This year we made our way back to Vail for the annual GoPro Mountain Games. It was a busy week, as I competed in 14 different events including running, biking, rafting, yoga, kayaking, and SUP, for the Ultimate Mountain Challenge. As a family we had some success, I had some sweet runs on the Homestake Creek race, and ended with a bronze medal. Emily won her 10X Mountain Game Championship in Freestyle, as well as another gold in 8-Ball. Though my biggest prize was all the fun we had as a family, especially while doing the Mud Run with Emily, Tucker, and Omi.

You’re $2,500.00 poorer, congrats!

That is so wrong in so many ways.  And I will tell you why at the end of this article.

Kayak fishing is a “solo” sport.  Yes, it gets you more in tune with yourself and nature.  Makes you a better angler by forcing you to dissect smaller areas.

But what about the social aspect of it? At least with a motor boat you can bring your friend on it and spend a great deal of time catching up while catching fish, covering water and trying different spots.

And how is kayak fishing “social”? Simple!You don’t go as fast as the other boats, so it’s easier to slow down/stop and make small talk with that cottage owner fishing from the end of his dock.  You never know, that person can share a few spots and secrets of what works where on the lake/river.

Also, if you see a fellow kayaker you can do the same and perhaps hook up and fish together.  You might have found yourself a good friend.

In my case, I was tired of fishing with only one person.  Depending on when our schedules would meet.

I was tired of seeing people kayaking but not holding a rod and the ones that had one would not be very friendly when conversing.

So I decided a different approach.

Ottawa didn’t have a kayak fishing club (If your city has one, join it!) and I decided I was going to take the plunge and post on a fishing forum that I would be starting a Facebook -yes, Facebook- group that would be dedicated to kayak fishing for kayak anglers from around my area.

A few people started joining (I was surprised!).  When there were about 10-20 members I decided to hold the first “Meet and Greet” at a local and central pub in town.  To my surprise, about 12 people showed up and the talk was about our catches and what plans we had for the upcoming open water season.

Word of mouth (and social media) travelled fast!  I couldn’t give credit at how many people kayak fished around Ottawa.  So I decided to hold our very first CPR (Catch, Picture, Release) mini tournament in May and, let me tell you, it was a success…to me.  Twelve anglers showed up to brave the cold winds in search for pike.

More -local- people continued to join the group and a lot of us started posting open invites to go fishing around the area.

Last December we hit the 200-member mark and that’s when I decided to contact my sponsors (Jackson Kayak, Orion Coolers, Bending Branches, YakAttack, and other local businesses) and told them about my plans to organize a series of friendly events throughout the year to help raise awareness of kayak fishing in the region (and in Canada, for that matter), since it was in diaper stages on this side of the border.

The sponsors didn’t hesitate to help us out! And let me tell you, the events have been a success.  Lots of work needs to be done, but super fun.  All the work you put into the events is rewarded with friendships I don’t think I would have ever found on my own.

Kayak fishing is a brotherhood.  Quite different than boat fishing.  It’s all about bragging rights and having a great time on and off the water.  All this stress-free.

KAAO – Kayak Anglers Association of the Outaouais has surpassed the 300 member mark in a year-and-a-half!  I’m don’t believe it was “me” who accomplished all this.  Instead, I give credit to all of its members for spreading the word and inviting others to join.  Especially for being so cooperative in following the rules:

1. Have fun
2. No picture without PFD securely fastened.
3. No bashing other members

Remember at the beginning of the article I said that you’re wrong if you think you’re poorer after buying a kayak?

Well, I consider myself richer because I have another family, a brotherhood.  Guys that I can talk to about fishing.  People I want to pass my fishing knowledge to and also learn from them.  Oh my God! have I ever learned a lot during this last year.  I used to fish for bass 99% of the time.  During this year alone I’ve caught 14 different species (check out my Instagram account).  And I owe it all to my KAAOtic brothers.

I’m happy that KAAO exists.  I’m happy kayak fishing exists.  I am in my happy place!

Go ahead, I encourage you to find your “brotherhood”.  You won’t be disappointed.

Tight lines y’all!
Roberto Briones “Dr.B”
@DrBOutdoors
@kaao.ca
www.kaao.ca

Here’s an edit of my spring in the Antix.

Checkin’ out the local slides.

Today someone asked me why I spend so much money on fishing gear if every fish that I catch I let go.  It took me a while to think about the complicated answer and then I said:

• I don’t fish for a living

I fish because…

• It is there where I talk to the people that aren’t among us anymore.
• It’s where I travel within my soul with only myself as as companion.
• I fish because it is then when I forget about the problems at work; it is there where I forget about everything and my soul finds peace being away from the noises of the city.
• It is on the water that I value what I have and where I realize that I don’t need much to be happy.
• Fishing is where I begin that game I started many years ago.  A game between an intelligent fish and me.  You have to fool the fish by turning yourself into a lure and challenging it to attack.
• It’s an active hunt where every step is so important that hours can pass by and you would feel as fresh -or fresher- as before starting your search.
• It’s the relaxing motion of the waves under your seat and the soft touch of the clean breeze on your face as another active ingredient of your inner search.
• As everything in life, you have to be alert and constantly changing strategies, changing lures, changing the way or the speed you pick up your line, and when you finally catch that fish, it becomes a magical moment and you rush it, but at the same time you want it to last much longer.
• I fish because fishing is a life lesson that teaches me that I have to try as many times as needed. That a failed attempt puts me one step closer to success.
• I fish because fishing is the oxygen I need to return to work to put into practice what I just learned…

I repeat, I don’t fish to eat, but if I capture a fish, I return my playmate and let him swim freely because I want to keep on playing this game and acquiring life lessons for as long as I remain on this Earth.

(Photo Credit: Justin Hausner)

Tight lines my friends!
Roberto Briones (Dr.B)
Twitter/Instagram (@DrBOutdoors)

Being heavily involved in the kayak fishing community has its perks.  As a Jackson Kayak Regional Team member I have gotten to know so many individuals who I now call friends.

One of such individuals and avid kayak angler, teammate and a great human being, called Justin Hausner hosts bass fishing tournaments in the Finger Lakes area in New York, which is not to far away from my hometown, Ottawa, ON.

Early this bass fishing season, Justin contacted me to let me know about a kayak fishing tournament he was thinking about hosting in October.  This tournament would be an open invite to all the kayak fishing clubs in the Northeast of the United States and he was extending the invitation to the club I have the privilege to preside, KAAO – Kayak Anglers Association of the Outaouais.

So the Northeast Kayak Fishing Challenge was born.  It was programmed to take place on October 14, 2017 on Lake Champlain in Ticonderoga, NY., where representatives of clubs from New York, Vermont, Connecticut, Maine and -guests- Ottawa/Quebec (which we will call Canada from now on) attended.

The rules were simple:

• 5-fish limit.
• Preset boundaries.
• Anglers’ meeting at 6:00 AM
• First cast at 7:00 AM.
• Last cast at 2:00 PM.
• Return to initial site by 3:00 PM to judge fish entries.
• Prizes (including money) to top-three anglers.
• Best prize of all was the chance to bring the “Battle of the Northeast” home for 2018.

Never having fished Lake Champlain in Ticonderoga, all five of the Canadian contingent started working on a game plan.  We gathered as much information as possible from forums (reading past posts), YouTube and asking around for tips from contacts that have been there before.  To be quite honest, for the longest time I thought it was a smallmouth fishery until two days before the trip, when a good friend of mine and a very reliable source told me it was in fact predominantly a largemouth heaven.  Needless to say I had to change my game plan.  Luckily I was still home to do so.

Our trip began right after work on Thursday (the tournament was on Saturday) when my friend Dave Fowler (originally from Newfoundland) picked me and my trailer up.  We drove two hours and we met with André Frenette (originally from New Brunswick) at the border between Quebec and New York at the Duty Free Shop, where we filled-up my Orion Cooler 45 with refreshing beverages.

We made it to Ticonderoga at around 10:00 PM and set up camp.

The temperature dropped quite a bit but luckily we were prepared with a portable heater that kept us -kinda- comfortable during the night.

(Canadian Headquarters)

(Yep, we got some frost overnight)

Friday started out as a beautiful -chilly- day but unfortunately the winds picked up to about 15-20 mph constant!

Needless to say, personally, I got skunked.  Only lost 3 lures to what I believe were pike.  André and Dave each caught one bass.

The turning point of that day was when Dave and I saw André flip over his kayak about 100 yards away from us.  Luckily he didn’t lose any gear, except for his net that was floating close to him.  Once I was right next to him I couldn’t resist taking a picture of him swimming in 61-degree water.  I didn’t do it to make fun of him, but to congratulate him for wearing his PFD and to make my social media followers aware as to why it is so important to wear your lifejacket at all times.

(Hull full of water and André wearing his PFD)

Now, André is a big boy and he was also wearing dry pants.  But more than preventing your clothes to get wet if raining, once the water finds a way inside, they keep it in until you take them off to drain them.  Well, all that water added to André’s weight.

Dave and I had to position our  boats on each side of André’s kayak to stabilize it so he could get back on it.  In André’s words: “Getting back on your kayak is only half the battle.  Repositioning yourself back on the seat is the other half.  So practice your deep-water re-entry!”

Once back on the boat, we paddled behind him back to the launch to empty the water from inside his hull and for him to change into a dry set of clothes.  And we went back to try and locate some fish.  We were unsuccessful.

At this point we were back to square one and we were going to try a different plan for tournament day.

That night the rest of the Canadian team arrived to the campground.  Tommy Doucet (originally from Quebec) and Michael Cox (originally from Nova Scotia) completed the representation from Eastern Canada (Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario).  Also we got together to have a few refreshing beverages with to New Yorkers, Brian Baulsir and Kurt Hommel, two real gentlemen and a joy to talk to.  Between the seven of us we discussed strategies mainly to stay protected from the southernly winds, which were predicted to get stronger during tournament day.

The following morning we had our meeting and took off to the launch.  These were unknown grounds to all of us.  The winds were even stronger than during our pre-fishing, but our spirits were high and full of hopes.  The water was very dirty and choppy.

It wasn’t until around 9:00 AM when I hooked on my first fish.  Unfortunately for me it was the wrong kind: a white perch (a new species for me).

(This white perch hit my drop shot with amazing force for its size)

I must’ve tried everything that morning.  And to be quite honest, I was starting to feel quite discouraged because the largies were not quite cooperating…until 11:00 AM when I decided to change spots.  Then the fun began!

Using nothing else but green tubes, Tommy and I began catching fish and were on a mission to empty the spot.  I really didn’t care who would end up taking the win, as long as people would start catching fish.  And boy, did we catch big fish.  There was a point when we were about 5 or 6 anglers throwing different lures to the same area and I can safely say that it produced about 30-40 fish.  Many of them being quality fish!

(My best five fish of the day)

As I was submitting my catches I was looking at my name climbing places until I reached the top, but I kept my eye very close on Brian Baulsir, a great angler and well renowned in the NY region.

I knew Brian had some fish in his virtual livewell but it was already 1:30 PM and I had to start paddling back to the launch to load the kayaks back on the trailer to be at the meeting place by 3:00 PM (we still had a 20-minute drive).  At this point I felt I had a comfortable lead, but wasn’t counting out any if the other competitors.

About 15 minutes before last cast (2:00 PM) I decided to refresh my Tourney X app and to my surprise, this is what I saw!…

(Awesome comeback Brian!)

I felt like my knees started to shake, but the only thing to my advantage was that I could already see Brian paddling back to the launch and it was already close to 2:00 PM.  My only hope was that no one was “sandbagging” and waiting until closer to 3:00 PM to submit their catches.

Once at the meeting place we all gathered and we were able to see each other’s faces (too dark at 6:00 AM) and started mingling and commencing the life-long friendships exchanging fishing stories and eating apple cider donuts and drinking cider that Justin and his wife were kind enough to bring for all of us.

The judging of the pictures took place and I ended up winning my first ever kayak bass fishing tournament!  Needless to say I was excited about the win, but I was most excited to know that Canada was bringing home the trophy and hosting next year’s event (still deciding where) and my new brothers and sisters in kayak fishing will get to visit our beautiful country!

Next year will be a blast! Bigger and better than the first one!  Hopefully many more anglers are able to participate in the event.

Congratulations to Brian Baulsir and Nick Berlin for winning second and third place and again to Brian for catching the biggest fish of the tournament.  A beautiful 20.25″ pig!

(Brian’s Hog!)

Until next year my friends!

(CAN vs USA)

(Team Jackson Kayak – Roberto Briones & Justin Hausner)

(First Place)

(Brian Baulsir [2nd place and Big Fish], Roberto Briones [1st place], Nick Berlin [3rd place])

(Competitors)

(Team Canada: Mike Cox, André Frenette, Roberto Briones, Dave Fowler, Tommy Doucet)

(Club Directors)

Tight lines y’all!
Roberto Briones (Dr.B)
Twitter/Instagram (@DrBOutdoors)

UNLEASHEDxUganda

Presented by: SEND 

Stage 1: Cuban Freestyle

Sponsored by Jackson Kayak

Stage 2: The Dead Dutchman BoaterX

Sponsored by: World Class Academy 

A name so ominous that only a quick mention is needed to instill a deep fear into even the bravest of athletes.  The Dead Dutchman; a prestigious, intertwined collection of exploding white-water channels on the top section of the Nile.  This menacingly named and legendary rapid played host to Stage 2 of UNLEASHEDxUganda: The Dead Dutchman BoaterX. 

Stage 2 began with a common scene; athletes gathered in a line, just after 8am, in search of caffeine.  The knowledge of the impending BoaterX on the Dead Dutchman held many athletes to fitful nights of sleep and caused many others to wake early, visualising what the day had to offer.  The Nile River Explorers trailer, loaded with 32 kayaks, athletes, and volunteers, pulled out of camp and made its way towards the river. 

The safety challenges of holding an event on a rapid as extensive as the Dead Dutchman were not overlooked.  The severity of the situation if an athlete became separated from their boat was the organizers biggest fear, and the safety plan reflected this anxiety. Athletes in the race were the premier level of safety as they would be the closest to an athlete in trouble with secondary safety teams set in high traffic positions. 

The breakdown of the format used for the Dead Dutchman BoaterX was as follows:  20 men started the day in 4 heats of 5 racers.  The top 3 athletes from each preliminary heat advanced to the semi finals round which included 2 heats of 6.  Again, the top 3 athletes from each heat advanced and made up the final race of 6 athletes.  The women’s race consisted of 2 athletes that stepped up to the challenge of the Dead Dutchman and these fearless women went head to head in a single round.    

The organizers called for a mandatory practice lap of the Dead Dutchman to be completed by all athletes prior to race day. The race itself could not be the athletes first decent of this massive rapid with no exceptions to this extra safety measure. This precautionary step proved valuable as the athletes were able to spend an entire day, prior to Stage 2, becoming familiar and comfortable with the entire event site.

Organizers aimed to start heat 1 of men’s preliminaries at 12pm sharp; with safety set, and a media team in place, the first racers hit the course at 12:02pm local time.  The action was fast, chaotic and glorious from the first “GO”.  Men’s prelims immediately exposed that anything can happen in the unpredictable madness of high volume boaterX with high ranked contenders Bren Orton (UK) and Kalob Grady (CAN) not advancing past their first races.  This left the field open for young guns, Tom Dolle (FRA) and Kaelin Friedenson (USA), to exhibit exceptional skills in besting their past teachers in the preliminary round.  Semi finals unveiled 2 more hectic races with numerous changes in racers positions throughout the race course.  Semi finals heat 1 revealed a hard fought race in which Dane Jackson (USA), Yusuf Basalirwa (UGA), and Kaelin Friedenson (USA) avoided elimination to move into the finals.  Semi finals heat 2 involved a chaotic finish for 3^rd place as Quinton Kennedy (CAN) came from the very back to snag the final ticket to finals along side Sadat Kawawa (UGA) and Raoul “Honey Badger” Collenteur (NED).  

The women’s finals included two exceedingly fearless kayakers; local crusher and emerging honey badger Amina Nakirya (UGA) and defending UNLEASHED champion Darby McAdams (USA).  The two brave women battled it out through the crux of the Dead Dutchman until Amina got pulled wayward by a large whirlpool.  Darby stayed focused and on-line through the entirety of the rapid to earn her 2^nd victory of UNLEASHEDxUganda. 

Men’s finals fielded an enticing combination of competitors as 14-year-old Kaelin Friedenson (USA) lined up against stage 1 winner Dane Jackson (USA), Raoul “Honey Badger” Collenteur (NED), Quinton Kennedy (CAN), and local shredders Sadat Kawawa (UGA) and Yusuf Basalirwa (UGA).  The signal was given and the boys were off to the races.  Sadat Kawawa (UGA) flaunted undeniable strength and stamina as he sprinted out to the lead on his 3^rd lap down the course.  Sadat Kawawa (UGA) built on his early sprint and took a commanding lead of the finals as the chase pack tangled and crashed in a magnificent fashion through the crux move.  Dane Jackson (USA) and Raoul “Honey Badger” Collenteur (NED) mingled on a seam line for the better part of the length of a football field and came away mostly unscathed.  Yusuf Basalirwa (UGA) took advantage of this collision to storm into 2^nd place while Dane Jackson (USA) recovered from his misfortunes to seize the final spot on the podium of the first ever race held on the notorious Dead Dutchman.  

A collection of 22 athletes charged throughout 8 races for a combined 40 descents of the Dead Dutchman today; and to the unfathomable delight of the organizers, there were 0 swims and 0 injuries.  Athletes stepped up to the highest level today to successfully navigate these truly significant rapids.  The goal of UNLEASHED has always been to push and to progress the sport of kayaking. Today, on the Dead Dutchman, SEND accomplished this goal. 

Coming up in Stage 3, UNLEASHED athletes will fire up the best wave in the World and display freestyle kayaking at the highest level.  The Nile Special freestyle competition will feature the best freestyle kayakers in the World battling it out, but with a SEND twist.  Be sure to check in at 8am eastern standard time on Tuesdaymorning for the Stage 1 edit and full results. 

SEND

Men’s Results:

1^st – Sadat Kawawa

2^nd – Yusuf Basalirwa

3^rd – Dane Jackson

4^th – Raoul Collenteur

5^th – Quinton Kennedy

6^th – Kaelin Friedenson

T-7^th – Seth Ashworth

T-7^th – Tom Dolle

T-9^th – Jakob Hanoulle

T-9^th – Craig Ayres

Women’s Results

1^st – Darby McAdams

2^nd – Amina Nakirya

JACKSON KAYAK BEGINS SHIPPING THE LISKA FISHING KAYAK!

SPARTA, TN (January 15, 2018) Jackson Kayak, a leading kayak manufacturer, has begun shipping The Liska fishing kayak, named after Jackson’s previous European Team Manager who was taken tragically by an avalanche skiing in France two years ago. This new, cost friendly fishing offering combines both the versatility of Jackson’s top selling Cuda series with the stability and modernization of the Mayfly. The end result is a fishing platform that is easy to use, comfortable, standable, fully equipped, fast tracking and light; ideal for bringing new enthusiasts into kayak angling and upgrading those hoping to evolve in their kayak angling. 

Kayak anglers will appreciate these Liska features:

• Wider hull creates a more stable standing platform than the original Cuda, meaning it is better suited to larger paddlers, beginners and more gear.
• Stand and sit with ease – comfortable, padded standing area is standard.
• Hi-Lo Ergo seat system features hi/lo positioning and track-mounted seat system means infinite trimming fore and aft.  The seat can still easily be removed for use at camp or lounging on the bank, or replacement with an Orion 25 Cooler^™ with Handibak^™.
• Center hatch with easy fish-finder integration option and/or ample tackle storage while maximizing floor area. Single track on top of cover for mounting accessories. 
• Multiple rod, tackle and deck storage options. 
• Transducer ready
• Gear tracks on either side of seat and on large open stern storage area.
• Flush mount rod holders
• Standard accessories like RAM Mounts^® fishing rod holder
• Paddle holder molded in front hatch.
• Molded handle on stern 

“Jan Liska was played a large role in the development of kayak angling in Europe. His mantra was always ‘try it, you’ll love it’ and he spent much of his time focused on both introducing anglers to kayaking and encouraging lasting enthusiasm in paddle sports” states James McBeath, Marketing Director.

Manufacturer suggested retail price is $1,349.

Supporting links:

• Liska web page:  http://jacksonkayak.com/blog/kayak/liska/ (photos available on Photo tab)
• About Jan Liska Video series: 
  • Part 1 – Who is Jan Liska
  • Part 2 – Remembering Jan – Team event and testimonials

About Jackson Kayak: Jackson Kayak was founded in 2003 by Eric Jackson and Tony Lunt. Located in Sparta, Tennessee, near the Caney Fork River, Jackson Kayak designs, builds, and manufactures leading whitewater, fishing and exploration paddlesports products. With the motto “Build it like it’s your own”, all of their products are Made in the USA in growing support of the local Tennessee economy. Market leaders in both the whitewater and kayak fishing, kayak manufacturing and strong in the exploration sector, Jackson Kayak continues to introduce new product lines each year. Jackson Kayak’s success is largely due to delivering high quality products through paddlesports specialty shops globally; all supported by regional, national and international team members who are engaged to promote the paddling lifestyle.

Media Contact: James McBeath – jmcbeath@jacksonkayak.com

The mighty Zambezi river meanders through Central Africa, slowly moving south east, creating boarders and providing for all in its path.  Just before this historic river reaches its half way mark, its calm waters turn turbulent as the expansive river tumbles more than 100m over Victoria Falls, signifying the beginning of the Batoka Gorge and the infamous white-water section of the Zambezi.  With a continuous curtain of falling water that is 1.7km wide in floods, the powerful water of the Zambezi has shaped the landscape of this area over the past 200 million years, causing the colossal falls to collapse and retreat upstream over time. 

As kayakers hike into the canyon, its overwhelming beauty is evident in an instant.  Moving downstream through this breathtaking gorge, the raw power that the river has enacted on the rock over time is visible.  Imagining what occurs within these canyon walls at peak flows is impossible.  50km downstream, right before the river escapes the canyon and enters a new delta, lies Lower Muemba Falls.  No other place in the gorge, is the authority that water holds over rock more visible that at this magnificent rapid. 

Before one gets to this point of the river, you must combat 50km of some of the biggest white-water that this planet has to offer.  The Mighty Zambezi begins with the classic section of #1-25 which is home to the well known and picturesque rapids #5 (Stairway to Heaven), #7 (Gulliver’s Travels) and #9 (Commercial Suicide).  The day 1 section is filled at every turn with the cleanest, most fun big rapids available.  Near the bottom of this 1^st section, rapids start to become a little farther apart, the rocks appear more weathered and it is apparent that the canyon is ageing as you paddle through.  Camp 1 for the classic Zambezi multiday lies on the Zambian side just below rapid #25.  A monstrous, open beach stretching out in front of the steep cliff walls is the perfect spot to kick back and relax after a long day’s work! 

Day 2 features the less known rapids of the mighty Zambezi that still deliver on a tremendous amount of fun.  Open Season, the Narrows and Upper and Lower Muemba Falls are all located in this day 2 section that includes long stretches of crocodile filled flat-water.  Day 2 camp is located a simple 100 meters downstream of Lower Muemba Falls tucked away in an inlet that closely resembles true paradise on earth.  A 2 tiered beach with towering peaks all around and only a quick walk up to overlook Lower Muemba Falls, a rapid we had portaged earlier in the day. 

Lower Muemba Falls features rocks on both sides of the channel that are defined by a twisting pattern of holes, or rocks mutated into protruding shapes.  This is the result of the entirety of the Zambezi river flowing through a gap no more than 4 meters wide.  The main flow of rapid flows and drops through the channel as the rest of the flow joins in from river left, falling under the main flow and creating mystery in what occurs under the surface.  This explosive rapid looks untameable at first, but upon close inspection, and a willingness to trust my personal skills.  There was 1 small line visible, that had potential to be clean.  Coming in from river left, a flake rock provided a lip for an angled 5m boof that landed on top of the exploding and unpredictable main flow below.  The crux for this rapid is staying off the walls through the bottom pinch.  Any scenario up against those walls would be a dangerous outcome. 

Lower Muemba falls is a special rapid, its size and power are humbling, but also its location is unique.  Being so far down the canyon, this giant often lies in hibernation awaiting its next pursuer.  What also makes the descent of this rapid bittersweet is the fact that it is the closest rapid to the proposed hydroelectric project site just a few hundred meters downstream.  Making Lower Muemba Falls the first victim to the impending project. 

The proposed down dam site for the impending Hydroelectric project is just 1km downstream of the Lower Muemba Falls as serves as the take out for this incredible multiday.  The rapid at dam site gets its namesake from the looming project and is an awesome, pulsating two-part rapid.  The right side of the river channels into an explosive channel that has never been run, and from my first look is unnavigable in a kayak.  The left side of dam site has a tight entrance move that is easily walkable before falling over a wide, clean ledge before all the water comes back together.

Dam site typically marks the end of the multiday, but for the committed, there is 1 more rapid in the gorge before it opens up into the delta below.  Ghost rider is the grand finale of the Batoka Gorge, just over 50km downstream of Victoria Falls.  Ghost rider is the largest rapid in terms of the size of its waves.  The dynamic waves train grows and explodes and resets as the entire flow of the mighty Zambezi funnels through its final mini canyon.  The reason this final rapid is only for the committed is that any pursuer must hike the mile back upstream to Dam Site to hike out of the canyon.  This 30-minute hike in the roaring sun is in addition to the the normal 45-minute hike up and out of the canyon from its deepest point. 

Thankfully the Zambezi is safe for many years to come, but the hydroelectric project planned will turn 50km of prestigious white-water into a winding 50km lake.  Not only having devastating environmental impacts, but seriously impacting the local communities in a negative way due to the large reliance on tourism for daily work on both sides of the river!

Kalob

Spanning from of the rugged rocky mountains in the west to the flowing grain fields on the eastern side of the province, lies the landlocked province of Alberta. One could wax poetic for hours about the beautiful flora and fauna, its majestic mountains, or it’s sense of community and pride. It’s a beautiful province and thankfully home.

Kayak fishing opportunities abound throughout the province, record breaking fish from numerous different species await the patient and skillful kayak angler. Walleye, trout , pike, perch, whitefish, and burbot would be targeted most often, with record breaking specimens at numerous lakes throughout the province. The less common sauger and sturgeon are also worth a pursuit in one of our many rivers.

A quick edit on bass. Yes, you’re right, bass wasn’t mentioned, unfortunately for some, there are no bass in Alberta waters. (legends and rumours abound about bass but, I’ve never heard more then a tall tale of a days gone by stocking failure of the elusive bucketmouth).

If kayak fishing tournaments are your thing, then 2018 is the year for you in Alberta. As one of western Canada’s most prestigious tournaments the Eastslope Kayak fishing Classic is on, as per usual, with its amazing prizes, awesome fishing, camping and friends both new and old. The dedicated Eastslope tournament director Mike Zilowsky has out done himself this year with the creation of the Western Canada Kayak Fishing Trail with numerous stops throughout Alberta, including a saltwater stop at the beautiful, Moutcha Bay Resort on Vancouver island in British Columbia. Check out the link below for information, it’s going to be an exciting year for kayak fishing competition here in Alberta.

Gearing up, in Alberta, isn’t hard with local shops like Aquabatics Calgary. They are a huge supporter of kayak fishing and kayaking in general throughout Alberta. They can supply all things Jackson kayak and can help get your boat setup for a lunker here in our little slice of heaven we call Alberta.

If your visiting, bring your boat. If you’re in need of adventure, plan a trip. From the beautiful mountain lakes like Minnewanka to the massive lake trout fishery in Cold lake or the gargantuan pike in the north, I bet you’ll have an experience that lasts a lifetime.

Cheers
Andrew Watt
Jackson Kayak Regional Team.

Check out these links for some great info.

https://www.facebook.com/wckft/

www.aquabaticscalgary.com

INTRO:

A glorious way to live.  In early January, 29 athletes from 12 diverse countries converged upon the longest river in the world for UNLEASHEDxUganda.  The goal of UNLEASHED has always, and will always be the same: to create a competitive environment for the best white-water athletes in the World to push themselves, and the sport of kayaking to new levels.  This multi stage event facilitates progression in the sport and uses the biggest whitewater in the World as the platform.  Only eight months after an incredibly successful premier event last spring in Quebec; SEND has brought their progressive competition to the banks of the White Nile in Uganda for the second installment. 

Five women and 24 men pushed themselves through four rigorous stages on the best waves and biggest rapids of the White Nile from January 5^th – 12^th.  Athletes competed in a Big Trick Freestyle on the Cuban Wave in Itanda Falls for Stage 1 presented by Jackson Kayak.  This first stage set the mood for the week with 6 swims, a few glorious crashes and some monstrous tricks.  Competitors moved upstream to the infamous Dead Dutchman rapid for Stage 2 presented by World Class Academy.  A boaterX through a rapid that is rarely run, let alone raced.  This prestigious, intertwined collection of exploding white-water channels instilled fear into athletes as they lined up at the start line of this race.  Athletes enjoyed a more relaxed atmosphere as the Stage 3 presented by Kokatat was centered around the perfect Nile Special wave for a best ride competition.  This stage was focused on style, air and fluidity to show off the best of big wave surfing.  The 4^th and final stage presented by Dewerstone, and Jackson Kayak was designed to promote chaos and madness as all 29 athletes geared up for a mass start style race through the Hair of the Dog.  This final stage was unpredictable and opened up up the possibility for huge shake-ups in the overall standings. 

Stage 1

Recently crowned ICF World Champion Quim Fontane (CAT) took the first ride of the day and instantly threw an airscrew that turned the competition up a notch.  Heat 1 stepped up to Quim’s challenge and freestyle heavy hitters Dane Jackson (USA), Yusuf Basalirwa (UGA), Andrey Pesterov, (RUS) and Aiofe Hanrahan (IRE) began to raise the bar as they all made incredible use of there time on the water.  Highlights from the first heat included 17-year-old Junior ICF World Champion Tom Dolle (FRA) showing absolutely no fear and charging through the thick of Itanda Falls to surf the Cuban.  In addition to Tom Dolle (FRA) crushing, Tom Dunhpy (IRE) laid it out with a massive back-pan am and Adrian Mattern (GER) claimed it for the crowd after having his helmet snatched off his head after a hefty helix.

Heat 2 featured a brilliant international cast that were prepared to match, and surpass the bar set by heat 1.  Bren Orton (UK), Darby McAdams (USA), Raoul Collentour (NED), and Kalob Grady (CAN) sent it ride after ride, trying to match the high level of tricks put forth by Quim Fontana (CAT) and Dane Jackson (USA).  Highlights of heat 2 included Amina Nakirya (UGA) fighting her way back to the wave after a savage swim early in the heat.  In addition to Anima’s honey badger effort, heat 2 encompassed Bartosz Czaudera (POL) shredding every ride, 14-year-old Kaelin Friedenson (USA) displaying that he belongs in this competition and Sadat Kawawa (UGA) putting on a show for the entirety of the local crowd.

Stage 2

The safety challenges of holding an event on a rapid as extensive as the Dead Dutchman were not overlooked.  The severity of the situation if an athlete became separated from their boat was the organizers biggest fear, and the safety plan reflected this anxiety. Athletes in the race were the premier level of safety as they would be the closest to an athlete in trouble with secondary safety teams set in high traffic positions.  The breakdown of the format used for the Dead Dutchman BoaterX was as follows:  20 men started the day in 4 heats of 5 racers.  The top 3 athletes from each preliminary heat advanced to the semi finals round which included 2 heats of 6.  Again, the top 3 athletes from each heat advanced and made up the final race of 6 athletes.  The women’s race consisted of 2 athletes that stepped up to the challenge of the Dead Dutchman and these fearless women went head to head in a single round.  

The action was fast, chaotic and glorious from the first “GO”.  Men’s prelims immediately exposed that anything can happen in the unpredictable madness of high volume boaterX with high ranked contenders Bren Orton (UK) and Kalob Grady (CAN) not advancing past their first races.  This left the field open for young guns, Tom Dolle (FRA) and Kaelin Friedenson (USA), to exhibit exceptional skills in besting their past teachers in the preliminary round.  Semi finals unveiled 2 more hectic races with numerous changes in racers positions throughout the race course.  Semi finals heat 1 revealed a hard fought race in which Dane Jackson (USA), Yusuf Basalirwa (UGA), and Kaelin Friedenson (USA) avoided elimination to move into the finals.  Semi finals heat 2 involved a chaotic finish for 3^rd place as Quinton Kennedy (CAN) came from the very back to snag the final ticket to finals along side Sadat Kawawa (UGA) and Raoul “Honey Badger” Collenteur (NED). 

The women’s finals included two fearless kayakers; local crusher and emerging honey badger Amina Nakirya (UGA) and defending UNLEASHED champion Darby McAdams (USA).  The two brave women battled it out through the crux of the Dead Dutchman until Amina got pulled wayward by a large whirlpool.  Darby stayed focused and on-line through the entirety of the rapid to earn her 2^nd victory of UNLEASHEDxUganda. 

Men’s finals fielded an enticing combination of competitors as 14-year-old Kaelin Friedenson (USA) lined up against stage 1 winner Dane Jackson (USA), Raoul “Honey Badger” Collenteur (NED), Quinton Kennedy (CAN), and local shredders Sadat Kawawa (UGA) and Yusuf Basalirwa (UGA). Sadat Kawawa (UGA) built on his early sprint and took a commanding lead of the finals as the chase pack tangled and crashed in a magnificent fashion through the crux move.  Dane Jackson (USA) and Raoul “Honey Badger” Collenteur (NED) mingled on a seam line for the better part of the length of a football field and came away mostly unscathed.  Yusuf Basalirwa (UGA) took advantage of this collision to storm into 2^nd place while Dane Jackson (USA) recovered from his misfortunes to seize the final spot on the podium of the first ever race held on the notorious Dead Dutchman.

Stage 3

The stoke was high as we arrived at Nile Special in preparation for a technical freestyle competition on this progressively significant wave. To ensure premium water levels for every ride throughout the day, organizers and athletes unanimously decided for an early start.  As soon as the judge’s camera, the media team and heat 1 athletes were in place, things got rolling. 

The format for stage 3 was simple, every athlete was given 6 rides, with a max time of 90 seconds per ride.  There was no trick limit and the athletes best ride was the only one that counted.  The scoring system used, created by SEND was a little more complex.  Three judges were assigned different roles as they scored the ride.  Judge 1 was focused on the validity of the tricks thrown, and assigning an amplitude bonus if it applied.  Judge 2 was focused on the style of the athlete’s tricks and assigning an overall steeze score to the ride.  Judge 3 looked over the fluidity of the entire ride and assigned a flow multiplier based on how active and smooth a rider was on the wave. The overall objective of this new scoring system was to reward style, air and fluidity and to encourage riders to work the wave to their advantage, instead of waiting for the wave to provide a pass.  Upon conclusion of stage 3, all 4 organizers were exhilarated with how well the system functioned in a real competition as the day unfolded. 

Heat 1 hit the wave as water levels continued to rise into prime time flows.  Dane Jackson (USA) took the wave first as the overall event leader after 2 stages and set the bar high, really high.  Athletes took advantage of the progressive score system to work the perfect wave and throw huge tricks. Quim Fontane (CAT) kept in stride with Dane Jackson throughout heat 1 and displayed his pure athleticism on his final ride with explosive, stylish tricks that propelled him onto the podium.  Quinton Kennedy (CAN) stole the show in heat 2 with one astonishing ride in which he laid down massive tricks in succession to continue his remarkable week of kayaking.  Kalob Grady (CAN) took the water in heat 3 and recovered form his misfortunes in the Dead Dutchman BoaterX with a stack of consistent, high scoring rides.  David Silk (USA) came back to life after taking off Stage 2 with an injury to thrill the crown with a massive sasquatch, which was easily one of the biggest tricks of the day.

The women’s skills were on full display as they took to the wave.  Darby McAdams (USA) lead the women off with and exhibited to everybody exactly why she is the defending UNLEASHED champion.  Katie Kowalski (CAN) showcased her background as an Ottawa Valley girl and drew from her big wave experience to shred Nile Special.  Lowri Davies (UK) also flashed feats of her big wave prowess with an amazing final ride to secure her place on the podium.

Stage 4

This race was a perfect finale as the confusion and chaos of a 29-competitor race would ensure a shake up in the overall standings.  Athletes shuffled across the vast channel in attempt for a straight line and fair start. There was no countdown, just a loud GO broke the silence followed by the roar of 29 blades churning the water.  There were different strategies amongst the athletes.  Some chose to burst out of the start and try to take the lead, others stayed more relaxed, settling into the middle of the pack and waited to make their moves later on.

Bartosz Czauderna (POL) got off to a fast start and lead the crowd of competitors around the bend and into the first set of small waves.  Hot on his tail was the crowd of racers in pursuit as they settled into more of a line and less of a cluster.  Craig Ayers (UK) and Alan Ward (UK) took advantage of Bartosz Czauderna (POL) cutting the first corner too tight and overtook him as they commenced their own battle for the lead.  Kalob Grady (CAN) and Dane Jackson (USA) patiently waited through the opening section of the rapids before making a big move.  Most racers chose to take a direct line high above the mandatory move rock, whilst Craig Ayers (UK), Kalob Grady (CAN) and Dane Jackson (USA) opted to take the move wide and stay in the current. Quim Fontane (CAT), Sadat Kawawa (UGA) and Yusuf Basalirwa (UG) also took advantage of this faster line and entered the final set in swift pursuit of the lead three. 

Kalob Grady (CAN) made a quick pass of Craig Ayers (UK) entering the final set of waves and kept the lead all the way through to the finish.  Dane Jackson (USA), Quim Fontane (CAT), and Sadat Kawawa (UK) also navigated the last section well and surpassed Craig Ayers (UK).  The top 6 made quick work of a clean finish and then had the absolute best seats in the house to watch the unfolding battles as 23 other athletes stormed into the final eddy. The climax of the week had arrived and the stoke was in full swing. 

The women’s race took place simultaneously with the men’s for this grand finale to UNLEASHEDxUganda.  The women tangled right from the get go and Lowri Davies (UK) got off to a clean start with the lead pack as the flock of racers battled around the first corner.  Darby McAdams (USA) was sharp and focused at the start line, looking to sweep all 4 of the women’s competitions.  Lowri Davies (UK) managed to stay clean through the dynamic waves and held on through the finishing stretch to edge out Darby McAdams (USA) for the victory.  Katie Kowalski (CAN) charged into the finish line strong and took 3^rd place whilst Aoife Hanrahan (IRE) and Amina Nakirya (UGA) fell into misfortunes early on the race course and still fought hard to the finish. 

Ending

All UNLEASHEDxUganda competitors displayed incredible skill throughout the entire week, in addition to impressive physical and mental stamina to conquer everything the Nile had to offer. Dane Jackson (USA) and Darby McAdams (USA) both defended their UNLEASHED titles with local forces Yusuf Basalirwa (UGA) and Amina Nakirya (UGA) taking 2^nd place in their respective categories.  These two Ugandan legends, along with Sadat Kawawa (UGA) and Musa Mutamba (UGA) displayed all week long the level of talent and passion that the native kayakers of the Nile have to offer.  Canadians Kalob Grady (CAN) and Katie Kowalksi (CAN) showed off the big water instincts of their homeland to finish off the podium positions. 

Enormous thanks to Nile River Explorers for hosting us throughout the week and providing an incredible water-based venue for our awards.  Also to Dewerstone, Jackson Kayak, Kokatat and World Class Academy for stepping up and supporting this event as it moves forward.  Your support is greatly appreciated! 

SEND

Mens Overall Results
1^st – Dane Jackson
2^nd – Yusuf Basalirwa
3^rd – Kalob Grady
4^th – Quim Fontana
5^th – Sadat Kawawa
6^th – Tom Dolle
7^th – Raoul Collenteur
8^th – Quentin Kennedy
9^th – Craig Ayres
10^th – Bartosz Czauderna
11^th – Jakob Hanoulle
12^th – Kaelin Friedenson
13^th – Tom Dunphy
14^th – Andrey Pesterev
15^th – Seth Ashworth
16^th – Alan Ward
17^th – Musa Mutumba
18^th – Val Bernard
19^th – Nick Beavis – Did not compete in all stages
20^th – Bren Orton – Out with an injury after 2nd event
21^st – Adrian Mattern – *Out with an injury after 3rd event*
22^nd – David Silk – *Did not compete in stage 2 due to injury*
23^rd – Seb Clermont – *Did not compete at all stages*
24^th – LP Rivest –  *Out with an injury after Stage 1*

Women’s Overall Results
1^st – Darby McAdams
2^nd – Amina Nakirya
3^rd – Katie Kowalski
4^th – Lowri Davies
5^th – Aoife Harrahan

Check out the latest whitewater kayak from Jackson Kayak, the New MixMaster! Old School is the new cool, as the MixMaster takes it back, as we cartwheel, splat, and slice up the river. Check this walk-thru as Eric Jackson shows us all of the design features and outfitting options.

This past weekend was the ‘Live like Maria NOC Shootout’. It was another incredible weekend at NOC and the Nantahala River. This year the event was held in memory of the late Maria Noakes, who was a mother, paddler, local hero, and friend to many people and paddlers around the world.

The weather on Saturday was a warm blue bird day as people from around the nation flocked to the NOC hole to take part and support the event. The cadet class had a strong showing as the young rippers were tearing up the hole and even the youngest competitors, 10 year old Makinley Kate, throwing huge air loops. The skill level of these youngster kept increasing as the Junior classes were landing the hardest of tricks and even linking together some combo moves.

In the Men’s class I got to paddle alongside many new and old friends. I was stoked as I was able to put together some great rides, and complete some of my favorite combo tricks, like Space/ Loop, Backloop/ McNasty, and the Loop/ Lunar Orbit. In the end I was able to pull out on top, and share with podium with a couple great friends, Matt Anger in 2nd, and Peter Holcomb in 3rd.

After the freestyle competition was the much anticipated, new/ old school, Galactic Slicey Boat Championships. It was the who’s who of slippery boats with a much a new and original old school designs. Paddlers threw down old school style with unlimited cartwheels, pirouettes, paddle twirls, and a hand full of split wheels and tricky woos sprinkled in. Brian Miller and Robbie Gilson were some of the highlights to watch as they both through down with some cool style and flair and Robbie mixed in many paddle twirls and pirouettes, and Brian threw flurries of clean cartwheel in his C-1. After the dust settled and the points were added up the final scores were close. Though the final tally was Jeremy Nash in 3rd, Brian Miller in 2nd, and I was lucky enough to pull out the Trickywoo linked to unlimited cartwheels and split wheels to take the win.

All in all, the weekend was amazing and a total success, with tons of fun, new and old friends, and lots of rad style for the crowds enjoyment.

This January Emily and myself were invited on a last minute winter Grand Canyon trip with the Holcomb family. It was a tough decision, but we chose to make it happen. We quickly dropped everything and tried our hardest to make this dream turn into fruition.

Once grandma was on board to take the kids for over 2 weeks we realized that we could make this dream into a reality. We dove in head first, collecting camping gear, choosing our food, gathering cold weather gear, and bought our flight to Vegas.

Once we landed in Vegas we were picked up by the Holcombe’s and their RV and kayak trailer in tow. We spent the evening (and well into the night) packing up our gear, deciding what was necessary, double checking our food and other necessities and loaded up our Jackson Kayak Traverse’s. The next morning we got up early to made the 6 hour trek to the put in.

After our National Park Ranger briefing and one last burger, we made camp and were ready to go. The next morning marked our launch day and we were all eager to hit the water and get our first strokes in. We got on the water and started to head down stream knowing we had 14 days and 280 miles to go.

The first couple days are some of my favorite with touring red walls, huge caverns, and cool side creeks. We started to realize that the weather polarizing between the mid day sun, and evening sunsets. It would be such a drastic change were you could be wearing shorts in the sun, or you could be in the evening with a down jacket, full body fleece, winter hat, and long socks and still cold.

We had a couple days were we were able to meet up with some other friends of the Holcombe family who were all on a rafting trip, we shared camp and enjoyed the social aspect, their evening acoustic guitar music, and some delicious cook meals. The morning after sharing camp with the rafts was the coldest. Everything froze, our water, our gear, our tent, everything.

As we kept going I felt like I was going deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole, as I started to forget which day we were on and started to forget about the outside world and simply got engulfed into the magic and beauty of the Canyon.

When we got to Bass Camp we decided to have a layover day and explore and hike around and enjoy the sunshine after a couple of cold days. We kept going and made it down to Deer Creek, and did some more gorgeous side hikes. One of my favorite experiences was paddling in the aqua blue waters of Havasu Creek. It is mind blowing the contrast on the travertine blue waters vs the clear greenish waters of the Colorado River. It was incredible to get lost in the natural beauty with both the flora and fauna. The canyon walls were like reading a history book, I couldn’t stop trying to imagine what these canyon walls have seen. I am always blown away with the quality of the whitewater in the Canyon, tons of huge wave trains, and cool twisting rapids, with a handful of perfect green surf waves sprinkled throughout.

By the end of the trip both Emily and I were excited to head back to see our kids, though it was hard to want to leave knowing that we never really know when we might be back. Luckily for me, I took a fair amount of video and photos and I can dive back into the canyon for just a moment as I glimpse back at the smiles, happy moments, and memories made from our amazing trip.

Jackson Kayak has changed its Rockstar series completely in today’s launch of the All-New Rockstar 4.0 freestyle kayak. With a complete overhaul of the hull shape, improved outfitting, the Rockstar 4.0 is ready for production starting next week. The new hull shape combines improvements for reaching new heights on waves or in holes with outfitting aimed at keeping the boater comfortable, dry and continually evolving in the moves they can do.

Rockstar 4.0 links
• Web page: http://jacksonkayak.com/blog/kayak/rock-star-4-0/
o High resolution photos (studio and lifestyle) found under the Photos tab.

Eric “EJ” Jackson, Jackson Kayak’s President and David Knight have reshaped the all-new Rockstar 4.0 hull to perform with the ability to go higher with bigger air with ease. The new Rockstar 4.0 hull is shaped for maneuvering in features, setting up easier, maximum thrust and clean release from the water for big moves. The new 4.0 has a shape and volume that allows for fast rotation speed, and more margin for error.

“The new volume will also mean less of the boat in water, more in the foam, more upstream launching and slightly narrower and more forgiving hull for landing.” Says Eric “EJ” Jackson, president of Jackson Kayaks. “This Rockstar is one inch longer than the previous one and has a tweaked drop-chine to give it speed and looseness when carving.”

The Rockstar 4.0 medium is shipping next week and will be available in 3 sizes shortly. It is currently available for ordering at all Jackson Kayak dealers.

About Jackson Kayak: Jackson Kayak was founded in 2003 by Eric Jackson and Tony Lunt. Currently located in Sparta, Tenn., near the Caney Fork River, Jackson Kayak designs, builds, and manufactures leading whitewater, fishing and exploration paddlesports products. With the moto “Build it like it’s your own”, all of their products are Made in the USA in growing support of the local Tennessee economy. Market leaders in both the whitewater and kayak fishing, kayak manufacturing and strong in the exploration sector, Jackson Kayak continues to introduce new product lines each year including Orion Coolers and, recently, Blue Sky Boatworks. Jackson Kayak’s success is largely due to delivering high quality products through paddlesports specialty shops globally; all supported by regional, national and international team members who are engaged to promote the paddling lifestyle.

CONTACT: James McBeath 613-256-0598 jmcbeath@jacksonkayak.com

Over the past decade I have spent most of my summers in deep canyons exploring rivers round the Northern States of America and British Colombia. As I have aged, (I have hit the big 30!!!), I have started to think more and more about what if situations. This thought process along with friend’s tales of epics has had me revaluate what is the responsible emergency gear to have with us on the river. This article is not meant to call anybody out, nor is it the perfect grouping of equipment. However, it is in my opinion on some great things to have when paddling in the remote locations we tend to find ourselves in.

Electronics:
With Instagram, Facebook, drones and the elusive selfie, we have seen a large change in the amount of electronics we are carrying around with us. I can only imagine watershed are all about this electronic dependence. I regularly see a POV camera, a drone, an iPhone, GPS watch and Garmin inReach type device. Taking all of these vital pieces of equipment into account, what is actually useful when things go wrong? Most of the above are pretty sweet for making yourself look sick on the interweb, but not amazing for getting you out of a sticky situation. I will talk about your phone and SOS device in particular here….

Iphone:
The iphone is an amazingly powerful device. The plethora of apps available to the outdoor recreationalist is astounding. So what do we as kayakers need. We need to be able to tell someone exactly where we are. To do that we need a decent GPS app that allows us to communicate our position while also giving ourselves an idea of where we are. We might need to get ourselves or one of our party to a better spot for extraction. Gaia GPS offers a free version that includes a couple of 1:20,000 Topo maps of most of North America. It will give you your latitude and longitude while also giving you a detailed map of your surroundings. Other apps that do this are Topo Maps +, and Canada Topo.

InReach:
Before the last few years’ advancements in satellite dependant technology, we, as a community have been limited to the spot device and delorme. These devices have had issues with alerting you that the people you need to communicate with have got your message. inReach was acquired by Garmin this last year and the benefits of both companies have produced a pretty cool product. Their new device has allowed for two-way communication. You can send updates, text messages and SOS calls from your device allowing full communication between you and your rescuer. This device also syncs with your phone to allow for an easy platform to operate with. The set back with the GPS device is that it has major limitations in canyons and thickly forested areas. It can take a long time to establish satellite contact if it has the ability.

So what do we do if we can’t use the phone or GPS device? Its back to the old “tell your mom where you’re going” scenario. Make sure your friends and/ or family know where you are going paddling. With todays incredible technology we can send them a GPX from sites like Paddling Maps of where to come to find us if things go wrong. Let them know how to get to you too if they are unfamiliar with the area.

Now onto our rescue equipment:
If our phones or GPS devices are not providing the communication we need, we are more than likely in a thickly forested area or in a canyon and it is time for us to get ourselves out of whatever mess we have got ourselves into. Having a friend that has recently gone through a pretty rough night on the river I am glad I carry what I do in my boat, be it a bit heavier than your average.

Ropes:
Most manufacturers sell a spectra rope, which is your best bet when dealing with water. However, and this is important, this rope does not deal with knots and or bends well. Be sure to know your breaking strengths. Mine has an 800 lb breaking strength, we know how powerful water is and so we must keep this in mind. I have started keeping a climbing rope set up in the truck, so if needs be we can kayak down and return with help and the necessary rope system.

Overnight:
In the case where you can not get help until the following day, it is important to keep an overnight kit in mind when deciding what rivers you are doing. I keep a small stuff sack with some down clothing, a fire kit, and a few foil bivy sacs. This is a small, light and much-appreciated kit to have in dire times.

FA:
This is relative to your environment. I carry a beefed up wilderness first aid kit from MEC. If you have advanced medical training amongst your group some more complex setups might be appropriate.

Group sharing:
Obviously, this is a lot of stuff, it is important that some people have an individual set up for some items and in other cases, it is appropriate to have one for the whole group. For example, we usually only have one GPS device with us.

This is a lot of information to consider, it took me years to come to this stage and I have a lot more to learn. The take home from this is that the regular creeking rope set up may not be enough to get you home when things go wrong. Take some time to see what you need to get back from the river if something bad happens. These devices are expensive but can save your life. It’s all worth a little research, as I am sure you are exponentially more valuable to a lot of people than the cost of a mobile safety device.