Indholdsfortegnelse for Summer 2018 i Kayak Session Magazine

Is the search for and desire to run ever bigger and burlier waterfalls over? Or has it simply been put on pause for the moment? From the mid-90s until very recently, kayaking media has abounded with paddlers looking to push the limits, running the biggest, stoutest drops they could find. While risky, we loved witnessing this never-ending quest. For the past year or so, boat designs and paddlers’ focus seem to have evolved a bit. The trend of the moment isn’t necessarily to go bigger or faster but to take the time and play more. Instead of higher-volume creekers, or ever longer, faster boats, increasing numbers of paddlers are returning to kayaks with a slicey stern and slightly rockered bow. You could argue that Liquid Logic’s Shane Benedict and Pat…

FIRST DESCENT RIVER TOCO PORTUGAL Deep in the Portuguese mountains lies the Cavado Valley, where many tributaries rush down gradient-rich granite canyons. Sadly, a complex chain of big, old dams killed this once extraordinary river system. The right side of the Cavado River is a nature reserve called Geres. It is a popular summer destination for thousands of tourists who flock from Portugal and Spain.They come to see countless waterfalls and creeks, despite the fact that many of these creeks have been dammed and de-watered. One of the most popular spots is a combination of five waterfalls called “Cascatas Tahiti” on the Arado River. Mike Krutyansky visited in 2017 to determine if these waterwalls could be more than a scenic landscape. Unfortunately, the pools were shorter than the drops, and…

Rivers have long been called teachers of lessons in life, humility, perseverance, and patience. The Humla Karnali, located in the northwest corner of Nepal is no exception. 180 kilometers of horrendous portages and humbling rapids set in the awe-inspiring background of the Himalayan Mountains have schooled kayakers for decades. When Anup Gurung, Man Bahadur (Michael) Kadel, Rajip Tripathi, and Suman Thapa became the first Nepalese paddlers to experience the Humla’s waters, they found themselves immersed in the strange but familiar, confronted with truths about themselves and their country, forced to answer questions they had never thought to ask. When we landed in Simikot, 2800 meters high in the Himalayan Mountains of Northwestern Nepal, soft, falling snow and curious gazes greeted us. After an eighteen-hour bus ride and a twenty-four-hour flight-delay,…

There is no precise season for kayaking in Wales. The rivers are rain-fed, and it does rain frequently, so most locals get to boat year round. However, the most reliable time to get water is usually in autumn, as September to November is traditionally the wettest season.The Tryweryn—fun, technical, grade III— is a dam-released river, and is most likely to release during the summer months.The Cardiff Whitewater Course also releases throughout the year with evening floodlit sessions. How to get there: The easiest way to access to the goods of North Wales would be to fly into Manchester or Liverpool airports.To head straight to the south, the best airports will be Cardiff and Bristol. Add a car hire, and away you go.There is also the overland option, sailing into Dover…

NEWS AND HAPPENINGS MALABAR RIVER FESTIVAL 2018, INDIA, JULY 18-22ND Kayak Session is pleased to announce our renewed partnership with the Malabar River Festival.This year’s event, the sixth edition, will be held in Kerala from July 18-22nd, 2018. With a $20,000 cash purse, and a list of confirmed athletes including Aniol and Gerd Serrasolses, Nouria Newman, Dane Jackson, Martin Wegman, Sam Sutton, Pat Keller, Mike Dawson, Tyler Bradt, Nicole Mansfield, Bren Orton, Nick Troutman, Dave Bain, Phil Baues, and Geneviève Royer joining top Indian and Asian paddlers, the MRF is the place to be this July.The three-day event is quickly gaining notoriety and claiming a spot on the global scene.The 2018 MRF will feature boatercross, downriver, freestyle and slalom competitions. The Serrasolses will be organizing a week-long program for local…

CITROEN EXTREME RACE, NEW ZEALAND, MARCH 2018 Citroen ’18 went down a treat. Cyclone Gita rang through earlier in the week bringing some bonus water to the region and pushing the Kawarau River to a smidge over 200 cumecs. If levels weren’t intimidating enough, there was also the five-meter high start ramp to keep nerves running high. The rapid dished out its fair share of thrills and spills: four competitors stood proudly at the prize giving drinking from soiled footwear, while Gabe Vink Wackernagel earned himself a bar tab for a valiant fight from the grasps of the punishing top pocket. Carl Whitehead failed to defend his 2017 title, losing out to Jesper Sorenson in 1st place and Shannon Mast in 2nd. Sandra Hyslop went one better than 2017 taking…

MIXMASTER - JACKSON KAYAK Meet the new playmaster of the river! It slices and dices every drop of water with a super-low volume, high-performance bow and stern.The ride of the Mixmaster is from a bygone era, but this new and improved design, now mixed with better ergonomics, hull shape, and overall package brings retro to modern! If you thought you could never squirt, flatwater cartwheel, bow or stern stall a boat before, think again.The MixMaster is the ultimate learning tool for those who just need something easier. If you have pre-existing skills, this is the ultimate mix of wave, hole, flatwater and eddy line fun.Two sizes will cover most paddlers.You too will be a MixMaster with this boat! **SHIPPING FEBRUARY 2018** SIZES: MIXMASTER 7, MIXMASTER 7.5 | LENGTH:…

ARAHURA ACCESS, SOUTH ISLAND NEW ZEALAND Recently access to the Arahura River has become problematic. The current status is that the Mawhera Corporation, who administers the surrounding area as a nature reserve, is developing a management plan that will cover the access process. Jordy Searle is working with local Iwi to ensure they understand the whitewater community, our history, the importance of access to the Arahura and that kayakers can play a Kaitiaki, or guardian role; e.g. reporting wildlife sightings and letting Iwi know who is in the river corridor. Whitewater NZ is hoping to have more material progress later this year and will provide updates on the Whitewater NZ Facebook page.Thanks to Jordy and others for work on this issue and in the meantime, please be patient, there will…

Kayak Session: As organizers, what is the Malabar River Fest all about? Manik Taneja: We started this festival to highlight some of the awesome rivers and terrain that Kerala has to offer. Before, we often heard that all the fun whitewater in India was limited to the Northern part of the country, near the Himalayas. The idea was to change this perception, and for locals to witness and appreciate the amazing rivers in their backyards. In short, this festival is about promoting the sport in this part of the world and getting more people involved so we have more people to paddle with. Jacopo Nordera: It’s all about having fun and discovering the amazing whitewater of this part of the world, while getting to compete in different types of races.The…

Save The Conwy was a group set up by local paddlers to protect the Fairy Glen from what would have been an environmentally devastating dam project. The proposed hydro scheme would have de-watered an ecologically important section of river while uprooting parts of the surrounding ancient woodland to lay a pipeline. Opposition to the project came from local kayakers, fisherman, and conservation groups unified in their desire to protect the river. Following their success in protecting the Fairy Glen, the group has expanded into Save Our Rivers, a not-for-profit supported by Patagonia and NRS with the aim of providing support and advice for other groups wanting to protect their local rivers. To find out more about North Wales’ very own Monkey Wrench Gang, check out www.saveourrivers.org | Facebook & Instagram:…

//ADDING NEW TRICKS TO EXISTING LINES WAS COOL AND ALL, BUT THE REAL TREAT WAS THE OPEN-MINDED APPROACH OF TRYING TO THINK OF THE MOST CREATIVE WAY TO RUN A RAPID, CATCH AN EDDY, OR LAND A DROP AS WE TRIED TO MAKE THE RAPIDS LAST AS LONG AS POSSIBLE.// Like every great trip, it started with a dream. I wanted to take my new Antix to Mexico and session the well-known waterfall mecca with a primary focus of freeride progression. Simple, right? So, I messaged the gang and started trying to put a team together. My simple idea quickly had flaws. People couldn’t come, whether work or immigration issues,“cough cough, Rafa.”Then Dane got a bad infection, and finally it was just Kalob Grady and myself. On the day of…

Location: La Garganta del Diablo, Rio Claro (Chile) Photographer: Eli Castleberry Paddler: Sal Montgomery Location: Columbia River Gorge, Oregon (USA) Photographer: John Webster Paddler: Rafa Ortiz Location: Mesa Falls beneath the solar eclipse, Idaho (USA) Photographer: Dane Christensen Paddler: Tyler Bradt Location: Rio Captren, near Volcan Llaima (Chile) Photographer: Chris Korbulic Paddler: Evan Garcia Location: Skjálfandafljót River, (Iceland) Photographer: Michael Neumann Paddler: Matze Brustmann Location: West Cherry Creek, California (USA) Photographer: Dane Jackson Paddler: Nouria Newman Location: Skjálfandafljót River, (Iceland) Photographer: Michael Neumann Paddler: Jobst Hahn, Matze Brustmann, Adrian Mattern Location: Slave River, North West Territories (Canada) Photographer: James Huser Paddler: Quim Fontane Location: Spirit Falls, Little White Salmon (WA, USA) Photographer: Dane Jackson Paddler: Evan Moore…