6ft Tope (shark) v’s Wilderness Tarpon 160
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-15072997
Wow, this must have been scary!
Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing choose Palm Equipment
Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing have chosen the Palm Atom Jacket for use in their training period in the run up to the Volvo Ocean Race starting late October. Currently training in Cascais, Portugal this video shows some of the extreme environments in which our equipment has to perform.
Song of the Paddle Big Meet
This weekend the Song of the Paddle canoe forum held there first Big Meet on Ullswater in the Lake District. Palm went along with the Mad River Canoes demo fleet to support the event.
The Lake District is one of the only places where is can be sunny and rain at the same time and the wind caused a few challenges.
About 150 canoiests made there way to the event which had a very sociable feel and I met some really lovely people who all imparted a little knowledge my way.
Being in my infancy of converting to a canoeist having kayaked since a young age, this event help me to learn from the forum members and experts more about this aspect of paddlesport. I now know how to lace and lash and the reasons why, my first attempt had a little scrutinising!
Below a rarely seen photo of me, I managed to get out for a paddle with my young daughter, Alexa Grace (23 months)
Thanks to everyone and hope to meet you all again soon!
See you out there,
Ben
Cardiff International Whitewater Paddlefest
This weekend saw the Palm wagon role to Cardiff in Wales to be part of the CIWW Paddlefest 2010. Palm is one of the official sponsors of the pumped whitewater course.
CIWW
Team Paddlers Rosie Cripps and Nick Horwood led up the Dagger and Palm teams for the Palm 4X Challenge Boater X which saw the Pro’s team up with a Junior, Senior and an experienced Senior in a timed and head to head challenge, it seemed that local knowledge was key to success as Cardiff resident Rosie led Team Dagger to be win the competition. Nick with team Palm came in 5th in an event which was entertaining and inspiring.
Team Dagger winning the Palm 4X Challenge
In the evening the band “The Blims” set the scene for the apres boating and everyone tucked into the BBQ and danced into the evening.
Look forward to next year, hopefully I will have spent enough injury free time to get myself back in my boat by then!
See you out there,
Ben
Recycling, alternative methods……
Here at Palm we are we are continuously looking at innovative ways of recycling waste product. Our Technical Director Bob Slee used the current weather situation for inspiration and came up with this……
“All we need now is a long steep hill to test it!”
Take care out there!
New Year, New Boat, New me!
After having spent the latter end of 2009 poorly and sofa bound, I decided that the New Year was a good way to put all last years woe’s behind me and start the year as I mean to go on.
With this in mind on Saturday morning I loaded up the Dagger Axiom 9.0 from the demo fleet ready for a trip to the coast for a surf session.
I have not as yet had a chance to paddle the Axiom since I couldn’t get into the prototypes and was poorly once the production boats where ready. I was looking forward to the surf and hoping that it was not too big as not being in a boat for over 6 months will have made me quite rusty.
Checking the surf report for Saunton before we left my heart sank it wasn’t big it was messy, 1-2ft, 4sec intervals at the bouy, NW cross shore wind. However this was not going to deter me as I wanted to paddle!
One police diversion and a couple of hours later we arrived at Saunton Sands, the sun was out, the tide was out and the wind was bitter! Looking at the boiling mass of back to back messy waves wasn’t the most inviting.
Once togged up in my Torrent with as much thermal gear that I could fit under it, we headed for the sea which seemed about a mile away and still undeterred we headed out through the mush.
The Axiom 9.0 is great, having paddled the GTX then the GT Max for years the experience is actually quite different. The Axiom 9.0 has more height in the bow, more progressive edging, more room up front and with a livelier tail end, I thought it might trip me up a bit at first but it felt quiet forgiving and manoeuvrable. The best thing is the speed and acceleration, even in the small back to back messy surf the Axiom accelerates fast down the face which took a bit of getting used to as initially I kept stalling at bottom of the wave. Initial stability is good although a little narrower in the hull than the GT Max, but this does allow for faster edge to edge transfers. One thing I have to mention is it floated me really well (I’m 130kg kitted up) and although a short session due to lack of fitness the Axiom 9.0 inspirred confidence within a very short time!
Sorry we where all on the water and the surf was poor for photos on Saturday! Maybe next time, soon, once I take delivery of my own Axiom 9.0! Here’s a recent photo to wet your appetite……
Mark Sharman from late last year at Croyde. Mark loves the surf and instigates nearly all my trips to the coast!
Oh, and if you haven’t yet tried an Extrem vest or Amp, go do it, its incredible!
See you out there!
Ben
Test Delivery
Last Friday I went over to Family Adventure Store to deliver their fleet of Dagger boats, they are one of our eleven Dagger Test centres.
Dagger Test centres have a vast range of Dagger boats for you to come along and test out. All Test centres have water on site or nearby to get you out there quickly in the latest designs.
For more info go to www.daggereurope.com
If you see me out on the road in the Palm silver van give me a wave!
Take care out there,
Ben
New Places
Last week out on the road a visited to new places, The first was Brookbank Warwickshire and there new store in Warwick, after there move from the old Paddlesport site in Compton Verney they have now settled in and i dropped in to catch up with Keith the manager there.
Later that day it was my first visit to a new dealer, Canoe Kayak Trader (Leam Boats), their location is idealic set in a park right in the middle of Leamington Spa with direct access to the River Leam. Have a look at this video which shows all they do.
More from the road soon!
Paradise at the Riverside
Whilst visiting Riverside Centre in Oxford last week, the guys there tested the Paradise 2 from Islander with a view of adding them to their fleet at the centre. The centre which provides activities for young people in and around the Oxford area also has a shop which is well stocked with products from Palm, Dagger and Islander.
Roger with his best friend, River Thames, Oxford
For more information on the Riverside Centre click here.
