payette for his first time. Look for much more from this young talent, who is unlocking the potential of the next generation of Western Rockies paddlers. Introduce yourself. What is your name, how long have you been kayaking? My name is Nathan Jack Pruzan. I am 10…

Schistosomiasis is a parasitic infection. By definition, parasites require hosts to complete their life cycles: in the case of Bilharzia, snails and us. The Schistosomiasis parasite inhabits fresh water bodies across Africa, Asia, South America, and some Caribbean islands. However, the heaviest burden of the disease lies in sub-Saharan Africa. It occurs primarily in places where there is poor sewage and sanitation management, resulting in the contamination of water that people use for bathing, drinking, washing, wading and other activities of daily life. Dr. Bilharz discovered the disease back in the 1840s, and since then the names Bilharzia and Schistosomiasis have been used interchangeably. Though most of the world has never heard of it, schistosomiasis infects over 200 million people worldwide. 20 million of those affected are seriously ill, with…

In the Northeast province of Manicaland, Zimbabwe, lies a 300-kilometer long mountain range that serves as the border between Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Known as the Eastern Highlands, it consist of three different mountain ranges: The Chimanimani Mountains in the south, the Bvumba Mountains in the central area, and the Nyanga Mountains to the north, where the highest peak, 2500-meter Mount Nyanga, is found. This region has limitless potential for outdoor enthusiasts, from downhill mountain biking and climbing to kayaking. Though little known, it is one of my favorite places in the world. When David Vory Sodomka, PetrČivrny, Honza Havelka, and Michal Havelka contacted me about coming to Southern Africa for kayaking, I gave them a few options to choose from, and was super excited when the group decided on the…

“KEEP IN MIND THAT YOUR LAOTIAN FAMILY HOSTS MAY OBSERVE SOME TRADITIONS OR BELIEFS THAT YOU DO NOT; BE SENSITIVE. WHILE RELAXED, LAOS IS A COMMUNIST COUNTRY. RESPECT ANY HOUSE OR ISLAND RULES, AS THE AUTHORITIES MAY PUNISH YOUR HOST FAMILY FOR YOUR BEHAVIOR.” The Mekong is the 12th largest river in the world. Linking China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, this 4,350 kilometer (2719 mile) long waterway has served as an important trade route for centuries. Remarkably navigable for the majority of its length, this aquatic trade route is interrupted only once, by ››››››››› (Si Phan Don), Laotian for 4000 Islands. The 4000 Islands is where the upper and lower trade routes meet, both briefly forced onto the Laotian mainland to create Nakasong and other small, trade-based villages.…

We often feel that the rapids we run define us. They are a boost to the ego, and help create the feeling of being connected to the water in a way that is hard to describe. But I would argue that the rapids that really define us are the ones we choose to walk around. For my first few years of kayaking I really hated walking rapids. It made me feel unaccomplished and sad – as if walking was proof that I was a failure on the water. Mirroring this was the euphoric feeling that came from stepping up to a big line. If I nailed it I was on top of the world, living out the biggest buzz there was. If I didn’t… Needless to say, emotions ran close…