I seriously cannot say enough about the new Amp Vest! I have been paddling with it almost everyday for the past three months and it is without question the best lifejacket I have ever used in 20 years of paddling! It was going to take something pretty special to get me to upgrade from my beloved Mango Axis PFD and the crew at Palm have done it with the Amp. Here’s a little clip I took on the local run here in NZ of my first day in the Amp.
I have also been fortunate enough to see what new bits and pieces are in the pipeline for 2011… Lets just say all you Palm fans out there should start getting pretty excited about what is in store for you next season!
Just got this hot off the wire! This is the profile I shot with NZ Green Room Productions down at Nevis Bluff for New Zealand’s hottest action sports show – The Red Bull Chronicles. As you can see from the footage when you’re paddling water like this you need full trust in your gear. Needless to say it was a no-brainer to choose the Amp Vest and the Extreme Deck!
Hi Team,
As a prelude to an update coming very soon on our recent adventures in the far North of Norway I thought I would share this video with you. A tour through some of Norway’s well known classics.
Ben
Quick update from the Highlands of Iceland. Trip has featured the usual trials and tribulations of trying to find First Descents on foreign lands but we have been getting on some sick new stuff as well as a few of the Iceland classics! The Palm kit has been second to none in the freezing water – wouldn’t use anything else apart from the Amp vest & Sidewinder Dry Top combo!
Footage is looking SWEET!!!! Look for the segment in the upcoming feature ‘Frontier’ from River Roots.
Well after a busy summer of paddling down here in the Southern Hemisphere I finally find myself in front on a computer with some time to report in my new favorite piece of kit from Palm – the all new Amp Vest. I have been a long term user of the Axis Extrem vest and it has served me marvelously well, and seen me through a few fairly sporting swims! Needless to say it was going to require something pretty special to sway me away from the old faithful. What Palm has delivered in the Amp Vest is exactly what was required. Lightweight yet still with plenty of flotation, the Amp will be perfect for everything from a freestyle session in the local hole, to month long expeditions. What has really impressed me with the Amp though is the comfort! I have never experienced a PFD that molds to the body so comfortably and offers unrestricted freedom of movement, Palm have absolutely set the benchmark with the Amp.
Look for footage of the Amp in action on the Red Bull Chronicles – coming to a TV screen near you soon. In the meantime I have attached a short video of myself and the Amp enjoying the last of the NZ summer.
We have replaced the old news page with an all new Blog page: http://benbrown.co.nz/blog/ This means I can now access the site from the field and keep you updated on news and adventures as they unfold. I will also keep you in the loop on anything else I think may be of interest. We will continue to keep the adventures and video pages updated with the more important projects but the blog provides a quick and easy way to keep you regularly informed. So keep checking back for the latest news and events. Of course I will also keep this blog regularly updated as well.
I have just arrived back in NZ for two weeks downtime before jumping back on the plane and heading to North America for more adventures. My return coincided with one of NZ’s frequent winter storms so not one to miss the chance to huck some drops I loaded up the truck and headed for the hills. A TV channel here in NZ is running a feature of our recent Iceland mission so I dragged them along for the ride. They were very stoked at the awesome interview location and the chance to check out some waterfall hucking first hand! Tempratures are less than tropical down here in the antipedes at present but as per usual the Sidewinder dry top kept me toasty warm – keep it up Palm! Check out more on our NZ A-Day at Red Bull Special Op’s.
I have just returned from an awesome expedition in Iceland where we were filming for Rush Sturges and Tyler Bradts upcoming feature ‘Dream Result’. Along with Rush, Tyler and Patrick Camblin we headed to the Land of Fire and Ice in search of big waterfall adventures!
We spent three weeks circumnavigating the entire Island and found some amazing drops. As well as dropping a few of Iceland’s more postcard drops we also knocked of several sweet first descents.
Camping in Iceland during the summer months is always a challenge due to the 24 hour sunlight and the extremely changeable weather. Luckily for us Iceland has a constant stream of natural hotsprings offering welcome refuge to the weary kayaker! Luckily for me on the water I was wearing the Sidewinder Top and Pant Combo as well as the new SIS Immersion Suit which both performed exceedingly well keeping me warm and dry in all conditions.
This was one of the most enjoyable trips I have been on for a long time. The combination of an awesome crew, unique location and epic paddling made for a memorable adventure. We filmed a great segment for Dream Result and got a ton of amazing images so be sure to check back here and on www.benbrown.co.nz for more tales as well as a video blog from the adventure.
The West Coast of New Zealands South Island is world renown for its steep creeks. During the Southern Hemispheres summer months the West Coast ranks amongst the worlds premier paddling destinations. What is lesser known is that the North Island also has some world-class creeking hidden amongst her rolling hills….
During the Autumn in New Zealand, South Westerly Low Pressure systems tear up from Antarctica bringing with them strong winds and heavy rain. Whilst this weather is not really conducive to many outdoor activities it does grab my attention because with this rain comes the possibility of some of my local creeks starting to flow…
The rains have been battering New Zealand over the past few weeks and with the Northern Hemisphere adventures rapidly approaching I was pretty eager to get amongst my local runs for one last time before heading North.
Here are a few shots for you to check out from my backyard…
