Indholdsfortegnelse for Winter 2019 i Kayak Session Magazine

Think back to your first time on whitewater. Chances are, it was cold, or scary, or both. Learning to whitewater kayaking is the worst. Even for those comfortable being in the water, the sensation of being inside a boat, upside down, in fast-moving current is distinctly foreign. In fact, so many paddlers list moments of fear or discomfort in their early days, on the surface it seems a wonder the sport continues to grow. But to focus only on the discomfort would be foolish. Whitewater kayaking is full of surprisingly dedicated individuals who describe their passion for the sport as an addiction, or as our interviewee, Adrian Mattern, declares, “What I live for; what I do.” Despite intimidating introductions to the indiscriminate power of the river, both Adrian Mattern and…

MALABAR RIVER FESTIVAL 2019, KERALA, INDIA, JULY 2019 The 7th edition of the Malabar River Festival was held in the Calicut district of Kerala, from the 26th - 28th of July 2019. This year’s festival focused on the development of the Indian paddling community, and therefore saw the largest participation of Indian kayakers to date, with a total of 75 participants from across 15 states in India and 9 participants from other countries. Highlights of the 2019 edition of the Malabar River Festival include receiving official recognition as an ICF (International Canoe Federation) event, being listed on the official calendar of ICF events, and hosting selections for the Indian Extreme Slalom National Team. The winners will be representing India at the ICF Worlds Extreme Slalom competition next year. Additionally, this…

Every year, as the end of summer approaches, kayakers flood the Czech village of Loucovice. The region, located only a two-hour drive from Prague and Salzburg and three hours from Munich and Vienna, is a famous holiday destination popular for swimming, biking and summer parties. But this small town has gained renown for another reason. Here, in the southern part of the Czech Republic close to Ceský Krumlov, on the last weekend of August, the Lipno Reservoir opens its gates, releasing the Vltava River. As the grey-brown water tumbles from the reservoir and courses through the surrounding Bohemian Forest, it drops in elevation, spilling over and around boulders to form a torrent of whitewater ranging from grade II-V. It was, Mira Kodada, Jakub Nemec, and Jirí Kopecný thought in 2007,…

Anywhere there is whitewater, you will find someone with a connection to the DC area. What is it about the DC area that creates such a strong whitewater community? How is it that this large metropolitan area consistently produces such top-level kayakers? 17-year-old Andrew ‘Panda’’Palim is the perfect example of the next generation of DC paddlers. Combining impressive technical skills with a great attitude and an infectious smile, Panda represents a bright future for youth in the sport. His story is a prime example of the success in developing a love of the sport among youth that the clubs, mentors, coaches, and community members of the DC area create. What is that magic sauce they got out there in DC? We caught up with Panda to find out a bit…

For many, paddling is one recreational activity that contributes to a healthy and happy life. For some, paddling is a defining and essential component of our identity - and something that we hope to continue doing forever, regardless of injury, age, or other obstacles. I find that as I mature, finding ways to maintain my skills, fitness, and mindset becomes increasingly important for my ability to fully enjoy whitewater. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR TRAINING WHENEVER YOU CAN Finding time to paddle and train can become more difficult as life becomes busier and more complicated. While there is no substitute for time spent in a boat, being able to paddle well and confidently in the long run doesn’t have to mean focusing exclusively on paddling for training. Finding other sports…

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NEWS AND HAPPENINGS PADDLE EXPO, NUREMBERG, GERMANY, OCTOBER 4TH-6TH 2019 Once again, the month of October brought the industry’s finest together in Nuremberg, Germany, for what has become the leading paddlesports tradeshow. PaddleExpo 2019 continued to build on its legacy of showcasing new and innovative products, and facilitating conversation and collaboration across paddles-ports. The industry dinner, accompanied by the paddlesport Product of the Year Awards, was honored to welcome the 2019 Inductees to the Whitewater Hall of Fame: Dagger Founder Joe Pulliam, the family of Hermann & Christa Kerckhoff, and Chris Hawkesworth. After the awards, the Kayak Session movie night entertained and wowed. For more information on PaddleExpo or new products, check PaddleExpo.com and PaddlerGuide.com. TOBA WILD ASAHAN RIVER FESTIVAL, SUMATRA, INDONESIA, DECEMBER 1ST-8TH 2019 The Asahan River festival is…

KEEP THE PIATUA RIVER FREE-FLOWING, ECUADOR The Piatua River’s pristine waters form one of Ecuador’s whitewater gems, are home to many Kichwa people, and habitat to hundreds of species of birds, animals, amphibians, and fish. A company called Genefran S.A is currently building a trans-basin diversion hydro-project that would dewater the bottom 15 kilometers of the Piatua—the entire whitewater section. The Ecuadorian Rivers Institute (ERI) has been battling this project in the courts, as the local communities believe the permits for the project were issued without following the proper legal channels. Locals who live along the river, the whitewater community, and many others throughout Ecuador oppose this hydro-project, and thousands have come out in support of a free-flowing Piatua River. On September 5, 2019, the appellate court of the Pastaza…

WE’RE GOING BACK TO CALI, CALI… As creatures of habit, we often find ourselves trying to branch out and try new things. Yet, if there is one place kayakers are constantly drawn back to, it’s California. From north to south, the Golden State has the whitewater goods- especially when summer comes around and the snowpack is holding strong. But, California is weird… there is rarely an "average" year. It is usually very dry or very wet. In 2017, the crisp, refreshing, runoff ended a five-year drought, supplied farms, replenished lakes and rivers, and gave kayakers a season to remember. This spring, eyes were kept peeled on Cali once again as snow dumped all over the Golden State and blizzards pounded the Sierra Nevada, burying the towering mountain range. True to…

I messed up. I messed up bad. I was alone in the Himalayas, stuck in a pocket eddy, which feeds into a siphon. No one could help me. No one but myself. I managed to stabilize myself, jam my paddle, and throw my Watershed onshore. If I jumped out of my boat and made it onto the rocks, there was a chance that I wouldn’t get sucked into the human-sized toilet flushing right next to me. But that was the ideal scenario, not the reality. Next thing I knew, I was getting sucked underwater, straight into the siphon. As I went down, I pushed my boat as far away from me as possible in a last attempt to maximize my chances of not getting stuck. There was nothing else I…

Undoubtedly, over-exposure to the sun can harm your skin, but the same applies to your eyes too! Ultra-violet radiation from the sun’s rays over time can cause adaptations by your body. These can be thought of as a protective reaction by the body initially, but they can ultimately lead to problems down the line. Surfer’s Eye occurs as a result of overexposure to the sun (just as Surfer’s Ear develops as a result of overexposure to cold water). WHAT ARE THESE GROWTHS ON MY EYEBALL, AND WHAT CAUSES THEM? Overexposure to the sun and UV radiation can cause the growth of yellowish bumps on your eye. These normally occur between the iris of your eye and its inner edge, near your nose, or on the outer edge, near the corner…

RIVER DRAS, INDIA-PAKISTAN BORDER, JULY 2019 Ladakh is already known as a haven for kayakers. It offers world-renowned classic runs as well as a thriving rafting industry on the Zanskar and Indus rivers. Nevertheless, even in this whitewater paradise, some rivers stand out. One of the very last entries in the 2014 Ladakh guidebook (collated by Darren Clarkson-King and Tsering Chotak) is for the Dras, described as 80 km of world-class, roadside whitewater. At first glance, this sounds like an instant classic. Yet since the first descent by Peter Knowles' team in 1985, it has seldom been attempted. The hitch, it turns out, is the river’s location. Situated almost directly on the (at times) volatile border between India and Pakistan, the military presence in the region is high and hardly…

We have been hiking all day. We will keep hiking all day tomorrow and probably most of the next. My back hurts. My legs hurt. Everything hurts. I’ve lost track of how many falls I had today. Every time I crash, I end up stuck in my carrying system, legs in the air, unable to get back up. We call this the “awkward turtle.” We usually joke about it, but today I don’t have the strength to find it funny. I have cried a few times already. Sometimes from pain. Sometimes from anger. We don’t even know if the river goes. We might have to hike our loaded boats right back down. Ben knows that already. This is his third attempt to run the Ano Nuevo; He, Pedro Oliveira, and…

Gauley Festival is an example of an event where the river gets more crowded during the event than just about any other time or any other river in the world. So, why come? Why not wait until the crowds go away? What is the upside of going to such an event; what is the downside? The upside is easy. First, Gauley Fest is a fundraiser for American Whitewater. In fact, most whitewater kayaking events raise money for AW or some other organization or club that is helping make kayaking better for everyone. Those that aren’t are often raising money for a local charity or kayaker that needs help. Another reason to go during events is to participate in the fun. On the water, there could be group paddles, instruction, competitions,…

COME PREPARED: WHITEWATER SAFETY BEFORE YOU GET TO THE RIVER by Evan Stafford Starting the hike down to the river at 2 pm was not the plan. Neither was spending a dangerously cold and sleepless night huddled around a campfire in a drysuit. Fortunately, I was cozied up in my sleeping bag, resting up for another full day of solid whitewater. Others, who shall not be named here, were not so lucky. The difference – research. I came prepared. We weren’t on a first descent; however, it was the second descent of an obscure creek in the mountains outside Phoenix, Arizona (USA). The trouble started when we misidentified the take-out while setting shuttle, setting our start time back by hours. It was lightly snowing as we prepared for our hike…

Boulders and mud blocked the road, forcing a traffic jam that delayed Anup Gurung and his friends on their way to a multiday kayaking trip on the Kali Gandaki River. Born and raised in Nepal, the power of nature had always been tangible, visible, and present to Anup. He had been dreaming of a cross-country paddling expedition for years, inspiration building each time he paddled the rivers of his home country. As Anup watched the excavators clear the landslide, the gravel, mud, and debris pouring into the river brought the devastation of Nepal’s rivers into focus. At that moment, he made a commitment to himself to make the trip a reality. Long before class V multi-days, Anup had an unusual entrance into the world of whitewater. Near his house on…