One of the best things about the kayak fishing industry that we’re all enjoying are the rapid levels of innovation and new products to help everybody get out kayak fishing and having a fun time doing it. When we launched the Big Rig in 2014 we had one primary focus – make the most stable and feature laden fishing kayak on the market. At that time, it was the first kayak on the market with designed in Power-Pole and Raymarine transducer scupper integration. It was the first kayak to take inspiration from drift boats and flats skiffs and introduce our Rod Troughs for more, protected rod storage. And most importantly it was the most stable kayak on the market, and kayak anglers fell in love with how easy it was to stand on, yet still be so easy to paddle. 

Flash forward four years, and our unique Flex Drive entered the picture, first on our Coosa FD model with a more moving water focus. Moving water is where our kayak fishing division really began, so we felt it was the most fitting introduction. Not surprisingly, we immediately began getting requests for the Flex Drive on a Big Rig with a more flatwater focus, with more stability and more real estate for gear management. We could’ve done it exactly like the Coosa FD and molded the geometry needed into the hull to drop the Flex Drive right in, but we wanted to take some time and do things differently. 

We wanted to offer more versatility and utility. We recognized that some paddlers just wanted a new Big Rig with all the latest and greatest features like our trimmable seating and newer hatches. But we also had customers screaming for a pedal version. So, once again, we innovated. We decided we could make a newer, better, bigger, Big Rig that could have more features and storage, for both paddlers and pedalers. Enter our vision of a ‘pod’, and enter the era of the Big Rig HDFD.

By rotomolding a large, interchangeable pod system that securely nests into the floor, we’ve developed a new kayak that solves all the problems our customers were asking for, letting you decide which is better for you, without compromising either. If you’re a paddler, you get more, dry storage at your fingertips in the floor in front of you, while keeping a nice, uncluttered deck area. You get more stability than the original Big Rig, more rod and tackle storage options, more customization options, more seating options, and even better maneuverability than the original Big Rig. If you prefer pedal power and hands free fishing, but want more rod and tackle storage, more stability, and more flexibility than the Coosa FD provides, now you have that option in the Big Rig FD. And if you want the best of both worlds, you have that too, and can buy whichever pod your new Big Rig HDFD didn’t come with, and switch back and forth as you desire. 

We’re anticipating a Fall release of the new Big Rig HDFD, so until then, think BIG, sweet, fishy dreams.

Damon

This summer we were invited on a family rafting trip with Macy and Amanda Burnham, and their kids and a couple friends. We were excited to join along, though honestly, we had no clue what we were getting into, and boy were we in for a treat. We had 5 families, 7 kids under the age of 4, 3 rafts, a handful of kayaks, a SUP, and 3 nights 4 days on the river. It turned out to be one of the highlights of my summer. We camped, rafted, kayaked, fished, and explored. It was an incredible 4-day long adventure with new friends, wild animals, and an amazing river. I still don’t know who enjoyed it more, the kids or the parents.

Late July brought about a now staple part of the Canadian racing scene. Toby creek race, the brain child of Simon Coward has become the North Fork of the North. Mimicking the road side access that allows easy viewership of the Idaho based race, Toby has grown rapidly and brought over 150 people this year.

The toby creek race fell in close proximity to the Canadian Slalom Nationals and the Canadian national freestyle trials. This resulted in tough competition. With tough competition also comes entertaining viewing. 

The courses, set up by Aquabatics staff on three sections of the Toby Creek River located near Panorama ski resort, allowed for three categories of racers to enjoy the event. Saturday began with the intermediate race upstream near the resort. This was closely followed by the Advanced and Elite race on the entry rapid to the 7 canyons section of the river. The top 12 people from Elite men, and top 6 women moved forward to the final.

Finals were run on slipping rock rapid. With little practice time finals were incredible to watch and had some home town heroes make their way home to their day jobs late on Sunday with some extra cash in their pockets.

These races are an integral part of our BC whitewater kayaking culture, it forces old and new friends together to enjoy whitewater with the optional presence of tough competition. It also showcases that those of us that have had to buckle down and travel a little less for kayaking still have a shot at competing with the big dogs.

Until next year….

Results:

Toby Creek Race 2018 – Official Results

Monsoon clouds swirled into formation above and torrential rains thundered down below as World Class competitors from India, Asia and around the World descended on the Malabar River Festival in Kerala, India.  Now in its 6th year, the festival has grown from its humble beginnings and has sparked international interest, drawing in the best kayakers in the World.  It’s a week-long affair that encompasses a freestyle event and 3 races, while also promoting the development of kayaking in the area with several incredible, and competitive intermediate races. In addition to the incredibly welcoming community, delicious food and World Class kayaking; the passion for this festival from organizers Manek Taneja and Jacopo Nordera signal a bright future ahead.

The pro category battles for rank throughout the week in several events; beginning with a freestyle showdown before becoming fully race orientated. The Chalipuzha River hosts the main crowd, the festivities for opening ceremonies and the Giant Slalom and BoaterX races before the conclusion of the festival occurs via Super finals and closing ceremonies on the Irijanipura River.  The high level of competition, boosted by the stoke of the community and the local media presence creates an incredibly unique vibe for this growing festival.  

Following opening ceremonies and press conferences, the festival begins on the water with some good old fashioned freestyle.  Some of the best freestylers in the World descended upon a surprisingly amazing feature on the Kuttiyadi River.  3 waves lined up in a row created a dynamic competition that encouraged athletes to pick and choose the style they desired, and execute the tricks they could in a variety of ways.  Martina Wegman and Anna Bruno exchanged high flying rides in the women’s finals as they challenged each other for first place, whilst Nouria Newman flipped her way into 3^rd place.  In the men’s category, Dane Jackson, Nick Troutman and Bren Orton cruised through the prelim’s before facing off for the top spot in the finals along with Gerd Sesrrasolses and myself.  Each with their own style, and on a constantly changing feature as the rains changed the water levels, they entertained the crowd.  Dane Jackson held on with a spectacular ride while Nick Troutman played to his technical strengths to secure 2^nd, leaving Bren Orton to round out the podium in front of an enormous local crowd on day 1 of the Malabar River fest.

Day 2 of the festival transitioned to the strong scene of beginner and intermediate kayakers trying to break into the sport of kayaking in India.  Kayakers of all skill levels were encouraged to come and race on the Chalipuzha River and try their best as they faced off against a section of challenging gates on the Giant Slalom course.  Friends, family and bystanders packed both sides of the river for standing room only as over 60 beginners/intermediates blazed down the course.  Some racers, still working on fundamental skills and their white-water roll didn’t were not discouraged and they charged ahead all the same.  The stoke, support and smiles form everyone involved proves that a strong scene is developing in Kerala, India and the strength of the women and men that are going to start emerging from this area shouldn’t take anyone by surprise in the next few years.  

After a day of cheering for and encouraging all the new athletes in the sport, the 40+ racers in the pro category were ready to get back at.  Giant Slalom took place on the Chali with a series of 7 gates.  Racers were forced to be on point right from the start.  A 15ft tall ramp kicked things off and sent racers flying into the race course.  As is usually the case in racing, it was almost impossible to make up time if mistakes were made, so all competitors were looking to stay clean, perfect and fast for the entirety of the 90 second race.  Olympian and slalom powerhouse Mike Dawson displayed pristine precision and incredible power right out of gate, reminding everyone that they would need to be on another level to compete.  Dane Jackson’s name is always in contention and fellow slalom athlete Aaron Mann was fast and smooth.  Mike, Dane and Aaron locked down the top 3 spots in the prelims round whilst myself, and Gerd looked to improve by a few micro-seconds to gain ground in finals.  The women’s class featured some ridiculous race talent with Martina Wegman and Nouria Newman both boasting extensive slalom, and extreme racing backgrounds.  It was amazing to watch both women execute fast and powerful runs on round 1, and then take a step back, analyze and come back with even more perfect runs in finals.  Nouria executed a nearly flawless run and edged out Martina to take the victory and Nicole Mansfield stayed clean to jump into 3^rd place.  In the Men’s final, Gerd displayed his natural race style and jumped from 5^th to 2^nd, but it wasn’t quite enough to take Mike Dawson down off the top of the podium while Dane Jackson held off Nick Troutman and myself to secure 3^rd place.  With another day of racing in the rain complete, athletes were stoked to wind down and dry off as they prepared for Day 4 of the festival. 

The rains continued into Day 4 of the festival, but still couldn’t damper the excitement around the festival.  BoaterX was here.  4 at a time, down the ramp, through the slalom gates.  Contact encouraged,” rubbin’ is racing.”  The BoaterX race at any event is always a crowd favorite, but especially when that event is being watch by hundreds with limited knowledge on kayaking; the stoke was sky high.  All they see are collisions, flips, and excitement.  All action, all the time.  The women’s class was up to the challenge and kicked things off with their head to head race down the course.  Martina got off the a fast start and benefitted from a tangle within the others to make quick work of the gates and cruise to a victory.  The action all took place behind her, with the rest of the field colliding and crashing together.  Nouria fought back from a rough start to make things intense in the up gate, but ultimately couldn’t get ahead of Molly Auger who took 2^nd place after a tight finish.  The Men started with a bracket of 32 with 4 races taking you to the finals.  Mike Dawson and I made quick work of our half of the bracket winning each of our first 2 races before meeting in semi-finals and rolling through to the finals.  On the other half of the bracket, Dane Jackson and Gerd Serrasolses rolled through the field before knocking out some very fast people in semi finals to meet Mike and myself for the final showdown.  The up gate in finals caused mass confusion as all 4 men tangled, Mike maintained his poise and got out the cleanest, making his way through the finish line 1^st, followed by Dane, Gerd and myself to conclude an epic day of racing.  

Super finals, the moment we all wait for in every event.  For the final stage of the festival, the action moves to the bank of the Irijanipira River and the Malabar Express rapids.  Locals flooded the banks to catch a glimpse of the course as athletes visualized their lines and prepared for the final race of the weekend.  The top 20 men, and top 5 women from the week earned the right to race for the title of “Rani” and “Raji” or King and Queen of the Malabar River Fest 2018.  Racers had 2 runs each, fastest lap wins and the river was almost as high as the stoke in the air.  Rains continued to grace to festival pushing the levels continually higher over the course of the day.  Racers had received limited practice laps on this section and every stroke counted in the race.  After the 1^st of 2 runs, Nouria and Martina held a sizeable advantage in the women’s class, and Mike Dawson, myself and Dane Jackson managed to hold down the top 3 in men’s.  Every racer learned from and improved upon their first lap and it all came down to an extremely competitive final run.  It was astonishing to see every racer in the top 5 improve on their original times as Adrian Mattern laid down a wicked fast time, only to be taken off the top spot by the final racer of the Day, Mike Dawson as he continued his dominance over the festival.  Dane, Gerd and myself all put our best forward to round out the top 5. 

The Malabar River Fest 2018 was an absolute pleasure to be a part of, and to compete in.  The comradery between athletes and the hospitality from the local kayakers is everything I look for in an international festival.  Every one was there for the same reasons; kayak world class rivers, hangout with friends, cheer each other on and spend time all the water.  Thank you to all who made the festival an incredible week, and see you all next year. 

Kalob Grady

I was able to try out the Jackson BIG RIG Thanks to The Complete Paddler. Our Toronto JK Dealer www.completepaddler.ca. I found the Big Rig to be great! It is a game changer for fishing I must say.

I was once told, “you could paddle a new river every day for the rest of your life and still not paddle them all.” This was the spark that interested me in India as a destination to explore for kayaking. I mean of course right? The country is massive, with seemingly almost unlimited rivers, why wouldn’t it be on my radar. So for me it seemed liked a no brainer when I was invited to come and take part in the Malabar River Festival this July.

Now, like all things, sometimes it seems easier in theory to pack up and travel half way across the world with my kayak. Though as a seasoned veteran I have had some experience traveling with a kayak. Still never the less it is always the challenging part to get the boat checked in at the counter, ask Dane about it, he was denied and ended up having to buy a new ticket with another airline. Or take one of the British paddlers, who actually paid 900 euros to get his boat on the plane, ouch. After scouring the internet and several phone call, I finally got a flight with Air Canada, and secured my boat on the plane. Easy, I though, as I left the check in country and boarding my first flight, only to realize once in Delhi that my boat didn’t arrive, and I still had another connection to Kochi in the south of India. As it turns out, when a ton of kayakers fly in for an event, I guess its bound to happen that several boats might not make it, as mine was one of at least 5 athletes who didn’t have their boat arrive.

Well, life goes on, so once in India I gathered my bag, met up with Kalob, Bren and Adrian and we crammed into a shuttle heading for Kerala. For some reason we were all thinking the drive was around 4 or 5 hours, which dragged into 8 hours. As we drove I watched out the window as it seemed like the population of one town spread out until it blended with the next, with a never ending sea of buildings, home and people. I was starting to grasp an idea of the massive population of India.

Once we made it to Kerala, we checked in, ate some food and got some rest, concluding my 4th day of traveling to the destination. I continued to call the airlines trying to locate my boat, and luckily, only was 2 days without, though the local community was more then willing to set with up with a kayak to use while waiting. Our first day on the river was an eye opening experience for me. We went to the put in and quickly realized the water was quite high, and might not be a match for the beta we had received about the local “creek run”. Our group was Dane, Kalob, Bren, Adrian and myself, which become coined the ‘Send Crew’. We immediately started off trekking through the dense jungle trying to scout a line through the flooded boulder gardens. It became apparent that it would be a slow moving day for us, as we were 2 hours in and maybe only a couple toured yards down stream from our put in. We slowly eddy hopped and scouted our way down the consistent gradient, twisting corners, and high volume river. I think the whole group was a bit on edge, as we didn’t quite know exactly what we were getting into, and it was apparent that our beta was not super accurate. We had also been warmed about flash floods, and at one point the sky turned dark, and we found ourselves in a torrential down pour. Still not knowing much about the rivers, we all jumped out of our boats and scrambled to higher ground. The river didn’t end of flashing on us, and continued on. Though we still managed to miss our takeout and had to hitch a ride back into town. It was an eye opening experience for a first day in India. I learned to listen to beta, but know that it could also be completely incorrect, and that we should paddle as if it was a first descent, moving slowly and cautiously in these flood conditions.

The next day we decided to do the “chill section”, which was described as a ‘class 3 joy lap.’ Though again we learned about the monsoon season, as it poured down on us all the way to the put in. Once up top, we realized the river was 3 feet higher then the day before, and the class 3 joy section became a gripping non stop rollercoaster through trees. It was pretty full on, and we started off with a pretty big hole surf and swim at the top, as Kalob Grady and Nouria Newman ended up in a hole together. Once we got a grip on what we were if for, it turned into an epic book and rally section, and we headed back up for more. By the time we got off of our second lap the water had continued to rise another 1.5 feet for a total of 5 feet high then the morning. It was appoint just how much rain we were dealing with, and what the monsoon season really was like.

Our next couple days were filled with more ‘normal flow’ and it was mind blowing the difference from the flooded river we had the days before. The style of paddling was fun boulder garden style, with consistent gradient, and some slides and drops in the steeper sections.

The India lifestyle was quickly growing on me. Our days would consist of curry for breakfast, paddle a lap or two, curry for lunch, paddle some more, and curry for dinner. Then regroup at the hotel with everyone and make a plan for the next day. It was fun getting to hang out and paddle with a ton of international paddlers, and the local Indian paddlers seemed ecstatic to hangout and paddle with us.

Next up was the Malabar river festival. The kickoff was the freestyle event, which was a couple hours away. We all shuttled together in 2 giant buses, and were introduced to Indian dubstep, which was blasting through the speakers in the bus starting at 7:30 AM! The Freestyle event was held on three waves. It was a cool format because you could use your 45 second time on any or all of the three features. After the day was done, it was tight finish, though Dane won, I took 2nd and Bren Orton edge out Kalob for 3rd.

Following the freestyle was the giant slalom race, which started with a big ramp and had 7 gates spread out through the 90 second course. The format was 2 runs, best count, followed by a single run 20 person finals. The times were tight with top racers from around the world, and the likes of Mike Dawson, Gerd Serrasolses, Aaron Mann and Phillip Baues to name a few. I had a great finals run, though I had a slight spinout only a couple feet before the finish. It was just enough of a mistake to push me into 4th place behind Dane, Gerd, and Mike Dawson.

The third stage of the event was the Boater-X, which was held on the same section as the slalom, though most of the gates were removed and a touch eddy was added to try and build carnage for the crowds. We battled our for 3 rounds of heats. Though once the dust settled the podium was set with Mike 1st, Dane 2nd, Gerd 3rd, Kalob 4th and myself 5th. As always, the Boater-X was a crowd favorite, as people lined the banks of the river to watch 4 paddlers race head to head in a battle for the win. These crowds were committed as they hung out in the rain to watch us compete. We too, would spend day in and day out in the rain, and with constantly being wet I was quickly starting to have an issue with river rot on my feet.

Our final event of the whole show was the extreme race held on the lower section of the flooded river we experienced the first day. Though this time around it was 5 feet lower and quite a bit more manageable. It made for a great race course which was about 1.5 minutes long. The format was similar to that of the Sickline race, 20 racers, with head to head times, 10 move on for a single race super finals. Times were tight, and were separated by tenths and hundredths of a second. As I made it to the super final race I decided to put it all out on the line and push for my my fastest possible line. Though as it turns out when I push too hard I seemed to make a couple micro mistakes which ended up costing me. I didn’t end up on the podium though I was still proud of my performance, and stoked to see olympian Mike Dawson take home his 3rd race win and the overall Champion.

All in all India was an incredible experience. I loved the food, the rivers, and the locals. Everyone was super nice to us, very accommodating and happy to see the kayakers bring in some tourism to the town. The organizers Manik and Jacopo also worked hard to put together what is called Asia’s biggest whitewater event, and I was stoked to be a part of it. I am now signing off as I write this on my last flight of my 40 hour trip home, though what I can say for sure is, “India, thanks for the good times, I’ll be back.”

This years Canadian team trails were held on the Kananaskis River in Alberta Canada. The Kananaskis River was a great location for the event as the Canadian Nationals decided to try and host all the whitewater event disciplines together under one national event. So this meant Wild Water Racing, Slalom and Freestyle. I decided to try them all.

The week started off with the Wild Water Racing, which I decided to give a shot. I had been in a wild water boat once before, like a decade prior. I had forgotten just how tippy the boats really are. On my race run I ended up tipping over and having to roll, which obviously wasn’t faster, though I was still able to pull off a third place finish.

Next up was the Slalom. I decided to also give this a go, being I am always one to compete is there is an event. It was fun for me to try my athleticism against the Nations top slalom paddlers. It was quickly obvious that I was lacking some base line skills and techniques. Though I was still able to do pretty well, with my little to no slalom experience. It was super fun for me to be competing in these classes which I had little to no experience in.

Next up was freestyle, which was both the National Championships and the Team Trials to select the National Team for the upcoming World Championships in Sort Spain. The feature was a smaller hole called “chubbies” which is conveniently located right across from the takeout of the river run, which is ideal for some final surfs after a run, or a quick park and play session. The event ran smoothly, as I watched the junior and women’s classes select the team members which would fill the National Team. As the Men’s class went, I was happy to watch some strong competitors paddle, though I was also happy with my strong performance. I was able to hold the top spot through the preliminary rounds and into the finals as I consistently completed my ride and top home the National Championships.

After it was all said and done, the Canadian team will filled and National champions were crowned throughout all classes of Wild Water, Slalom and Freestyle. I am very excited to have joined the great individuals that make up the Canadian National team, and heading to Sort, Spain for the 2019 World Championships. I’ll see you there.

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.

As we move from our carefree twenties into our thirties the looming call to conform to the “norm” becomes more and more insistent. There are responsibilities that crop up as we continue along life’s path that inevitably take time that we would otherwise spend following our passions in the mountains. I have felt this pressure more and more every year. This year I turned thirty-one, got married and bought a house. At our wedding, some relatives asked whether I’m going to give up kayaking off waterfalls and start concentrating on a career and a family. I smiled politely, nodded, and changed the subject. But it did raise the question in my head once again.

I have a career in the city and with a little extra planning, I am kayaking more than ever with friends. At the same time, I feel the tug of age beginning to grab hold over my body; whether it’s a sprain that takes longer to heal, or needing to stop for a nap on a nine-hour drive where once I could push on through. I try to include my family in as much of my outdoor sports life as possible, by taking my mom and dad rafting down the Kicking Horse River in B.C., and following my wife around as she schools me in the art of mountain biking. I work extra shifts while trying to make time for the other stuff life demands as we make new friends and find ourselves committing to things we may have thought we mundane or unimportant before – like potluck dinners in the city or painting our house to make it more of a home.

It’s an absolute blast, and non-stop juggling act.

How will I keep going as I try to hold down a career, raise kids, and kayak as much as possible in any given season? I don’t have the answer as I’m just at the beginning. I look at Nick and Emily and their parents and, right there, there’s a lot to learn from. The work-life balance that so many authors have made a fortune trying to sell as an easily attainable formula isn’t simple, but is something I feel is worth striving for. What is an acceptable amount of time to give to work, how much time with loved ones is too little, what should we invest towards our own personal time? Again I don’t have the answer but I feel that in order to be at your best for your family and career you need to keep your passions alive.

I’m in no way close to mastering that balance but I am enjoying how much life throws us as we head into our mid-life crisis era. I can’t wait to hear from all the JK readers about how you are getting this dialed…

Yours Dave Crerar, regional athlete Alberta/BC

Kanfest took place this past weekend on the Kananaskis River. A concrete part of the Alberta kayaking summer festival line up makes this event a must. With over six events as part of the registration we were kept busy all day Saturday and Sunday. Despite rain the party went on into the wee hours of Sunday morning and led into some ball race action and boatercross. Aquabatics Calgary put together another amazing event. Thank you so much for being such an influential part of or kayaking community.

Team paddlers from all over the world converged on Montreal earlier this summer for a two day event.  Testing paddlers in both Freestyle, and Boater-X racing on the Lachine Rapids in Montreal.  The New Rockstar 4.0 was showing its dominance with the extra hull speed proving crucial for the freestyle throw-down on Mavericks wave.  Day 2 sees paddlers racing off a jet boat, 8 at a time down some of the biggest whitewater its possible to race.  It’s awesome. Check out Seth’s video recap of the event.  

The magnetic pull of the Malabar river fest was too strong to ignore for many of the World’s top kayakers this year.  Following the incredible week-long event, (covered in more detail on this blog (inset Malabar blog link)), certain competitors remained to follow the rain, crush the Kerala classics and to explore the Indian jungles for undiscovered gems.  One crew, led by the legendary expeditionist Olaf Obsommer leapt over hurdles and ducked under red tape as they worked through the list of Google maps inspired runs they had documented prior to arrival.  A second crew, known as SEND also hit the ground running in search of new rivers in the area after being shut down over and over on logistical plans for big waterfalls in the North.  

The Send team explored the upper reaches of the classics around Kodencherry, crossing off high water descents on Malabar and the Chalipuzha whilst opening up new sections and new lines. After a stellar week of kayaking around the festival grounds, the SEND team took to the road in search of new joy sections.  The search commenced with endless hours on the road, and multiple “almost” car crashes throughout the week led the crew to be more worrisome off the water, than in the canyons of a first descent.  SEND had a few options, choosing in the end to move towards a picturesque triple drop, yearning for some form of freewall after a few days of steep creeking.  

With thundering rain, a flashing river and 1 too many roll of the dice moves, the boys were left watching from the sidelines as the entire river flowed into a thicket of tree’s below the final drop.  The section below this waterfall, impressively hidden on the Phythaalama River did open up for  SEND to first descent a section of the river and the overgrown jungle imposed itself over the pristine river in places. But the continuous pace, and occasional steep slide motivated the team into a second lap and encouraged this to be considered a win, and that the long drive had been worth it! 

Following a semi-successful mission into the mountains, the boys took a day to regroup, hid from the rain and made a new plan.  An enticing river drew attention on Google Earth, with a combination of factors that make a first descent desirable, and questionable.  The river in question (remaining unnamed so we can return) began as a trickle at a steep triple set of slides that starred as a local tourist attraction.  As the river flowed away from the slides, it appeared to fall off the face of the Earth, before settling out in the far, far distance.  Google earth showed what could be one of the best rivers on the planet; but an unsettling combination of illegal access, being fully exposed miles into a canyon with thousands of feet of gradient, and no clear picture of a way out led the team to save this one for a later date and the 8 hour drive home from this one was bitter-sweet.  Bitter in knowing the potential that lay within the canyons of this incredible country, and sweet knowing the number of obstacles that were avoided by calling the mission off.

One thing is for certain, and all previous teams that have ventured into he Kerala jungle must agree, the potential in this area of earth is endless, and with the right effort, finding gold is guaranteed.  
Stay safe out there,
Kalob

Jackson Kayak has begun shipping its long-awaited Big Rig HD/FD to paddle sports stores around the world.  This is the second generation of one of the most popular fishing kayaks of all time, this time with pedal drive capabilities and significant upgrades to its layout.

OCTOBER 12, 2018 – SPARTA, TENNESSEE – For immediate release.

Introducing the Big Rig FD! One of Jackson Kayak’s most popular fishing kayaks now gets the upgrades of both its HD predecessors, the Coosa HD and Cuda HD with the addition of Flex Drive pedalling power. The FD will be compatible with the upcoming E-Drive motor giving users a truly hands-free fishing experience, where the rudder controls return to foot control and our battery will take you anywhere you want to go. Hull size and performance are comparable to the original Big Rig, but features an elongated keel for superior tracking while paddling, pedalling, or motoring.

The FD version of the Big Rig takes advantage of the past 5 years of HD upgrades with some twists. It features the High Hi-Lo Ergo Seat Frame with MOLLE System, which includes infinite fore-aft trimming. The unique Big Rig rod troughs are doubled up with TWO rod tubes on both sides of the bow. The Big Rig FD’s new rod staging system lets you set down and snap up your rods at a moments’ notice. Unlike the other models, the rod tubes can also accommodate fly rods up to 9′ in length with fly reel geometry behind the seat. Jackson Kayak’s use of track systems remain throughout giving you flexibility in setting up for the day of fishing and our hulls are molded for Raymarine and Power-Pole readiness. Storage is upgraded throughout the Big Rig FD with hatches updated to new rotating latches.

SPECS:

• Big Rig FD – Web Page
  • Length: 13’3″
  • Width 40″
  • Weight: 120 lbs (w/o seat & drive)
  • CAPACITY: 550 lbs
  • CONSTRUCTION: Rotomolded Polyethylene, anodized marine grade aluminium.
  • MSRP: $3299

• Big Rig HD – Web Page
  • Length: 13’3″
  • Width 40″
  • Weight: 120 lbs (w/o seat & drive)
  • CAPACITY: 550 lbs
  • CONSTRUCTION: Rotomolded Polyethylene, anodized marine grade aluminium.
  • MSRP: $1999

About the Flex Drive System and the New E-drive
The FlexDrive system is a pedal driven propeller that allows forward and reverse, has unique articulation to adapt to shallow water, obstacles, or cleaning, and is removable for true kayak use.  This system will be fully compatible with the E-Drive electric motor due for release early in the new year.

The Canadian team trials took place in Kananaskis, Alberta at a sweet little hole called Chubbies. Before the lead up to this event I hadn’t really done much real hole boating, only messing around on the wave holes on the Ottawa so this was a big change from waves to small holes. I did a lot of training in the month leading up to team trials and really built up a routine that I was stoked on for the hole that it was held on and for how long it took to come together. For the first time I really focused on flatwater freestyle and really was able to dial in some tricks through the flatwater which I think helped my overall freestyle. In the lead up to the event I tried out features and moves on rivers that I would usually totally overlook but turned out pretty fun to try stuff in.

Photo Credit: James Huser

The actual event was awesome, we trained for about a week before the comp and every day there’s was a different competition going on such as downriver, slalom and boatercross. I unfortunately didn’t compete in any of these but took advantage of the time that people were at the events to get more time in the hole. The freestyle day was awesome, there were 27 juniors signed up initially and a showing of 16 junior men, the most of all categories, battling it out for just 3 spots on the team.

All rounds were super fun, prelims was the most stress free with 2 rides and both being combined and the group being cut down from 16 to 10 and was just doing what was consistent and will get through the round, I came out with a combined score of 683 and in 1st going into semis followed by a cadet shredder Dane Menzies with Coleman Heaven holding the 2nd spit on the team and Cole Oruski in the 3rd spot.
Next up was the semi finals, this is the most difficult round in most freestyle competitions and in this one was had 2 rides and only 1 counted. So you definitely have to be on your A game now point everyone is a competitor with a chance and the group get cut in half from 10 to only 5. I came out of semis with my worst scores of the comp having a 300 as my highest ride but was still able to hold the first spot through the finals. Cole followed in second, Dane in third and Coleman in 4th place and with the 3rd team spot.

Photo Credit: Jeff Bloor

Now was finals, the part that really matter and the last time to put up rides. The format for this round is 3 rides with 1 counting, this way you can really put up the best score possible. In the first 2 rides everyone has solid rides with high and solid scores. I was in the lead with 313 still, Hunter and Dane were tied with 280 and Coleman had the last team spot with 220.

Photo Credit: Jeff Bloor

Now there is the last rides, here everyone really stepped up and the bets jr mens rides of the day all around were shown in a battle for the team spots. In the final 3 rides of the jr mens class first Dane put up a 300 point ride to come into second place, really solid ride especially considering he’s too young to actually make the team! Next up was Cole Oruski and he threw up an amazing 423 point ride, the highest of the day for our class and doubling his other finals ride, he was now in first place by a good amount. At this point I knew I had a spot on the team so I went all out to try and claim the top spot. I totally nailed my ride like it was in practice, got air and huge bonuses and put up by far my best score of the day with a score of 613.
I was so stoked about the whole trip and how much my hole boating had improved, I can’t wait to represent Canada in Sort next summer for worlds!

– Luke Pomeroy

2018 will stand as an epic year in the western Canadian kayak fishing community.  It was the inaugural year for the Western Canadian Kayak Fishing Trail, organized by Mike Zilkowsky, a long time tournament organizer (Eastslope) in Alberta.

It was a best five of seven series, incorporating The Long running Eastslope Kayak Fishing tournament, as well as the longer running Moutcha Bay Kayak Salmon Derby!
It also included stops at Driedmeat lake for pike,  Payne lake for trout, as well as a fly only Rainbow trout tournament, and a sucker derby, both at Dickson Damn.  

With 64 registered anglers in the trail, it was an epic turnout for our growing community in Western Canada. I managed to snag sixth place overall in my CoosaFD, by keeping in the top five or ten throughout the entire trail.  It definitely made for a busy summer, with lots of truck sleeping  and tailgate coffee to sustain myself.

If I had to pick, Cold lake was by far, my favorite venue, hosted by fellow Jackson Regional team Member Dan Bourdage.  Jigging for decent sized lake trout in about 80 -120 feet of water. The Perfect weather made the combination lake trout and pike derby amazing. Along with the great trout fishing, the crystal clear water made for stellar pike fishing.   Casting cranks and spoons into 5 -8 feet of weedy water.  It doesn’t get any better then watching the cast, the lure attack, and hook set, then the epic fight with a great Canadian Gator! aka. Northern Pike. They weren’t massive, but some of the healthiest and strongest fighting pike i have encountered in a while.

The trail winner hailed Eric Lewis, had the furthest drives from Saskatchewan.  He laid out some good fish and with perseverance and a little luck, managed to become the first ever winner of the Western Canadian Kayak Fishing Trail. 

Search for it on Facebook to find out more information, if anyone’s on the fence, come on out next year.  It was a great time and Mike Z  outdid himself this year. 

I’m already bugging him about next years events. Stoked to see what and where we are fishing as well as how me and my Coosa FD will do.
See you om the water.
– Andrew Watt

The jungles of Veracruz are a mystical place, where imaginations flourish and ideas come to life.  In the spring of 2018; Nick Troutman, Dane Jackson and I orchestrating a quick mission to Veracruz state and the Alseseca river.  Our goals were simple and founded in the constant progression of downriver/waterfall freestyle.  We dreamt of taking the JK Antix – a new school slicey kayak but with friendly edges and playful hull – to the pristine waterfalls of the Alseseca to put it, and down river freestyle limits to the test.  

Nick and I arrived without Dane, (he would join us a few days later) and went straight to work.  The classic sections provided a great warmup to feeling out low volume creeking in these kayaks and with each passing day, Nick and I not only gained confidence in our small kayaks, but our vision for what was possible constantly expanded and exceeded our original expectations.  

Dane joined us as the entire river became our playground.  Ever waterfall had something to offer; a clean freewheel, a splat wall above or below, an eddy line for stern ends.  Everything was in play.  We began to see the waterfalls of the Alseseca and the Jalacingo in a whole new light.   

No more words will do this trip justice, check out the photo essay below! 

Nick getting comfortable with his Antix in tight places on the infamous S-turn rapid on the Roadside section of the Alseseca.

Kalob getting vertical and into the flow of the trip.

Nick riding out the wall through some classics.

Nick whipping it around on a lesser run section of the Alseseca.

Kalob goes verticle on the aptly named freestyle drop on the lower reaches of the Alseseca.

Dane immediately making an impact on the trip with this epic switch reewheel off the Mexican 20 waterfall on the Big Banana section of the Alseseca.

Kalob striving to get his bow down on Silenco.

The stoke always builds as we walk into the river, the smiles get bigger, and the walk turns into a run!

Dane talking it to a new level and throwing a massive, perfect switch freewheel on Sidechick, a waterfall he First descented a few years ago.

Kalob follows suit on Sidechick but opts to throw a normal freewheel, already thinking about the double for next time!

Nick slicing up the perfect post river snack, pineapples as sweet and fresh as they get.

Nick getting vertical below the breathtaking scenery of Big Banada Falls.

Kalob celebrating after a low water mission off Truchas Falls.

Nick launching off the bottom half of double drop.

Kalob lays it all out on the line on the tricky final waterfall of the Upper Jalacingo.

Kalob goes reverse on the Upper jalacingo.

Kalob putting the creeking limits of the Antix to the test on Skatepark.

Spot your landing.

Nick sends a kickflip off freestyle drop on one of our finals laps!

Don’t forget to celebrate the good times on every trip.

It has taken a few months to organize my thoughts, to transcribe my feelings in a way that make sense, but this is a story I feel I must tell. This community, this river played a major role in my development as a kayaker and as a person, and I owe it to the legends that will rise in regards to Nile Special to keep my memories fresh, to reminisce the good times and to preserve the feeling inside us all that was Nile Special. 

In the Winter of 2011, I was privileged to experience the day 1 section of the White Nile in its final days of freedom leading up to the completion of the Silverback (Bujagali) Hydroelectric dam.  Enjoying what the river had to offer with a thriving scene of locals on the banks of Bujagali Falls, exploring the back channels, rolling the dice in 50/50 and coming down the ramp at Silverback ready to face colossal and chaotic waves.  These memories are all I, and many others have left of one of the best sections of white-water the World had ever seen. 

Maybe it was the short amount of time I shared with these rapids, the remarkable kayaking that still existed downstream, or the fact that I was 16 and numb to what losing something forever meant,; but I did not mourn the day 1 section as I should have, I did not fully comprehend what was being lost. 

Fast forward to the Spring of 2015, I was nearing the end of a 5 month stay on the Hairy Lemon Island as the Freestyle World Championships approached later in the summer on my home river.  This lengthy excursion marked my 3^rd voyage to paradise, and when I think back, this is where the roots of my deep connection with this river are planted.  Living off the Hairy Lemon, training twice a day, extremely focused on constant improvement for the upcoming Worlds.  The river was teaching me as much as I could absorb, luring me out and pushing me to my limits.  These daily Nile Special sessions allowed me to grow, to push myself and to reach levels in my kayaking I never thought possible.  As good as the river was day in and day out, the atmosphere around the river is where the happiness of these memories rest.  Friends and competitors from around the World were all on the same program, shredding on the river and chilling on the island, good vibes were engrained into our everyday lifestyle.  

Earlier on this trip, I broke my wrist.  Not being able to kayak for upwards of a month, having to take it easy when I got back at it, those weren’t the reasons I was there.  But again the river showed me the way and taught me a lesson I needed to learn.  There was more to Uganda than the White Nile.  This injury forced me to take a step back and to look around, to experience the joyous people that call this country home, to visit animals that are fighting extinction as their habitats are degraded at an exponential rate, to enjoy the landscapes and to imagine how they looked before humans took command.  I went down to the southern corner to experience one of the few remaining tribes of wild Gorilla’s, to the west and the slopes of Mt. Elgon for the World’s best arabica coffee, and to the northern regions for the wonder and beauty of Murchison Falls National Park.  The connection I had with the river, had now expanded to the whole country.  It was near the end of this 5 month journey that the rumours started to fly that the Isimba hydroelectric project was actually going to come to fruition, from here on, I knew I couldn’t pass on any opportunity that would bring me to this area again.  

This mindset induced my return in the winter of 2016 for a quick mission.  And then a dream came true with World Class Academy in the fall of 2017.   An opportunity to combine my passion for teaching and to share my love for the Nile with my students from around the World, for them to experience what I experienced at their age before it to vanished beneath a senseless reservoir.  My students helped me see that there was no logic in mourning the section before it was flooded, but to enjoy what we had, while we still had it and to make the most of everyday!  Again on this trip, even as I was teaching others, the river was teaching me.  Mistakes are okay, that patience is as an important of a skill as any other, to cherish even the smallest of moments.  

I returned to the Nile a short month after I was there with World Class Academy.  Closing out 2017 and opening up 2018 as my best friends at SEND and I prepared to host UNLEASHEDxUganda.  We thought it was fitting to host an event on the river that had played such a significant role in the development of Bren, Dane and I, (Bren and I actually met on the Hairy Lemon way back when we were 16).   The White Nile was a world renowned river, with some of the best waves and rapids on the planet.  We knew this event had to happen, and we knew we had only 1 shot before time ran out.  

Our goal with UNLEASHEDxUganda was to showcase the Worlds élite kayakers on one of the greatest rivers with a format designed to push their limits in 4 unique stages over 7 days.  This included our desire to bring the incredibly talented athletes of Uganda into the spotlight and let the World see how brilliant they are, that they belong in the top tier and that the development of the local Ugandan kayaking scene is thriving with this river that they call home as their training ground.  

UNLEASHEDxUganda was a special time, the event unfolded exactly as planned, with a only the slightest of hitches.  A big trick jam session on the Cuban in the heart of Itanda for stage 1, the only ever race held on the Dead Dutchman in stage 2, an incredibly competitive freestyle competition on Nile Special for stage 3, and rounded things off with a mass start race through the Hair of the Dog for stage 4.  Each of these individual competitions, within the larger UNLEASHED was a special day.  Especially stages 3 and 4 as both of these rapids are now sadly under water.  We accomplished exactly what we wanted with this event.  The world’s best kayakers laid it all out on the line, showcased their skills on the some of the best Whitewater in the World, while the focus on Ugandan athletes proved to the World that they belong in the conversation among the best with Yusuf Basalirwa and Amina Nakirya placing 2^nd overall in their respective men’s and women’s categories, and Sadat Kawawa taking the 5^th place overall in the men’s. 

As the dust settled on UNLEASHEDxUganda, I took the final couple days to reflect on what Uganda meant to me.  I knew the completion of the dam was imminent and figured this be my last time on the Hairy Lemon, and within the waves of the Nile.  Thinking back to one memory in particular over and over again, my first run through Itanda with my best friend Nick Simpson, we were 16 and on top of the World.  This memory means a lot to me, and taking the time thinking back on it makes me realise how grateful I am that the Itanda Rapid stills flows free, acting as a defiant tribute to things that have been lost forever.  

Spring stretched through summer and turned tide into fall, the Nile was still free flowing and I was offered the chance to return for inevitably, the last time.  At the end of October 2018, I made the flight half way around the World with mixed feelings; I knew the Hairy Lemon was cut down, disassembled, not what it used to be.  Was I going to go visit? Or keep the memories in my mind pristine.  What if the river started to flood during my trip, what was my reaction going to be? 

These thoughts disappeared with my first strokes, I was going to enjoy my time, not dread the forthcoming reality.  I chose not to return to the Lemon, keeping my positive memories intact.  Cherishing every minute of every day on the water, adding to my memories without overriding old ones. These 10 days flashed by in the blink of an eye, and all of sudden it was the end.  

I arrived early on the last day, scared to miss a moment, or the prime flows if the levels went to high.  From 10am onwards, the wave was perfect, never fluctuating, never changing, flawless.  Through the afternoon and as the sun lowered before giving way to the full moon lit night.  Over 12 hours later, in the dark, the wave remained the same.  I was tired, 60+ friends were on shore sharing memories of days gone by and enjoying beers by the fire.  But I couldn’t bring myself to get out of the water, to face the truth that this was the end.  Just one more ride I thought, over and over again.  As it stands, on this eventual final ride, the river gods made the decision for me, taking 1 final token from me in exchange for all that it has given.  I dropped my paddle and the river took it into the darkness, instantly lost in the indistinguishable black below.  

I secretly hoped the river would guide this paddle into the hungry turbines downstream, but it’s more likely it found its way to a deserving fisherman on his lucky day.  5 days later I had been home and gone again, found enjoying the free flowing rivers of Chile as the Isimba dam began to officially fill its reservoir, 2 more days and Nile Special had given way to a rippling current and less than 2 weeks after my final surf moonlit surf on Nile Special, the reservoir was essentially full, silently signalling one more mighty section of the Nile had been conquered by man.  

My mind often drifts to the people substantially more affected by this man-made tragedy than I was.  To those who lost their land, where did they go? To those who lost their jobs, did they find new ones? To the people who the river meant more than the World, how did they cope?  Its these thoughts that also pull me back to my memory of my first run through Itanda so many years ago.  Grinning as I think how frustrating it must be to the greedy builders that Itanda still flows free, defiant of the concrete structures that barricade the river above and below.  Rebellious in its efforts to stay free, hoping that people will return to see a small sliver of the famous white-water of the Mighty While Nile in the state that it’s meant to be seen.