December 2009 Blog Posts (9)

Utilizing Curlers...

I've always thought of kayaking as being a sport in which you try to achieve synchrony with the river, not fight against it. I think that the best paddlers are able to put in very little effort to get their boat where it needs to go. This is true even in the most massive, convoluted, class VI rapid.

One tool that I've always found very useful for my own paddling is learning how to interact with curlers. For the purpose of this discussion I'm going to include pillows as well, because… Continue

Added by Chris Gragtmans on December 27, 2009 at 1:30pm — 1 Comment

Anna's Top Five Winter Paddling Accessories

I have to say that I’m not a hardcore winter paddler, obviously, since I run winter trips in Mexico! So, I can relate to those of you who hang up the paddle for other, dryer, sports in the winter. However, I do know paddlers who still motivate even with snow on the ground and icicles hanging from the brims of their helmets. And, I admit that when I do drag myself out when it’s 40 degrees or colder (what I consider cold weather paddling) I have a lot of fun. So, if you’re planning on getting out… Continue

Added by Anna Levesque on December 17, 2009 at 2:21pm — No Comments

El Rio de Oro- A Mexican Classic

A broken hand cause by a fall while scouting on the Rio de Cajones kept me from getting to kayak as much as I wanted to on my recent trip down to Mexico. Before the accident however, I did get on an awesome creek on the Eastern coast that is a must do for anyone taking a trip south.

The Rio do Oro is located on the Costa de Oro in a tiny town called Arroyo de Lisa. Gareth and I drove five hours from Tylapacoyon with essentially no beta about the run besides that we should do it. The… Continue

Added by Laura Farrell on December 17, 2009 at 2:21pm — 1 Comment

Dagger Wishes Rush Sturges a Speedy Recovery!

As his sponsor and as his friends, all of us at Dagger wish Rush Sturges a speedy recovery. Rush sustained an injury while running Bonito Falls (80-feet) in Argentina.

According to an email from Rush, who is still in South America, he broke his back, but expects a full recovery. “Luckily, it’s not a bad break and it did not affect my nervous system.” He expects three to four months of rehabilitation and voiced his intention to come back even stronger.

Anyone who knows Rush… Continue

Added by Craig Ray on December 15, 2009 at 4:01pm — No Comments

staying motivated

I frequently hear trainers talk about different workouts to improve performance. But there is an even more important ingredient to winning. Motivation. I've seen so many incredible athletes loose motivation, which either indirectly, or directly, leads to worse results.

Motivation is hard to teach. To some degree you either have it or you don't. Unlike training I can't help you develop a program to improve results. So the key is to find whatever it is that gives you… Continue

Added by tao berman on December 12, 2009 at 2:51pm — No Comments

Running Whitewater in Brazil Before It's Gone

Yesterday, we hit the river for one more round of whitewater — taking on the rapids of Cachoeira de Teotônio (Teotônio Waterfall).

The falls are on the Rio Madeira — the longest and the second largest tributary of the Amazon. The river gets its name “River of Wood” from the massive number of uprooted trees that float down its rough waters. And it definitely stood up to its namesake yesterday — we saw some huge logs coming down!…

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Added by Andy Maser on December 10, 2009 at 7:49pm — No Comments

A Week in Mexico

Veracruz state in Mexico has some of the best whitewater kayaking in the world. During Thanksgiving break this year my brother Brendan and I flew to Veracruz then bused a few hours to Tlapacoyan, a city higher in the mountains. There we met up with Nate and Heather Herbeck and local kayaker Iker Beristain who showed us the goods. From beautiful class IV-V rapids to epic 65ft. waterfalls we paddled some of the best whitewater in Mexico. Here's some… Continue

Added by Todd Wells on December 10, 2009 at 6:54pm — No Comments

Staying Strong this Winter

Well, it's that time of year again. My kayak is already collecting dust after being in hibernation for only a couple of months. Temperatures are below zero and the snow is falling but this doesn't mean that we can't be training for the day the snow starts to melt. Here are a few simple suggestions to stay in shape this holiday season.

1. GET OUTSIDE! Depending on where you live this can be tough. The best thing I can suggest is to learn a new winter sport. Some suggestions include… Continue

Added by Brad Ludden on December 9, 2009 at 9:46pm — No Comments

What to do with too much water

I know its kind of an oxymoron, cause as a kayaker lots of water is usually a good thing:) However with all the rain recently in the southeast I've heard lots of stories of the dreaded 'drive around and look at things that are way too high' days. If this hasn't happened to you yet in your kayaking career that's a good thing but the odds are it probably will one day:) It's actually a lot easier to have happen than you think. Picture this: You haven't kayaked on a natural flow river in sometime… Continue

Added by Andrew Holcombe on December 6, 2009 at 9:22pm — No Comments