2015 PADDLE GUIDE + 4 CROSSOVER KAYAKS REVIEWED

WHAT’S NEXT
LOOKING AHEAD TO THE TECHNOLOGY, SHIFTING
DEMOGRAPHICS AND CLIMATE EXTREMES SHAPING
THE FUTURE OF PADDLING

+ PET DRONES // BUG-OUT BOATS // DIY MAPS // THE TRIP OF YOUR LIFE
hobiecat.com
 FOREWORD

Peak Gadget
Our frst order of business was to cross thinking back on that day almost 20 years generating jackets, better batteries and
about a mile to a nearby island. Naturally, later, what really felt good was the simple head-up navigation displays. As the
my brother and I couldn’t agree which one. act of taking that compass bearing. C&K staff worked on the story package
The fog had come in overnight, dense Such things have always drawn us predicting “Your Paddling Future” (p. 22),
enough that you couldn’t make out the to the outdoors. Building a fre. Pitching we found ourselves gravitating toward
islands if you stared straight at them. If a tarp that will withstand a coming squall. stories that are less about innovative
you scanned the horizon and didn’t try Finding your way with map and compass. technology, and more about what it allows
too hard, though, they’d register as subtle The practice of self-suffciency takes on us to experience. The bit on wearable
changes of gray. new meaning in a world that no longer electronics landed on the cutting room
My brother pointed confdently to the requires it. foor; items about exploring recently
smudge on the right. My compass told me Still, not long after that brotherly undammed rivers and the new sharing
to aim for the one on the left. Like most adventure I started packing a GPS unit. economy made the issue. The techno-
arguments between siblings, this one I developed a bad habit of tucking it widgets are fun to talk about, but it’s the
was of little consequence—at worst, we’d under my deck bungee and using it like a paddling possibilities that capture our
have a quarter-mile detour to get back on speedometer. I always know where I am, imagination.
course. So I agreed to try it his way, just but sometimes lose track of the reason I So in the spirit of unlikely optimism,
to be there when he found out he was came in the frst place. I suggest that paddling is fnally
wrong. As we look toward our paddling approaching ‘Peak Gadget,’ the moment
When we got to his island I didn’t say future, we see an ever-growing array of when the demand for electronic gizmos
anything. I just eased ahead and veered gadgets that do these things for us. The of all types begins its inevitable decline.
left. It was a very satisfying quarter-mile. trend is inexorable. Wearable electronics I’m going to start by stowing the GPS and
Any little brother knows the feeling are coming soon, as researchers race keeping my compass close to hand.
of proving an older sibling wrong, but to provide the military with power- – Jeff Moag

4 | canoekayak.com Photo: Ryan Creary

8 | canoekayak.com
ONE LIFE

By Dave Shively
Rio Waterfall World Championship.
at the progress-frst debut of the Rey del
Kayaking’s young kings chase the next level
FEATU R ES

DE PARTM E NTS
FULL CIRCLE

By Zand B. Martin

paddling paradises. Plus, fresh gear reviews.

MAY 2015
CONTENTS

P. 14 LETTERS // P. 16 GALLERY // P. 64 GEAR: Four new crossover kayaks. Plus, rescue

insights into the future of canoe tripping.
A round-the-world canoe journey reveals new

beacons. // P. 72 UNFILTERED: Gordon Brown // P. 74 DIRTBAG DIARIES: Latvians in the Yukon

ONLINE at CANOEKAYAK.COM: The Pacifc Paddle Surfng Series fnale

in Santa Cruz, flm debuts from Mountain Mind Collective, and the world’s most threatened
PUT I N

Washington.
backwoods canoe routes
will adpat to a changing world

and packing for the apocalypse

P. 28 The DIY future of mapping

P. 30 Eddy on self-driving shuttle rigs

P. 22 C&K’s Futurama: How paddlers

ON TH E COVE R

Photo by Fredrik Marmsater.

Chris Bensch at Chi Chi Beach,

Territory. Photo by Peter Mather.

THIS PAGE Wind River, Yukon

Canoe & Kayak (ISSN 1077-3258) May 2015, Volume 43, Issue 2, is published five times a year in March, May, June, August, and December by Canoe & Kayak, Inc, 261 Madison Avenue, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10016-2303. Copyright © 2015 by Ten: The Enthusiast Network Magazines; LLC; Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and at additional mailing offices.
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 OUTFITTING HUMAN POWERED RECREATION SINCE 1974

34 th Annual
OUTDOORS INC CANOE & KAYAK RACE
ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER
MEMPHIS

SATURDAY · JUNE 20, 2015 · 10 AM

For information, contact Joe Royer, Race Director - JoeRoyer@OutdoorsInc.com
Race information website: OutdoorsInc.com
 VOLUME 43 // ISSUE 2 MAY 2015

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 VOLUME 43 // ISSUE 2 MAY 2015

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ACTIVE COMFORT SYSTEM 2.0

THERE’S A SCIENCE TO SITTING.

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A Passion to Paddle.

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 LETTERS@CANOEKAYAK.COM
LETTEHRE
OF T
MONTH

Aaron Schmidt

WHAT WOULD ABBEY SAY? very important and powerful to

I am a boater and a be said for keeping wilderness
conservationist, so I am at a areas off-limits to human
crossroads on this Yellowstone intrusion, no matter how
Paddling Ban. I love boating minimal. Save some of these
with a passion and want to places for the non-human fora
run every river I can. But while and fauna. The ban on boating
boating is low-impact, it isn’t in Yellowstone is a unique and
no-impact. Yellowstone is one valuable regulation that should
of the few remaining protected remain in place. I can’t help but
wild places in this country wonder: What would Edward
and this world, and remains Abbey say? — Dan F.
unique in its approach to river
access. There is something — Thanks for contributing
to this conversation that
has many paddlers asking
themselves hard questions.
(Follow our ongoing coverage
of the Yellowstone and
Grand Teton Paddling Act
at CanoeKayak.com.) We’re
sending you a new NRS Vapor
PFD to keep you out paddling
the wild sections that you can.

RE: GRAND CANYON SPEED RUN

Isn’t that a little like a speed-eating contest at the finest
restaurant in the world? I don’t get it.
— Dave R.
Most risks worth taking are stupid and unnecessary. We even have
a special word for it: Adventure! Pushing it, or progression, is
deeply embedded in the history of sport, and it’s a fundamentally
personal pursuit. Hats off, lads. Dare to go faster and farther.
— Nicholas C.

Write us at letters@canoekayak.com.
WHAT
Letters may be edited for clarity and length. DO YOU
THINK?
14 | canoekayak.com
Eric Marchand - ericmarchandphotos.com

R
HE
RT
FU
GO

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 gallery

16
CHUCK GRAHAM
RYLAND GRIVETTI
POINT CONCEPTION, CALIFORNIA
 gallery

BEN MARR
BEN STOOKESBERRY
FALLS OF THE NACHVAK, LABRADOR

18
 BEN MARR
CAMPED OUT ON LABRADOR’S TORNGAT PENINSULA
WITH BEAR-FENCE PROTECTION.

“Ben began making strange facial expressions and ambiguous arm motions. I stared at him
blankly until he fnally gave up and hollered ‘Bear!’” Chris Korbulic recalls. “Later we laughed
about my confusion, and that nobody had thought to create a hand signal for ‘bear.’

Read Korbulic’s feature story and view more Destination Torngat photos at canoekayak.com.
 gallery

20
 PETER MATHER
TERRI CAIRNS AND MAYA CAIRNS-LOCKE
WIND RIVER, YUKON TERRITORY

See more of Mather’s work in our Wind River

photo fipbook at canoekayak.com.
 PUT IN FORECAST

Y O U R
How technology, demographics and a shifting
climate will change the way you paddle
P A D D L

THE AGE OF THE PACKRAFT

REVOLUTION
REDISCOVERY Packrafs are reviving
wilderness travel, and the
The great rivers have been mapped and run, the newer designs are more
remotest coastlines paddled long ago. Everything capable than ever. They
worth discovering has been explored, right? Wrong. excel at low fows and pair
Everyday paddlers—you and me—can now spy well with other sports like
with impunity on potential new runs. We have more skiing, biking, canyoneering
information than ever before, from Google Earth’s and backpacking. And
all-seeing (and free!) eye in the sky, to real-time they’re much less intmatng
gauge telemetry and camera-equipped drones to to beginners than hardshell
scout beyond the next horizon line. That’s not all. kayaks or even canoes.
According to American Rivers, more than 600 dams — Packraf evangelist
have been removed from U.S. streams in the last Forrest McCarthy
10 years, uncovering thousands of river miles not Jim Harris
seen nor paddled for decades. As dam-removal
efforts gains momentum, river-boaters won’t be the
only ones with new waters to explore. The newly
un-dammed Elwha River has already deposited
millions of tons of sediment on the Washington
coast, creating new wildlife habitat and an intriguing
surf break for sea kayakers to explore. —JM

22 | canoekayak.com
I N G F U T U R E

Peter Essick/Aurora

“I hope that my
THE TRIP endeavor has
OF YOUR inspired many
LIFETIME people to pursue
If you thought the ‘60s were their own dream,
great, wait until your 60s. and above all
to believe in
As the American population
themselves. If 67-
grows older, millions of people year ‘young’ can do
are coming into a lot of free
time, with their bodies still
it – you can do it!”
reasonably intact and access — Aleksander Doba
to a new generation of lighter,
sleeker kayaks and canoes.
Why wouldn’t they strike out
on the trip of a lifetime? Many
already have, from 57-year-old
Janet Moreland, who went on a
3,900-mile source-to-sea charm
offensive on the Missouri and
Mississippi rivers, to Polish folk
hero Aleksander Doba, who
kayaked across the Atlantic
Ocean at the age of 67.
By 2030, 1 in 5 Americans
will be over the age of 65. Ricardo Bravo

23 | canoekayak.com
 PUT IN FORECAST
Chance of securing a
Grand Canyon permit on
Sept. 17, 2014: SHOULDER
0.0749 PERCENT SEASONS
Chance of securing a
permit on any of nine As peak demand for permitted
days in December 2014: river trips continues to grow,
100 PERCENT more boaters will get wise to
shoulder seasons. Spotty fows,
shorter days, the occasional
blizzard: The same factors
that keep the masses away
have a certain appeal to the
well-equipped optimist. A new
breed of crossover kayaks
(see our review on p. 52) is
equally at home on the fats
and moderate whitewater, and
will carry a week’s worth of
gear with ease. Add drysuits
cut from new miracle fabrics,
waterproof-down sleeping bags,
even dehydrated beer. Your off-
season river trip is going to be
more comfortable than you ever
imagined. —JM

Maxi Kniewasser

DYSTOPIA: BUGGIN’ OUT UTOPIA: THE SHARING ECONOMY

By Dave Shively By Neil Schulman
What does the future hold? Zombies obviously, if you’ve been
If you can rent someone’s spare bedroom on AirBnB, why not
paying attention. And everyone knows that zombies can’t
kayaks and canoes? In my own neighborhood, I can borrow
swim, instantly increasing paddlers’ chances. A few questions
a fatwater canoe, a high-performance tandem sea kayak,
remain: Where to go? What to pack? The folks at urban disas-
a surf kayak and all manner of whitewater canoes, kayaks
ter/survival mag OFF GRID posed an answer with an exhaus-
and infatables. When traveling, a shared boat is more than
tive six-page profle of the ultimate “Bug-Out ‘Yak” in their Fall
a cost-saving convenience—it’s a way into the local scene,
2014 issue, straying from more typical canned-meat taste test
with all the inside knowledge and cultural immersion that
and amputation-tip stories. Doomsday preppers loaded down
come with it. Today, Facebook provides an imperfect portal to
camo fshing kayaks with no fewer than nine frearm options,
this boat-sharing utopia. Soon we’ll have apps for that, both
plus ammo, spare magazines, bandoliers, folding shovels,
homegrown paddler networks and Silicon Valley startups like
machetes, even a Gurkha kukri knife. How about a decent
Sportzy, which is determined to do to the sporting gear market
paddle? If you can’t out-paddle the undead, then, in survivalist
what Uber and Lyft did to taxis.
lingo, you’re SOL when SHTF.
— Check out Eddy’s end days bug-out boat tips on p. 30

ICE OUT
By Doug Schnitzspahn

Now that the only people who still say the world’s ice isn’t melting are politicians
on oil-company payrolls, let’s talk about what that means. Will we soon be pad-
dling the streets of Manhattan like some kind of post-apocalyptic Venice? No.
Not soon, anyway. Still, the Big Melt already is changing the places we paddle
in profound ways, says polar explorer Eric Larsen, who made a 550-mile paddle
and pull across open ocean and sea ice to reach the North Pole in 2006. A
decade before, he could have skied the whole way. Ten years from now, it could
be primarily a paddling trip. “The nature of sea ice has changed dramatically,”
Larsen says. “I’ve seen frst hand how the ice is thinner than in 2006. It is much
more broken up than it used to be.”
Eric Larsen

24 | canoekayak.com
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PADDLING THE EXTREMES Kayak Cart-Mini

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With California already locked in its worst drought in more than 1,200 years, a new Polyurethane
balloon wheels
study from NASA warns that things will only get worse for all of us. While most roll over any
regions of the country are getting drier overall, we’re also seeing a marked increase terrain – hard
or soft.
in so-called “very intense precipitation events” in every part of the continental U.S. The
data suggests the future—our future, the one that starts tomorrow—will bring deeper
droughts, more frequent foods and, because more precipitation is falling as rain than
as snow, shorter runoff seasons. We’ll learn to paddle the extremes, using packrafts Kayak Cart-Beach
to navigate rivers at ultra-low fows, and making the most of those short seasons. And
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we’ll probably catch those rare high-water classics more often, too. —JM Polyurethane
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ness dream, and every comparison page.
David Hanson
night at camp I felt light-
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 PUT IN FORECAST
EXPEDITION
AS THEATER
For 19 days in January, the world
stood transfxed as two men
climbed a 3,000-foot gran-
ite face in Yosemite National
Park. The duo were engaged in
something that elite paddlers
have been doing for the last few
years—combining cutting-edge
athletic performance with self-
produced coverage in real time.
When Twitter and the New York
Times took notice, the Dawn Wall
became an international sensa-
The world is your studio. tion. Watch for trending topics
like #tsangpo, #nwpassage and
#destnatontorngat #niagara, because paddling’s
in northern Labrador, 15-minute blaze of glory is com-
summer 2014. ing soon. –JM

Ben Marr

REMEMBERING
THE SELFIE
APOCALYPSE
By Brendan Leonard

“Son,” I will say to a young man a decade from now, “I remember the days when
we had to have other people take our picture.” That was back before 2014,
which Twitter declared “The Year of the Selfe,” and the year we were introduced
to personal drone copters that would follow you everywhere.
We wore our little video cameras on our heads, I’ll say, or on the front or
back of our boats, and you always had to turn to your friend and ask, “Am
I blinking?” Sometimes you didn’t know, and you’d go through a whole 10
minutes of immortal rad-ness with your camera off, the highlight of your career Wayfinder: Gillet on the island of Maui, Courtesy Ed Gillet
uncaptured. Then you wouldn’t even have a video to show people on your com- which he found all by himself.
puter later, saying, “This angle doesn’t do it justice—it was HUGE!”
Nowadays, you kids, with your auto-follow drones and 3D POV, you’re
spoiled. You just pop on your sprayskirt, launch your drone, and by the time you
take out, you’ve got the raw material for what we used to call a “sick edit.” All THE END
you have to do is add in some of that tasteless music you kids listen to now,
because you don’t know any better.
OF BEING
LOST
Remember Ed Gillet, who steered his
kayak from California to Hawaii in 1986
with nothing more than his wits and
a plastic sextant? Do you really think
the bossy little voice inside Ed Gillet’s
smartphone is impressed by that now?
It’s hard enough to get lost already.
Just wait until the future, when tak-
ing personal responsibility for locating
yourself will be an exercise in nostalgia,
like dressing up as mountain men and
shooting black-powder rifes. Yes, we’re
safer. Yes, the Coast Guard is never
more than a satellite ping away (until
they aren’t). But it’s not nearly so much
fun. Still, if you must, check out our
review of satellite locators on page 58.
Shon Bollock

26 | canoekayak.com
 THE WATER
IS WAITING
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 PUT IN TRENDS

Jim Harris

THE Tripper: Jeff McMurtrie

Roots: McMurtrie’s crusade began at age 16, when he and a friend struggled to make sense of errors
FUTURE on a government map while canoeing the hinterlands of Algonquin Provincial Park. Now a 26-year-old
entrepreneur, mapping Ontario’s most popular canoe areas is McMurtrie’s full-time job.
OF MAPS Process: “Relentlessly accurate,” canoe-friendly maps for Algonquin, Killarney and Temagami, available
in print and online at jeffsmap.com.
TRENDING: DIY CANOE ROUTES
Inspiration: “To make people’s trips better. That might sound like a bit of an odd aim for a map—after
BY CONOR MIHELL all we often think of them purely as tools for navigation—but it’s really just about minimizing the number
of bad experiences resulting from people having the wrong expectations. The fact that I have the
As austerity budgets potential to infuence people’s trips is really, really inspiring.”
strangle backcountry
services across
North America, a Tripper: Doug Crews-Nelson
new generation Roots: Crews-Nelson, a cartographer by trade, spent two years developing a poster-sized map
of amateur encompassing the entire Boundary Waters Canoe Area. He made the map in memory of the late friend
who introduced him to the BWCA.
flmmakers and
Process: Paper or fabric wall maps in sizes up to 77-by-44 inches, available for purchase at etsy.com.
citizen mapmakers
Inspiration: “This map is a labor of love for others, as much as it is for myself. I draw inspiration from
is taking the future
the trips I’ve taken and those I take in my imagination.”
of wilderness
tripping into their
own hands. The Trippers: Brad and Wayne Jennings
result is a growing Roots: Father-son tradition: Wayne Jennings introduced his son, Brad, to canoe tripping as a toddler.
array of maps and A videographer by profession, Wayne took advantage of the compact, waterproof revolution in digital
detailed trip reports photography to document the Jennings’ canoeing experiences.
that are tailor-made Process: YouTube trip reports highlighting well-known and forgotten canoe routes across Ontario, and
for paddlers, better detailed maps available online at explorethebackcountry.com.
than any bureaucrat Inspiration: “Exploring seldom-traveled canoe routes and sharing our videos helps to spread
awareness, and ultimately help protect those places.”
could deliver.

28 | canoekayak.com
 P A D D L E W I T H
G R E A T N E S S.

For over 30 years, legendary designers have from across the globe have partnered
with Current Designs to bring their visions to life. Their experience and passion will
fuel yours when you choose to paddle the greatest kayaks on the water. See where
our journey has taken us and how you can be a part of it at CDKayak.com.

C D K A Y A K . c o m
See the new 2015 collection.
 PUT IN ASK EDDY

Aaron McKinney
APOCALYPSE NOW? The Future According to Eddy

WHEN WILL WE HAVE SELF-DRIVING and cameras that see the painted lines. system or Karl Jepperson fguring out you’re
SHUTTLE RIGS? “That technology will get more and more the one who glitter-bombed his Voyageur
Eddy has a dream: Drive to the put-in, accurate,” says Flores, “but self-driving cars costumes. Of course, canoes carry quite a
launch the canoe, and the car drives itself are more than 10 years away.” One big bit of stuff, so Eddy will be living pretty high
to the takeout. No shuttle required. But issue is that the pointy headed insurance compared to all those ridge-walking hillbilly
when will his dream come true? Self- zombies have to fgure out who’s gonna preppers. Holstered into his designated
driving Google prototype cars are motoring pay when the frst self-driving car goes bug-out canoe (BOC) are the usual things:
all over California right now, and Nissan all Dukes of Hazzard through the middle lighters, fashlight, big ol’ knife, etc. But
recently announced plans for self-driving of Duluth—the owner, or Chevy? As for the Eddy has his own take on the BOC, ‘cause
cars by 2020, but no one Eddy talked to four-wheeling aspects, “the military is very as we like to say, if you aren’t prepping, you
thinks that’s realistic. “The technology has interested in automated caravans, which aren’t thinking. Like a couple of pounds of
to be bulletproof,” says General Motors are often through rough terrain and during vacuum-sealed Cheetos. They taste great,
spokesman Dan Flores. “Ninety-fve percent wartime, so they’ll get that fgured out,” sure, but also work pretty well as a fre-
reliable isn’t good enough when you are Flores says. Bring it, says Eddy. He’s tired of starter (ed. note: This is true). There are
talking about cars and safety.” Right now, loaning his Suzuki Sidekick (modifed with tampons to staunch wounds, or to stick into
the technology is good enough for GM roll bar and winch) to Mom in exchange for your ears to drown out the screams of the
to roll out something called “Supercruise” shuttle bunny duties. folks getting rounded up into death camps
in 2017 Cadillacs. On highways only, the while Eddy paddles to his secret hideout.
car will steer itself (hands and feet free) WHAT’S IN EDDY’S BUG-OUT CANOE? One thing he learned when he bugged out
between lane lines and automatically Survivalists pack bug-out bags so they can after the Jell-O salad incident last winter is
slow down and speed up “in stop-and-go head for refuge when, as we like to say, that life after the apocalypse can get boring.
traffc,” says Flores. The car will use GPS, SHTF, whether the emergency scenario So, he’s got a couple of stashed bottles of
LIDAR (radar that works with light rays), is the collapse of the American fnancial Yukon Jack and a banjo just in case.

GOT A QUESTION FOR EDDY? Email it to AskEddy@canoekayak.com

30 | canoekayak.com
 Huge in Mexico: Isaac Levinson fires off the freeride
competition’s crux drop on the final day of Altius
Events’ Rey del Rio Waterfall World Championship.

32 | canoekayak.com
ONE LIFE

One Life
Capable hands are shaping kayaking’s next revolution. And it will be televised, or
at least flmed and potentially paired with pop concert. The curious and miraculous
progress-frst debut of Altius Events’ Rey del Rio reveals a deeper search, chasing
the sport’s current kings as they head south to chase the next level at paddling’s frst
waterfall world championship.
Story by Dave Shively // Photos by David Jackson
Story by Dave Shively // Photos by David Jackson

Kayaking s next
revolution will
be televised, or
at least filmed
and paired with
a pop concert.
Three days with
paddling s kings
at the curious and
miraculous debut
of Altius Events
Rey del Rio
Waterfall World
Championship reveal
the progress of our
sport, and the deeper
bonds that promise to
push it forward.
33 | canoekayak.com
 Machete Ready: Locals check out the rain-swollen
Rey del Rio time trial and boatercross race course
from the Zapatista-controlled side of the Agua Azul.

W hat comes next?

Pat Keller is contemplating just that, staring at the river-wide lip of a
thundering 55-foot waterfall deep in southern Mexico’s ungoverned jungle. He
studies the turquoise motion, visualizing his final stroke, anticipating how the
current will catch the edge of his prototype creek-race kayak. If he can connect his initial free-fall onto a
mid-drop ledge, causing his boat to glance left, an exit flume of water just might point his bow into a safer
landing that’s now invisible in the cauldron of exploding mist.
If he wants to win this contest, he needs to do something new.
This is not the first time Keller has contemplated new. By
his count, he’s made “a dozen to 30” notable first descents
since paddling his first kayak at age 7. A handful of kayakers
have claimed as many firsts, won the same races, and executed
equally dynamic lines in whitewater as difficult as the drop Keller
is studying now. Nearly all of those paddlers are standing next to
him, thinking through their own runs down the contest course’s
main drop, which is bookended by a pair of more manageable
30-foot falls. If they want to win this event, they will have to run
these critical waterfalls with creativity and style. They too will need
to push. They too will need to do something new.
Three huge drops. One run, one chance, one champion—that
is, one Rey del Rio.

34 | canoekayak.com
 Boatercross Mayhem: Keller out-runs Vosko-
boynikov to a win in the boatercross final, and
celebrates with the competition below.

No investors, least of all the Mexican

The water levels raise obvious Tourism Board, want anything to do with
the Zapatistas. So the entrepreneur, Altius
questions about the wisdom of debuting Events owner Ernesto Rivas, crafted a
a high-profile event on such dangerous more marketable event for viewers of a
special Televisa network broadcast, located
and unpredictable whitewater, during at one of the region’s biggest tourist draws,
a layer-caked series of waterfalls called
the height of monsoon season, in jungle the Cascadas de Agua Azul. If two days of
controlled by Zapatista rebels. made-for-TV competition went off without
a hitch, no one would stop the kayakers
from staging their own grassroots freeride

***
event on the bigger drops a few miles
downstream. Altius, with help from a couple kayakers, would organize the
massive Rey del Rio production in less than a month.

B
As the field of 24 talented athletes arrives on flights from as far as
Moscow and Rotorua, days of heavy late-November rain transform the
normally tranquil blue cascades into a brown blur riven with terminal holes.
Competitors struggle through practice runs; Ortiz himself is roped out of a
illed as paddling’s first-ever sticky hydraulic. The high water raises obvious questions about the wisdom
Waterfall World Champion- of debuting a high-profile event on such dangerous and unpredictable
ship, the event itself is the whitewater, during the height of monsoon season, in rebel-controlled jungle.
product of creativity and risk, Yet the opening day of the event dawns clear. Blue skies mean blue
a simple idea from two of the sport’s most water. Ortiz bounds up a stone walkway on the river’s heavily developed right
passionate athletes embraced by a Mexican
entrepreneur known for turning action sports
competitions into lavish entertainment spec-
tacles on accelerated timelines. Athletes Rush
Sturges and Rafa Ortiz pitched their vision for
the next evolution of kayaking competition:
a judged freeride contest driven by a course
that would push paddling’s most talented
athletes to new levels. The desired course
needed extreme features, and the ideal loca-
tion was buried in equally extreme terrain,
deep in the Lacandon Jungle of Chiapas,
on ground long claimed by the revolutionary
Zapatista movement.

Daniel Badia / Db_photgraph

 Isidro Soberanes (MEX) Rush Sturges (USA) Todd Wells (USA)

bank, part of a Mexican national park. He In the finish pool, where rays of there’s a party waiting.
smiles and laughs, fielding a barrage of afternoon light cut through the canopy The athletes pile into vans for the
questions in English and Spanish, playing to illuminate the rising mist, Keller and ride to Palenque’s outdoor events arena,
roles as both racer and key organizational his rivals share hugs and high fives. The where security teams usher the kayakers
liaison to the Altius team. Sturges hoots of other athletes echo over the through the concrete complex to a VIP
directs a small crew of videographers cascades’ roar as they leap into the cool section overlooking an elaborate stage.
commissioned through his production water and throw gainers off the adjacent On it, the Mexican-American pop duo
company, River Roots, stationed on falls. Ha*Ash performs for throngs of locals
the opposite side of the river, which is There’s plenty to celebrate. No who sing along with the sequined sister-
controlled by the Zapatista community. A carnage. No waterfall landings onto other act. They only go quiet for a set break,
helicopter drone follows each competitor racers. No injuries. Even some early when an announcer leaps to introduce a
as they race the clock over a pair of tension with the Zapatista community stylish River Roots edit cut from the last
travertine domes before a 15-foot vertical dissipates after Rivas negotiates an two days on the Agua Azul. The crowd
drop flowing into a sloping 40-foot finale. agreement for another day’s access. seems somewhat engaged by the bright
A second clear day of dry weather Given all the variables of risk, the scene boats and dynamic motion flashing on
and heated competition culminates in a seems a little too perfect. Too serene. Too the Jumbotron, but doesn’t make the
final boatercross round pitting top qualifier serendipitous. full connection until the newly crowned
Egor Voskoboynikov of Russia against No one speaks about the one invited Rey del Rio walks on stage to accept a
Americans Keller, Dane Jackson, and competitor who is not here to share all giant novelty check straight out of Happy
Isaac Levinson. Voskoboynikov and Keller this. The loss is only a week old; it must Gilmore. As Keller holds his $3,000 prize
work different lines around the top island, weigh heavily on these young men, some above his head and gives out a holler, the
only to reunite with a little bumping and of whom shared a bond with him deeper crowd comes alive and fireworks kick the
grinding down the first slide. Keller sprints than brotherhood. No one seems ready scene into full alternate-universe mode.
to a narrow lead and carries it over the to think about that now. The blissed-over Tonight, the kayakers truly are kings.
final plunge. levels of stoke are too high, and besides, “So next-level,” Levinson says, back

Iker Beristain Van Dusen (MEX) Dave Fusilli (USA) Egor Voskoboynikov (RUS)

36 | canoekayak.com
Rafa Ortiz (MEX) Ben Marr (CAN) Sam Sutton (NZ)

in the VIP section where he and the waterfalls where he drowned. hand-rolling up and separating him
other kayakers are trying to make No one mentions this incident from his kayak. After Garcia chased
sense of having just stepped from a either, in which the swift action of Ortiz, down the body that floated out, he
white-knuckle race to a room full of Sturges and Evan Garcia, together with and Sturges applied CPR for four long
foreign dignitaries, gourmet cheeses, the unlikely presence of a helicopter minutes until Serrasolses coughed out
and as much top-shelf tequila as they deep in the Mexican bush, literally a breath, and the chopper—on hand
can drink. This is far from the typical to film the team’s
life of a professional kayaker—sleeping exploits—flew their
on friend’s couches, in cars or on the near-lifeless friend
ground, supplementing a few sponsor There s plenty to celebrate. No to a hospital here
dollars with work driving nails, or in Palenque.
guiding rafts. Dave Fusilli was digging
carnage. No waterfall landings Nearly two
graves at the snowy, bitter end of a onto other racers. No injuries. years on, the
Pennsylvania fall when he received his memories haunt all
expenses-paid invitation to compete in Given all the variables of risk, the involved. The least
Mexico. Now he’s signing autographs scene seems a little too perfect. affected seems
and mugging for selfies with the to be Serrasolses
teenage girls billowing over the crowd Too serene. Too serendipitous. himself, who
partition at the edge of the VIP section. recovered from
Fusilli didn’t think twice about the incident and
accepting this invitation. Stranger brought Serrasolses back from the immediately went on a tear, winning
though, is that Spanish competitor dead. On one of the stretch’s upper the AWP Whitewater World Series title
Gerd Serrasolses, didn’t think twice drops, Gerd tossed his paddle hoping and lapping one of the world’s most
either. The next day’s competition for a smooth landing, only for the falls consequential rapids, Site Zed on the
will mark his return to the stretch of to hold him down, keeping him from Stikine. Still, his quiet demeanor hints

Pat Keller (USA) Isaac Levinson (USA) Dane Jackson (USA)

 Risk and Reward: Chile’s Marcos Gallegos lines up
the double-point drop of the judged freeride event.

at the degree of risk surrounding the freeride event Athletes analyze footage
tomorrow. of their runs on Gerd
Serrasolses’s camera;
But about that bottomless top-shelf tequila. This locals check out the final
unique bro-hort is both close-knit and highly competitive. drop, which Fusilli (bot-
The day’s events fanned those flames of one-upmanship, tom right) fires off with
half a paddle.
and a Saturday night open bar is gasoline on the blaze.
As the concert ends and parts of the group peel off for a fuller night’s sleep, the
shenanigans only accelerate in downtown Palenque. Suffice to say that this mixture
of ante-upping personalities, young and restless, equal parts friend and rival, makes
for a potent cocktail. The onlookers at Tropic Tacos would never imagine this
spectacle would take place the night before a limit-pushing event that rewards risk
in a place where most paddlers would certainly never imagine taking any. It’s easy
to chalk the night up to youth and machismo. Is it really that simple: a constant push
for the next thrill or laugh? Do the consequences resonate at all, especially given
what just happened to someone so connected to most of them?
The next morning the competitors are focused as they put in with a handful
of safety kayakers at the Cascadas to paddle a few miles down to the larger falls.
The film crew follows overland on a primitive trail leading past a wooden fence
that marks a boundary where, “the people rule and the government obeys.” The
Zapatista movement gained notoriety 20 years ago, when masked gunmen took
over towns and villages throughout Chiapas, including the area we’re entering. After
an initial bout of bloodshed, the Zapatistas and the federal Army settled into an
uneasy stalemate, largely because government troops stay off of rebel land. Though

38 | canoekayak.com
I’ve heard that the movement has shifted its
emphasis from armed resistance to more Even with the defined scoring
peaceful forms of advocacy, the exposure
feels palpable as we cross the barrier and
structure, the biggest judgment
two young men with machetes approach the factor remains a personal one: Each
crew. Israel Celis Mesura, the fixer who has
accompanied countless kayak expeditions
paddler must gauge the perceived
across Mexico, launches into a heated impact of sending himself into free-
exchange with the men. The tension rises as
they grab the box holding the drone-copter. fall oblivion.
Turns out they just want a little work. They
lug the giant box past their rustic subsistence
community and help hack a path to the edge
of the falls. Even with the defined structure, the biggest judgment factor remains
Gone are the tourists, the endless souvenir a personal one. Each paddler must gauge the perceived impact of
stands and empanada shacks. Here there are sending himself into free-fall oblivion over a massive 50-plus-foot drop.
no neon-colored MEXICO banners provided Byrd tells me his main interest is pushing kayaking forward. If one
by the national tourism board, and no flak- person lands a new trick, he says, four more are likely to follow. As
jacketed members of the regional Policía the field self-selects into 14 takers, running in the reverse order of
Ciudadana y Popular strutting about with their time-trial finishes, the process unfolds just as Byrd hoped. Gerd
shoulder-slung assault rifles. Today it’s only the Serrasolses’s younger brother Aniol and then Volckhausen kick off
river and a select group gazing down at the their runs with back freewheels on the first drop (paddling off the lip
series of high-volume, river-wide vertical falls, backward and rotating to a nose-first entry). That causes Ben Marr to
contemplating tough questions. How best to scrap his plan to run the first drop straight, and throw a trick instead.
safely bring something new to the table? How Sturges ups the ante with a huge crossbow stroke off the big drop and
to bring style to three back-to-back waterfalls, a last-second decision to add a barrel-rolling kick-flip before the lip of
any one of which could at the least, break your the last waterfall, setting up a back freewheel off of it.
back? The big drop commands everyone’s respect. New Zealander Sam
The last begs a question everyone has Sutton tosses his paddle and tucks for a smoother entry, yet the deck-
been discussing the last couple days: How to-face impact still breaks his nose. Others hold onto their paddles
do you quantify style objectively? James and pay the price; Gerd Serrasolses and Fusilli both break their
Byrd, the mastermind of Idaho’s North paddles and charge over the last falls with single blades. However they
Fork Championship, the top-ranking kayak approach the entry, every paddler chooses the same channelized line
competition in the minds of this inner circle of over the middle waterfall, seeking a vertical entry into the landing pool’s
athletes, has been flown in to answer that very most aerated water.
question. He’ll settle the tough questions, such Each competitor, that is, except for Keller. As the paddlers return
as “What if I break my nose but nail my line?”
from Galen Volckhausen.
As the athletes gather under thick shade
trees overlooking the middle drop, Byrd and
the athletes have just finalized the scoring
system. Ortiz explains: Each of the three drops
will be judged and scored separately on a
50-point scale, broken down into five separate
10-point categories, including three that
define style (Approach, Free-fall and Landing),
one for Flow, and a final bonus category for
Progression. The more difficult middle drop’s
score will be doubled, creating a total of 200
possible points.
There’s still a lot to weigh and add up.
A missed trick on the first drop could set up
a low score, or worse, on the difficult middle
drop. Tossing your paddle on the big ‘un could
mean a safer entry, or a loss of Flow points as
you carp a hand-roll or grope for your paddle.
 Kings Landing: The start of Keller’s stomped
step-down line in his Liquidlogic slalom-creeker
hybrid that heaped on the Style points.

“
T
to the rim after their runs to discuss biggest first descent of his already storied
lines, compare notes and watch the paddling career, Encanto Falls in Mexico’s
proceedings, Keller sits quietly in the oday for some reason Veracruz region. Pushing back his grief,
shade, studying the middle drop. The worked out,” Ortiz announc- Jackson crossed the violent boil-line at
weather is holding. Overhead sun es to the group awaiting the lip, intending to knife vertically into
illuminates a rainbow in the rising mist the results back in Palenque. “Somehow the pool below. Instead, his boat stayed
that bridges the steep jungle walls water levels were perfect, somehow the almost horizontal. He’d boofed it, falling
girding this pristine series of falls, which sun came out, and everyone paddled more than 120 feet to a flat landing.
the area’s indigenous Maya people call perfectly, with no injuries aside from Sam’s “I was ready for a broken back, ready
Bolom-Ahau, or The Nine Kings. Keller, nose. So I’m super stoked, and I just feel for a colossal ridiculous hit,” says Jackson,
looking to keep his claim to the crown, for some reason that Juanito was there who got a smidge forward and absorbed
launches a risky front freewheel off the for us. He was up there for all of us.” a violent ejection upon impact. But it
top drop into a backward landing. Then he Juanito. Ortiz finally acknowledges wasn’t until the adrenaline spike subsided,
muscles his way right, toward the edge of the elephant in the room. Juan Antonio long after the shock of being uninjured
the big drop and the novel step-down line de Ugarte, a friend to nearly everyone wore off, when Jackson left the river and
he’s premeditated. It goes as he imagined: here, who drowned just 10 days earlier thought again of Juanito, that the descent
He rebounds off the lower ledge that at the base of a Chilean waterfall. The scared him.
directs him into a landing zone that no moment of silence that follows pulls the Now, holding back tears, Jackson
one else entertained, emerging from the competitors inward. It lingers. It becomes struggles to make sense of Juanito’s
spray of the falls with a pumped fist to longer, aware moments. It brings back death on the Nilahue River in Chile.
whistles from high on the cliffs above. heavy emotions buried just under the “There’s been probably over 100 runs on
surface. that drop, and everyone knows about that
When Jackson speaks of Juanito, cave on the left,” Jackson says of the 60-

***
the emotions boil right up. He learned of foot Salto del Nilahue waterfall. “And he
his friend’s death three days before the was with a great crew too, really in good

40 | canoekayak.com cont. on page 60

 Est. 1977
We’ve been in the game
since the game began. Pipeline Rapid,
James River.
www.paddleva.com August 1978.
ARC owner,
800.442.4837 Bob Taylor.
Take me to the River:
Martin and his folding canoe,
not far from Lake Baikal.

42
 Full A round-the-world canoe
Circle
BY ZAND B. MARTIN journey reveals the roundabout

future of canoe-tripping

PHOTOS BY ZAND B. MARTIN & BRIA SCHURKE

43
 Animal Encounters:
These Bactrian camels on
the Upper Chuluut River
provide Mongolian families
with milk, meat, wool and
transportaion.

Canoes are capable whitewater

craft, if you know when to run, line
and portage. Wading a bony rapid in
the frst gorge of the Chuluut.

44
 Oregon to Portland, Maine, leading

W
e notice it together: a low, ridge on ridge with no hint of where the
bass-rumble we feel deep 100,000 cfs of murky water beneath us expeditions for NOLS to scratch together
in our chests, but cannot will go. The roar increases, and we begin the money to paddle east for another
yet hear. The air is calm, to see hints of a current; the channel month or two, failing and struggling and
the water a pane of chocolate that speaks narrows from a mile wide to 300 feet, and making my way across the continent.
of food. Peaks and taiga refect in the the frst mountain spurs reach down to Europe followed, and Central Asia. Mostly I
turbid fow, but we are the only thing that the river. The rumble rises to our ears, and canoed; occasionally I resorted to bicycling
moves. Two nights before, we were sitting we paddle in silence. The river bends, and for the sake of sanity, and to cross deserts
in a log house as a miniature babushka we move toward a small, innocuous eddy and mountain ranges.
plied us with tea and raspberries from the on river-left. As we approach, it grows to As each leg materialized out of the mist
yard. She asked us of our plans, and when the size of a football feld, guarded by a of possibility, I cast about for structure and
we mentioned the Vitim River, she shook meter-high eddy wall and a minefeld of for ending. Siberia emerged as the keyhole
her head and scowled. Pointing to a wall boat-sized whirlpools spinning into deeper through which I could glimpse the great
calendar open to a photograph of a tropical water. The scale here, as in all of Siberia, is ocean where I had begun, years before and
waterfall, she gave us each a long, sharp way off. There are tributaries of tributaries as a different person. The maps of Siberia
look. in this part of the world with fows greater told of capillaries of blue etched amidst
I’d spent much of the previous mountains and wedged between
four years canoeing across three the steppe and the sea. From
continents. I’d met hundreds of the dizzy soar of Google Earth,
people, and seen skepticism I sketched a route through the
and dire warnings expressed diffcult and the unknown. Still, it
in a dozen languages and all ONE OF THE HARDEST QUESTIONS was all sort of a dream.
manner of gesture. I smiled I am addicted to setting and
across the table at Bria Schurke, FOR MOST EXPEDITION PADDLERS TO achieving big goals. Canoes
my partner on this stretch of the
expedition from Mongolia to the
ANSWER IS THE MOST IMPORTANT: are very effective vehicles in
which to pursue those goals. I
sea. The old woman’s reaction WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? feel something in a boat hull I
was just another piece in a puzzle cannot quite explain, and that the
comprised primarily of 30-year- scientist in me shudders to name.
old Soviet Red Army survey maps Trying to boil down one’s feelings
and a Cossack journal from the on the subject of expeditionary
17th century. The Cossacks— canoe and kayak travel is
Russia’s voyageurs—had deemed the river than the Mississippi. impossible. Walking a Siberian portage trail,
too swift for trade, and abandoned it to It is our last chance. We punch the I race backwards and forwards through my
seek other routes. eddyline and swing in, the folding canoe story, and the story of this foolish, niche
The Evenki word taksimo means bowl fexing with the conficting forces. We game so many of us play.
or cup. Days later, in the gray fltered light scramble ashore and climb the banks for
of a too-early morning, we see the land a better view. Downriver, the fow pinches WHAT’S NEXT
rise around us and understand why they into a roaring chute so vast its end is lost in
distance and mist.

T
named this place as they did. I imagine rying to predict the next evolution
a great fst slamming into the mountain We carry on a forest track. Amid in expedition canoeing is like
dough, punching down this fat, conifer- moments of rhythm and blankness, I guessing what grandma is
choked crater amidst the nameless ridges consider our task. We are two Americans, going to make for dinner: You’ve
of east-central Siberia. As we reach the far alone in the middle of Siberia, with a canoe probably seen it before. After all, herds of
side of this giant granitic cereal bowl, the and limited knowledge of what lies ahead. wooly mammoth were roaming the earth
river spills out into a 500-mile gorge, and The only recourse is to laugh. We have when the canoe was middle-aged. Even if
we have little clue what lies within its walls. cast ourselves in an expedition comedy of we’ve seen most of it before, it’s fascinating
The river is in food. Long before dawn, endless variation. to think how new generations of paddlers
our ‘alarm cord’ tugged on the tent as the The mere idea of paddling around the will combine those common ingredients.
rising current reached our canoe and tried world is laughable, especially when it starts Superfcially, we are going to see a lot
to sweep it away. Our sandbar was awash. as the damn-fool idea of a just-out-of- more big international trips on the cutting
We loaded quickly, ate dry bread, and college and jobless person (me) without edge that blend urban, side-country, and
pushed off. the resources or the skills to bring it about. wilderness, and that take their cues from
The Gates of the Vitim rise ahead, I started with a paddle home, from Portland, natural frontiers—mountain ranges and

45
 A reprovisioning run Bria enjoys a ride from a
on the BAM railway, forest ranger past a check-
which cuts through point on Lake Baikal.
a wilderness the size
of Canada.

watersheds—rather than political and build a narrative of their

borders. We’ll see more trips
that combine activities, such as
IN 300 MILES, WE PASS A DOZEN exploration online for all to see
and interact with.
canoe- and kayak-supported LONELY CABINS AND A SOVIET-ERA Of course, for millennia
skiing, mountaineering, and people have disappeared into
hiking, of course, and all manner GOLD MINING CAMP, ALL SLOWLY the bush to fnd peace and
of adventures built around
packrafts. These ultra-light
BEING CONSUMED BY THE TAIGA. solitude. In our technological
age, we need that distance
paddlecraft are the game- more than ever, and extended
changer in extended baccountry wilderness expeditions are an
expeditions. excellent way to build a healthy
For adventurous spirits who relationship with technology.
still may require a bit of structure, When leading NOLS courses,
we will—hopefully—see water trails and the idea of ‘through- I place the highest value on creating an isolated community
paddling’ gain traction. The stunning Northern Forest Canoe pursuing challenging goals in the outdoors—in other words, I insist
Trail is the model here, and we should see these ‘named routes’ my students unplug. But the focus of those courses is the team
become more popular. This, beyond any other trend in our sport, is members, not the larger paddling community.
something the outdoor industry should get behind. This is a very personal matter, and it’s easy to offend. The
science is starting to tell us some fascinating things about what
CONNECTION screen time does to the brain, especially the adolescent brain. I
am conficted about the direction things go, but as in all things,
the team must clarify and reduce their goals, they must crystallize

A
few weeks before we passed through the Gates of the
Vitim, while camped on an island on the Selenge River what each member is looking for. When we hear about some quiet
in Mongolia, hundreds of miles from the nearest Internet warrior out in the wilderness crushing miles and blazing routes
connection, I used my satellite link to post an update with no care for media exposure and some phrase muttered to
to Facebook that included my geographical coordinates. Within a local paper denigrating “the damn TweetBook,” we respond
minutes my brother texted me, suggesting I check out a sandy with respect and awe. I hope we always have these people in
beach on the other side of the island. I explored it while waiting the community, but I’m not sure they’re pushing the expedition
for the photos I’d taken that day to upload onto my iPad. For those world forward. Those that weave a digital narrative for the rest of
on the cutting edge of expedition paddling, it has become de us before, during, and after the experience add inspiration and
rigueur to post daily to social media, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, momentum. They’re enablers.

46
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 Inland Sea: A surf landing on Baikal.
WHEN SELECTING
A TENT…
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I mean more than actual classed moving water here. I am
talking about an attitude toward hitting every point on your skill
checklist—portage, line, wade, open water, and run—often all in
the same day.
Whitewater is where poor self-awareness comes to die. You
can hide a low skill level for hundreds of miles on all kinds of
water, but playing in that frst drop, it becomes apparent who
has the training and experience, and who doesn’t. A certain kind
of canoeing is very easy, and plenty of paddlers have put up
huge trips with only basic skills. There is no one best way, but
exposing yourself to professional instruction and skilled boaters
certainly won’t hurt.
Nathalie Antognelli/phototeam-nature.com Canoe culture, particularly in America, is kept alive by a
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In a perfect future, we would not only have spectacular
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 THANK YOU
President Obama, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, Secretary of Agriculture
Tom Vilsack, BLM Director Neil Kornze, Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell,
Senator Michael Bennet and former Senator Mark Udall

for protecting Browns Canyon National Monument

Our new National Monument will protect wildlife habitat and attract new visitors to enjoy the hunting,
ĀŸĘĜĹč±ĹÚƵĘĜƋåƵ±Ƌåųų±üƋĜĹčƋʱƋÚåĀĹåŅĬŅų±ÚŅűŸŅƚƋÚŅŅųĬåč±ÏƼƋŅÚ±Ƽ±ĹÚüŅųüƚƋƚųåčåĹåų±ƋĜŅĹŸţ

National Monuments protect America’s natural, scenic, cultural and historic wonders.

#MonumentsForAll
 Disassembling the
boat at Vitim village
as smoke from
massive forest fres
engulfs the area.

PURPOSE

W
hy is expedition canoeing important? We heap
layers of meaning on it as it connects us to
childhood memories or philosophical ideas of
natural connection, but from the outside looking
in, it is just recreation. One of the hardest questions for most
expedition paddlers to answer is the most important: Why are you
doing this? There aren’t very many good answers. If you expect
to secure grants, sponsorship, and media exposure, consider this
aspect very carefully.
Our recreation has a lot of meaning for us, but to drive value
to anyone outside of the expedition team, we have to tell our
story in a dynamic, engaging way. Building an expedition around
a meaningful, focused issue of conservation awareness, charity
fundraising, or youth engagement is vital now, and it will be in the
future.

FULL CIRCLE
Introducing the all new

DELTA 15.5 GT W
e end the two and a half-mile portage sweaty
and tired, with nerves still jangled from the power
of the unknown, and the ever-present thunder
of 65,000 cfs of cold foodwater pummeling
Our flagship touring model now offers through a steep, boreal version of Lava Falls. Boulders click and
rumble along the bed surface, giving evidence of an awesome,
more performance, comfort and features
unsettling power. The portage was slow, the portage track eroded
than ever before. The only thing we left and fooded out. In tight-chested wonder, we load and move
downstream.
out is a few pounds.
A day and a half of low pressure brings the clouds to earth and
weaves them into green hillsides. Wind and rain scour a primeval
landscape of larch and scree.
We average 80 miles a day for the next eight days, riding the
crest of the food. In 300 miles, we pass a dozen lonely cabins
WEIGHT LENGTH WIDTH and a Soviet-era gold mining camp, all slowly being consumed by
50 lbs 15’6” 24.25” the taiga. Then the Vitim drops 18 inches overnight; the downward
trend begins. Beaches appear, trees rise from the depths, and the
confused, fooded malevolence begins to dissipate.
Moving north, we talk about canoe trips. Bria grew up outside
of Ely, and I in New England; this is not our frst voyage. It is, by
all accounts, an odd canoe trip. Tibetan Buddhist stupas on
riverbanks, cans of horsemeat on bare, dusty shelves, and only
the vaguest sense of the lessons we will learn, and what will come
next.
After 548 days, more than 15,000 miles and 28 countries,
Martin reached Pacifc tidewater at Nikolayevsk-na-Amure,
Russia, on August 15, 2013. By ski, foot, bicycle, and, mainly,
LY M A D E
UD
canoe, he crossed North America, Europe and Asia.
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 GEAR // RE V IE W

T
he Wild and Scenic stretch of Oregon’s
Lower Rogue could well be defned as a
crossover river. Ambling miles of emerald
GOING
Testing crossover

Class II punctuated with whoop-worthy Class

III (and the occasional Class IV drop) make it a
perfect place for beginner whitewater boaters to
cross into the intermediate range. This heavenly
protected stretch made famous by the likes of
author Zane Grey and Meryl Streep (a la The
River Wild) also toes the line between rugged
and luxurious. Deep in the canyon, outftters such
as Rogue Wilderness Adventures serve rib-eye
steaks to clients reclining on infatable couches.
This dichotomous stretch of river was the
perfect testing ground for a quiver of four
crossover kayaks. Our group of C&K staffers and
regular contributors spent three long summer
days on the Rogue, evaluating how each of these
boats would serve as a do (almost) everything
river craft. Over these 34 low-stress miles we
sprinted in fatwater, dropped the crossovers’
retractable skegs to drift, peeled in and out of
every eddy, and left no riffe unsurfed. In the
evenings, we compared notes over delicious local
craft brew from Ninkasi. After we left the Wild
and Scenic section, we kept right on testing, with
a few days on other stretches of the Rogue. One
boat got an extended test on the Grand Canyon,
and another has been getting salty on a regular
basis.
Though manufacturers have built kayaks
capable of crossing over from the fats for
decades, a recent design surge has resulted in
more feature-laden kayaks ready to load down
and level up. By nature, building a longboat to do
many things well will inevitably involve sacrifce:
If you want more speed, you have to sacrifce
primary stability. Want a better boof? Lose
some tracking. Conventional wisdom holds that
a boat that does everything adequately rarely
does anything well. This generation of crossover
boats challenges that notion. And it’s not just
aspirational boaters who should take notice.
Their gnar-boating brethren now have bigger
whitewater-ready options for technical wilderness
multi-days.

For more on the Rogue River and these

crossover kayaks, go to canoekayakcom

52 | canoekayak.com
ROGUE
kayaks on Oregon’s Wild and Scenic Rogue

WORDS BY JOE JACKSON

PHOTOS BY AARON SCHMIDT
 GEAR // RE V IE W

JACKSON KARMA RG
L: 11’10”; W: 25”; 94 gals., 58 lbs.
($1,299, jacksonkayak.com)

The “RG” in this crossover’s name is intentionally ambiguous. It can stand for Rock Gardener—think
big-water ocean play—or River Guide. Though the hull is an elongated take on Jackson Kayak’s
popular Karma river-runner, our testers agreed that it felt most like a sea kayak of any boat tested.
(The RG earned high marks during extracurricular testing in ocean surf and sea caves.) With a
generous 11-foot-10-inch inseam the RG is more than a foot and a half longer than the rest of the
feet, with a narrower, less-edgy hull that provides noticeably less primary stability. The length killed
this boat’s boof-ability, but hot damn was the RG fast on the fats. The 9.375-inch rear hatch was
the smallest circumference of any test boat—making larger overnight gear items a tougher stuff into
the stern storage space. Yet it proved incredibly dry and sturdy during some violent boater-less
downtime below Rainie Falls (the run’s toughest drop) after an unexpected swim (What? I was
testing the hatch!). The RG had by far our favorite deck rigging with hearty bungees on both bow
and stern, plus two extra handles behind the cockpit, should a water rescue be necessary.

54 | canoekayak.com
PYRANHA FUSION
L: 10’3”; W: 26”; 81 gals., 46 lbs., also available in S and M
($999, pyranha.com)

“Sometimes this feels like a big Burn!” exclaimed one happy Class V boater, and fan of Pyranha’s
carve-y fat-bottomed creekboat, as he leaned it onto one of the Fusion’s hard chines and ripped out
of an eddy into Class III Lower Black Bar Falls. While the Fusion was built off the less edgy Karnali,
when sized up against the soft-chined Karma RG, this crossover felt extremely grippy on edge. Two
channels down the middle of the hull had the Fusion tracking the best of the 10-foot boats tested
even when the Fusion’s deep, thin skeg was not deployed. “It feels like I’m sitting in a Cadillac,” said
one tester, noting the lack of a leg-separating central pillar—which provided a roomy feel despite a
cockpit smaller than the Katana and Ethos. The hatch cover required some elbow grease to get on
and off, which made for challenging access to stored contents on the water. Testers did not, how-
ever, complain about the bone-dry contents after a day paddling with multiple rolls. Squeezing gear
directly behind the seat was diffcult, but also not a huge issue given the ample 78 liters of space
beyond the rear bulkhead, plus simple access to the extra bow storage in front of the foot panel.
 GEAR // RE V IE W

WAVE SPORT ETHOS 10

10’3”; W: 27”; 100 gals., 54 lbs., also available in L
($1,085, wavesport.com)

“This is defnitely the boat I’d take on Class V,” said one tester, who happened to grease the
Class V boof line at Rainie Falls in the Ethos. Credit that sure rough-water agility to the hull’s
relatively fat bottom and aggressive rocker profle, which kept us above smaller holes, and a
low-profle bow that punched the big ‘uns. While its whitewater chops were among the high-
est rated on our Rogue test, the 10-foot-3 Ethos added smart comfort extras headlined by the
highly adjustable CORE Whiteout outftting system that allowed testers to ratchet our thighs up
tight—sharing top honors for hip security with the Katana. Testers loved details like a drain-plug
on the cockpit’s back corner, making an intuitive drain on a shoulder carry. Speaking of which,
the weighty Ethos was a bear to portage, but testers did appreciate that they could swing the hip
pad out to the cockpit—providing cushion for the 54-pound (un-packed) boat. We also noted the
lack of rigging capabilities (a single bungee X on the stern deck), which only helped prove the
point that the ethos of the Ethos is simple: svelte whitewater performance.

56 | canoekayak.com
DAGGER
KATANA
L: 10’4; W: 27.25” 104 gals., 56 lbs., also available in 9’4” length
($1,105, dagger.com)

“This is the boat I want on trips when I need my creature comforts, like a bigger tent and some
beer,” said one hedonistic tester as he easily popped out the front bulkhead to reveal ample bow
storage. The Katana was the widest and highest-riding crossover in the feet, and had the best
primary stability. Nonetheless, it sliced through eddies and turned on a dime in current thanks to its
hard chines. This 10-foot-4-incher had the largest cockpit of the group, requiring a larger sprayskirt.
On top of the space for entry ease, testers’ knees also sat higher in the Katana cockpit, which
defnitely adds to its merits as an aspirational whitewater boat—testers noted that it felt the least
claustrophobic for paddlers new to hard-shell confnement. The heavily built Contour Ergo outftting
was the most comfortable that we tested but did not do the Katana any favors in terms of weight
(a full 10 pounds heavier than the Fusion in spite of having relatively similar size dimensions). The
Katana’s 27.25-inch width accompanied by its large deck made the 104-gallon kayak the toughest
to roll out of these boats. But with that said, it was also the toughest to fip upside-down.
 FIELD TESTED

F I NDER S BEEPERS
Unplug assured with a 406-mhz Personal Locator Beacon
BY ZAK PODMORE

If you’re looking for a low- ACR will replace it if used in an DeLorme’s inReach Explorer
maintenance, economical device that emergency situation. But be careful: (3) rounded out the group with its
will get your coordinates to authorities The button with the power symbol feature-rich display and Iridium
in a last-resort situation, ACR’s sends the distress button. If you turn satellite connectivity. The inReach
ResQLink+ (2) and McMurdo’s this unit on, the helicopter is on the offers two-way texting to phone
Fast Find 220 (4) are good options. way (acrartex.com, $280). numbers entered on a computer before
Both beacons are waterproof, require SPOT’s Gen3 (1) device is your trip. This provides welcome
no service subscription and guarantee the latest from one of the best- assurance to loved ones back home,
a battery shelf-life of six years. The recognized names in the PLB market. and could prove incredibly useful
disadvantage is that these are all-or- Its tracking feature allows you to during a rescue situation. With the
nothing devices, leaving no room for post coordinates to an online map inReach’s built-in compass and
communicating with search and rescue at regular intervals, and the ‘Check downloadable topo maps, it also
beyond the initial call for help. In’ button provides peace of mind serves as a fully functional GPS. It
The Fast Find 220 comes with for your pre-programmed contacts. will even connect to your Twitter and
a foating pouch and has the lowest Since emergencies come in all degrees Facebook accounts. Update if you
price tag of the four devices tested of severity, the Gen3 allows you to must, but don’t cry to us if you get
($249, mcmurdomarine.com). It’s a request help in non-life threatening caught in an emergency only to fnd
single-use device—you snap off the situations or to call in the search and your last backcountry tweet killed
red cover to expose the antenna and rescue cavalry. (fndmespot.com, your batteries (inreachdelorme.com,
the “on” button, which will activate $170 plus service plan starting $370 plus service plan starting at
your distress signal. Meanwhile, the at $15/month, annual contract $15/month, no annual contract
ResQLink+ foats on its own, and required). required).

PHOTO: JP VAN SWAE

58 | canoekayak.com 1 2 3 4
TM ¨
Nate Herbeck

from page 40

w w w. s t o h l q u i s t .c o m

Photo: Erik Boomer

Sturges’s fnal back freewheel.

hands.”
Jackson is one of many Rey
del Rio competitors with close
ties to Juanito, a Peruvian who,
at 34, had gained respect for
paddling Chile’s largest-volume
runs in playboats, while also
joining multiple groundbreaking
expeditions, including a key role
in West Hansen’s frst complete
paddling descent of the Amazon
from a newly discovered source in
2012. He traveled and competed
with some of the same cast of
characters during the 2012 and
2014 Whitewater Grand Prix.
Though he was an extraordinarily
talented kayaker, any mention

MAKE THE SHIFT of Juanito here starts with his

vivacious persona off the river.
“He would meet somebody,”

TO THE ONLY DRYSUIT WITH Aniol Serrasolses recalls, “And

break all the barriers right in that

VENTED STAND-BY MODE frst meeting.”

“Nothing ever got him down,
no matter what the situation,”
adds Jackson. “It’s always, ‘It’s
all good, it could be worse.’” Of
all the competitors needing that
uplifting message, few had more
emotion to work through than
Gerd Serrasolses. Not only was
he returning to a river that had
nearly killed him, he was just with
Juanito when he drowned in Chile.
Surprisingly, a return to Mexico
for closure on his own close call
here, says Serrasolses, who took
three clean, conservative lines
over the falls, wasn’t much of a
SHIFT DRYSUIT consideration. “What am I gonna
» Built-in over jacket do, stop and cry?” he says. “I can
» Vented Stand-by Mode VENTED just be happy and super-thankful
» 3-layer Rampart™ fabric STA N D - BY
for what happened, and I can’t think
MODE
» Simple self-entry system
I N AC T I O N >
» Integrated skirt tunnel
enough how lucky I was that I’m still
here.”
Dealing with Juanito’s death,
however, is something else entirely.
They met on the Futaleufu River in
Chile. Serrasolses was 18, newly
arrived from Catalonia, Spain with a
kayak and “no idea about anything.”
Juanito taught Serrasolses the lines
on the river, and “everything” off
of it, from the mysteries of women
to shotgunning beers. Serrasolses
admits he’s not sleeping well. “It cuts
my concentration,” he says of the
memories that surface too often. He
wants to forget and make peace.
Returning to the river is the only real
option. “Things keep moving and you
gotta jump on the train again or you
get stuck.”
That’s easy to do here, as
the sleepless rollercoaster of
constant activity keeps moving.
Ortiz announces Keller as the
freeride contest winner, netting
166 points, just ahead of Sturges SPOT R
GB
(157), Aniol Serrasolses (145),
Marr (140) and Volckhausen (134).
The party train heads right back
to downtown Palenque. The vibe
The World’s First
is a gear lower than the previous All Drop Stitch Inflatable Kayak!
evening, competitors dealing with Visit SeaEagle.com for more information
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of “waterfall neck.” Still, the party Faster,
gathers steam, eventually taking over Lighter,
a hotel balcony. Easier
It seems the life of a pro
kayaker modulates between three
states: on water, dealing with the
nervous tug-of-war between sheer
terror and Zen awareness; off water, NEW Sea Eagle RazorLite™ 393rl
celebrating and talking about the Our super light, fast and easy to paddle all drop stitch inflatable kayak!
momentous jolt in nerves that’s
It comes in its own backpack and is the perfect travel kayak.
either just passed or is up next;
and on shuttle, between the two.
Carry it in a car or on a plane...anywhere!
It all seems somewhat superfcial,
12’ 10” long x 27” wide
until the 19-year-old everyone calls Holds 1 adult /500 lbs. capacity
Junior tells me what it’s really about. Patent Pending Design
Over celebratory drinks, Volckhausen, Weighs 28 lbs.
unscathed on the river but bearing Goes 4-6 mph Packs in a bag,
fresh scars from the previous night’s Stores in a closet
party, tells me how he recognized Dept. CK055B,
19 N. Columbia St., Suite 1
something early on in this search. He Port Jefferson, NY 11777
Join us on /SeaEagleBoats
cont. on page 68
 2015 May 15th, 16th, 17th

Rendezvous Rodeo
River Race
Canyon Race
Silent Aucton
Live Music
More Info@

benscreekcanoeclub.com
Vendors
Greenhouse Park Johnstown PA
 CANOE & KAYAK
2015
paddle
guide

SEE MORE AT CANOEKAYAK.COM

Photo: Jens Klatt 63 | canoekayak.com

 CANOE & KAYAK

epic paddles 2015 \\

\\ paddle
CHARLESTON, SC \ 843-884-4601 \ EPICPADDLES.COM guide

SMALL MID WING MID WING RELAXED TOURING ACTIVE TOURING

MSRP: $299 Club Carbon, MSRP: $299 Club Carbon, MSRP: $279 Hybrid, MSRP: $279 Hybrid,
$449 Full Carbon $449 Full Carbon $449 Full Carbon $449 Full Carbon
CATEGORY: Fitness CATEGORY: Fitness CATEGORY: Touring CATEGORY: Touring
SHAFT: Straight SHAFT: Straight SHAFT: Straight SHAFT: Straight
WEIGHT: 23 oz WEIGHT: 24 oz WEIGHT: 22 oz WEIGHT: 24 oz
LENGTH: Adjustable LENGTH: Adjustable LENGTH: Adjustable LENGTH: Adjustable
SHAFT MATERIAL: Carbon SHAFT MATERIAL: Carbon SHAFT MATERIAL: Straight Carbon, SHAFT MATERIAL: Straight Carbon,
BLADE MATERIAL: Carbon BLADE MATERIAL: Carbon Straight Glass Straight Glass
BLADE AREA: 735 cm sq BLADE AREA: 735 cm sq BLADE MATERIAL: Gelcoat Carbon BLADE MATERIAL: Gelcoat Carbon
FERRULE: Adjustable FERRULE: Adjustable BLADE AREA: 625 cm sq BLADE AREA: 685 cm sq
FERRULE: Adjustable FERRULE: Adjustable
The Epic Small Mid Wing The award-winning Epic Mid
paddle is based on our Wing has become the top The Epic Relaxed Touring The Epic Active Touring
award-winning Mid Wing, choice for ftness and racing paddle is lightweight, stable paddle combines the light-
with a 2% reduced blade paddlers, and increasingly, and exceedingly smooth. Per- weight, clean performance of
surface area. This slightly touring kayakers who want fect for the cruising kayaker Epic’s Relaxed Touring paddle
trimmed-down design makes to maximize their forward and a slightly less aggressive, with a larger blade surface,
it ideal for smaller paddlers, stroke. Stable, smooth and low angle paddle stroke. The providing more power for
cruisers and racers paddling powerful, the Mid Wing will Relaxed Touring blade features paddlers utilizing a high
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64 | canoekayak.com \\ S P E C I A L A D V E R T I S I N G S E C T I O N
 CANOE & KAYAK

H2O PERFORMANCE PADDLES 2015 \\

\\ paddle
ONTARIO, CANADA \ 416-293-6942 \ H20PADDLES.COM guide

CRYSTAL X FISH ECO-REC LWT H20 SUP H20-2

MSRP: $189 - $299 MSRP: $159 MSRP: $149 MSRP: $189 MSRP: $1699 - $349
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SHAFT: Bent SHAFT: Straight SHAFT: Straight SHAFT: Straight Creeking
WEIGHT: 32 oz WEIGHT: 29 oz WEIGHT: 28 oz WEIGHT: 31 oz SHAFT: Bent
LENGTH: 210, 220, 230, 240 cm LENGTH: 220, 230, 240, 250 cm LENGTH: 210, 220, 230, 240 cm LENGTH: Adjustable 70” - 86” WEIGHT: 38 oz
SHAFT MATERIAL: Carbon or SHAFT MATERIAL: Fiberglass SHAFT MATERIAL: Fiberglass SHAFT MATERIAL: Fiberglass LENGTH: 188, 191, 194, 197 cm
Fiberglass BLADE MATERIAL: Glass flled BLADE MATERIAL: ECO-Friendly BLADE MATERIAL: Fiberglass/ SHAFT MATERIAL: Carbon
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Transparent Nylon BLADE AREA: 638 cm sq BLADE AREA: 638 cm sq BLADE AREA: 632 cm sq Nylon
BLADE AREA: 638 - 716 cm sq FERRULE: 0 & 60 FERRULE: Adjustable, Fast BLADE AREA: 680 cm sq
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The eye catching transparent the H2O-Fish features a Our most popular paddle, traditional tear drop design The H2O-2 series provides
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design creates a blade that unique Camo fnish. Available polymer blade. An extremely to provide plenty of power hanced comfort. New shaft
is extremely smooth and fut- in lengths up to 250 cm. smooth and powerful blade on the windiest, waviest day. design for 2015 . Available
ter free. This paddle is sure The best tool in the box. available in both a low and Comes with a height adjust- in Bent or standard straight
to be center of attention high angle to meet all pad- able shaft for a perfect ft. shaft builds. Asymmetrical
wherever it goes. Available in dling needs. Available with blade profle provides solid
both high and low angle. our Fast Ferrule system to performance for both free-
make feather adjustments style and river running.
on the fy a breeze.

S P E C I A L A D V E R T I S I N G S E C T I O N // canoekayak.com | 65
 CANOE & KAYAK

SWIFT PADDLES BY EDDYLINE 2015 \\

\\ paddle
BURLINGTON, WA \ 360-757-2300 \ SWIFTPADDLES.COM guide

GRAPHIC INLAY MID SWIFT SEA SWIFT SKOOKUM HIGH ANGLE WIND SWIFT
MSRP: $299 MSRP: $279 - $329 MSRP: $279 - $329 MSRP: $279 - $329 MSRP: $279 - $329
CATEGORY: Touring CATEGORY: Touring CATEGORY: Touring CATEGORY: Touring CATEGORY: Touring
SHAFT: Breakdown SHAFT: Breakdown SHAFT: Breakdown SHAFT: Breakdown SHAFT: Breakdown
WEIGHT: 27 - 31 oz WEIGHT: 27 - 31 oz WEIGHT: 27 - 31 oz WEIGHT: 27 - 31 oz WEIGHT: 27 - 31 oz
LENGTH: 205 - 240 cm LENGTH: 205 - 240 cm LENGTH: 205 - 240 cm LENGTH: 205 - 240 cm LENGTH: 205 - 240 cm
SHAFT MATERIAL: Carbon SHAFT MATERIAL: Carbon SHAFT MATERIAL: Carbon SHAFT MATERIAL: Carbon SHAFT MATERIAL: Carbon
BLADE MATERIAL: Composite BLADE MATERIAL: Composite BLADE MATERIAL: Composite BLADE MATERIAL: Composite BLADE MATERIAL: Composite
Carbon Carbon Carbon Carbon Carbon
BLADE AREA: 484 - 709 cm sq BLADE AREA: 645 cm sq BLADE AREA: 709 cm sq BLADE AREA: 709 cm sq BLADE AREA: 484 cm sq
FERRULE: Adjustable FERRULE: Adjustable FERRULE: Adjustable FERRULE: Adjustable FERRULE: Adjustable

Swift paddles possess a The Mid Swift is our most The Sea Swift is a full sized The Skookum is specif- The Wind Swift combines
radiant translucence in popular blade size and an aggressive blade design cally customized to suit the Aleut features with some
sunlight that is highly visible excellent choice for most that retains the versatility of paddler who prefers a high- more modern European con-
and exceptionally beautiful. touring kayakers. It delivers conventional blades for brac- angle performance paddle. cepts to create a paddle that
We offer and many stunning plenty of pull and control in ing, sculling and rolling while It retains all the power and is excellent in high winds
custom graphic inlays that rough water and windy con- offering suffcient power to thrust and smooth follow and still delivers a healthy
are translucent and quite ditions. The ideal paddle for be useful in the racing world. through of the original Sea amount of paddle power for
striking when the sun shines extended paddling in varied It is ideal as a big water Swift only with a high angle all but the most demanding
through them. There are a and changeable conditions paddle in surf and rough of attack. The Skookum com- conditions. Another major
variety of styles and colors and the only paddle many conditions for the more bines the most important advantage to this style of
to choose from. Each style is kayakers will ever need. athletic paddler. elements of a high angle paddle is kindness to joints
a limited edition. paddle—control, power, and and muscles.
effciency.

66 | canoekayak.com \\ S P E C I A L A D V E R T I S I N G S E C T I O N
 CANOE & KAYAK

WERNER paddles 2015 \\

\\ paddle
SULTAN, WA \ 800-275-3311 \ WERNERPADDLES.COM guide

CAMANO CYPRUS OVATION DEMSHITZ SHERPA SHO-GUN

MSRP: $260 - $370 MSRP: $385 - $475 MSRP: $480 - $570 MSRP: $250 - $345 MSRP: $350 - $450
CATEGORY: Touring CATEGORY: Touring CATEGORY: Touring CATEGORY: Whitewater, CATEGORY: Whitewater,
SHAFT: Straight SHAFT: Straight SHAFT: Straight Creeking Downriver
WEIGHT: 27.5 oz WEIGHT: 23.25 oz WEIGHT: 19.25 oz SHAFT: Straight SHAFT: Straight
LENGTH: 205 - 260 cm LENGTH: 200 - 250 cm LENGTH: 210 - 260 cm WEIGHT: 34.75 oz WEIGHT: 36 oz
SHAFT MATERIAL: Carbon SHAFT MATERIAL: Carbon SHAFT MATERIAL: Carbon LENGTH: 158 - 230 cm LENGTH: 162 - 230 cm
BLADE MATERIAL: Fiberglass BLADE MATERIAL: Carbon BLADE MATERIAL: Carbon SHAFT MATERIAL: Carbon SHAFT MATERIAL: Carbon
BLADE AREA: 650 cm sq Foam Core Foam Core BLADE MATERIAL: Fiberglass BLADE MATERIAL: Carbon
FERRULE: Smart-View Adjust- BLADE AREA: 610 cm sq BLADE AREA: 643 cm sq BLADE AREA: 680 cm sq Foam Core
able Ferrule FERRULE: Smart-View Adjust- FERRULE: Smart-View Adjust- FERRULE: Fixed, L or R, 0-90 BLADE AREA: 711 cm sq
able Ferrule able Ferrule in 5 degree increments FERRULE: Fixed, L or R, 0-90
Our most popular award in 5 degree increments
winning blade design. With our best paddling In honor of the man who Smaller sized and more
Providing the perfect design and construc- started it all, the Werner mature Demshitz trust the Our most advanced
combination for paddlers tion features, you’ll feel Sr. Edition Ovation is the Sherpa to hit up the local technology is in this river
who want enough power exceptionally light, buoyant culmination of decades stouts, so why not give running paddle. As power-
to cover their days journey strokes while the smooth of experience on the them their own model?! ful as its name suggests,
with ease, using a relaxed back face gives a quiet water and in the Research White water paddlers need the rivers that paddlers
all around low angle stroke. entrance and exit from the and Development room, to have fun, if not they take the Sho-Gun often
Matched with ample ft and water. A smart choice for working with composite stress too hard thinking need some aggression to
design features, you can those with a high-angle materials and construction. about the next drop. Cel- navigate each line. Decades
outft yourself for a lifetime style of paddling and want The feeling on the water ebrate running browns and of experience led us to the
of paddling. the conservative feel of a compliments the name. the lifestyle we love. chosen paddle for many at
mid-sized blades. the top of their game.

S P E C I A L A D V E R T I S I N G S E C T I O N // canoekayak.com | 67
from page 61 “He was everything you want in someone on the
river,” Jackson, pictured left, says of his late friend
Juan Antonio de Ugarte, right, though it’s the off-river
memories that sustain the competitors most.

on always to back you up. That responsibility

creates more than friendship. Losing one of those
connections to the river, says Chilean competitor
Marcos Gallegos, only makes the bonds stronger.

Photo: John Rathwell

Gallegos, too, met Juanito as a young kayaker
on the Futaleufu. The pair began traveling on the
same seasonal work-and-play schedule from the
Futa to the Ottawa. Two days before Juanito drove
south to the Nilahue, they shared some broader
laughs about life, paddling and the future while
celebrating Gallegos’s 27th birthday.
dropped out of high school, took his college fund to enroll at the “Sometimes (kayaking) you are crazy in your stuff and you
Ottawa Kayak School’s Keener Program, and never looked back. want to get better,” Gallegos says, “But Juanito would tell you
He’s learned one thing, that life is a confuence of connections to not worry about that, to be a better person, be yourself, be
and opportunity. That’s it: life is connection. humble. Maybe you don’t get it the frst time, but as you grow
The real attraction to a lifestyle that depends on new and meet more people, those are really good values.” That
horizons is more than traveling the world and hucking stouts. outlook has affected Gallegos’s interactions with his family,
It’s connection, a kind of brotherhood forged on the river. The where his focus is on the present, showing his love in any time
greater the risk, the deeper the bond—someone you can depend shared. It’s galvanized his approach to river running, being there

cont. on page 70
68 | canoekayak.com
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canoekayak.com | 69
 from page 68

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favorite reminder of his close friend,
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with the KayakPro SpeedStroke Ergometer.

for your crew no matter what, “with
your best attitude, prepared, and
trying to bring the best positive
energy you can.” As I look down to
his shirt, which reads “One Life,” I
realize how this sharp edge of our
sport has less to do with cheap-
thrills approaches to big waterfalls
than it does with the approaches
to everything else that matters.
The event has proven that
progress in kayaking follows a
simple rule: momentum begets
momentum. One trick leads to
another. And as the three-day
bender closes, competitors bear-
hug goodbyes, carrying that
momentum home to invigorate
others to push for the next level.
That infectious energy inspires
confdence that as long as there’s
rivers to paddle, and ways to
cultivate those willing to push,
paddling will continue to evolve
in more dynamic directions. As
Gallegos put it, with the right crew,
anything is possible.

R 70 | canoekayak.com
GB
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UNFILTERED

GORDON
SEA KAYAK COACH
BROWN
BY CONOR MIHELL

G
ordon Brown is an outlier amongst a That was how all the clubs After 20 years of work as a
generation of adventurers who place were set up—to improve your mechanic I was getting fed up.
the highest value on going to the ends skills and confdence. There I was doing more and more sea
of the earth. Brown, 52, would just as were very few companies back kayak coaching and got the idea
soon launch from his “garden” beach on Scotland’s Isle then, so the whole British Canoe to start a business. It was up and
of Skye than paddle anywhere else. Brown delights in Union coaching scheme was set running by 2001.
sharing those waters, both in person through Skyak up around the club. You didn’t
Adventures, the sea kayaking school he runs with his just take a course and get an Morag is an MD. When we
wife Morag, and via a popular series of instructional award. It was expected that you started out, she was the safety
flms. worked with mentors and peers buffer. She took a break in 2004
Brown’s pure joy of exploring the Scottish coast to improve. You got the award to look after the kids and run the
is one of his most infectious traits. “Everywhere I when you were ready for it. business. She is Skyak Adventures
go, I’m always comparing it with what I have at my and I’m just the guy on the water.
doorstep,” says Brown. “Greenland is very special as When I was training for my
the birthplace of kayaking and Alaska has whales, Level 5 coach, part of the The famous BCU coaching
which we don’t have here. But Scotland has just about criteria was doing a project. scheme is moving away from
everything else and I can paddle out my door every I thought, I’ll make a video. I the practical club-based approach
day of the year.” got sponsorship from Valley that I grew up with to being more
and Lendal and worked with a academic. The highest coaching
professional flmmaking company. certifcation in the UK is now a
I had 10,000 words of script. university post-graduate diploma.
Growing up in Scotland I was always near the
water. When I was 9, my dad saw an ad in the local We released ‘Over…and Out’ It’s been absolutely fascinating
paper for a sea kayak. He bought it, and I’ve been in 1993. We made it searchable— for me, but I don’t think it’s making
paddling ever since. so when it was being played, paddlesports any more accessible.
you could fast-forward between It makes people feel excluded from
We have the “right to roam” in Scotland. There’s sections by reading the titles. It practical coaching. If it had been
no law of trespass. Everything from vertical rock, caves, was in chapters, just like a DVD. like this when I was starting out, I
sea stacks, arches and sandy beaches are close by and It was my original rescue video. would’ve never done it.
the coastline is entirely accessible to the public.
Fast-forward a heap of years. People can do more than they
My dad worked at Chrysler as an engineer, so cars I got together with Simon Willis, think they can. You start with
have always been a part of my life. I started doing off- who was about to retire from the teaching them how to handle a
road stuff at age 10. My dad had to push the seat far BBC. We talked about making paddle, how to maneuver the boat
enough forward so I could reach the pedals. flms together. and do support strokes. After all
that, you teach them the rescues.
I was the Scottish rally car champion twice. Then I don’t like being in front of
it all got too expensive and that ended my involvement in the camera at all. Simon does There’s an awful lot of rubbish
motorsports. I have no passion for it anymore. the flming and Morag makes spoken about how to do things.
sure I’m doing all the right things Think about your movement: Is it
The frst paddling club I was a part of was very at all the right times. It frustrates making the boat do what you want
forward-thinking. Anyone coming through the club did the life out of me, but most of the it to do? As long as you’re getting
something called a “sea profciency” test. I did mine at time she’s right. She’s defnitely the results and not getting injured,
age 14. Right after that I did my frst instructor’s course. the guiding light. it’s good.

72 | canoekayak.com photograph by AARON SCHMIDT

 TAKEOUT
DIRTBAG
DIARIES

LATVIA
VERSUS
THE YUKON
Everyone’s a winner in this matchup
AS TOLD TO EUGENE BUCHANAN

I f at frst you don’t succeed,

try again—even if round
two involves tangling with
a Magnum-wielding mountain
from Finland, a Russian named Yakov, and
Wolfgang, the German artist and fossil hunter.
DOMBROVSKIS: We had a great group.
about wasting it.
PIKĀNS: The most dangerous part of the
trip was meeting a fully armed mountain man
man and feasting on fresh bear I’d give it a nine out of 10. Some of us were a named Johnny. He came in his boat, took
heart. Six Latvian adventurers bit lazy, some got lost in time and place, but all our Pelican cases with our cameras. After we
experienced that and more on a went well. We all had a good sense of humor. followed him, he said he saw some guys take
1,980-mile-long source-to-sea PIKĀNS: Locals told us the weather the equipment and was going after them. It
expedition on the Yukon River. would stop us from making it because we could have ended badly.
Naturally, they did it Latvian style, began so late. But we arrived in Emmonak DOMBROVSKIS: When you get
which means subsisting off the before the snow. someone like him with his Magnum and us
land as much as possible, be it DOMBROVSKIS: We had a tailwind with rifes, some story like Deliverance isn’t
fshing, hunting for waterfowl or and almost no rain. The day after we left too far off.
rooting around in the woods for Emmonak, it started to snow for the rest of PIKĀNS: We hunted and fshed the
cabbage and mushrooms. Six the winter. We were lucky, lucky, lucky. whole way. The fshing was great, but we
years after paddling the stretch PIKĀNS: We found a bear’s head with could only do it in the creeks. Janis hunted
from Whitehorse, Yukon to Circle, skin and guts along the river. It was only a down a giant beaver with his Winchester,
Alaska, the team resumed where couple of hours old. Eating the bear’s heart which we traded to an Athabasca Indian.
they had left off, canoeing for 41 with rice was Janis’s idea. No one questioned DOMBROVSKIS: I can’t imagine going
days from Circle to Emmonak, it. We thought it was a delicacy. there without a rod and rife. We also ate a lot
Alaska, on the Bering Sea. DOMBROVSKIS: Janis, who’s an of salmon eggs. North Americans do not
experienced hunter, said that the heart is very eat them, but we do, with vodka, like Doctor
good meat. So there was no second thought Zhivago.
ANDIS PIKĀNS: On the frst trip
Raimonds was the only one with any
experience. This time we all had it, so it
was easier. Looking back, it was reckless
to go there without any experience.
RAIMONDS DOMBROVSKIS: I was
skeptical that we’d make it to the end, but
we had a tailwind the whole way except for
the last three days. It was lazy-man’s style.
PIKĀNS: All the people we met were
so different and interesting. The best
part was learning about their lives and
hearing their stories. We met a new friend

74 | canoekayak.com PHOTO: ANDIS PIKĀNS AND SANDRIS JŪRA.

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