The weekend before last saw the UK’s inaugural Ladies Paddle Symposium organised by Pyranha team-member Fran Kohn. Around 70 British paddling ladies from the disciplines: freestyle, river paddling, sea kayaking and canoeing gathered together in Glan Llyn near Bala. It was ideally located close to the Sea and the Trweryn as well as having a lake on-site.  Fran had organised a number of the best coaches around including Chris Eastabrook, Lowri Davies, Tom Parker, Eila Wilkinson and Trys Burke. Pyranha supported the event, providing demo boats from all disciplines and I gave an evening talk on behalf of Pyranha about overcoming fear – an issue affecting people accross the disciplines.

The feedback about the event was overwhelmingly positive, all of the participants told me that they had really enjoyed being inspired by meeting other women with the same enthusiasm for kayaking as them. Often women in kayaking clubs can find that they are surrounded by male peers, so it was great for the girls of all ages to build up networks of other women that they could share experiences with. During the meal-times and social breaks the air was filled with discussion about all types of topics from getting past the boys to lead groups to she-wee’s and other ways to go to the toilet when wearing a dry suit were also popular!!! Of course we all love being part of the wider kayaking community with the boys, but it was just refreshing to have a weekend with the girls. Many participants are keeping in touch with new friends to organise girls-trips after the symposium!  Thanks Fran!! Lets hope that there is another one next year. Let Fran know if you’re interested at: ladiespaddlesymposium@hotmail.co.uk

Pictures by Paula Volkmer and Claire Mangan

The first ever Younguns event took place on the Tryweryn this past weekend,

Taking up where the youth freestyle series left off, Younguns still maintains the original elements from the series; An extraordinary amount of young paddlers getting out on the water and having fun !

The Tryweryn is the longest venue the tour visits with an abundance of rapids and small features it allows the junior rippers to get a good experience of river running and down river moves.

The competition took place in the renowned “worlds hole” above the chipper. A deep but flushy hole proved to be both fun and challenging for the kids, some big moves where thrown, some flushes where had but all the competitors finished with a smile on their face.

Check out the video below,

See you on the water,

Bren

At the end of the monsoon last year a group of us headed to Uttarakhand, India. We were expecting to jump on the classics but it quickly transpired that there was so much more to do than what is commonly done. This video features the first descents of the East and West Nayyar and the Kail, plus a chilled trip down the classic Alaknanda

Joe

Virginia’s monthly mountain lifestyle magazine, Blue Ridge Life, put its latest edition on the newstands this week. Inside is a multi-page article on the outstanding whitewater paddling in the area.  They were even good enough to send a professional photographer to this year’s Goshen Pass Race back in March, then another shutterbug caught up to us at the end of an afternoon creeking session on the North Fork of the Tye. Folks are clueing-in to the fact that the some of the state’s best creeking is right here in the the central Blue Ridge – and Team Pyranha is out front and center.

To go directly to the May issue of Blue Ridge Life mag, click here .

For results of the 2013 Goshen Pass Race, click here . (Team Pyranha wins again – 6th year in a row!)

The Speeder leaving Devil’s Kitchen on the way to another win.

Just some of the almost 50 racers at this year’s event.

Photo creds: Paul Purpura, Joshua Brooks, Trafford McRae

Pakistan has some very scary sections of whitewater in the summer months. However, tucked away amongst the crazy are some of my favorite sections anywhere in the world. I made a little video featuring what I consider to be the best four that I did last year:

Joe

Last week a brand new magazine was launched in New York State’s Adirondack Mountains.  The magazine gives a fresh view of all of the exciting things there are to do in The United States’ largest land preserve.  This is where I call home and I am very proud to be part of this fantastic project.

I was humbled to have my photo selected for the cover as well as some text that I put together about my favorite rivers in The Adirondacks.  It was a great first experience working with this magazine and I hope to contribute more in the future.

The best part is, LocalADK is a FREE publication. You can read it cover to cover for free on the web or pick up a hard copy at one of the advertiser’s place of business.  Check it out: www.localadk.com

This Year I finally had the great pleasure of participating in the annual New Haven River Race near Bristol, Vermont.  While I’ve been make the commute across Lake Champlain from New York to paddle the New Haven “Ledges” section for several years, this was the first chance I’ve had to make it to the race since they started holding it in 2009.  As temperatures rose into the 70’s (That’s Fahrenheit) the day before, melting all the snow and bringing the river up to a fantastic flow on Friday evening, it was clear that I had chosen a good year to attend.  It was a great opportunity to see so many of the great folks that I hadn’t seen since Moose Fest. and do some fantastic paddling.

A huge thank you goes out to Scott Martin and Nick Gottlieb.  They took a ton of photos and shared them graciously.  If you get a chance visit their sites: Scott Martin Images and Nicholas Gottlieb.com

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