This year AS Watersports hosted the South West canoe show here in the UK. As well as all the new gear from UK and international equipment suppliers there was also the opportunity to try out gear on site.
Month: May 2015 (Page 1 of 4)
In April 2009 Nathan Butler and Martyn Sollars embarked on journey across the United Stated of America. Nathan invested in the ‘Whitewater Classics: Fifty North American Rivers’. This book became the bible, a tick list by default – It featured handpicked paddlers sharing their experiences of each river and stating why it is a classic.
The book was by no means a guidebook, but suggestions made by accomplished and proven pioneers of the sport. Contributors to the Northern Territory project haven’t got the reputation or world titles as featured in ‘Whitewater Classics: Fifty North American Rivers’, but do share the same desire and passion for the sport.
Over the next few weeks Unsponsored will be sharing Nathan’s thoughts and comments on some of the many whitewater classics in Northern Britain.
From Nathan:
Although this UK Northern Territory series doesn’t cover the vast range of rivers the ‘Whitewater Classics: Fifty North American Rivers’ edition does I hope it details those that are worthy of exposure, a mixture of known classics and lesser known sections of whitewater that are carefully selected as not to dilute an abundance of excellent whitewater found in Northern Britain. We hope this works best and gives you the same excitement and is as helpful and as fun to experience as it was for us to produce.
Enjoy and Happy Hucking!
Pokin the Stoke – Hitting the Swale on Sunday with Sam & Ben for some fun lines and good times!
Alex Parsons gives us a run down of what he did last year.
Tough to get out boating now thanks to work! but made the most of it!
A lot of people are hyped about Liquid Logic Kayaks newest boat the Braaap 69. The Braaap is built off of a slalom and creek boat foundation, and is meant to give paddlers a new and improved way to run the river.
My first time in the Braaap was at the Cheoah River near Robbinsville NC, it was surprising as I wasn’t planning on paddling a prototype boat when I arrived at the put-in that morning. After my first lap my group and I went back up to run a 2nd lap on the bottom half of Cheoah, this is where we caught up with Hunt Jennings. After a few minutes of talking and reversing shuttle I had managed to talk Hunt into letting me take the Braaap down for that lap.
World-class athlete Steve Fisher has taken on some of the most ambitious projects imaginable, including an expedition through the Congo River’s Inga rapids, the world’s biggest rapids. He faced an entirely different challenge recently: accepting an invite to speak at the TEDx Athens event in Greece.
http://www.redbull.com/uk/en/adventure/stories/1331628307193/kayaker-steve-fisher-ted-talk
The Universal Mat from Palm Equipment landed at Unsponsored HQ a few months back and has been used week in and week out ever since.
The Project X from Wavesport has been around for quite a few years having been originally released way back in 2011. The release of the new Möbius has removed the Project X from being Wavesport’s premium playboat. However quite a few retailers have stock at killer prices.
The Project X is a short freestyle kayak that is available in three different sizes – 48, 56 and 64 gallons. The first generation had Wavesport’s Core Outfitting. The outfitting in early models was good but some issues with delamination had been reported by quite a few paddlers. Wavesport quickly rectified this issue with an update in the materials and production techniques used.
We are all in between swims. Dave Fusilli takes a swim on the Upper Cherry Creek. Some great throw line work can be seen in this edit.
From the very first moment you sit in a boat you start to get “a feel for it”, how it fits and possibly even how it may perform. As beginners we start off in boats that may be used by many different size paddlers, which results in cockpits being kept clutter free. Loose, comfortable boats feel good on flat water, but they can make leaning and bracing difficult. Once the boat is padded to provide a close, body-hugging fit that still allows for quick and easy water exits, performance can dramatically improve. This same rule applies to all levels of kayakers, whether they’re paddling easy whitewater, big water runs or creeks. Customised outfitting helps transfer every trace in the river’s current through the kayak’s hull to your body, helping you sense your surroundings, make critical maneuvers and maintain your balance, thus staying upright!
Since paddlers press against their boat’s inner hull with the small of their backs, butts, hips, thighs, knees and feet, it is these key areas that should be customised to match the shape and size of the paddler. To make this as easy as possible I am going to break the cockpit into a handful of sections and tailor each one to help you get the best control possible from your boat. Many boat manufacturers have really stepped up their game and are providing some excellent outfitting as standard in their kayaks. However these systems still need adapting in some way to ensure that they fit YOU correctly.
A short edit from Aaron Kendall showing the Fairy Glen on the Conwy. This is what could be lost for ever if the hydro development takes place. Please help to support the fight. More details here.
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