ThePaddlerezine.comInternational digital magazine for recreational paddlersIssue 10 - July

2013

Plenty to negotiate for DANGERinGUATEMALA

Sea kayakingEXPLORINGcaves of JERSEY

Interview with MARTINAWEGMAN

KayakPaddlerRegularPaddler SaltyPaddler SUPPaddler OCPaddler

Contents July 13

Photo of the month for July 2013Big Paddle, Teesside, UKBy Phil Carr

Not all contributors are professional writers and photographers, so dont be put off writing because you have no experience! ThePaddler.co.uk ezine is all about paddler to paddler dialogue: a paddlers magazine written bypaddlers. Next issue is August 2013 with a deadline of submissions on July 20th.Technical Information: Contributions preferably as a Microsoft Word file with 1200-2000 words, emailed tosubmissions@thepaddler.co.uk. Images should be hi-resolution and emailed with the Word file or if preferred, a Dropbox folder will be created for you. ThePaddler ezine encourages contributions of any nature but reservesthe right to edit to the space available. Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publishing parent company, 2b Graphic Design. The publishing of an advertisement in ThePaddler ezine does notnecessarily mean that the parent company, 2b Graphic Design, endorse the company, item or service advertised. All material in ThePaddler ezine is strictly copyright and all rights are reserved. Reproduction without priorpermission from the editor is forbidden.

EditorPeter Tranterpeter@thepaddler.co.ukTel: (01480) 465081Mob: 07411 005824www.thepaddler.co.uk

Advertising salesAnne EganTel: (01480) 465081advertising@thepaddler.co.uk

Cover: Martina WegmanMexico. Photo by Lane Jacobs

Correction June issueBellagio featureWe should have made it clear that thestory was not wholly written by Barryand Olivia Ide and that Kristin Norrellalso submitted material for the feature viaTripadvisor as supplied by BellagioWatersports. THANKS KRISTIN.

ThePaddler 3

Issue 10

Greece14

Scotland38

United States and Canada48

Austria78

Guatemala and Mexico92

Jersey Isles136

Where weve beenSUPPaddler

12 ThePaddlers Planet By Leslie Kolovich

14 Zakynthos, GreeceIts not all wild all-night parties there isanother side to Zante.By Tez Plavenieks

24 Progressive SUP Several easy steps to turning your board.By Matt Barker Smith

32 The land locked surfer Chris finds you dont need the ocean to goSUPing By Chris Kenyon

OCPaddler38 Galloway, Scotland

It wasnt all doom and gloom on Doon.By Matt Thompson

48 Northern Forest Canoe Trail The NFCT stretches through four US statesand one Canadian province.By Katina Danaan

58 Lapland Four men and their Pakcanoes on one ofthe finest canoe routes in all of Lapland.By Alv Elvestad

KayakPaddler70 Martina Wegman interview

By Peter Tranter

78 The AlpsSummer paddling though Austria,Switzerland and Germany.By Steve Brooks

92 Guatemala and MexicoThe fascinating perils and pitfalls of paddlingww though Central Americ.aBy Andy Holt

104 Scotland - west to eastthe Spare Seat expedition from Oban inthe west to Inverness in the east.By Richard Harpham

114 Jackson Karma reviewBy Phil Carr

120 Tootega Pulse reviewBy Anne Egan

126 RTM Tempo reviewBy Terry Wright

130 Hobie Outback reviewBy Rob Appleby

SaltyPaddler136 Jersey Isles

Jerseys hidden caves on the north coast.By Trudie Trox

146 Rockpool Taran 16 review By Colin McWilliams

RegularPaddler4 Leader

Equality in canoeing for Rio 2016.

6 Eight of the very best Eight must see paddling videos.

ThePaddler 4

For a sport recently in the Bottom 5 on theInternational Olympic Committee's chopping block,with gender equality arguably a contributing factor,failing to immediately address the issue is indefensible.The IOC Executive Board recently announced that allInternational Federations must work within existingathlete quotas spots if they want to modify theirprograms. This means that to add womens canoe -something else must be dropped.

The question is: will the ICF submit a request forsprint and slalom women's canoe events for Rio2016 working within the quotas to the IOCProgram Commission before their final meeting inAugust? What are their short, mid and long-term plansfor our sport and realizing balance between thegenders and the disciplines (canoe and kayak) by2020? Will they ever work to increase the quota caps?

The ICF has previously stated it was working towardgender equity by 2024. This is too late and couldseverely hurt (or kill) our sports place in the Olympicprogram. Wrestling moved swiftly to correct many ofits equality deficiencies. 2024 is not moving swiftly orcourageously.

Achieving gender equality AND balance between thedisciplines in Olympic Canoe/Kayak (currently 9:3ratio in sprint kayak:canoe) sooner rather than laterwill increase participation, increase viewership and getcanoeing out of the IOC's Bottom 5. Other sportsget this. We as a community can help elevate thisgreat sport and affirm its place in the Olympic Legacy.

What can you do?1. Post a comment on the InternationalCanoe Federation Facebook pagewww.facebook.com/InternationalCanoeFederation?fref=ts or email them at info@canoeicf.com. Tell them they need to act now to save oursport. Let them know you signed the petition.

2. Contact your National Canoe/KayakFederation (NF). The ICF must feel pressurefrom them and NFs must feel pressure from youto keep the momentum in favour of equality andbalance in the program, and offering a full slate ofevents for both genders and disciplines.

3. Sign and share our petition - even better -leave a comment. Each signature generates aletter to their email inboxes.https://www.change.org/petitions/lift-the-ban-on-women-s-canoeing-at-the-olympics-for-rio-2016.

4. Like and share our Facebook Page Vote Yes for Women's Canoe.https://www.facebook.com/pam.boteler#!/pages/Vote-YES-for-Womens-Canoe-C1-C2/122318487824846

Gender equalityaids participation

Canoeing hasone of the

poorest genderequality ratios of

any SummerOlympic sportand although

female kayakersare allowed tocompete in

both the sprintand slalomdisciplines,

female canoeistsare kept out of

the Gamesaltogether andhave been for

89 years.

Act now for Rio 2016

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ThePaddler 6

MACH 1 Surf Session

Corran AddisonUnited States

SUP For All

David OharaRepublic of Ireland Ja

ime Lancaster 2013

Jaime LancasterUK

Greenland Arctic SUP

Greenland SUPGreenland

North India SUP Exploration

April ZIndia

Kayaking Telemark & Voss 13

Nils DipponNorway C

anoeing the Gull River

Dave AbelCanada

Following the HMS Beagle

Monica AramburuChile

To advertise email: ads@thepaddlerezine.comor call +44 (0)1480 465081 ThePaddler 7

www.glenmorelodge.org.ukbespoke dates, tailored courses, off-site training, group

bookings and non residential prices all available upon request

We offer the UKs widest range of BCU coaching, performance & safety qualifications. All delivered by the UKs most experienced

and most qualified instructional team.

www.glenmorelodge.org.ukb

The National Waterspor A truly epic weekend!Hayling Island, Friday 30th August to Sunday

By Jackie Lambert

I was warned that I would need painkillers if I went the NWF (National Watersports Festival) last year.Not for the aftermath of the beach parties, but because I would have face-ache from smiling so much,which started on day one and occurs every time I revisit the memory of a truly EPIC weekend!

ThePaddler 8

ThePaddler 9

rts Festival

1st September

This year, the NWF is back and if you can believe it,even bigger and better! The NWF word had spreadand a few other watersports fancied a piece of theaction, so NWF 2013 will include Kayaking and Kitesurfing aswell as the Windsurfing and SUP (Stand Up Paddleboarding)which were the main feature last year.

If you have not heard of the NWF, it is an event designed toallow intermediate, recreational watersports enthusiasts ratherthan the pros a chance to get on the water and take part.

NWF is a fun event. There are simple, out-and-back MasterBlaster races, which are designed to allow anyone to takepart, regardless of age, ability or type of equipment. If you canget yourself out to a buoy and back, you can compete! Thereare hundreds of prizes to be won and beautiful woodentrophies, created by Wayne Willets of Surfmirrors. Freecoaching and race tips are offered by the top, professionalcoaches, many of whom are former British and WorldChampions. If you fancy trying something new, there are alsofree taster sessions in all of the featured sports.

The fun doesnt stop there. The NWF boasts the biggesttrade show in the UK, with all of the 2013 and 2014 kit onshow. The beach parties, on Friday and Saturday nights featurelive bands and Saturday is fancy dress, with a horror theme.There is a charity auction for W4CR (Watersports forCancer Research) where you can snap up a bargain from thefabulous lots donated by the industry and exhibitors. To topoff the action, there is also the unique Night Watersportsevent, where the professionals race and perform incrediblestunts under the floodlights.

Peter Hart, windsurfing legend and professional windsurfingcoach said of NWF 2012, Extraordinary weekend at theNWF it was a continuation of the Olympics and thisamazing summer of sport sun, camaraderie on a huge level,great performances, crazy dancing and a sea of smiling faces.

Online entry opens 1st June for both competitors andadditional party tickets. Entry includes free camping for theduration of the Festival, tickets to both beach parties (onFriday and Saturday nights) and all other water-based andonshore activities.

Further information: www.nationalwatersportsfestival.com or www.facebook.com/WatersportsFestival

ThePaddler To advertise email: ads@thepaddlerezine.comor call +44 (0)1480 46508110

www.systemxeurope.comwww.wernerpaddles.comPhoto: www.supsafety.de

ThePaddler 11

SUPPaddler

Its about balance

It is an understatement to say that as paddlers we enjoy the water. Lets talk about what wealready know, and lets go a little deeper. As paddlers there is so much we can do for thePlanet. We are the firsthand observers of its most precious asset, water. The health of ourwatershed relates directly to the health of our waterways.

On the Paddlers Planet podcast on SUP Radio Show, Christian Wagley and I have beendiscussing the global concern of pollutants killing our bays, lagoons, rivers and oceans. Alarmingstatistics of dying dolphin, manatee, sea turtles and seabirds come with evidence pointing tohuman irresponsibility. We are not preserving the forestlands that protect our watersheds. Newdevelopment has been and in many places is still geared towards the automobile, clearing forestsfor wide streets and parking lots. Thoughtful planning for development, making neighborhoodsmore environmentally friendly, where people can walk, bike and use automobiles less often andpreserving green space, are good ways to let Mother Natures natural filters work.

Did you know that trees are one of Mother Natures best guardians of the waterways? Whenrain falls to the earth much of it gets caught in the leaves and branches leaving only about 60% ofit to fall to the ground. Most of it then filters through the ground and is slowly released into ourwaterways, naturally filtered. When we cut down forests, and build sprawling cities, the rain hitsthe pavement, carrying grease and grime, including fertilizer and pesticides, into the street gutterswhich run downstream, unfiltered by nature, into our watersheds.

So what do we do about it? Christian Wagley is a Sustainable Town Concept Planner and he tellsme that a big part of the solution is to build our communities in more compact form, bringingeverything closer together. Historically, this is the way that many of Americas famous cities andtowns were built, before the invention of the automobile, places like Savannah, Georgia andCharleston, South Carolina. These towns preserved big beautiful trees that canopy the roadwaysand naturally help filter and protect the watershed. It is about balance. Nature protects us; wemust protect her.

As paddlers, we understand balance and the importance of it for a smooth glide. So get involvedwith your community planning process, and make sure to be an advocate for green space andthe protection of your watershed. Christian and I discuss this in more detail on our podcasts atwww.supradioshow.com. Y our questions or comments are always welcome.

ThePaddler 12

By

Leslie

Kolovich

For more information on howyou can participate whereveryou may be on the Planet visitwww.supradioshow.com/wpftp

Stay tuned for my weeklypodcast of The PaddlersPlanet with my guest host

Christian Wagley onwww.supradioshow.com,

Where we are Standing Upfor the Planet!

Join us for World Paddle For ThePlanet in Panama City Beach, Florida,

October 10-13th. Founder, BobPurdy, says, Pick a change, paddle fora change with us, and commit to thatchange until it becomes a reality. Forsuggestions on how to join us as a

satellite event anywhere in the world,contact me, Leslie Kolovich, atsupradioshow@gmail.com

Photo: Joan Vienot

ThePaddler 14

PADDLING PELIGONI

ThePaddler 15

Youre going where? my best mate asked indisbelief when I told him the choice of destinationfor our SUP tripand I have to say, sitting in thedeparture lounge, waiting for our flight to becalled, surrounded by Zante bound stag and henparties, Im inclined to ask myself the samequestion.

The booze, beans, burgers n boobs mentalitypermeates through the thronging mass and I start tofeel nauseous. The girls ogle the boys and the boyssalivate back in the girls direction. Please God, let thisbe a successful trip I think to myself as I watch abunch of Oi Oi lads swigging beer. Its a little after5am and the boozing has already begun

By Tez Plavenieks

The stunning Shipwreck Bay from above. Tez taking a breather.

ThePaddler 16

Sweeping along the olive grove fringed coast you cant help but gaze down into

the deep blue abyss,trying to spot the abundant marine life

swimming about beneath you

Blue Caves archway

The Laganas stripThe island of Zakynthos, or Zante as we Britsmore commonly refer it to, has long been amainstay of the UK holiday scene andcontinues to be a popular choice for thoselooking for Greek fun in the sun.

Laganas, the main strip, is dominated by rows ofbars, nightclubs and fast food outlets. Ifdrinking copious amounts of cheap alcohol,stumbling home with a kebab stuffed in yourcheeks, falling asleep in the remnants of saidkebab on the beach, waking to a blazing sunand getting third degree burns for the trouble isyour thing, then youll right at home in Laganas.

In all honesty, Laganas isnt that bad thebeach is actually relatively easy on the eyes its just not mine or Fis thing. At the risk ofsounding like a snob, we were searching forthe other Zakynthos the one wed heard afew reports about, something which couldonly be achieved after getting away from thesprawl of Zak town and Laganas strip.

Heading northAs you climb up into the hills, heading north,the vibe mellows dramatically and with thesplash of amazingly coloured blue Ionian Seato the right, the green hues of olive andapricot trees on the left and Cephalonia risingfrom the heat haze to the north, our anxietiesbegan to evaporate.

With a scorching sun beating down wecontinued our journey along the winding cliffroads all the way to the sleepy port of AgiosNikolaos. Still in awe of the strikingcountryside and enticing water, we hung asharp right, descended a small hill and finallyarrived at our destination the Peligoni Club.

PeligoniThe Peligoni Club is a watersports and beachclub thats perched atop the rocks right onZantes north east facing coastline. With nodiscernible beach to speak of we wereintrigued as to how guests would get in andout of the water with their kit.

After a spot of pottering and investigating allbecame obvious. A slipway cut into the rocksmakes for the perfect in and out and isactually pretty easy to navigate despite theinitial hesitation on our part.

Greeted by beach manager, Chris Haysey,Peligoni dog mascot, Snoop, and the rest ofthe beach team, we were shown the ropes,where all the watersports equipment hidesand given the low down regarding prevailingweather conditions.

Having completed the guided tour we hit thewater to cleanse ourselves of the travellinggrime and in seconds were straight into theswing of things.

Start the day rightThe area around Peligoni is extremelybeautiful. The colour of the water is simplyastounding and just begs you to dive right in.Flat, glassy calm seas in the morning giveamazing SUP conditions. Sweeping along theolive grove fringed coast you cant help butgaze down into the deep blue abyss, trying tospot the abundant marine life swimmingabout beneath you.

At 10am in the morning the mercury is alreadysoaring into the mid-30s and after a fewstrokes Fi and I found ourselves regularlydropping in to the water to cool off. The warmIonian Sea envelops itself around you andbrings respite to inferno like conditions youexperience when spooning around.

Having finished off a hearty breakfast ofdelicious locally grown fruit, Greek yoghurt,honey and strong coffee we would head off todo a few circuits of Little Italy which is asmall peak of rock that juts skyward and lies afew yards offshore from Agios Nikolaos port.

Apparently the rock is owned by Italy butdoesnt have any inhabitants apart from ahealthy number of squawking seagulls. Theisland is great for those SUPers who love a fewlaps and offers a unique and beautiful vista tokeep you entertained during your SUP sessions.

ThePaddler 17

R&R at the Peligoni Club

ThePaddler 18

Further afieldWe travelled to Zakynthos with our own iSUPgear as we wanted to make sure we werentrestricted to just the club. The Red PaddleAllWater is the perfect tool for the job, simple totravel with and avoids costly excess baggagecharges. After the first day in resort we loaded upthe hire car and went off exploring.

The eastern flank of Zante is a stunninglybeautiful part of the world and hides a plethora ofSUP touring options. In places the jagged cliffs aresteep and white and conceal multiple caves thatare just begging for discovery.

Mikro Nisi is one such spot about a ten-minute drive from Peligoni. As you descend thesteps to the smooth white pebble beach theclarity of the water leaves you gasping in awe. Allthe hues of blue and turquoise shimmer andglisten under the hot sun.

Once inflated, we paddled round to the caves onthe left and spent an enjoyable timeinvestigating what was on offer. Some of thesecaverns are big enough to get inside and offershady respite from the glaring suns rays out inopen water.

During our sessions we were asked a lot ofquestions with regard to our Red Air SUPs, asapparently stand up paddlers just arent acommon sight. This is a crying shame as theresso much paddling potential here just waiting tobe swept

Blue CavesDuring one noteworthy morning we had theopportunity to paddle among the famous BlueCaves. As with those found further south, theBlue Caves are large archways and cavernscarved into the rock from years of being lashedby winter Mediterranean storms and erosion.

The Blue Caves are a busy tourist hub with highvolumes of boat traffic ferrying punters in andout. We had to be careful not to cause anuisance, as Greek boat drivers are notorious fornot giving way to anything!

A number of caves make up this stretch of theZak coast and you can easily spend hoursmarvelling at these geological formations. Forthose who do decide to head to Zante for someSUP action then its definitely worth making thetrip here. It roughly a 30 minute sweep fromAgio Nikolaos port. Just be sure to do it in themorning before the Meltemi breeze kicks in.

All the huesof blue and turquoise

shimmerand glisten in the sun

Shipwreck BayShipwreck Bay is another iconic Zakynthoslocation. Only accessible by boat (or SUP), thebay is on the north facing coast and boasts themost amazing swimming pool blue colouredwater youve ever seen. Called Shipwreck Baybecause of the junked ship hull perched on thewhite sand, Shipwreck Bay is definitely worth apunt with a paddle.

If you decide to SUP to the spot then it will takea good few hours to reach. Paddlers would needto be aware that coming ashore during themission, in the event of an accident, wouldnt bethat easy as sheer cliffs and sharp rocks litter theshoreline. We cheated and had Chris Haysey, thePeligoni beach manager, buzz us round in thecentre RIB.

Unfortunately on the day in question an earlybreeze filled in and was nuking off the cliffsmaking paddling a bit of a mission. Battlingagainst the wind, we still managed to get someshots but after a time we gave it neck. Thanksto Chris for the transport, without which wewouldnt have made it to the bay.

Its also possible to view Shipwreck Bay from thevantage point high on the cliff above. Thosewithout a head for heights should bewarethough as stunning as the view is, it may leaveyou jelly legged and dizzy!

Paddlers would need to be aware that coming ashore during the mission, in the event of an accident, wouldnt be that easy as

sheer cliffs and sharp rocks litter the surrounding shoreline

Afternoon blow offGreece is famous for its afternoon thermalbreeze known locally as the Meltemi. The windkicks in, usually, around mid-afternoon although it can be earlier.

The Meltemi blows from north to south and forthe downwind aficionado this can serve upsome awesome conditions. We did a fewmini downwind gun runs but with onlyiSUPs at our disposal catching runnersand rollers were a little tricky.Fortunately, as Fi and I alsowindsurf, we could still makegood use of the blow and spentmost afternoons blasting backand forth in front of the club.

Around 6pm wed retire to thebar for some well-earnedMythos (local brew) and/orgin and tonic. Never hasaprs tasted so good

ThePaddler 19

In the whole 10-day period the wife and I paddledevery day and windsurfed all but one.

For paddling exploits the island offers a hugeamount of potential. With the right support andlogistics some serious downwind action could beachieved, as could a total circumnavigation of theisland a feat, as far as were aware, has yet to becompleted.

For the recreational paddler Zakynthos deliverssome absolutely stunning, interesting and mellowtouring and exploring opportunities. If youre thetype who, like us, fancies combining a few

disciplines, then as long as youre not a hardcorewave head, youll be well served in this part ofGreece.

Zante will no doubt continue to attract the boozyboys and girls brigade, and why shouldnt it?However, if youre looking for something differentfrom your stand up paddle boarding trip then Zakwould also be worthy of consideration. With still somuch untapped SUP potential, the island is ripe fordiscovery. Check it out before everyone else does

ThePaddler 20

ThanksFi and I would like to extend our

massive thanks firstly to Red Paddle Cofor the iSUP gear we travelled with.Without this generosity we wouldnthave had the opportunity to explore thestunning Zakynthos coast.

Wed also like to give a massive shoutout to the Peligoni Club staff that helpedmake our stay super fun, comfortableand enjoyable. Thank you Ben, Chris,Bibby, Lee, Big, Rory, Charlie, Charlieand Snoop well be back!

Tez Plavenieks is a freelance watersports writer/journalist who produces articles, features and storiesfor a number of printed and online platforms.

Zante a SUP Mecca?

You can find more atwww.tezplavenieks.com

To advertise email: ads@thepaddlerezine.comor call +44 (0)1480 465081 ThePaddler 21

Polar Bears and Paddleboardsis a unique expedition to undertake the worlds first stand uppaddleboard expedition in Arctic waters. The team of 10 will attemptto paddle approximately 100Km in just five days.

Against a stunning backdrop of icebergs and beautiful scenery inGreenland, the team will paddle to the face of an Arctic glacierdemonstrating just how versatile paddle-sports and stand uppaddleboarding in particular are.

The expedition is being used to promote stand up paddleboarding asa means of active recreation, to support charities and for the UK wideeducation project the 'Schools Explorer' operated by Justin Miles.

The expedition has attracted the support of British adventurer andtelevision personality Bear Grylls and commercial supporters of theproject include well-known names such as Oakley and Berghaus.

The entire project, from preparation to the expedition itself is beingfilmed to create a documentary by team member Justin Hankinson(a cinematographer who worked on Spiderman 3 among others).

The Polar Bears and Paddleboardsproject has an internet presence through an increasingly popularwebsite and social media following, which is being strengthened byawareness campaigns from commercial supporters involved with theproject. The social media following of Bear Grylls and Oakley alonenumbers millions of individuals worldwide.

The project already has given rise to a number of 'spin-off' activitiesand events such as corporate activities, charity fun-days and theworlds first ever 'paddleboard marathon' which was held on London'sRiver Thames in June 2013.

Justin Hankinson will be supervisingthe filming of the project and theexpedition. He will be using thematerial for a series and documentaryto be shown at various film festivalsaround the world. You can see theexpedition trailer on our Vimeo channelhere: http://vimeo.com/58969916

MEET THE TEAM

Juliette Paul Justin Mohammad Phil Brad Charlie Jaime Ball Hyman Miles Nilforooshan Sayers Symington Head Silva

You can get involved and help supportthe project with pledges starting atjust 10 and in return you will receivesome fantastic rewards! Details areavailable from our Kickstarter projectpage:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pbandpaddleboards

If you would like more information onthe expedition or would be interestedin discussing advertisingopportunities, please get in touch:info@polarbearsandpaddleboards.com

Justin Stuart Hankinson Howells

www.facebook.com/polarbearsandpaddleboards

We have received somevery generous prizedonations from oursponsors, project partnersand supporters, and aredelighted to be able to offyou the opportunity towin some fantastic prizesin our grand draw on the24th August 2013.

TICKETS AREONLY 1 EACH

Try and get in focusSurfing is a bit like meditating so by all meanslet your mind wander on the things you needto do but its the ocean and the wavesmarching towards you, which you'll want toreturn your focus to. Standing tall on yourboard, try and pick the wave you want to catchfar out to sea, watch it as its moves towardsthe shoreline and monitor its changes in shapeand size. If it looks too steep and is breakingoutside of you, you'll have no chance ofcatching it unless you want a bouncy whitewater ride.

ThePaddler 24

So hopefully, although... I know it'sbeen cold but it has warmed up now,you've already been out on your SUPfor the first time this year. This article isnow going to teach you how in a fewsteps you can start to turn your SUP,no matter how long it is. Firstly I'llrecap on wave catching rememberprogression on your SUP is allabout catching the best wavepossible, which will give youthe best opportunity to tryout these manoeuvres.

SUP PROGRES

Board stance So make sure you're in thecorrect position, which is wherethe waves are first starting torear up. Pick a wave, which lookssteep enough to catch but stillon the verge of breaking this isthe most important part ofcatching a wave on a SUP. Tryand time your paddle powerdelivery so that you're not out infront of the wave but matchingthe waves speed as it rollstowards shore. At this point youshould remember that if you canpaddle for a wave in the offsetstance (surfing stance) one footslightly ahead of the other thiswill help you control the boardonce you start to catch thewave. Another way to look at it isto lower your bum to the deck,keeping your feet under yourshoulders and your back straight.

Paddle hard to catch the wave Let the wave build up behind you and deliver the power consistently withyour paddle, you should always try and finish the last paddle stroke onyour stronger side no matter which way you end up going (left or right)Next the tail will lift subtly and you will start to glide down the face thisis when you can try and widen your offset stance. Try to get your backfoot closer to the tail and bend your knees - this will do two things.

1. Make you more stable on the board, by lowering your centre of gravity.

2. Give you more control of your direction.

SSIVE MOVES

ThePaddler 25

Copyright: M

att Barker Smith,

www.standuppaddleboarding.co.uk

2013

ThePaddler 26

Lookwhereyou wantto goIf you stare at the beachin front of you, you'llsurf straight back intoshallow water morecommonly known as astraight hander.However, if you havecaught the wave earlyand you've paidattention to the wave'sshape as you caught it,you can rotate yourshoulders clockwise oranticlockwise and thiswill open your body upand increase weightover your back foot.You should still haveyour paddle in yourhands, use it to stabilizeyourself or as a braceto stop you falling off.This is the first stage ofturning a board,shoulder rotation isvery important as thissets your stance in astable position so youcan change where youlean your weightwithout losing balanceby using your paddle.

Shifting your weightand starting the turn Applying more weight to your back foot will slowthe board down but also engage the fins more, soif you want to turn or stop, more weight centredover your back foot will do this. If you want tospeed the board up, you'll do the opposite andapply weight over your front foot. Shifting yourfront foot over towards the boards rail will allowyou to bury the rail into the wave face andtherefore start to make the board turn, again useyour paddle and the radius of your turn will besharper.

SpeedIn order to get more radical and turn the board more aggressively andfaster you will need to pay a lot of attention to the boardsspeed, without generating speed on the board you will findit hard to attempt any turn without losing balance.There are a couple of ways to generate speed, butit's a bit like trying to twiddle spaghetti on a forkwith one hand and write your name with theother hand without it looking like a four yearolds scribble! Sometimes the wave will giveyou speed, at other times you'll have towork for it. There are lots of factors thatwill effect your board speed wave size,wind, board size or fins, which I will talkabout in a later feature. Bend yourknees and compress your upper bodyweight into your shoulders especiallywhen you are about to reach thebottom of the wave face. Try andlower your chest to your knees andpush hard with your feet this inturn will force more weight over thefins and rail of the board, its a bit likewhen you turn a sharp corner in acar and you are thrown to one side,use your momentum to youradvantage and lean into it.

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PracticemakesperfectI have one last nugget, whichmay appeal to some of you andnot to others. It's a training tip,which I used with my wife forher training before Peru.Skateboarding has to be one ofthe closest things to surfingother than getting the boardwet. One particular style ofskateboard, which is growingacross the globe, is the carvingskateboard. These style of streetsurf boards are designed to beridden as you would asurfboard; using the techniqueas described above to generateforward momentum withoutputting your foot down on theground. Weight, speed andcompression all working inunison to keep an endless ride,use a paddle pole to increasethe similarity to paddle surfing.

Try:

Forehand cutback

Cross body forehand cutback

Backhand cutback

Use your paddleThe paddle will help you leverage more power outof each turn, so you can lean more weight over therail and use the paddle to stabilize yourself. If you findyou are losing speed try driving your paddle into thewave face and trying to pull your body past thepaddle, you can generate more speed this way if youhit a slow flat spot on the wave. The paddle is key ifyou really want to get some more performanceturns from your surfing.

BUY & SELL STANDUP GEAR LOCAL + STOKE

+ FAST GOSUPGEAR.COM

I came up with a cunning plan to create awebsite for landlocked surfers as I began to realizethat I was not alone and there were actually

quite a few of us

ThePaddler 32The term Land Locked surfer simplycame from those of us who did notlive close enough to the ocean to getour fill of waves. Of course surfwebsites and webcams amongstother devices has vastly improved soyou can pretty much know wherethe waves will be without wastingmoney getting to there to find a flatcalm ocean.

I once read in a surfing publication that being inthe centre of the United Kingdom was a goodthing as you had access to all of the UK coastlineand was roughly the same to find swell inwhatever direction you headed. This was not thecase however when my interest in surfing beganat 14-years old.

When I was little, being in the water use to scareme, Im not sure how it came about butsomehow I came to love it eventually. I think itwas in my blood my grandfather was an avidsailor and set up the first sailing club in theMidlands before he moved to Cornwall.Although it scared me, I was exposed to theocean on a regular basis with my family baseddown in Cornwall. I enjoyed every aspect about

LandlockedsurferBYCHRIS KENYON

First ever SUP session

Winter training session

it from hearing the waves crashing late at nightwhen we would arrive at my grandparents for ourholiday to just being on the beach in the sun.

Inevitable It was inevitable I would become a surfer, andaround the age of 14 I did an incredible amountof car washing to raise the money for my firstboard A Tsunami pop out in a variety offluorescent colours with a bungee cord leash! Istill have it in fact! From that day my good olddad would drive around Cornwall, don hiswetsuit and grab the body board so I could getsome waves. I would surf anything and eachsession was so precious as I had so little time toenjoy the water. Wetsuit technology was notwhere it is now so I often donned two suitsmaking me about twice my own weight on thewater. It was an addiction however and nothingput me off.

The irony of the whole thing was that I live in theMidlands, the middle of the UK about as far asyou can get from the surf! It was a depressingthing for a 14-year old Kelly Slater wannabe tohave to get his surf fix in the school holidays, italso meant my progression was limited, as Inever got regular training sessions.

ThePaddler 33

In my late teens I moved up to a 68 board andthen finally a long board facing the fact that thiswould be the best way to get waves and maybebecause I was well on my way past 30. Perhaps Ishould have moved to the coast but I had strongties in the Midlands and that was just the way itwas. I also had my own family and workcommitments which changes a lot of yourpriorities.

A cunning planMy appetite for waves may have been dampenedbut I never lost it, as one day the light bulb wentoff and I came up with a cunning plan to create awebsite for landlocked surfers as I began torealize that I was not alone and there wereactually quite a few of us.

During my research I accidently came across avideo clip of Laird Hamilton on his SUP. Whaton earth was this? As I looked further into it Irealized I could do this SUP thing anywhere!That was it really; I had my first paddle inSheffield and was hooked! I got my first boardand paddle and was off, nobody could stop me. Icould paddle on the canal five minutes fromhouse! I got some odd looks doing that, I dontthink the concept of SUPing the Midlandswaterways had ever been done before then.

My first boards

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ThePaddler 35

Ok, so it wasnt Hawaii but I could be on thewater nonetheless. As my passion grew andbecame my obsession I found more and more Iwas becoming a Stand Up Paddle boarder andnot a surfer, I was only using my SUP to surfand my long board would remain in my unclesgarage roof.

This story is not unique at all, I meet so manypeople who come to me saying they are alandlocked surfer and thought they would trySUP. Their addiction soon becomes as mine and

they also become full on paddlers. That is thegreat thing about Stand Up Paddle boarding, ithas no boundaries. Not only has it inspired awhole new generation of landlocked SUPers(over 60 at central SUP club now) it has takenme to places that I would never have gone as asurfer.

It has opened up a lot of opportunitiesincluding the chance to develop the SUP racingscene in the Midlands, becoming a team riderfor Starboard SUP UK and getting to know awhole new set of people both in the UK andabroad. My love of the ocean and waves remainsthe same, Im still a surfer, just a SUP surfernow. My skills have improved vastly to the point

of me even braving my first SUP surfcompetition at Watergate last year. It inspiredthe creation of a club and there is nothing betterthan talking to like-minded souls about yourlatest paddle adventures. If I want to surf nowthere are plenty of people up for a trip too.

There is certainly a lot more to this story of theland locked SUPer to come as I meet more andmore people who have something in commonwith me. As the sport of SUP grows I think thatmore and more inland cities and towns will see

the figure of a paddle boarder on their localcanal or lake and who knows where that willtake us in the future. The scene is growingquickly with a strong focus on the inlandpaddler, its definitely an exciting time to beinvolved in the sport.

For anyone who wishes to try it out or can relateto this I advise finding your local SUP club(there are a fair few now) and giving it a go. Imwilling to bet that you wont regret it and youwill soon start to satisfy that inner surfer . Itcan be taken to your own limit, whether thatsjust to get outdoors and on the water, paddlewith friends or become a competitor its allavailable.

My love of the ocean and waves remains the same,

Im still a surfer, just a SUP surfer now

SUP surf session in Cornwall

ThePaddler To advertise email: ads@thepaddlerezine.comor call +44 (0)1480 46508136

ThePaddler 37

OCPaddler

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o

A little exploratory trip in

ThePaddler 39

DoomonDoon

Galloway, ScotlandBy Matt Thompson of Wilderness Canoe

Paddlers:Matt Thompson, Wilderness CanoeAlex WrideGreg Spencer and Eira

It didnt turn out to be so gloomy after all!Doom on Doon was meant to be the tongue incheek moniker for a hare-brained idea of a canoetrip in Galloway, Scotland. Starting and finishing atLoch Doon, this circuitous journey was nothing ifadventurous and verging on the pointless.

ThePaddler 40

Pole, Line or Push..?

Loch Macaterick

an isolated loch linked to other lochs by a height of land portage andthence back to the beginning via a second stream. Stream is of coursea grand word for a watercourse that actually has water in it. Whetherthere would be enough to float a canoe of all things would beanother matter.

Leaving in the late afternoon, the three of usplus dog, had approx. 6km to cover in order tomake Loch Macaterick. We could of course juststop when it became too dark to travel onwards,but that would leave more ground to cover thenext day. We pushed on, literally at times,resorting to not only portaging the packs, butalso the canoes for astretch or two.

The last 60 metres ofheight gain saw the sunset; the stars begin toshow and finally theopen expanse of theloch. On went the stovefor a cup of tea anddinner at exactly 22.30;then a tarp slung overthe wall and a canoe,propped up with a

paddle and sleeping bags were retired to for awell-earned sleep.

Wed decided that lightness would be our alarm and departure wouldhappen when it was, well, the time! Waking to a bright and sunnyday we were beguiled by the weather and lack of midges, whensuddenly it started to rain from somewhere. Fortunately it lasted onlya minute or so before deciding that it just wasnt worth the effort tospoil such a great day.

Exploring the islands and outcrops of the loch looking for futurecampsites, as if we would return, before heading up the little feederstream that would give us access through the forest to a secondstream and our route downhill.

ThePaddler 41

A stream that led intothe hills and on towards

The last 60 metres of height gain saw the sun set; the stars begin to show and finally the open expanse

of the loch

Poling country... Sometim

es!

ThePaddler 42

The height of land crossing was an almost flatfirebreak through the trees along a vague deertrack. Leading to a ditch that was deep enoughto float a canoe, any section of water that didntmean having to push or pull or drag or worse,pick up the canoe was a relief. If it wasnt forthe hills acting as our backdrop, remote hills atthat, we could have been in a remote part ofCanada or northern Scandinavia.

Surrounded by mature forest with swampymarshes and patches of water full of Bogbean,lilies and tadpoles; isolated from the world wehad left by silence and the distant call of pipits. After crossing Loch Riecawr, we headed ondownstream again through deadfall trees andover boulders before more swampiness andvegetation that threatened to send us through

to the murky, muddy depths below while weslid and hauled the canoes across.

The second camp spot was brilliant, just a patchof grass and moss on a bend in the stream,probably never visited before by humans...signs of deer before us was the only passing wecould tell. It was early, but after the previousdays exertions almost into darkness it was areal pleasure to be able to sit in the sun, readand take in the feelings of where we were.

we could have been in a remote part of

Canada or northern Scandinavia

ThePaddler 43

r

Another chance for cool feet

ThePaddler

metres to the nearest known forest track if youlooked on the map, but without thatinformation we could be as far from humanpresence as it could be. Lots of brews and snacksplus dinner of Mushroom Rissotto, we retired tosleeping bags as the sun turned the sky orangebehind tall spruce and pine. Although knowingthat the next day would return us to the vehicle,we knew not what lay ahead other than a roughidea of the distance 3.6km, distance that wouldstill be fresh ground until the last kilometre.

This trip had been almost as expected tough!However, the achievement in completing such asmall circuit was immense. A precursor toanother trip which is hovering in the middleground of my mind, one I have mulled over andlooked at for a number of years; one whichwould require the same fortitude; either a solotrip or a good choice of partner. This trip showedthe way...

Main photo:Peaty water, Brown Trout; Isolation

44

Just a few hundred

Perfect campsite = Midge less!

Sharing the load I

Anoth

ThePaddler 45

her cascade...

Sharing the load II

One man and his dog

ThePaddler 46

Full gallery can be seen here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/52info/sets/72157633986627005/

Day 1. Start - 16.30; Distance - 6km; Time - 6 hours.Day 2. Start - 11.00; Distance - 5km; Time - 5.5 hours.Day 3. Start - 10.00; Distance 3.5 km; Time - 5.5 hours.http://www.wilderness-canoe.co.uk

Wilderness CanoeWilderness trips, workshop days in flatwater, river andtraditional skills. Wilderness Canoe provides programmesof outstanding quality. A variety of expeditions and skillsbased programmes from a half-day to multi-day in length,primarily in NW England, the Lake District and Scotland.

Our aim is to provide safe, educational, ecological,unpressured experiences for all levels of participation.

ThePaddler 48

Spanning four states and two nations,

negotiating 22 rivers and 56 lakes and linking 45 communities

and 62 portages,

the 740-mileNorthern Fore offers a lifetime of paddlin

A journeyThePaddler 49

By Katina Daanen

st Canoe Trail (NFCT) g destinations or the paddling trip of a lifetime.

Main photo: SecondLake, New York State.Photo NFCT.

Below: Katina Daanen

From the Adirondacks of New Yorkstate to the very top of Maine at theCanadian border, this fledgling inlandwater trail traverses some of the

wildest and most remotebackcountry of northern New

England, but its never too far fromnearby towns and villages. The

route's variety of flatwater, swiftwaterand whitewater, on a range of rivers,streams, lakes and ponds provideextensive opportunities for canoe

and kayak recreation. Vibrantcommunities along the way offerhistoric hotels, quaint bed and

breakfast inns and camping facilities,as well as dining options and heritage

attractions.

ThePaddler 50

The NCFT trail was officially

completed in Spring 2006 with

13 mapped continuous sections.

Katina Daanen by the Kiosk in Saranac Lake

Most paddlers first discover the trail by spottingthe ubiquitous yellow and blue diamond-shapedNFCT medallions and realizing a favourite lakeor river is actually part of a much larger route.These trail blazes are posted at all put-ins, take-outs and portages. Engaging kiosks withinformation about the Northern Forest CanoeTrail and that areas segment are also found atcommunity boat landings and trailside parksthroughout the route.

I first learned about the trail at Canoecopia, anannual springtime paddlesport show held inMadison, Wisconsin. Within the hour, I knew Iwanted to paddle the entire trail and was alreadyscheming about whom I intended to recruit tomake the trip happen.

Brought to life in the 1990sThe idea for the Northern Forest Canoe Trail wasbrought to life in the 1990s when Mike Krepner,Ron Canter and Randy Mardres of Native Trails,Inc. researched the traditional water routes usedby Native Americans and early settlers in theNorthern Forest Region, from Northern Maine tothe Adirondacks of New York. In 2000, KayHenry and Rob Center former principals ofMad River Canoe Company incorporated theNorthern Forest Canoe Trail organization as away to translate this research into a recreational,community and regional resource. (NFCT 2012)The trail was officially completed in Spring 2006with thirteen mapped continuous sections. Aguidebook was published by the NFCT in 2010.

One of the allures of the Northern Forest CanoeTrail is that many sections of the trail areappropriate for novice paddlers. Its perfect fordipping your paddle in the water for a day trip orexperimenting with portaging and overnightcanoe camping. A majority of visitors will likelyexperience only a portion of the NFCT duringany given trip this way. Paddlers like myself, wholove the idea of a journey and a destination, willintensively plan, paddle and portage everypossible mile of the mapped trail.

ThePaddler 51

Com

mon

Loo

n

Beckie Miller tracking up the 74 m

ile section of the Missisquoi R

iver near East Highgate, V

T. Photo Katina Daanen

are those who paddle the entire trail in one season.In order to complete the full west to east directionof the 740-mile route, Through-Paddlers will needto ascend over 160 miles (257.5 km) of riversupstream, descend or carry around rapids up toclass IV, cross large, exposed lakes subject to windand waves and portage. Under optimal paddlingconditions, the NFCT includes 62 portagestotalling 55 miles (88.5 km).

Most Through-Paddlers either complete the trailas soloists or as a team. My trip was unique inthat I coordinated six different people to join mefor six legs of my journey, most of who werefrom the Midwest. With the exception of mydaughter, Kacia, who was 26, all of us were over50. My husband, Sam, was the only man.

The trail has been successfully through-paddledby canoe and kayak. As of 2012, over 40 peoplehave completed the trail as Through-Paddlers.The average trip length is 45 days, but it has beenpaddled by three people journeying in a singlecanoe in as little as 21 days.

I travelled in July and August, always with one of myfamily or friends, in a portage-friendly WenonahMinnesota II Kevlar canoe. My trip lasted 53 days,six of which were zero mileage days or what wereferred to as paddler swap days. These were thedays when my paddling partners met me at pre-determined rendezvous points and we reorganizedsupplies and repacked. We made certain to takeadvantage of visiting the local trail town pub orsteak joint during these down days too.

ThePaddler 52

Through-Paddlers

Long Lake, New York. Photo NFCT

Sam and I left Wisconsin on July 2 and droveto upstate New York with all the gear. The carwas then able to used by the paddlers to eitherfind me along the trail or I would use it tomeet them. It was a complicated and notinexpensive system shuttling the car eastward,but it worked. Most paddlers have to figure outa way to get home after paddling 740 milesaway from where they first launched. I knewor at least expectedthat my car and myhusband were going to be at the end of thetrail awaiting my arrival.

ThePaddler 53

Wes

t Bra

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nobs

cot R

iver

, Mai

ne. P

hoto

NFC

TT

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tart

of t

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, NY.

Phot

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FCT

The first three maps provide a greatintroduction to the trail. Sam and I paddled andportaged this section in nine days. From quietponds and flatwater lakes to languid rivers andcrashing cascades, canoeists and kayakers willbe able to test a variety of characteristicwaterwaysall within the first 100 miles(161.9km.) You will also find yourself quicklyperfecting your portaging skills as half of thetrails 55 miles of carries occur in the NewYork segment alone.

True wilderness is mostly absent, but thescenery is spectacular. The starting point forThrough-Paddlers, and the western NFCTterminus in Old Forge, N.Y., is a popular touristtown located in the heart of the Adirondacks.The first six lakes though which you pass aredotted with shoreline docks, vintage camps andlakeside cottages. Boat traffic and humanencroachment thins out as you make your waytoward Saranac Lake Village.

The Raquette and Saranac Rivers offers classicriver paddling, plentiful Adirondack lean-tos orcampsites and the unique opportunity to passthrough two sets of hand-operated locks.Raquette, Forked, and the Saranac Lakes arejewels strung together between these riversand home to several architectural circa 1900Adirondack-style Great Camps.

After passing through the larger villages ofLong Lake and Saranac Lake, the Saranac Riverbegins its descent out of the AdirondackPlateau. It winds around gorges, waterfalls,industrial dams and through continuouswhitewater and the metropolis of Plattsburg,N.Y., before spitting paddlers out on LakeChamplain.

NEW YORK: 147 miles (236.6 km)

Fulton Chain of Lakes to Long Lake. Long Lake to Saranac River.Map 2Map 1

Bluff Island in Upper Saranac Lake, New York. Photo K

ThePaddler 55

MAPS 1, 2 and 3

Saranac River to Lake Champlain.Map 3

Portaging (or carrying)Throughout the Adirondacks and parts of New England, the term carryis always used to describe a portage. Conversely, portage is always usedin Quebec. Both words describe the same action and could be usedinterchangeably.

There are officially 62 portages totalling 55 miles and 23 of them occurwithin the first 100 miles in New York. Most are short and provide saferoutes around hazards like dams and rapids. Longer portages connectwatersheds and often follow roads.

While some paddlers choose to carry all their gear in the historicalstyle of the voyageurs, many modern paddlers use wheels to aid inportaging. It is important to understand that many of the carries areconsidered unwheelable and gear will, at times, still need to be carried.

Katina Daanen Browns Tract Carry, New York. Photo Katina Daanen

VERMONT AND QUEBEC : 174 Miles (2

Lake Champlain and Missisquoi River. Missisquoi River to Lake Memphremagog.Map 4 Map 5

Moose. Photo: NFCT

ThePaddler 57

Out of the 162 miles (260.7 km) of upstream travelrequired for through-paddling the NFCT, two-thirds of itoccurs within Vermont and Quebec. I picked up my friendBeckie at the Burlington, Vt. airport and we spent thenext 11 days together, mostly paddling upstream.

We started out by crossing Lake Champlain, sometimesreferred to as the Sixth Great Lake in the UnitedStates, on a beautiful summer day. Then began our 74-mile(119.1 km) haul up the Missisquoi River to LakeMemphremagog, getting a brief reprieve on the 12 mile-long section of lake spanning the United States andCanadian borders.

Quebec offers the chance to savour a little FrenchCanadian culture along the trail. We looked forward toarriving in Mansonville and stopping at a celebratedboulangerie for croissants. Leaving Mansonville meansnext heading out on the 5.6-mile (9km) Grand Portage,the longest formal portage of the trail following a countryroad connecting the Missisquoi and Lake Memphremagogwatersheds.

After checking back in with U.S. Customs using a videophone at the Newport, Vt., marina and taking a well-deserved break exploring the town, its back to paddlingupstream for another 30.5 miles (49.1km) on the ClydeRiver to Island Pond, Vt. The 6-mile (9.7km) segmentbetween Newport and Derby Center is considered bymany Through-Paddlers to be one of the most challengingparts of the entire trail if paddling and not portagingaround the continuous string of Class IIIII rapidsthrough which you will need to track. Wanting to keepmy friendship with Beckie intact, we took a shuttlearound this potentially troublesome section.

The Clyde then meanders through agricultural pasturesand forested lands after emerging from Pensioner Pondand flows through a rare natural bog feature known as anintermediate fen. Its a few more miles to the village ofIsland Pond where the river flows under a hotel, ending atits source at Island Pond.

Paddling resumes downstream on the narrow, twistedand beaver dam-strewn Nulhegan River that evolves intowider, but shallower and boulder-strewn whitewaterconnecting to the Connecticut River at the NewHampshire state border. This part of the NFCT passesthrough the protected timbered lands of the Silvio O.Conte National Forest Wildlife Refuge.

Part two next month

280 km)MAPS 4 and 5

Maps, guidebooks, websitesThirteen maps detail the trail indicating campsites, portage routes, trailsigns, access points and GPS coordinates along the entire route. In 2010,the Official Guidebook was published as a companion to the maps andonline planning tool.

The Northern Forest Canoe Trail maintains an informative website witha trip planning tool and links to paddler blogs.www.NorthernForestCanoeTrail.org

The Northern Forest Canoe Trails Through-Paddlers Companion, aguidebook by 2011 Through-Paddler Katina Daanen, is forthcoming.Excerpts from the book were used in this article. www.nfctpaddler.comHer current NFCT Sectional-Paddle and full 2011 Through-Paddleadventure is chronicled in a daily blog at http://kdaanen-nfct.blogspot.com

Flagstaff Lake, Maine. Photo: NFCT

ThePaddler 58

Fine does not always mean easy, and on mytrips in the area I have thought about thebest way to travel the route. This time wedecided to go with lightweight solo PakCanoes.A solo canoe is manoeuvrable and easier to pushinto deeper water when you get stuck on rocks -and a small canoe is more fun!

From our home base on my brother Tore's farmin the Reisa River Valley, Tore drove us in hisMercedes wagon, pulling a snowmobile trailerwith all our gear up the rough mountain road tothe Goulasjavri Lake where our trip would start.My American friends wondered what they weregetting themselves into as we saw more and morepatches of snow along the road.

Cliff Jacobson, the oldest member of our group(author of Expedition Canoeing and many otherbooks on canoe travel and outdoor skills) wastaking bets on whether the car would make it allthe way to the lake. Wes Rusk and TomRandgaard were starting to look worried whenthe lake finally appeared and we could startunloading the trailer. It was cold and windy upthere and Tore did not stay long. We were on ourown, heading for Kautokeino.

Once our canoes were ready, we were off straight into the wind. The progress was painfullyslow, and after just a km we had enough. Wetook the first campsite we could find next to asnowfield with a spectacular view across the laketo Halti, the highest mountain in Finland.

We woke up to a perfect day sunny, but coolwith a strong enough breezes to keep themosquitoes away. It was just right for a long dayof portaging. Tom was in charge of breakfast andcooked up half a kg of bacon and a dozen eggsfor the four of us. It seemed like a lot, but itturned out to be just right for the day ahead.

After completing the paddle across Goulasjavri,we had to carry our canoes and gear 3km,gaining another 100m of elevation to a pond atthe height of land where a stream flows southinto Finland. It took three loads, and we wereexhausted when we finally made camp, buthappy that any further portaging would bedownhill!

Above the tree lineOur river trip began as high in the river as youcan float a canoe. The blue line on the mapindicating our stream starts about 3km above ourcamp, and none of that would be canoeable. At850m elevation and 300km north of the ArcticCircle we were far above the tree line - a perfectplace to start a river adventure.

The stream out of our pond had a nice narrowchannel, so we could paddle for a few minutes tothe first waterfall. We dragged the canoes alongthe tundra, past the falls to the next pool andthen paddled a little until we got hung up onrocks then dragged into deeper water andpaddled a little more. Our big mistake was todrag our loaded canoes down a long and widerapid where the water did not even cover therocks. Carrying our gear would have been easier.It was a relief to get to a long pond that wepaddled almost all the way to the reindeer fencethat marks the border. We could slide the canoesunder the fence, and we were in Finland.

ThePaddler 59

LaplandPack up and visitMany years ago, a group of friends bought canoes, picked a route on the map andwent on an epic trip. None of us had been on a canoe trip before, and none of usknew how to paddle a canoe in whitewater, but we had a good time and I washooked on canoe trips. Through pure luck, our route turned out to be one of thefinest canoe touring routes in all of Lapland.By Alv Elvestad

We dragged the canoes along the tundra, past the falls to the next pool and then paddled a little until we got

hung up on rocks then dragged into deeper water and paddled

a little more

ThePaddler 60

As soon as we were across the b

xxxxxxxxxx

Did you know:

Speeding tickets in Finland (and Finnish Lapland) depend on

your income. One man with an annual income of 7 million

Euros was fined was fined 116.000 Euros.

Carry Carry

a thick gray fog descended on us, and it was timeto call it a day. Our backs were grateful to get abreak from dragging canoes, and our sleepingbags felt very good. Tom woke up early, andexpressed surprise that there were sheep so farinto the mountains. He had not seen them, butwe could clearly hear the bells. He was out of thetent like a shot when I told him they werereindeer - not sheep. Across the river from us was

a flock of several hundred, and we had a goodtime taking lots of pictures. After seeing severalmore flocks later in the day, the reindeer becamemuch less exciting. As we approachedPithsosjavri, the first big lake in Finland, we hadthe nice experience of dragging our canoes pastthe last waterfall on a large snowfield. Snowreally is easier for dragging than tundra androcks!

ThePaddler 61

border,

y

and carry again

Pithsosjavri has enough water for paddling, but it isrocky, and it gets steeper and steeper. It got a bittoo crazy for our taste, so we pulled off to scout just before what turned out to be the first waterfall.Unfortunately, we had stopped on the wrong sideof the river, so we had to work our way upstreamuntil we found a place where we could safely ferryacross to the hiking trail we would use to portagepast the waterfalls to the next lake. Carrying heavygear down a steep and rocky trail is hard, and Wesmust have had a tough time. His knees are notquite bad enough yet to be replaced, but close. Ifthey had been my knees, I would have at leastcomplained about the abuse!

The next river starts with two waterfalls. One couldbe paddled, but we judged it too risky and lined itinstead. The second waterfall runs in a steep gorge,so lining was not possible. We dragged the canoeson the tundra past the falls. Helping us old folks,Tom picked up the heaviest pack and pulled two ofthe canoes behind him. Just below the falls is achallenging rapid almost 2km long, droppingover 20m. There is one good size eddy at the end ofthe steepest part, about half way down and westopped to scout the rest. Cliff and I decided to lineit, but it was impossible with all the brush alongthe bank, so in the end we got back into ourcanoes. It was at the limit of what we would run,but we got down without any serious problems,although all of us got stuck at least once.

We reached calm water just before the tourist huts atMeekonjavri. Paddlers who want to run the PoroenoRiver without the challenging mountain crossingfrom Norway can hire a float plane or helicopter atKilpisjavri and get dropped off at Meekonjavri. Thisis the start of a beautiful string of lakes connected byeasy rapids at the foot of a rugged mountain to thenorth. The Poroeno starts at the outflow from thelake Porojavri where the Valttijoki River enters fromthe north. Here we leave the mountains behind, andthe terrain ahead is almost completely flat. Theriverbanks are covered with brush and are quite wet,so campsites are rare.

At one point the river has broken through a longesker, forming a beautiful campsite on the northside of the river. This is the only site I have used onall my Poroeno trips. It was almost like cominghome, and we enjoyed happy hour with a glass of12-year-old single malt inside Cliff's screenedtundra tarp. Cliff designed the tundra tarp incooperation with Dan Cooke(www.cookecustomsewing.com), and it has

ThePaddler 62

The river out of

we enjoyed happy hour wit single malt inside Cliff's scree

become very popular with American expeditioncanoers. It provides effective shelter for a canoegroup from bugs, wind and rain much like alavvu, but the tundra tarp is much lighter and isnot intended to be a tent.

We learn a lot on a canoe trip with experiencedtrippers, and my first trip with Cliff was noexception. I am now the proud owner of a tundratarp, and happy hour gets even happier withsomething comfortable to sit on. I am lessconvinced by Cliffs preference for fresh food on atrip where everything has to be carried althoughthere was something strangely fitting about servingthe reindeer feast in Kautokeino at the end of thetrip with fresh potatoes that had been carriedthrough reindeer country for almost two weeks!

Did you know

:Kiruna is the largest city in the w

orld measured by area.

th a glass of 12-year-old ened tundra tarp

ThePaddler 63

ThePaddler 64

The day after the esker has the most challengingwhitewater on the Poroeno. That is quite obvious fromKysti Pietiktikainen's excellent paddling map. Thefireworks start at Runkakoski with a long Class IVrapid. We always stop to scout, and we always come tothe same conclusion. The first part can easily be run onthe left, and lining the rest on the left is easy as well.Cliff generally lines with a fairly short rope at each endof the canoe. On the Poroeno I like one single longerrope attached to the stern so I can launch the canoeinto the current. I only pull it back to shore when itlooks like the canoe may run into trouble.

Runkakoski was just a warm-up. At Ruunuvuopio theriver widened to a small lake with two outflow channels.The first channel has big boulders and lookedintimidating. The second one just looked challenging. Itstarts a kilometre long rapid that drops 10m. It was busy,but not very difficult. The next big rapid started just pasta cabin on the left. The river makes a sharp left turn anddrops over a small ledge. Don't worry if the canoe infront of you disappears very suddenly! The challenge isafter a km where the river gets even steeper. We stoppedon the left and lined about 200m past the steepestsection before we got back into our canoes and ran therest of the rapid to an open cabin at Tenomuotka.

Hell's GateWe were happy to have the opportunity to spend a nightinside, but it turned out to be the most uncomfortablenight on our trip. The Tenomuotka cabin is mostly usedin the winter by skiers and had no mosquito netting, sowe had the choice of getting too hot or being eaten by

bugs. We chose the heat! It felt good to leave the cabin inthe morning. Below Tenomuotka the Poroeno gets easier except for the falls at Hell's Gate. Here the river picksup speed between cliffs, makes a sharp left turn anddrops 2m into the pool below. The portage past the fallswas less intimidating, but we had to climb up a steephill, through a reindeer fence and lower the canoes byrope to a pool under the falls.

Below Hell's Gate, the river enters a beautiful forestedvalley, and we drifted quietly along between gravel bars.There was nothing difficult until we reached anabandoned border post at Munnikurkkio. The buildingsare still there, and so is a stone marker commemoratingthe Norwegian King Olav's visit there in 1976. It seems astrange place for a royal visit as remote a wildernessspot as can be found in all of Lapland. We carried pastthe class IV rapid next to the old sauna and enjoyed thenext 4km of fairly easy rapids.

Disinfecting the canoesOur last 13km on the Poroeno were completely flat,and we were happy to arrive at an S-shaped bend in theriver, knowing that the trail that would bring us to theKautokeino River watershed started at the end of thecurve. It is impossible to see the trail from the river, soI had to get ashore and look around. The trail is easy a few hundred metres in flat, open terrain to LakeKuoskata, but before we could put our canoes in thewater, we had to disinfect them. Poroeno is infectedwith the Gyrodactilus Salaris parasite that would killthe salmon in the Alta-Kautokeino Watershed.

We pushed our canoes under the fen in the middle of the stream, and

Did you know:

Some might think that there are polar bears in

Lapland. Well, thats not true.

ThePaddler 65

Making our way down the stream from Lake Kuoskatawas a challenge. Parts of the stream were narrower thanthe canoe and overgrown with brush. Fortunately, itwas not very far. Once the stream had water fromseveral more lakes the stream bed was wider. Draggingbecame easier, and we could even paddle parts of it. Asusual in Lapland, the national border was clearlymarked with another reindeer fence. We pushed ourcanoes under the fence, climbed over it in the middleof the stream, and were back in Norway. Anothercouple of lakes and more stream sections brought us tothe Kautokeino River at Acet.

There are not many good camp sites in the area, andour best bet was to continue a couple of km to theSami settlement at Goatteluobbal. Sami reindeerherders use the place in the winter, but it is usuallydeserted in the summer. Getting to Goatteluobbal hadtaken us longer than planned, and our familiesexpected us to arrive in Kautokeino shortly.

Fortunately, Cliff had brought his satellite phone, andwe could call my brother to let him know that we weresimply delayed. We were fine, and there was no need tobe worried about us. Some people feel that bringing asatellite phone ruins the feeling of being in thewilderness. In our case, the phone made it possible toenjoy our wilderness experience without worrying thatour families would be concerned about our safety.

The Kautokeino is a delightful canoeing river. Its upperpart has an almost endless number of little drops thatcan be quite technical. But unlike the Poroeno, rapids onthe Kautokeino are mostly short, so the consequences ofa spill are unlikely to be serious. As we progressed downthe river, the landscape became drier, and there werepromising camp sites. But I was looking for my favouritesite where cliffs appear on both sides of the river for thefirst time. There is a nice camp site behind the first cliffon the left - and a beautiful spot for a camp fire on top ofthe cliff about 5m above the water.

nce, climbed over it d were back in Norway

ThePaddler 66

on the Kautokeino the river was larger,and so were the rapids. The scenery isspectacular where the river meandersbetween the cliffs, but we hardly noticed.We were too busy plotting a clean routefor our canoes. Although it never getsintimidating, the river is steep and rocky,and the whitewater goes on for hours with the occasional hang-up on a rock.Wes got stuck on a rock that he could notsee and was in and out of his canoeseveral times before he got free tocontinue on his way.

We were happy to finally spot the powerline at Galanito, marking the start ofquiet water that we knew would last allthe way to Kautokeino. It got even betterwhen the wind started blowing at ourbacks. I had brought WindPaddle sailsfor all our canoes, but there had been noopportunity to use them. Now they wereunpacked and attached to the canoes,and we spent a few minutes figuring outhow they worked. That was not veryhard, and soon we were cruising downthe river. The last few kilometers werecompleted in no time, and we arrived inKautokeino in grand style.

Our second day

ThePaddler 67

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KayakPaddler

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Freestyle EuropeanChampionSickline QueenTeva Mountain GamesSteep Creek ChampionExtreme WW kayaker

Take a glimpse of the very colourfulworld of pro boater:

70

ThePaddler 71

Photo: Mexicoby Tony Czech

ThePaddler 72

here and what was your first paddle?I started paddling on a whitewater course inSault Brenaz, France. I was real scared at thebeginning and would only paddle down the lastbit of the course and without a spray deck on.Often the kayak became full of water and I hadto jump out and swim to shore, leaving the fullkayak for my dad and brother to take care of.

And your first competition?This was a freestyle competition in Plattling,Germany. I was 14-years old and there was a veryold point system where it was spin to win.

Im a paddler and going on vacation, where would you recommend?There are so many sweet places in the world tovisit! I would definitely recommend Mexico as Irecently went on a trip to the Agua Azur this isan amazing place! But there are tons of greatdestinations; discovering new places and riversare the best part of our sport.

WW kayaking tends to be a male dominated area of paddling how do you cope?I dont mind at all that male paddlers dominatethe sport. We can learn heaps from the guys.Usually there are a couple chicks around anywayand I guess we often gather together.

Any regrets?When I started running harder whitewater andwaterfalls my dad once joked he regrets gettingme into the sport. I enjoy travelling and being onthe water, I have no regrets at all!

W

So much more than just a pretty face, thislady can easy mix it with the big boys of theworld of extreme white water kayaking. Theoutstanding talent that is Martina Wegman -the 23 year-old Dutch Queen of kayaking,has a string of championships from the worldof freestyle and river running. This givesMartina an enviable skill set and at just 24,she is improving year on year.

Steamboat Springs. Photo by Shilo Gibson

Photo. Chile by Mike Dawson

How does kayaking give you satisfaction?I love the travel part of kayaking, being on theroad, travelling to new places and seeing so manystunning places on our beautiful big planet!

What is the biggest accomplishment in you career?Im very down to earth and dont really haveaccomplishments in kayaking. I never havetrained for kayaking so I guess I cant expect toomuch out of it, I just want to make sure I amenjoying. I guess the closest to anaccomplishment would be that I never expectedto run high waterfalls and lately I have been ontrips running 50-foot drops.

What are your goals for the next 12 months?I dont have any goals set. I do want to get a bitmore into slalom paddling as I think it will helpto improve my paddling whitewater.

What would be your ultimate achievement?I dont have an ultimate achievement inkayaking. I do want to achieve something besideskayaking and hopefully get a marketing job in asick company some day.

Any advice for women starting out in ww kayaking?I always have start slowly and build up myconfidence on the water during the years.Freestyle kayaking has helped me in getting avery solid roll and being fairly relaxed when I gettrashed in a nasty hole on the river. I also think itis important for women starting out to learn toread water and know your own ability.

There are tons of great destinations; discovering new places and rivers is the

best part of our sport

ThePaddler 73

ThePaddler 74

Which women paddlers out there are currently pushing the ww boundaries?It seems like the sport is evolving a lot! Im surethere are heaps of chicks I dont even know ofripping! Currently Katrina van Wijk and NicoleMansfield are taking the lead, running someamazing whitewater!

In river running competition who is your closest competitor?Nouria Newman! She is a very solid all-roundwhitewater paddler! She is training hard for herslalom career, which has made her a very strongpaddler!

Whats next for you?Im currently sitting in the airport waiting toboard a flight to Iceland, where I team up withMariann Saether, Katrina van Wijk and ShannonCarroll. Im very excited about this trip but a bitintimidated as Im the weaker link of the crew,having the least experience in running waterfalls!

Where do you see yourself in 20 years?Ha ha hopefully settled down, owning a verysick house, kids and a proper job :) plus stillkayaking.

Photo: Mexicoby Tony Czech

I never expected to run high waterfalls and lately I have been on trips running 50-foot drops!

ThePaddler 75

Photo: MIddle Palguin-Chile by Mike Dawson

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OK Martina lets finish withsomething short and snappy

77

If you could paddle with anyone in the world dead or alive who would it be? Mike Dawson ;-)

Pick two celebrities to be your parents Id honestly never want to switch my parents for anyother person to have as my parents, especially not acelebrity.

Whats on your Tivo?I dont know what that is.

Favourite iPod track? It changes all the time but at the moment I like to listento Icona Pop I Love It.

What would you do with $100,000? Buy a sick house and travel lots.

Cats or dogsCats.

Facebook or Twitter I dont have a Twitter account, so I guess Facebook.

An ideal night out for you is? Late evening paddle, cooking dinner with friends, playinggames, watching a movie, hot springs, going out

What one luxury item would you take with you on a desert island? Probably a camera to capture all the action.

What do you get really angry about?Unfairness.

If we came to your house for dinner, what would you prepare for us?BBQ or home made pizza.

Any broken bones? Nah, I have been super lucky never to get into muchtrouble.

If you could be a superhero for one day, what superpower would you choose and why?Either flying, as you can easily get to different places orwalking over water, so I can just run up some stoutwhitewater and run it over and over.

What three words would you use to describe you?Shy, down to earth, adventurous.

Thanks for your time MartinaThePaddler

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ThePaddler 79

The land of mountains some sweet rivers too!

&

Spring and summer is a special andcolourful time in the Germanspeaking Alps. Flowers hang frombalconies of houses and hofs(traditional farm houses), high alpinemeadows bloom and the ringing ofcow bells set in some of the mostscenic and dramatic mountains in theworld is just another highlight.By

Steve Brooks

ThePaddler 80

With so much snow and iceup in the mountains it gives Austria

huge white water kayaking potential

ThePaddler 81

and events such as the Summer Solstice (mountain fires and torches), churchfairs and colourful cattle drives all of which are cherished traditions in the Alps.During these festivals brass bands play umpah music, rifle companies paradearound in all their plumage, locals dress in their national and regional

costumes (lederhosen for the men and dirndl for the women) are allhallmarks of these events.

Of course traditional food such as mountain cheese, cured ham(Speck), sausages (Wurst), pretzels can all be washed down by atypical Alpine beer - in fact there are over 40 different types ofbeer and some 4,000 different brands.

Austria is well known for its mountains, culture and especiallythe skiing. With some of the worlds best and prestigious skiresorts it is not just the backdrop that makes these resorts sofamous but the snow that regularly falls. St Anton am Arlbergis renowned for all of this as it receives some of the mostsnow in the Alps and has the terrain to match.

Throughout Austria there are an abundance ofglaciers, some of which are open throughout thesummer, which race teams and recreationalskiers alike frequently use. So with so muchsnow and ice up in the mountains it givesAustria huge white water kayaking potentialfrom Spring right through to Autumn.

With time honoured traditions

starts earlier in the east with the region ofSalzkammergut, well known to the Germanspeaking kayaking community as a springdestination. Out to the west the melt comes alittle later. The River Inn is the main point offocus, with tributaries such as the Sanna,Pitzbach, and the Oetz all adding to its sizealong the way making it the biggest volume ofwhite water in the Alps.

Austria is often regarded as summer destinationthat should be paddled during July and August.The Inn is at its highest and so too is the OetzValley an intimidating river that shows no realmercy in its upper reaches and the lower can alsobe slightly nerve racking in full flow! But duringthe month of June the rivers are moremanageable and for a good kayaker it is good toknow that there are plenty of options as all themajor rivers and sections are running with flowsthat you can enjoy but also take on a challenge!

Warm upWe met up with Tony from New Zealand andPeter from California in St Anton am Arlberg andlaid out the plan. Basing ourselves in the west ofAustria for a couple of days gave us theopportunity to warm up on the Inn and runsome of the tributaries such as the Sanna. TheSanna is a classic Alpine Class III-IV river. It hasquite a steep gradient and everything keeps onflowing and the technical feel is also comingback now. Before the devastating floods in 2005it was a Class IV+ Alpine gem, however, theflooding was so bad that not only did all therocks disappear but also a brand new car garageon a tributary called the Rosanna.

The river had to be rebuilt from scratch and itsuddenly turned into a man made canal withhuge stones at its banks and not one rock in theriver or tree or bush along the side. Finally aftersome eight years the river is coming back to life.There are rocks washed down in the Spring andwhen the river gets big which is giving the Sannaits character plus bushes and trees were replantedand it is looking much more natural again.

There are plans being developed for a dam onthe Sanna! More information can be found laterabout action is being taken and what action canhelp to save this beautiful river.

ThePaddler 82

Enns River, AustriaThe snow melt usually

We met up with

Tonyfrom New Zealand and

Peterfrom California in St Anton am

Arlberg and laid out the plan

ThePaddler 83

Scouting rapids.

and hopped over the border to the Loisach one of Germans most loved and kayakedrivers. Setting is amazing, the Zugspitz(Germanys highest mountain) looms in thedistance and all the while the river cuts a pathin the valley floor through woodland.Though the road is right next to the river youonly become aware of it just when youpaddle under the one bridge giving it aremote feel something that is sometimesdifficult to find in the Alps except in a gorge!It is a sweet little technical river giving youthe opportunity for various lines and perfectplace to put the art of boofing into practice.

Next we headed north

ThePaddler 84ThePaddler 84

The perfect place to put the

art of boofing into practice

ThePaddler 85ThePaddler 85

the Loisach

Switzerland too was on our plan and again itwas just an hours drive to the EngadineValley, a Romansch speaking region ofSwitzerland where the Inn starts its journeyon the way to the Danube. Engadine inRomansch means Garden of the Inn and thevalley is stunning. The river also lives up tothat reputation, as the Giarsun Gorge is oneof the best Class IV rivers the Alps has to offer.The warm up has classic Alpine views ofmeadows, snow capped mountains and thesound of cow bells ringing from high upsomewhere. Soon the river starts to tighten upand the gorge approaches. What follows issome 10Km of fantastic class IV (IV+) readand run technical white water that is Alpineriver running at its best!

As a warm up we ran the Schuls Gorge first,which is a great way to get used to thetemperature, gradient, grade and volume ofriver you will expect in the Giarsun Gorge. Toenjoy the beauty of this valley even more wecamped in the Engadine and after dinner wewatched the final rays of sun trying to burnthrough the clouds.SW

ITZERLAND

ThePaddler 86ThePaddler 86

Ardez-Engadine, SwitzerlandGiarsun-G

ThePaddlerThePaddler 87

Classic Alpine views of meadows, snow capped mountains and the sound of

cow bells ringing from high up somewhere

Gorge, Switzerland

ThePaddler 88

We continued our journey. Originally we were headingto the state of Salzburg but the area was devastated byflooding and huge mud slides that washed away bridgesand took roads apart. The kayaking area of Lofer waseven cut off for a few days. Instead we headed furthereast to Styria and made our base in the beautiful EnnsValley and Gesuse National Park. The first day we spentrunning the Salza River Austrias equivalent to theSoca in Slovenia. Turquoise blue river with views ofsnow capped mountains and again great vegetation allalong the river gave us another remote feeling. It is aslightly milder river than what we had been paddlingearlier but was great to get to grips with advanced skillssuch as paddle placement throughout the day.

Later that afternoon we went to check out the Lower(Kummerbrcke) part of the Enns river below the dam.What we found was that it was still a pumping, brownmess with the odd bit of wood making