Hurley Classic Extravaganza!

When I first started competing the ‘Hurley Rodeo’ was the UK’s biggest event, drawing in paddlers from all across Europe for an aerial frenzy on the Thames.

In recent years the event has been on a much lower scale, largely due to poor levels, but this year Jacko from KayakoJacko went all out to bring the festival feel back and turn it back into the booming event it once was. With the boom that’s going on in freestyle right now it seems perfect timing to relaunch the event in this manner.

Jacko definitely didn’t disappoint! We had perfect levels, good weather and over 120 paddlers attending including all the big names: Peter & Nina Csonka, Mathieu Dumoulin, Quim & Nuria Fontane, UK’s Bren Orton & myself and Katya.

So we had World Champions, World Cup Champions, European Champions, Rider of the Year winners, National Champions & past Champions all gathered to do battle on one of the UK’s most iconic spots. Jacko had a treat lined up for us.

Cheesy came down and put up the Palm & Dagger tent to show off the new kit and the Dagger Jitsu. We had all 3 sizes for people to try. They definitely fly here on Hurley!

First up was the final of the British League event. Your best two out of three 45 second rides gave you your final score. I had some great rides getting  KY’s, Loops, AirScrews and Panams and thought I might have the win but as it turned out I ended up in 3rd place behind local favourite Alan Ward in 2nd and World Cup winner Peter Csonka taking the win. In the ladies Emily wall took the British title with Nina Csonkova taking the overall Win.

Saturday afternoon gave us a steep ramp into the Boatercross. Carnage ensued throughout but keeping the speed up and avoiding the crashes David Bain sprinted his way to the win.

Sunday was what the weekend was all about really, going big with our friends without the pressure of timed rides. It was a jam session format of 15 minutes and then a superfinals of ICF rules for the top 5. Unfortunately I was a bit too determined to get my KY and wasted too much time and finished way down the list but those who got the right tactic of going big but making sure to cram all their moves into their session came out on top.

Palm’s Bren Orton went huge in the prelims and got everyone raving when he got his place in the senior mens final (he’s still a Junior), UK Champion Sam Anderson  made it too then we had Quim, Mathieu, and Peter all there. The finals were a great display of the various styles but eventually Peters consistency edged ahead of Mathieu’s fluidity to take the Win, with Quim in 3rd. In the womens Nina Csonkova took the win again with Flea in 2nd place.

Full Classic Results: https://www.thamescanoes.com/classic/results.xls

We had a great time! A big thanks to Jacko and his team for putting it together!

Pringle

p.s. Thanks to Núria Fontané Masó and Peter Issacs for the additional photos.

An East Coast Summer

This marks the first summer I haven’t traveled out west in a long time.  The west coast gets all the glory for summertime paddling in the US and rightly so as California, the Pacific Northwest, Idaho, Montana and Colorado are all at their prime right now.  However it doesn’t mean that you can fully overlook the right side of the country as there are plenty of quality options!  Also as I’m still in the process of healing a herniated disc the East Coast offers me some great summertime paddling close to home and  a chance to get to some places I haven’t been in a while.

The best part about kayaking in the East in the summer is the heat, and that means day after day in a shortie!  It’s pretty good to be on a creek run without a dry suit and a bunch of fleece.  Many folks think that the water goes away here with the end of spring, not so.  Summer time thunder storms, some timely dam releases, and just plain big rivers lend themselves to great paddling all the way through the dog days of August.

This year with the start of the first heat wave I packed up the van and headed North for my first paddling trip since finding out I had a herniated disc.  It’s been really good to be back on the water and traveling, two of my favorite things in life.  Enjoy the pictures!

Wouldn’t be complete without a little Green River action in here.  The Green is one of the best rivers ever in the summertime, lots of releases, good drops, and warm temperatures.  Shane and I at the put-in on retro day.

 

 

Rolling over Gorilla on Retro Day, good to be back in a boat and stomping this rapid.  A 90 degree offset….well that was a little more challenging!

 

 

The van outside Moutain Man Outdoor Supply Company in Old Forge, New York home to the Moose River.  Due to a lucky lightening strike the power plant was releasing water into the Bottom Moose which allowed me to get my first ever run on this iconic Adirondack river.  It didn’t disappoint!

 

 

Lining up a boof on the Bottom Moose, I can’t believe it took me 20 years to get on this run.  Glad I got to it I felt like I’d been doing the East Coast an injustice:)

 

 

Following Will Crimmins down Sure Form one of the great slides on the Bottom Moose

 

 

Another takeout after another great day on the water!

 

 

The view from Grace Under Pressure on Great Falls, Potomac River.  Great Falls and the Potomac are one of the great urban jewels of East Coast kayaking.  20 miles downstream of this boof is the Whitehouse.  It’s pretty cool kayaking resource as it has something for all levels of paddling right outside of Washington DC.

 

My cousin Ben and I at the Center Lines on Great Falls.

 

Shredding the O-deck waves in my Axiom!  Great waves and great boat!

 

I think two of my favorite parts of a good road trip are the people you get to see and the random things you end up doing.  It’s good to have a plan sometimes but sometimes you just gotta go with the flow….

 

Stand up Paddle Boarding on an upper section of the Potomac

Evening on Lake Placid, New York.  Can’t be afraid of some different craft, my friend Christian paddling home after drinks at the Lake Placid Lodge

Speaking of different craft to where am I going with this again?…..

Never be afraid to take advantage of croquet

And above all never go anywhere without your PFD

 

Catch you next time and happy paddling on whatever craft this summer!

 

 

 

Join us at the Tryweryn Festival this weekend.

Fancy going paddling at the weekend?

Some where with warm water perhaps? And guaranteed whitewater? And sun?

Well, why not come join us in North Wales for the Tryweryn Festival 2011? If it’s anything like last year’s it’s set to be a cracker.

Why should I go?

• Try the full Dagger Europe whitewater range. On real whitewater. For free.
• Get some coaching from top coaching providers including Palm’s Lowri Davies. Whether you want to gain confidence on grade 3/4, perfect your playboating, or simply fancy a guided trip of the scenic lower Tryweryn, these guys will be able to help you out. Sign up when you arrive.
• Race in the PALM 8-BALL! This is full contact paddling. Think head-to-head boaterX mixed with Robot Wars. The aim? Get to the bottom of the section first and avoid being taken out by one of many inflatable kayakers in your path…. (Exact time to be confirmed although probably Saturday afternoon)
• Leave your car at the takeout and take advantage of free shuttles throughout the weekend. Leaving you with more time on the water! Ace.
• Outfit your boat. Do you struggle getting the fit of your Dagger kayak just right? Come see us and we’ll help you pad it out to perfection!
• Discover Palm’s 2011 range. We’ll have experts on hand to talk you through the range and our design process.
• Bring your bike and take part in the multisport challenge.

Sounds good! How much is it?

Tickets are £25 and on sale now! Call the centre on 01678 521 083 or pop in to reception to book. Please advise of any dietary requirments at time of booking.
As with last year there will be shuttles from the lower river, camping at Bala Mill on Friday and Saturday night, evening entertainment and meals provided on Friday and Saturday night.

Where can I find out more information?

More info on Tryweryn Website

Facebook Event Page

I’m convinced, now show me some shots of last year’s 8-Ball Carnage!

I thought you’d never ask. Here you go.

This all sounds a bit advanced to me, is there anywhere I can go to try paddling for the first time?

Don’t forget, we’re also in the East Midlands this weekend at the Midsummer Great Escape in Belvoir Castle. The perfect opportunity to get on the water for the first time…

Pringle & Katya in Galicia Update…

We left the UK two weeks ago to head out on our European migration and after a leisurely 5 day drive we arrived in Frieira next to the Rio Mino on the Spain/ Portugal border.

So far we’ve been spending most of our time at the wave below the Dam in Frieira.

It works best in the morning and ussualy drops off in the afternoon although the dam releases have been a little unpredictable so far.

The wave at the right level is probably one of the best in Europe, and a reasonable hole at lower flows. The only downsides is that you need to catch it from above which means after each ride is a tough walk back up over jagged rocks and through thorny gorse bushes to get back in, but luckily the wave really makes up for the hard walk back to the top.

The area of Galicia we’ve been in so far has been pretty warm with beautiful lush scenary all around us, a really great place to kayak.

This weekend just gone we drove to the Portugese coast to head out in our brand new as yet un-used Axiom in some very violent hefty storm surf. The boat handled great in the rough conditions and I had a very short session getting battered around before it got too big and I retreated back to the beach.

Check the photo gallery below to see more of what we’ve been upto…

Pringle

NSR 2010 – The boat is made!

The UK’s National Student Rodeo 2010 is only 2 weeks away, and each year Palm Equipment make a custom NSR Kayak as the prize for the winning uni’s Club.

This year’s boat is a beautiful and unique Dagger Axiom in one off lime green, with NSR decals to finish it off…

To find out more about NSR, the world’s biggest freestyle competition (no, reallly, 750 competitors), visit:

www.nationalstudentrodeo.org