Hydraulics Team blog

Rider of the Year 2011

2011-08-06T14:20:00.000-07:00

The team at Tribe have once again headed of the world wide phenomenon that is 'Rider of the Year awards'. Last year there were a bunch of epic film clips of people out there doing what they love on the water and making it look good, big, classy and even really really bad!! This year people have raised the bar and there are some epic shots coming out! Check out this trailer to see some of what is in store and who might come away with the grand title!

In here you can see nominations for Hydraulics Team riders Tyler Fox, Louise Urwin and Brendan Bayly!! Good work guys and good luck!!! EPIC!!!

BRENDAN BAYLY!!

2011-07-26T10:05:00.000-07:00

Alright so we are stoked here at Team H to have Brendan Bayly on board and as usual he is charging! Right now he is up in Norway with a few other Kiwi boys and they are ripping! After an epic week in Voss at extreme sports week he headed north to Sjoa festival and then his latest update is from the Lower Rauma! This is one of the most epic looking creeks out there!!! Check it out!!

Lower Rauma river, Norway. from brendan bayly on Vimeo.

Head on over to www.brendanbayly.blogspot.com for more epic photos and updates!

Cheers for all the sick updates brendan!!

Voss Extreme Week 2011 with Josh Neilson

2011-07-11T18:58:00.001-07:00

Monday, July 4, 2011

A spot of kayaking with a bit of flying

Gudvangen BASE site - Amazing day!

- The view from the top! Jokke in front right after take off

So things have been so busy in the last week I haven't had time to post anything! Firstly Extreme sports week started here in Voss and it was raining pretty hard for the start of the week meaning a lot of the comps were postponed or canceled! Luckily we were able to shoot some sweet kayak footage and get some edits done! My job for the week not only to film my own film was also to film and edit the 'Todays videos' for kayaking in the festival tent. I was stoked to work with Julian, Hugh and Finn to make some funny films and was stoked that I was awarded Best film of the Todays Video!

With the bad weather I was forced to shoot the interview with Jokke Sommer indoors but the content was great and it shouldn't be too bad in the final film. With a bit of good weather on the way we headed out to Gudvangen to film some BASE shots. Day one was not a big cliff and Jokke just busted out a double back flip into a straight base without his wingsuit. Then it was back to work with kayaking the next day for the race where we busted out a quick edit on the race mixed with a bit of dancing!

- My ride for the day

Luckily the BASE day was postponed to saturday and I was able to fly up to Gudvangen exit point and film there! I was up on the lip of the cliff all day and watched all the jumpers have sweet jumps! Jokke busted out 2 sick lines one left and the last to the right buzzing the cliff and trees on the way down with his buddy Tom. From here we flew back to Voss in time to gear up for Prize giving where Sam and Toni won their head to head races and I got a sweet new Gopro for best film.

- Teams race prize giving

Next up was Fat Freddies Drop in concert and the rest is history! What an epic week of filming and hanging out with awesome people! So inspired by all the sick athletes out there doing what they love! Stay tuned for more updates as the film is coming together fast now! Stoked on all the support from people who have made this film happen so far! Big things on the horizon!

Cheers

Josh

- Team Gopro on take-off - Such nice guys!!

- Jokke checking his wingsuit

- Base day 1 - Most chill people I've met!

-Brothers Sutton at the teams race

Voss Extreme Week 2011

2011-07-11T18:58:00.000-07:00

Monday, July 4, 2011

A spot of kayaking with a bit of flying

Gudvangen BASE site - Amazing day!

- The view from the top! Jokke in front right after take off

- My ride for the day

- Teams race prize giving

Cheers

Josh

- Team Gopro on take-off - Such nice guys!!

- Jokke checking his wingsuit

- Base day 1 - Most chill people I've met!

-Brothers Sutton at the teams race

Upper Middle Consumnes

2011-07-11T18:53:00.001-07:00

KR trying to piece together the next mission via dreamflows

Over the past couple of weeks we have often remarked on what its like to be the tourist in a paddling destination like California. Back home we know what runs are good, who's been on them of late and what river to head to next.

Paddling in Cali doesn't come that easy to us, especially this year with the record snow pack. The high water levels have kept us on our toes so to speak. All too often the plan had been made, gear and cars packed, only to check the river flows and find that our planned run had risen beyond what we were happy to paddle. As it turns out, not all the adventure happens on the river. More like at the Coloma bakery.

Part man, part ginger wolverine. The one and only Keith Riley

We like it stacked. KJ and Tyler talk California polictics

The one river run that proved to be consistent was the Upper Middle Consumnes. Low volume, steep and packed with granite. It's almost always a winning formula.

Keith Riley, Matt Coles and I managed four laps on this gem over a week long period. We were also joined by team latvia (Tommas Marnics), Rachel Curtis (NZ) and Jake Greenbuam (our token American).

PGA. Post Granite Awesome

Making it happen. Foxy's first day in Cali. Can you believe it.

Matty dropping skatepark

The UMC is an amazing run. It does, however, have a way of exacting a carnage tax from those who venture into its granite playground. Be it on the river or simply trying to get to or from it there seems to be some form of mini epic.

Swims, broken paddles, broken boats, broken people, lost teams, lost vehicles, lost tempers and a very typical very long california shuttle. All of this in only 7 trips.

Tyler firing the Arahura or UMC?

That good!

After a couple of laps on the UMC we decided to break a little further north and have a crack at the Rubicon River. I paddled this run back in 05' or 07' and only remembered good things about it. Our flow then was about 800cfs. This time we gave it a nudge at 2000+ cfs and the Rubicon nudged back. The Rubicon only flows on big water/ snow pack years and as a result the river bed is filled with large Alders (kind of like willow trees). As a result there are no eddies to speak of. You are pretty much locked into a corridor of trees with no option to get out if you want. I'm sure the run goes at this flow, especially for the bold, very good and courageous. However, we dealt with a tree across the main flow and didn't rate the chances of it not happening again. The result, two miles in we pulled the pin and decided to practice the art of hiking out with our tails firmly between our legs. Good call.

The Rubicon put-in..... and take out.

T-Fox following the path of least resistance

Got wood?

Back in Coloma we made the call to...... yep, head back into the UMC.

Our luck did extend to having fantastic flows for pretty much all out runs on the UMC. 450-560 cfs meant that there was enough fluff in between at the good stuff to not pin ball down the run. At these flows all the bigger drops were good to go. It even mean that we could paddle two rapids that I had previously portages in recent years. It definitely added an extra element of 'aesthetic' to link a bunch the bigger rapids together without many eddies and without having to get out of your boat. Jackpot! This also cut down on paddling time as well. Just over two hours boating had as at the take out in time to meet our lovely shuttle drivers. Complete with chips, beer and bikini's. Thank you to Rach, Melissa, Soph, Amy and Laura.

KJR in the honeymoon stage of the run.... just plain fun

Matty Coles furthering his Calfornia kayaking education.

School was in session

Grand Canyon

2011-06-18T11:35:00.000-07:00

My 2011 Grand Canyon trip began with an email I got while I was down in Antarctica over the kiwi summer. "Would you be interested in joining the Alaskan/Kiwi team on a GC trip in April?". Umm, is a seal waterproof... yep!

My daily beauty routine

Flash forward the rest of my Antarctic season, kiwi summer, Buller Festival and things were all on track. That was until I scored a nasty case of pneumonia two weeks before I was due to fly. Stink. The Dr's gave me 4-6 weeks to recover... Hmmm, not really an option. Ten days serious couch time had me fit enough to make the drive from Murchison to Mum's home on the farm. A few home cooked meals had me ready to tackle to flight to California. Check. Next challange, drive 1200km's to Flagstaff. Luckily I own the best 1990 Subaru Legacy in the continental US. Three red bull’s and a foot long sub later I pulled into Flagstaff 11 hours and 30mins later... Possum Bourne would have been proud.

Let the Grand Canyon adventure begin.

We teamed up with Ceiba River Outfitters for all our river kit. Six oar rigged rafts, four kayaks and sixteen folk made up our team for our three week, 360km journey down the Colorado.

The scene at Lee's Ferry was pretty funny. To the untrained eye it may have looked like we knew what we were doing, the reality. Most of us had barely sat in a raft, let alone rowed 300+km in one.

Our last hurdle before finally being set free was the mandatory ranger briefing. Yes ma'am, no ma'am, three bags full, etc.... and we were finally set free to cast off into the current and down stream…

With Lees Ferry behind us we drifted on down stream and began the slow transition into Grand Canyon time with the aid of a few tecate’s…(cheap Mexican beer).

Our first few camps were about finding our team groove with life on and off the river.

Strip the rafts of the all the group and personal gear. Set up the kitchen, sort out the hand wash stations, find a home for the groover (toilet) and you’re good to go.

Morning rush hour

As soon as that is all sorted its time to kick back and recover from the temporary hustle and bustle with a beer in hand. The nightly camp routine was to set camp and go and explore, take photos or just chill on the raft and listen to some sweet tunes.

We split our team of 16 into four cooking groups. This way you would only have to prepare a breakfast, lunch and dinner once every four days… good times.

Life on the canyon is governed by the rise and fall of the sun. Our early risers (Stefan the German) would be up at 5.30am and making the first pot of coffee. Breakfast was on the table (so to speak) by 8am. Rafts were then packed and we were in the current by 9am, usually just in time for the first of the mornings rays to hit the river. If the day was to be hot and mellow then it wasn’t uncommon for first beers to be making their rounds by 9.15am… bliss!

If the Canyon required a little more focus then we would have to wait until we made camp that evening, at 2pm. Such is the burden of life on the canyon. Start early, finish early and avoid the afternoon’s up canyon winds.

Most folk think the Grand Canyon is about running big white water. In actual fact it’s 200 miles of flat water mixed in with 26 miles of rapids.

Moonset Grand Canyon style

The Grand (or GC to it’s friends) is actually all about the side hikes (you don’t tramp or walk in America). Be it a full day, half day or just an exploratory scramble out the back of camp. The flora, fauna and geology make for amazing excursions from your temporary home on the banks of the Colorado.

There is always something different on offer. A steep scramble to an amazing view, a bouldery climb up a narrow slot canyon, critter hunting or gentle walk to an ancient petroglyph.

Our days on the water weren’t without excitement. Having never rowed and oar rigged raft meant there was a little learning, experimenting and figuring out how to move a 8ookg beast around the river.

In our 200+ mile trip we had one flip, a couple of surfs and two broken paddles. Not bad for a bunch of rookies… or so we thought.

No bueno Wayno's raft gets a rinse

Turns out our good fortune through collective experience was not gifted to others on the river.

I don’t know what day we hit bedrock rapid (thinking about half way because I only had six dozen tecate’s left) but we came upon a team that had wrapped one of their rafts. We you stick your 800kg raft on a rock in the middle of the Colorado you’ve got yourself a major problem.

We spent a few hours trying to pull it off using a bunch of mechanical rope systems but no luck. As a last resort Zak and I swum out to the raft and stripped it of all the gear so they could at least make camp. The team ended up calling the National Park Service who then flew in with a petrol winch system. All on the team’s dollar. Sucked to be them.

It was about then that we were thinking we had had ourselves an interesting trip… not so.

Lava Falls is considered ‘the’ big rapid of the trip for rafters. The stuff legend is made of. Some would even say that you haven’t rafted the canyon until you’ve run the right line on Lava Falls.

As we pulled into the right scout, a team was finishing their scout from the river left bank.

We had met them at camp the night before. They were a local team from Flagstaff and had all done between 2-24 trips each. Sweet, we get to watch the veteran’s run Lava. Perfect.

Jo Parson's (Riley?) boofing the bottom wave at Hermit

The first surprise came as the lead raft pulled left to line up the less intimidating shitty ‘left line’. At 16000 cfs (cubic feet per second) a lot of the rivers flow pushes dangerously to the very very big pour over in the middle of the river. They elected to play follow the leader, following the line of the raft in front of them.

Dan and Melissa keeping the bow down

Raft number one cleaned the line and was within a foot of the aforementioned very very big hole. The second raft didn’t make the cut and dropped squarely into the meat of the hole and proceeded to flip. The third raft managed to push far enough right and avoid the hole. Rafts four, five and six were not so lucky. They weren’t even paddling to avoid the hole any more. None of our team could believe their eyes. This couldn’t be happening. The seventh raft managed to make it through but the eighth raft suffered the same fate as most of the team, dropping squarely into the hole and landing on top of the two rafts being re-circulated in the hole, and flipping. Never have any of our team seen such wide scale carnage on the river… ever!

WTF!

doing my best to keep things under control mid lava

The idea with Lava is to follow the river right eddy line into the top of the rapid. This will put you into the best position to the pull left and clip the edge of the really really big pour over hole in the middle of the river. This sounds easier than it is because getting ‘lost’ is an easy thing to do when you’re paddling at a dead flat horizon line.

After clipping the edge of the pour over you should hopefully have enough momentum to move further left and away from the BIG lateral (diagonal crashing wave). From here, square up as best you can for the two big V waves and then hit the bottom wave square as well.

Dropping into Lava could really only be described as chaotic. I could to run first and test our right line theory… After many hasty and corrective strokes the flagship made it to the bottom in on piece.

Despite the previous teams carnage, our six rafts and solitary kayaker (Mary) made it through relatively unscathed. Stefan the German decided to leave his raft part way through only to have his ballast, Haven, take the oars and finish the job.

Our celebrations were short lived as we made the call to push on down stream to help the other team.

Post Lava Falls life settles back down for the remaining days on the river. We made a point about drifting the riverscape as much as possible. Mile after mile of stunning scenery are on offer for lucky river runners. Amazing!

Doing justice to the GC just isn't possible. It is a must do for any outdoor enthusiast, even if you aren't that enthusiastic about the outdoors...

Permits need to be applied for during the month of February only. Make it happen.

Awesome things for the canyon:

· Lots of light beer. Larger’s are the goods. Tecate, PBR or even MGD’s will hit the spot. 12 dozen for 21 days = 6 beers a day. Perfect amount.

· Moisturiser. Life in the sun and sand is tough on the body.

· Sounds. I took a little battery powered Ipod system and it proved to be the best item ever.

· Makers Mark. Two bottles were enough, three would have been better.

White Water Grand Prix Win!

2011-05-31T18:15:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys

So, we just finished up 2 weeks of epic unprecedented competitions and it feels good to be a World Champion! The White Water Grand Prix was made up of 6 events (3 Freestyle & 3 Extreme Racing) each of which was the burliest event of it's kind.

We started out with a big trick freestyle contest on the biggest wave I'd ever surfed - "Gladiator" (Ottawa River). Everyone was nervous as the dreaded 'ledge' lay just downstream waiting to swallow a victim. I dropped into the pit for the first time and got instantly owned, I came up in the middle of the river (the worst spot) and the crowd was tense as I just managed to skirt the hungry hole. I figured this was worst case scenario so off I went for some more attempts and finally managed to surf the beast, got a trick and won the first womens event.

The next day, we made like gypsys and our entire party, athletes, media crew, safety crew, groupies, et al. hit the road for the Rouge.
The second event was a big water boater cross & it was BIG! I thought it was quite a long course so decided I would pace myself on the first run and save some power for the end when we had to plough through some enormous waves. Turns out there was no need as the water was cooking and we were at the finish line before I knew it. So, the next run I went hard from the start and got a good lead and the overall win.

The third event brought us to La Tuque where we stayed in these beautiful wooden cabins. We went to scout the course which was ridiculous, the town were helping us out and closing the dam for race day so we would have a third of the water. We had to run the event super tight as we only had a small window before the lake above would become too full and the dam would spill over onto the course...
We showed up on race day and waited for the water to drop, which it did - a little bit. It sure didn't look like a third of the water and when the local paddlers/race organisers were asked if they had run it that high, guess what the answer was...No!...great! It was stout, probably the burliest course ever raced, everyone was nervous. It was pretty crazy being at the start line and watching everyones little nervous rituals as they were about to go, there were a lot a big breaths. The first 3 racers went...and swam! not a good start and not helping the nerves of everyone else...these were the best boaters in the world! I was up last and by the time it was my turn, there had been 8 swims, I just told myself to go for it and peeled out of the eddy into the current. The first drop was a double drop with two waterfalls, i boofed off the first one and wound up in a boily eddy between the two drops...great!!! It took a few tries and all my strength to get out of the eddy and straight off the next drop, one rapid in and I'm exhausted, awesome! I sucked it up and survived the rest of the run, taking a quick roll on the slide but I was so stoked to make it to the bottom unscathed and still in my boat. I came out with another win so 3 for 3 was a very good place to be half way through the comp.

Next up we drove all the way up to Dolbeau where we were hoping for the giant wave, "Black Mass" to be in. Unfortunately the water levels were a little high so we went for plan B. The locals were expecting a show so we put on a downriver freestyle on a big wave called "Hawaii" it was a really tricky wave but if you timed it just right you could get big air. There were some awesome moves, I struggled to do something awesome but came in second after Katya.

The 5th event was to be another freestyle so the search began for the best wave around. We ended up on a wave they named the "pillars wave" which was actually two waves right after each other under a rail bridge. They were big and fun! I had a bit of a shocker and only got a couple of surfs throwing a few tricks but Katya the freestyle specialist threw the biggest trick of her life and probably of the day, a mega massive air screw, so sick. So another second place for me, Katya taking the win again.

Simon paddling the bottom drop of the Bras Louis on practi

The 6th & final event was an extreme slalom on the Bras Louis in Chicoutimi. We rolled up to the take out, I'm not sure what we expected but everyones jaw dropped as they laid eyes on the final drop of the race section, a massive drop into a slide with an extra meaty hole at the bottom, and this is what we had to paddle at the end when we were exhausted. Well it was in theme, everything else had been full-on so far. I had an increasingly sore shoulder so I was on the fence a little bit about paddling the long course (as I already had enough points to win the comp overall), in the end I decided I didn't want to miss out and went to get ready. At this point I realised my footblocks were still in the hotel room so I raced back to get them (30 mins each way). After a mare trying to get into my room, getting lost on the way back and a 10 min hunt for my paddle, I missed my first run. They had decided by this time that the girls would finish the race just before the final drop so everyone would enter. I went down the course and missed a lot of gates (they were hard) as the water had risen for race day and was moving really really fast. So I was pretty disapointed with my run and decided to make up for it by firing up the bottom drop which was real fun and made me feel much better. MP took down the slalom in the end, and I came in second.

So yeah, sickest event ever!!!!!!!! Huge thanks to Pat, Julie & all the volunteers for putting it together, everyone had an amazing time, the competition has raised the bar for extreme whitewater events and I look forward to seeing all the media coverage that will be coming out and can't wait to see what is in store for next year!

Week 2 - Bahamas!!!

2011-05-11T10:23:00.000-07:00

-Looking up from the depths below

Week one came and went and it was time to get back on the plane for the next destination!!! With a short stop over in NZ I was off to the Bahamas. Five flights later I stepped off the plane onto Long Island. 130km long and about 6km at its widest and home to the deepest blue hole in the world. This is also home to NZ born William Trubridge, a world record holding free diver.

My plan for this part of the trip was to come out here and interview Will and shoot him in his element. Day one started at 10am as we headed down to the Deans Blue Hole for a daily training session and I was keen to check out how I was going to get the shots I needed for the film. I did a bit of diving round the surface and to get an idea of what was going to work.

- Will catching some air after a dive

On the Island right now is a guy called Ken and another guys called Brian. These guys are super nice and cool to hang out with! We went out after the dive to celebrate Brians dive for the day getting a new personal best depth! This was my introduction into Bahamian cuisine - Conk salad and a Conk burger! AMAZING! (Conk is a large shellfish - The shells I saw were bout 20-30cm long!)

In the evening we went down the road to where Will likes to do his yoga and breathing exercises! White lime sand cliffs right on the sea as the sun went down... Priceless!

- Sunset yoga on the coast

Day 2 was time for some dive footage. After filming a bunch with the Gopro underwater on day 1 I noticed the round lens that Gopro have on their cases do not film underwater very well at all??? Seemed strange for a waterproof camera but luckily Will had a case with a flat lens he had from somewhere else and that worked a charm and we got some sweet shots!

The guys dived up and down and I ran around the cliffs and in the water getting everything I could and came away with some great stuff!

-Free dive under the shelf in Deans Blue Hole

Im making the most of the days here and since I had been up to film the sun rise I thought I'd head up the hill and film the sun setting too! Epic days here in the Bahamas!!! These are a few still frames from the footage shot over the past couple of days! Enjoy and keep checking back for more updates!

Cheers

Josh

- Brian, Ken and Will adjusting the bottom plate depth

- The guys swimming out to the platform

River Pro SALE!!!

2011-03-31T16:34:00.000-07:00

CHECK IT OUT!!! Cheap deals on River Pro jackets!!! If you want one get in quick while they are still there and still on sale!!! Check out the Poster for details and get yourself or a friend a present for the upcoming season!!!

Be in Quick!!!

NEW CLOTHING!!!

2011-03-24T20:05:00.000-07:00

- Team design by New Zealand designer Jason Juno

We are stoked to announce that we have just got a run of clothing back from the printers and it looks awesome!!! Check out out H-Clothing page to check it out and order yours!!!

-H-Team hoodie

NZ Freestyle Selections

2011-03-21T22:04:00.001-07:00

- Lou Urwin getting in some practice before she heads to the Whitewater Grand Prix in Quebec - Photo BB

Over the weekend Louise Urwin and Brendan Bayly once again were the event organisers for the NZ Freestyle selections. This was our first year at Hydraulics sponsoring this event and I imagine we will be there in years to come too! I believe there will be a more in depth update coming soon but I could help but steal these photos off Brendan and throw them up! We will have an update with placings and more of a story soon! For now Enjoy and Congrats to all who competed!

- Winner of the Junior Mens - Jaxon Webber (winner of a sweet Hydraulics Play Pro) Photo BB

39 Days till the Whitewater Grand Prix Begins

2011-03-21T19:44:00.000-07:00

In 39 days our H-Team Member Louise Urwin will represent NZ in the first ever Whitewater Grand Prix! Its going to be a huge event and we will have regular updates from lou as she progresses through the event! Good Luck with the training Lou!

-Ben Marr on one of the event waves - HUGE - Photo Tribe riders

"At the start of May, twenty-eight of the world's most talented, most versatile, and most progressive kayakers will compete in a multi-disciplined, 6-stage competition on spectacular whitewater across Quebec . The Whitewater Grand Prix brings together this All-Star group in a unique event whose images and coverage we hope can help kayaking gain more mainstream exposure.

The event includes past and present World Champions of whitewater racing and freestyle, as well as many other present and future stars. With 10 countries represented and many rivalries between the competitors, we all look forward to seeing how each stage plays out.

The races include a Time-Trial down a steep section of slides and waterfalls, a Giant Slalom which will challenge the competitors with the worlds first 18 gate course on class 4/5 whitewater, and an intense head to head down one of Quebec's infamous big volume rapids. The freestyle events will highlight the worlds best wave surfers with events on both mid-sized waves that will allow for tricks to be linked in sequence, and big dynamic waves that will show those with the most control, style, and wave awareness.

After three races and three freestyle contests the Grand Prix World Champion will be crowned.

We are obviously hoping for the normal spring levels that produce the waves Quebec is famous for, but we are running the event with great contingencies in chance of low, medium, or high water.

The Whitewater Grand Prix is hosted by the Québec Whitewater Kayaking Federation and is supported by the Association of Whitewater Professionals (AWP). The Whitewater Grand Prix aims to showcase the sport of whitewater kayaking and some of it's most talented athletes.

Stay tuned for more info as the event approaches."

Words from Whitewater Grand Prix Site

FJ Competition this weekend!

2011-03-14T20:43:00.000-07:00

Hey there! This weekend is the NZ freestyle selections as well as a sweet event and coaching for everyone to enjoy! Come along and get some sweet pointers from some of NZ's best whitewater kayakers and have a go at competing on a great wave! This site is not open often so this is a great chance to get out and surf a sweet wave, learn some new tricks and compete in the event! You may even win some choice Hydraulics gear!!!

Cheers

Josh

Buller Fest

2011-03-13T12:43:00.001-07:00

Alright so it has come and gone again for another year and I must say that it was amazing once again! This was my 9th Buller River Festival but this one was different! Unfortunately this year was my first year not racing due to recent shoulder surgery but I still made the trip and it was so worth while!!!

The weather came to the party for most of it and the sun roared down in between patches of classic Murchison fog and cloud. I left Hawkes Bay on Wednesday morning to pass by the Hydraulics HQ to pick up some spot prizes and some kit for the team and then made my way to the ferry in Wellington. After a meen feed with my bro and his flatties I met up with Sanga and Flick for the 2.25am ferry crossing. By 8am Thursday we made it to Murchison with no sleep and rearing to go for the weekend ahead. While everyone got ready and raced I did some last minute editing to a collaborative film Tyler and I would show that night. Mike D came in with the 1st place spot even though there was 3 others equally able for the spot.

The night kicked off with Zac, Keith and Dylan's East Waikaia Film and then we finished off the showings with a bunch of 2010 missions mixed in to make an epic flick! The rest of the night I will leave up to your imagination..

Saturday morning was the slalom race but a few of us decided to go rest our heads at Maruia Falls while some of the boys hucked it. Some interesting lines but no serious carnage.

Back at the camp people were getting restless for the party planned for the night. The theme was denim and the sneak peaks of costumes I had seen were epic! Again the rest can be left up to you imagination.

Sunday monrning got off to a slower start than the one before with some much needed cold juice and a pie before the events kicked off. This was the fun event and it came in the form for the first time this year as a cardboard cup. Competitors had to make a vessel out of cardboard and race down the river to the camp where we all watched from. it was very funny and entertaining!!

Prize giving went down a treat with some very stoked people winning sweet prizes from great companies such as Bliss-stick, Hydraulics, Skull Candy and many more!!!

THEN... as we were about to set down for a few hours sleep before an early start to make the 8am ferry home we realised that we did not fuel up and that we had 80km of Gas and 120km to the nearest gas station... We decided to get up a bit earlier and go for it and hope for the best. 4am we woke and began the nervous dash via Nelson to get gas! No trouble! We made the ferry and then 12.5 hrs later i made it back to Hawkes Bay where I set in for 2 days rest and recovery! Thanks Ben for once again outdoing yourself and producing a world class event!!!

Cheers to all the friends that come to this event! cant wait to see you all again in a few days, weeks or at Buller Fest next year!

Chur

Josh

Open Horizons Expedition join Team-H

2011-02-27T17:11:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone we are Open Horizons a 2 man tandem sea kayaking team about to circumnavigate mainland Britain to raise awareness and money for the motor neurone disease association. Our names are Aaron Price (23 NZ) and Russell Belcher (23 England) and together with our kayak and a power kite we intend to paddle around Great Britain in 4 months sleeping on beaches and anywhere that will have us. We are both outdoor instructors with a Passion for kayaking and now with hydraulics behind us we have the best kit for the job.

Here is UPDATE 1

-Set to go! Good luck guys!

Just an update before we leave on our adventure Saturday, we have now spent a week together printing and laminating 109 maps of the whole coast of Britain as well as buying and sorting 4months worth of food, this consisted of packing each days rations of pasta and rice in individual bags which although sounds fun is in fact as enjoyable as watching paint dry, this week however has been interesting we've had the fun task of packing the kayak, a 22.5 foot Atlantis synergy is not as easy to find space for all our food as we first assumed its been a challenge but with all dry bags full and cereal bars bursting out of deck holes everywhere we are happy and ready to leave. Obviously were expecting British weather for launch day so rain, wind and more rain but it won't dampen our spirits, so with one huge thank you to hydraulics for all there help we are ready to paddle our way for charity.

Where is Tim Taylor now??

2011-02-06T18:35:00.000-08:00

Yesterday would have been perfect for the crossing, but Tim had to wait for his replacement paddle to arrive from Christchurch. No matter, the weather was good to go for Saturday morning.

Tim's crossing was without incident, taking about 4 hours, after which he stopped for a break and then continued on to Waituna Bay on the western side of Stewart Island. Sixty three kilometres for the day wasn't a bad effort, and the sandflies were there to welcome Tim ashore.

A storm warning for the next few days will keep Tim ashore....there are no people on this part of the island, so he is going to get very bored.

For more go to www.nzkayaker.com

Lou Urwin Selected for 2011 Whitewater Grand Prix!!!

2011-01-26T19:11:00.000-08:00

Looks like the next season is going to start with a roar! The Paddlers selected to compete in the 'Whitewater Grand Prix' have been announced...and I'm going to Quebec!

I'm stoked to have made the cut of 6 women to compete in the inaugural event taking place in Quebec, Canada from the 1st of May. 28 of the top kayakers from around the world will compete in 6 events, 3 big wave freestyle and 3 different extreme races over two weeks to take the title.

The website is sick, so check it out for more info on riders, events, pics, & more: www.whitewatergrandprix.com ....watch this space...

Cheers Lou!

An update from Tim

2011-01-19T20:03:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone, I thought you might all enjoy another update on my travels as I’ve

headed down the country in my colourful piece of plastic. Just before I get into the

details, please excuse me as I sent my diary off to home yesterday (part of my plans

for the book). Consequently I don’t have all the dates, names, and exact places in

front of me so if I get a few things wrong you will have to let them slide.

I headed out from the Ashburton River on Friday the 14th. I had spent a relaxing

couple of days with the Gundry’s (thanks heaps Harley, Alison, and maybe Laura

a wee bit haha) while a little southerly blew through, so I was anxious to get back

on the water and chewing out some miles again. The first obstacle that I had to face

was the shore dump. For those of you who aren’t familiar with one of these, imagine

a single line of surf that break directly onto the shore. These aren’t just a soft little

breaking wave either. They are a solid wall of water that rears up, then smashes down

onto a typically steep beach. To get in and out safely through these, I have to carefully

time the ‘sets’ and make a run for it between the breaks; if I screw it up I will be

pulverised onto shore and then typically dragged back out into it for another round

as they have strong undertows…not nice. On this day I made it narrowly through

and made good time down to the Waitaki River where I camped up for the night. A

massive thanks to the family from the Waitaki River Campground for giving me a

how shower and dinner (sorry I’m really bad with names and I just can’t remember

yours).

Saturday the 15th I got down to Timaru. This section down what is called the

Canterbury Bight, is extremely barren, hence my lack of detail about the paddling. If

you can imagine an endless line of cliffs (only around 20m high) that drop vertically

down onto a short shingle beach, then that’s pretty much what I saw all the way

from Birdlings flat to Timaru. It was more of a mental game that’s for sure as I

often struggled to stay concentrated on my paddling while my mind wandered off.

On paddling into Timaru, I was blown away by the golden sandy Caroline Bay…it

really was beautiful and would be comparable to any sandy North Island beach.

Unfortunately there was a lack of places to camp here, so I tucked myself into a small

beach just a bit further down the coast.

Sunday the 16th I was aiming for Karitane but another southerly stopped me in my

tracks just out from Oamaru. One minute I was gliding along in oily calm seas, but

without warning, a light switch was flicked and in an instant I was battling a 20 knot

headwind and rapidly growing waves. Recognising the trouble that was sure to come,

I ran quickly to shore. Within a few minutes I had been offered 2 separate rides to

get me ‘where-ever’ but none we keen to go as far as Tauranga haha. I was amazed

at the generosity that people just open offered me so good on you Oamaru (this view

hasn’t been changed even after what was to happen overnight). After a lunch break it

felt like the wind had eased, so I jumped back on. I got maybe another 10 kilometres

further south, when it stepped up another notch to become really dangerous so I

decided to call it quits for the day. While I battled my way in a really special thing

happened, something that I will never forget. I was struggling to make shore because

of the wind when suddenly 3 Hectors dolphins appeared. These little guys are always

fun but they never normally stay very long. However today they stayed with me right

to shore, almost a full hour of paddling. It really felt like they were watching out for

me and guiding me in safely because they would often be only an arms distance away,

and they stayed until it got to within only a metre or so deep. This was super spiritual

sort of stuff and while it might sound corny, I openly thanked Tangaroa (god of the

sea) for sending his mates, the dolphins, to look after me.

Monday the 17th I woke up to find I had been robbed overnight. I was packing the

last of my stuff when I noticed my SPOT wasn’t in its usual place. Then I found my

wet paddling clothes were gone, and finally I saw that my helmet with the GoPro

camera was missing. Time to call the police. I was worried that someone could

activate a false search if they set off the EPIRB function on the SPOT, and having

witnessed searches, I know they can waste a lot of time and money…something I was

keen to avoid. The attending officer was really nice and seemed generally apologetic

that such a thing happened in ‘his town’. After getting things sorted I jumped on the

water, all be it a bit late. The weather got really rough today, but luckily it was going

in my direction and I made really quick time down to Karitane. All the way down the

coast was a beautiful mix of golden beaches and rocky cliffs. It reminded me of the

Coromandle back up in the North Island. Unfortunately it was so rough that I couldn’t

enjoy much of it as I had to really concentrate on my paddling. Once in Karitane

I was met by Bill who has been a keen supporter of my trip, and a TV 1 camera

man…apparently news of my robbery had already spread (thanks Grant for putting

out the press release).

After a relaxing night in Palmerston with Bill and his family (another massive thanks

to you for looking after me), I was back on the water at 7 on Tuesday morning. Today

the fog was right down to sea level and visibility was almost zero. I had to get to

St. Clair in Dunedin asap as another southerly front was due to blow through in the

evening. The trouble was that with no visibility I had to literally “kayak by brail”

i.e. when I hit something, I knew to turn. I would be following the shore line when

all of a sudden a big wall of whitewater would explode in front of me as a swell hit

a rock. This was seriously dangerous as I couldn’t plan anything and I expected to

get smashed by a rouge wave at any time. Even getting across the Otago Harbour

entrance was nerve wracking as I expected a containership to loom up at moment.

After lunch I continued around the coast but by now I had lost my nerve…it was

just to dangerous and unpredictable. I turned back, ran for cover, and ended the day

having a big bowl of nachos in at Port Chalmers.

I would like to say a big thanks to all of the people that I have met along the way,

and who have helped me in some way…even just someone to talk to is often a great

boost to my moral so it really means a lot to meet you all. Secondly I would like to

thank my sponsors for helping me sort out my stolen gear. In particular Gary Batey

from SPOT who has now supplied me with my third SPOT unit…I think we all know

how important this technology is to my expedition. Also the team at Waimarino,

and Gareth from Hydraulics who have supplied me with the extra items. Then the

has been the overwhelming support from everyone who has heard about the stolen

items. I have been extremely humbled by the generosity of individuals, businesses and

clubs who have come out to support me. In particular the Canoe and Kayak club from

Dunedin who made a very generous donation of gear and cash…thanks heaps Josh

for your help and also to R & R Sport in Dunedin for the gears. Finally just a quick

word to the people of Oamaru. I want to stress that in no way did that incident have

any reflection on my impression of your town. Theft is a petty crime and can happen

anywhere so it was just unfortunate to have happened here. I will always remember

the image of those dolphins riding in with me into One Day Bay and the generous

offers of transport from complete strangers.

Well that’s about it from me everyone. Ahead of me I have about 9 days of hard

paddling to get down past the Catlins, around Stewart Island, and into Invercargill.

From now on the coastline is stepping up a degree in seriousness so I have a real mix

of fear and excitement. Like the lyrics of a Flight of the Concords song “its business,

its business time”.

Paddle Hard Everyone. Tim.

Photos from Tim Taylors Facebook site. Thanks to whoever was the Photographer.

Expedition meets trouble!!

2011-01-18T14:49:00.000-08:00

Bugger!!!!! Tim woke to find that he had been burgled during the night. Missing was his SPOT tracking device, GO PRO camera & footage, helmet, & some clothing. Not a very nice start to the day, but it is incredible how people have reacted. Tim's sponsors immediately moved to replace the stolen items.

Huge thanks to Gary Batey at Salcom for the new SPOT, to Blair at Waimarino for replacement helmet & camera, & to Gareth at Mission for clothing. There were many others offering all sorts of help which was very appreciated. Thanks to you all.

Meanwhile everyone is now waiting patiently for the thieves to "locate" themselves with the SPOT.

For more info on this trip check out Tim Taylors Website!!!

Lou Urwin Reflections for 2010

2011-01-05T16:05:00.000-08:00

We are stoked to have Lou as part of the H-Team and this is why.. Over the past year shes been on a bunch of full on missions running big waterfalls and big rapids! Check this out and look out for the 2011 reflections as i believe she has some sick stuff planned!

This video was her entry into the TRIBE Whitewater World Champs set to kick off in Quebec in May this year! Good luck Lou!!!

New sea kayak mission sponsored by Hydraulics

2010-12-22T18:33:00.000-08:00

A few months ago I got an email from a couple of ambitious young guys wanting to paddle around Great Britain in their Sea Kayaks assisted with Kites. We decided that this was what we are all about and got on board! In early 2011 Open Horizons intend to circumnavigate Britain in a tandem sea Kayak, They will be relying only on natural elements to complete the challenge. Using the tides and currents as well as specially designed power kites to harness the winds power they estimate this adventure to take 90 days.

Here are a few shots of the guys training and I must say these guys are tough! Training in blizzard conditions while we sit here down in the NZ summer enjoying the sun!

Good luck guys!!

You can follow their mission HERE

-Dark and cold, breaking through the Ice - Photo via Aaron Price

- No more ice to break through - Photo via Aaron Price

-Coming into Harbor - Photo via Aaron Price

- Camp for the night in the snow!!! - Photo via Aaron Price

- Tough guys!!! - Photo Aaron Price

Tim about to leave the North Island!!!

2010-12-22T18:28:00.000-08:00

Tim Taylor is getting it done. He has been on a water for a few weeks now and has knocked off the lower North Island on the East Coast already! Hes not sure where he will be for Christmas just yet due to weather but Im sure hes looking forward to it! Check out www.nzkayaker.com and you can track where he is and how far he has to go! Keep up the great work Tim!

"Today's goal isn't too far...Palliser Bay, about 40 to 50km away. As Tim set off, the wind was rising, and he was to experience one of the worst paddling experiences so far. By late morning he had reached White Rock & had to pull because the wind was so strong it was almost forcing the paddle out of his hands. This was where he met Mr Grumpy.....a local farmer who wasn't too keen on him being there, & encouraged him to move on to the next bay.

So...onwards into the wind & a final stop for the day at Kirikiri Bay, almost but not quite Cape Palliser. Here, Tim met with Shane Sutherland, a fellow kayaker who transported him around to Palliser Bay & a comfortable bed for the night. The tv news is full of stories about wild winds & trees breaking, so tomorrow looks like another rest day. It's anybody's bet if Tim will be in the North or South Island for Christmas day, so mum, dad & sister Steph are not sure what they will be up to at this stage.

Only 22km for the day, but Wellington is now within a day's paddle if the weather is kind."

Tim Taylor sets off around NZ

2010-11-29T18:11:00.000-08:00

Check this link out for the TV3 News video of Tim before he sets off around NZ!

Good Luck!!!

TV3 Video

Tim Taylor set to go

2010-11-17T12:21:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone just another update for Kayak New Zealand.

So with just over two weeks to go, things are getting pretty crazy around here. Fortunately for me, the hard work throughout the year is starting to pay off so its more of an organized craziness rather than just a disorganised mess. But I have to say that I’m loving it.

Training is going full steam ahead and I’ve had some amazing paddles over the last few weeks.

Basically I’m trying to get my body used to longer paddles with a full kayak, all without breaking anything or myself. Its quite a big balancing act with my training; to hard and I wear out, not enough and I get fat. I’m also relying on the fact that I will get fitter once I get on my trip, so as long as I have done ¾ of the work before hand I should be right.

On the organisation front things are looking solid. Nearly all of my sponsored products have arrived and are working well, so its only a few last minute ‘tweaks’ to do and everything will be 100%. I will also include a copy of my updated trip plan with this update, so I’m encouraging you to keep in contact and try and catch up with me when I’m in your part of the country.

Media is also getting hectic. I’ve recently taken on a media advisor, Grant Dyson, to help with the publicity side of things. Already he has proven to be solid gold and we have got some good exposure on radio, in magazines, and on some news websites. It looks like people are starting to pay some serious attention to this expedition and wherever I can I am pushing all of your brands. I have also been taken on by the Bay Fisher Magazine as a monthly contributor. This is a sort of sponsorship/media deal for the trip but it may extend into the future if my writing turns out to be any good. I think this will be a great opportunity to get a heap of exposure.

The other piece of new is also to do with Grant Dyson. After checking out my story and coming on board, he also expressed an interest in co-writing a book with me on my trip. We are currently just starting to piece things together and plan it out but its going to be another exciting adventure I think.

The next thing I want to let you all in on is how to contact me during my trip. I will be carrying my cell phone, my sat phone, a VHF radio, and my SPOT tracking device.

My cell will be next to useless in most places so I wouldn’t recommend that you use it unless you know I’m in a town e.g. when I get to Gisborne.

• My sat phone I will turn on daily at a few selected times, but I will not be openly giving

out this number as it will be primarily for safety communications with my support team.

However I you will be able to arrange with them a time to call me if needed. I am only doing

this because I will be limited on battery life and I won’t always be able to charge it.

• My VHF will only be good to use for line of sight communication e.g. from a boat or when

close to shore. Please contact my support crew to find out where I intend to land e.t.c.

• The SPOT is a satellite tracking device that I have kindly been sponsored by Salcom. Follow

the link on my website to check out where I am at on any given day.

• I will be answering my emails whenever I can but don’t rely on these to be immediate.

My support crews details are...

Lyn and Paul Taylor

Lyn ph) 021 151 1597

Paul ph) 021 897 893

AH ph) 07 579 1293

Work ph) 07 578 7794

email: lyn@bayblinds.co.nz or paul@bayblinds.co.nz

If you have trouble reaching either of them please contact Blair or Charlotte Anderson at Waimarino

Adventure Park on 07 576 4233.

Well thats about all I’ve got time to get down. Make sure you keep in touch and if you require

anything from me just let me know.

Paddle hard everyone.

Tim.

Tim Taylor hunts while training

2010-10-05T15:35:00.001-07:00

- Tim picking up some fish after training

With the wind buggering off and the sunshine coming back out to play it actually feels like summer is on its way back. Unfortunately I’ve noticed a distinct drop in my fitness because of due to the lack of training opportunities over September. Anyways, I don’t care, the sun is shining and I’m loving it at the mo. One thing that the down time in September gave me was the opportunity to pad out my seat. This is now seriously paying off as I have little to no pain in my legs while I’m training, something which has been a serious problem. My basic plan at the mo is to train every second day. This is a mix of 2-4 hour paddles generally centred around the Tauranga harbour or out to Karewa Island. I also got my first big paddle in yesterday (Monday the 4th) in which I went out and around Motiti Island. A trip of some 55 kilometres, that took me about 7 hours. This time is actually means that I went very slow, being about half an hour longer than previous trips, but my shoulders have been playing up lately so I’m not willing to push them too hard just yet. I also managed to sneak in a race a couple of weekends ago. I was the kayaker in a team doing the Grinder Multisport. For the 12km paddle I did a time of 56 minutes, which I was pretty happy about and it helped us to take out the top 3man team.

As for preparation it is pretty hectic. I’ve got around 20 charts on which I’ve plotted out my route, calculated distances, and planned all my overnights. For each of these charts, I’ve gone and photocopied the relevant pieces so that I now have a couple of hundred A4 sized maps which I will laminate to use on my kayak. I’ve also put in my first food order so I’m in the next couple of days I am expecting to be swamped with boxes of freeze dried meals. And amongst all of this I’m finalizing all of the extra bits of gear that I need. Basically it all means that I have plenty of things to keep me occupied when I’m not on the water and honestly I love it!

Paddle hard everyone. Tim.

A paddle and dinner...man my life is hard.

Lou and josh in Thailand

2010-08-13T19:55:00.000-07:00

So it all began in Bangkok when we arrived at 9pm and by 11pm they could still not track down my paddles that were once attached to the kayak and were now missing!!! Finally they told me they would hopefully locate them in the morning and send them the following night to our accommodation!!! From here things pretty much stayed on this level of dissapointment with Tylers gear not turning up and then getting shut down on some of Thailands best waterfalls due to the fact 'its too dangerous'....

- Looking at one we are not aloud to run - Photo Lou Urwin

Im going to leave it there and not go into these stories too much as we have a plan to do a stealth mission through the jungle later in the trip to run these drops and will show you them then!!!

- Where to go next... -Photo Lou Urwin

After all the stress of not kayaking we really needed to kayak so when we found Than Tip waterfall, even though it was not epic, we were keen to get wet at least. Our Kayaking efforts were quickly overshadowed by local kids wearing jeans not only jumping off the rocks into the water but climbing massive trees till the overhung the gorge then dropping in from there...

- Tyler Fox Boofing into Than Tip Waterfall gorge - Photo Toni George

- Josh Neilson on Than Tip - A nice start to the trip - Photo Tyler Fox

After Than Tip Waterfall we headed north for more and more rivers and drops with no water in them. We planned for the rainy season but the rain was not doing its part. That was Until we made it to Si Dit Waterfall. With the threat of getting shut down on yet another waterfall we stealthly unloaded the kayaks and ran them to the waters edge and got in. Lou and Toni went and set up cameras and Tyler and I waited for the go sign. Si Dit was a very un-natural looking drop that looks like you are boofing off a concrete slab but its not. Its a Natural drop with a soft pool at the bottom. Again although there was not heaps of water flowing off it was still a great way to kill the depression of not kayaking.

- Josh on Si Dit Nam Tok - Photo Toni George

- Lou Urwin Boofing Si Dit Nam Tok - Photo Josh Neilson

Josh at the Lip on round 3 - Photo Toni George

- Tyler Fox with Go Pro attached on round 2 - Photo Toni George

- Toni Georges turn, Si Dit, our first good drop- Photo Josh Neilson

One by one we ran the drop and got some sweet angles. After that it was back on the hunt. Next post will have more. Check back soon people...

California 2010

2010-07-24T02:33:00.001-07:00

Having such a stella team of keeners meant that we covered a lot of ground. With lots of paddling to be had in Cali we managed to squeeze in a trip to Vail and check out the Teva Mountain Games. We packed all the gear we needed into Mum and turned east for the long drive to Colorado. Little did we know that we were embarking on a trip of legend. The 'kiwi house' in downtown Vail became quickly known around town. Ryan managed to uphold the 'kayakers' reputation in town and was arrested... but that's an entirely different story.

Doing my best to stay on top of things

Toni George repping hard. Watch this space paddling world

Keeping it road side on I80. Summit Run on the Yuba

Man love in the desert... Hmmm

It was this big....

Downtown Vail. Nice!

In car entertainment kiwi style. Ipod, duct tape and rear vision mirror. Sweet bix!

Back in Cali we were back on the goods scoring more laps on the Upper Middle Consumnes. I finally put my demons to rest on the South Merced with a sweet run down there with Rachel Moore and the always sweet Jamie Garrod.

Joining the dots on the South Merced

Sam Roil choosing life on the Middle Feather

Rachel Moore... not bad for a rafter

Barney and Jordy quite... amazing

No snakes harmed in the publishing of this blog. For real

Team Athlete carbo loading

Slides anayone? Yes please South Merced

Jamie staying out of trouble. Boofing is healthy

Cali kiwi tour 2010

2010-07-14T17:14:00.001-07:00

Still on the injured list these days but to fill in my time I have taken to a serious regime of Facebook, airport shuttles and hiking food and cameras into multi-day sierra runs. Although seriously depressing watching everyone running super stout drops while im behind the camera at least i can still get out there and enjoy some of these amazing places!! beats being in NZ in the cold thats for sure!
Here are a few shots from the Gopro camera from some driving and life on the road! Been on the video camera for the kayaking part so limited in the Photos there but expect some sick stuff in the next film!!
Enjoy
Josh

-Toni trying to fit inside her kayak- not possible

- Mum driving away from the sunset on 99 - Photo Josh Neilson

- After 5 miles hike, Graceland slide is in sight - Photo Josh Neilson

- Go Mum Go! photo Josh Neilson

- Brad smart bringing a mozzy net! These fullas are brutal - Photo Josh Neilson

- Samoa aka Jared Mitchel getting limber before day 2 of west cherry - Photo Josh Neilson

- Practicing his Waka ama - Photo Josh Neilson

- Driving the 99 and missing the turn off to 3 rivers!! whoops! Photo Josh Neilson

- B getting ready to hike down into the slide in the background! MASSIVE!!! -Photo Josh Neilson

- The Greek Adonnis getting his drive on cali style!! no Air con so its HOT!! - Photo Josh Neilson

South Silver- The injured photographers perspective

2010-06-25T10:39:00.001-07:00

Luckily when California was built they made a few rivers with easy access for walkers so when you are injured you can still enjoy the excitement of kayaking but from behind a camera lens! South Silver Creek is a great example of this with a track from top to bottom and easy access on the granite to each of the drops! On Wednesday Toni, Dan and Yan were at the bakery in Coloma (where i spend most of my injured time) and they were heading up there for the day! I Jumped on the opportunity to escape Coloma and head in there! The flow was stull healthy but I personally think this is the optimal flow because it actually has water to paddle on not just rocks!
It true South Silver style i passed on the beta that the first rapid had to be run blind and they took it and ran it sweet!! Its a huge slide about 200m long that runs straight down the middle the whole way!
There was mixed success on all the rapids during the day apart from Toni. This was up there with some of the styliest kayaking ive seen on this river ever!
For more on Toni's Kayaking you can check out her blog at www.toni-george.blogspot.com

Toni getting air on the bottom drop of 'Left Left' - Photo Josh Neilson

- Toni part way into one of the sickest drops on the planet - 'SKYSCRAPER' - Photo Josh Neilson

- Toni on 'Off Ramp' - the second part to skyscraper rapid, manditory at this flow - Photo Josh Neilson

- Yan and Toni trying to figure out the portage - Photo Josh Neilson

- Yan on 'Plastic Surgery' - Photo Josh Neilson

2010-06-18T11:33:00.000-07:00

Tim out testing his kayak in the swell-

So wow what a month May was. After nearly 9 months of drought, along came May and reminded us what rain was. So what have I been up to in my preparation for my expedition? Well the big news is that my website nzkayaker.com is now fully up and running. This was an amazing experience to learn how it all happens, and I’m proud to have a place to finally show off all of my sponsored gear. I also had my vehicle sign written. Apart from slowing down my driving a bit, it makes me feel like things are just that wee bit more professional.

- Some of NZ's Beautiful coasline!

In between all of the rain I managed to get a fair amount of kayaking achieved. The big trip for the month was to paddle out to Mayor Island, which has been a dream of mine for ages. So you may ask “what is so special about this island?” Firstly it is 21 nautical miles off shore from Tauranga. To you landlubbers this is a distance of 38.9km. Secondly it is a privately owned island with complete pest free status. This means landing is permitted only with prior permission from DOC and if a DOC quarantine officer is present on the island.
So roughly 40km, not a big deal under usual circumstances. But when you are this far off shore there is nowhere to hide, and no one to come to the rescue. The trip took me 5 and 1/2 hours, and I was buggered by the time I landed. I had to deal with 15kn winds and a 2m swell so it was a real battle but strangely the worse it got, the more I loved it haha. Even the kayak seemed to love the waves. So much so, that she earned her new nickname ‘Waverly’.

Waverly up on the sand!

Arriving at the island around lunch, I got my kit sorted with DOC then spent the rest of the avo just cruising in around the island. I caught fish, played with the seals, and generally just enjoyed life. After camping the night in Sou West Bay, I had to endure the same trip all the way back. This time the swells were so big that a passing boat couldn’t even come along side me for fear of capsizing. But as we all know, you just put one stroke in after another and eventually you will get somewhere. For me that somewhere was a comfy couch and with a large pizza haha.

Paddle hard everyone.
Tim.

Lou and Josh up in Quebec

2010-05-19T09:52:00.000-07:00

-Josh Neilson on the Autoboof - Photo Tyler Fox

So Lou and I have been up in Quebec for a little over a week now and it is producing the goods! we have had a couple of days off but mostly lots of sick kayaking! We have both updated our own blogs with some sweet shots and stories so check those out for the full stories!

Lou's are on www.louiseurwin.blogspot.com

Josh's on www.whitewater-koa.blogspot.com

Enjoy!!!!!

- Josh Neilson on the autoboof - Photo Dave Crerar

Hydraulics welcomes Tim Taylor and his big adventure!

2010-05-10T19:37:00.000-07:00

Hi folks my name is Tim Taylor, and it is my goal to complete the first solo circumnavigation of New Zealand by sea kayak. This is the first instalment from me so basically I thought I would let you all know who I am and what I’m about.
My background in kayaking started when I was 12. I was introduced into the sport by Rob Sperling, a teacher at Tauranga Boys’ College and from the moment I got into my first white-water boat I was hooked. I was fortunate to kayak throughout the country, and like most junior kayakers I was selected for the New Zealand Junior Development Squad where I represented NZ in Australia. I was also an avid white water paddler and it got to a stage where I would try almost anything as long as it was in a boat...

I can honestly say that I don’t know where the first idea of kayaking around New Zealand came from. It was something that I often thought about during some of the long slalom sessions. One day I mentioned this idea to a few friends and they all had a good laugh at me. It was casually remarked that it had been done before so it wasn’t worth doing. I promptly forgot about it.
After high school I completed a Bachelor of Viticulture and Oenology at Lincoln University, graduating in 2008. I then worked in various jobs in the wine industry, travelled, and generally had a good time. During one of those good times, somewhere on beach in Greece, I brought up my old dream with a mate. Once again it was laughed at. However this time I could not get it out of my mind so on my return home in December 2009 I decided to do something about it. All it took was a quick trip down to see my mate Blair at Waimarino Adventure Park and I had my first sponsor.
Since that day in December everything has felt like my first time on white-water...there have been new skills to learn, fears to conquer and laughs to be had. Over the Christmas break I decided to commit myself to the idea 100% so I left my job, much to the displeasure of my boss. I figured that I’m going to attempt a 5500km kayak around the country in a time frame of less than 6 months, so I better not attempt this half-arsed. I have been training ever since.
So what’s been happening so far? Well January and February were the learning months. Having never spent much time in a sea kayak there was a lot that was new. I basically just paddled for extensive periods of time and picked it up as I went. For each kayak that I tried, I tested it on flat water, in the harbour, and out in the ocean. From this experimentation I learnt some of the necessary skills and I started to figure out what I liked and disliked in a kayak. I also got very fit very fast. However this was not to last as I simply burned out. Late in February I was averaging 40 kilometres a day, sometimes pushing 50, and generally thinking about how I was the man (typical misguided male thought). But then one day I got smashed, really smashed. This happened as I was coming in through the surf. At the time I still had no significant experience in my sea kayak in the surf so when a wave picked me up, all I could do was hold on. First my deck got imploded, then I got rolled, but through it all I managed to stay in the kayak. Scrambling to keep a hold of everything and stay upright in the now submerged kayak I didn’t notice a second wave as it crept up on me. This time I couldn’t hold it. Final count for the day was the loss of my GPS and my Oakley’s while looking like an amateur in front of everyone on the beach. This was a very expensive day, and a hard way to learn the lesson that I have to tie every piece of gear on when sea kayaking. Just to add insult to injury, the following day I got knocked out while guiding a raft on white water. So much for being ‘the man’, as it was clear that I letting little mistakes do some serious damage. It took me a couple of weeks to get over that one weekend.

March and April were the professional months. I sat down, had a good hard look at the way I had been approaching things, and decided I could do better. To start with I scaled back the training but made it more efficient. A simple example of this was I started to use the quote “make every stroke count”. I learnt that it was better to do 30kms at sea and having to work, rather than doing 35kms on a flat lake and coasting along. I also wasn’t getting as burnt each time I went for a paddle so I started to look forward to it more. I also spent a lot more time practicing in the surf and so far this has been paying off. As well as training I started work on obtaining sponsors. This involved a huge amount of paper work, emails and phone calls. I had to develop presentations to give to potential sponsors and work out a plan on how to approach them. I felt like a school boy again when I came to ringing up Mission, asking in a squeaky voice if I could send them through a proposal. It was even worse ringing them back haha. Thankfully I must have been doing the right things because by the start of May I was sitting in a Mission ECO BEZHIG, and wearing a full kit of Hydraulics gear. Sweet.
So what is May all about? This month it is all about getting out there, being seen, and testing my new gear and so far that plan is working out pretty well. In the next few updates ill start to fill you in on my expedition, as well as any adventures that I have along the way.
At this point I would like to thank the team at Mission and Hydraulics for their generous offer of sponsorship and for helping to sort out all the gears, the new kayak, and for welcoming me into the Mission and Hydraulics Teams. Lastly I would just like to extend an invite to all of the kayakers of NZ to come out for a paddle. Winter is a great time to learn some new skills, test yourself, and realise that the water is normally a lot warmer than everything else outdoors.

Paddle hard.
Tim.

Lou Urwins trip into the Kimberleys!

2010-04-27T14:39:00.000-07:00

The Gang - Timmy, Sean, Anthony, Jesse, Soph, Max, Lachie, Adriene, Tyler, LU, Ashley - Pic By Lachie Carracher

Sorry about the wait folks, it’s been a few weeks since I returned to NZ from the Kimberley Expedition in Australia and we’ve been on media standby while we sort out exclusive rights etc… to the thousands of amazing photo’s we took on the trip. This isn’t over yet but I thought I’d fill you all in and post a few D-roll snaps before I head on my next mission.

Local Kids at Barnett Station, keeping our seats warm till we flew in..

It was a long drive from one corner of oz to the other, we ended up driving over 10,000km without air con through the desert so there was a lot of sweating on each other and ice-block stops.

In Fitzroy Crossing the plan of attack was, fly to Barnet Station, start the expedition on Barnet Creek, which after a good days paddle will flow into the Han River and after 3-4 days the Han will flow into the Fitzroy where we were looking for sick waves to surf. It’s the start of February, the wettest month of monsoon season so we are expecting some big storms while we’re in there and the river which is currently lower than we were expecting should rise quite rapidly. This is to be the first peak flow descent of the Fitzroy and the first big wave exploration in Australia.

Campsite#1, Soooo good to finally be at the river.

With the standard last minute dramas, our only key for the van snapping in half and missing our first plane, it was a bit of a rough flight from Fitzroy crossing but we finally landed in Barnett Station. We were picked up by a local, thrown on the back of a Ute and dropped at the river bank….perfect! Finally!!!! We were at the river! Not only that, we were at a primo swimming hole where Jesse caught the first fish of the trip and we could chill for the night before our first side mission the next day.

Day 1, LU - The Gruelling Hike to the waterfall!

Day 1 - As much as we wanted to get going downstream, we had been told of a sweet waterfall further upstream and we couldn’t resist checking it out. Only a few Km’s was the good word so we began the upstream paddle, eddy-hopping between trees, hiking, and dragging boats in the brutal heat and after a gruelling 5hrs! found the waterfall. Pretty cool drop, about 50ft in total, 20ft sloper and 30ft vertical. Although a bit on the low side so the sloper was pretty mank. With all of us completely exhausted from the walk in and beating sun, we pulled the pin and paddled back to camp through a few cool G3-4 rapids, dreaming about how good the dry mouldy wraps and cheese were going to be when we got back. We stopped for just long enough to make our dreams come true before the whole team took downstream a couple of km’s before dark….we were off.

After 5hrs of sweating and walking, we made it to the Waterfall at Mannon Gorg

It didn’t take me long to become the first casualty on our first night on the river. Took a small chunk of my thumb nail off whittling a wooden spoon with a big ass knife, nothing a bit of superglue couldn’t fix but that stuff stings bad…

Limbo, river style, dealing with tree choked sections...

Yeah, this raft was a bit higher than the previous, not so successful.

Thousands of bats...gross! Their poop is really acidic so this also meant we couldn't drink the water when they were around.

Day 2 - A good days paddling brought us to the Han where we spotted our first Goanna and baby Croc at the confluence. The Barnett had been quite full of trees, which is a lot of work guiding the rafts through, whereas the Han opened out a bit and was more of a Canyon. Was nice to hit some rapids nice G2-3 stuff so all manageable in loaded rafts. We found a nice clean 13ft river wide waterfall so decided to set up camp that I called the mansion. It had it all, four different levels of flat rock, a clear creek running through for drinking and a cliff to jump off for a dip, and of course the waterfall. We ran some laps before dinner, unfortunately I hurt myself again, landing hard on my edge and hurt my back, geez what state am I gonna be in after a month?...Had a bit of rain in the night, a third of our shelter turned into a puddle so was a cosy wet sleep.

LU, The Upper Han, woo-hoo no trees and best of all...RAPIDS!

LU, Waterfall at camp, Han creek.

Spot the shelter...the Mansion campsite, beautiful!

Day 3 - Turns out the Han was full of goods. Solid G4 steep rapids, we were moving pretty slowly as we had to scout and although we ran most of the rapids with the rafts, we had to unload them for a couple of the drops, this soon zaps your energy in the incredible heat which was above 40 degrees C. every day. The highlight of this day (and in hindsight probably the best drop of the whole trip) was a 20ft super clean river-wide waterfall. We did a few laps, before the sketchiest moment of the trip, Lachie tried to throw a freewheel but was too far centre and got trashed real hard, he disappeared for a while before the yard sale of gear slowly appeared, including him. A bit scary but he was fine. I was worried about my back which was pretty sore but didn’t want to miss out on the fun and was all good.

One of many production lines, loading up rafts...just another daily chore.

Raft the impossible, it was too hot and difficult to carry rafts so we just ran everything.

LU - More goods on the Han, we actually weren't expecting this part of the trip so have so many sweet rapids.

LU, landing off 18ftr

The river soon became braided and full of trees so we had to concentrate on getting the rafts through, with the kayakers leading the way and probing the different channels. We soon got our first decent rain storm, it was pretty amazing making our way through corridors of trees in the downpour with the thunder & lightening. The storm passed over and darkness wasn’t far away, it was tough to spot a campsite in the swampy landscape but we found a flat clay spot to stay, problem was, Tyler had taken a different channel when probing and was no-where to be seen. I took off downstream to find him but after paddling for a while, I hadn’t come to the confluence and couldn’t find him. Since darkness was setting in, I went back for supplies and reinforcements and Sean and I headed off downstream again. With a lot of Marco-polo style yelling, we eventually found Tyler who had decided he was there for the night. We stashed our boats and made it back to camp just in time for dinner, learning a good lesson about staying together, especially in the maze of trees. Huge day and the Strive Lentil Dahl was amazing

Another morning in paradise, except for the potential hazard of the clay rain ditch

Another highlight for me, the aboriginal artwork was pretty spectacular!

Day 5 – A bit further downstream the trees disappeared and the river opened up to a gorge again with plenty of G3-4 rapids. We didn’t have to portage rafts or gear so was a bit more of a cruisier day. I spotted my first big croc, just saw it’s head which was massive before it disappeared. We stopped and hung out at a beautiful waterfall on the side of the river, caught & ate some fish, and enjoyed the fresh drinking water as opposed to the dirty brown river water we usually drank. I hadn’t hurt myself for a couple of days so an ear infection came on, stink. Further downstream we hit trees again and experienced another storm while setting up camp. Seems like evening storms are the norm. We had been hoping for some big full on rapids in Moll Gorge today but looks like the rapids we did today were it L The hardest days are about to begin…1-2 days battle through approx 50km of pandanus and hardwood trees…

Another Catch for Jesse...lunch :)

Day 6 – Well the good news was that there wasn’t too much pandanus, unfortunately there was plenty of hardwood, paperbark and eucalyptus to battle through. Highlight of my day was when Timmy was unsnagging the raft and freaked when he felt something brush past his leg…hmmm. The GPS reported that we made it 25km so hopefully only one more day of trees as everyone is exhausted, although the word is that it could be 2hrs or 2 more days. We set up camp in a clay rain ditch and although there was thunder and lightening all night long, we were lucky it didn’t rain.

Another day in the trees...

5am daily starts, waiting for the coffee to brew.

Day 7 – It was pretty disheartening when we had paddled 4 ½ hrs, stopped for lunch and checked the GPS that said we still had 25km to go…We paddled for 8 ½ hours solid, the landscape started to open up a bit so it was decided that we had about 6km to the confluence of the Fitzroy. This gave us a second wind so we paddled for another hour but had to set up camp again before dark. There are a few ear infections going around and everyone is pretty exhausted and looking forward to staying in one spot for a few days, hopefully with a sweet wave....no rain today..

Where are we? how far to the next gorge? where will the waves be? when will the trees end? an exciting part of new expeditions....maps, love em!

Day 8 – Hooray, the trees are nearly over, I woke up with heaps more energy, I think I’d finally recovered from the hike to the waterfall on the first day and had a good sleep. Spirits were up a bit all round knowing we would get to Sir John Gorge today where we would stay in one spot for a bit with NO TREES! We were looking for a confluence where the little Fitzroy River met the Han and that is where the mighty Fitzroy begins. Adriene & I took off downstream to film/photo the team hitting the confluence but instead came to the first rapid of Sir John Gorge…hmmm, the Little Fitzroy was so “little” that we had missed the confluence. The Fitzroy is looking a bit on the low side so here’s hoping we get some solid rain for the big waves we are looking for.

Confluence? We unexpectantly hit the first rapid of Sir John Gorge which meant we were on the Fitzroy river.

After a couple of rapids we spotted what is known as the ‘Barramundi pole’ this is the point where the barramundi stop coming upstream and a sign that we are definitely in the gorge, should be good fishing from here. We took a break and wandered around the cliffs looking for rock art and doing some fishing, not too successful but may have had something to do with the big croc swimming around in the pool below. We carried on downstream through G2-3 rapids, keeping an eye out for spots where big waves might form when the river goes up. About a km downstream we decided to set up camp where we had a couple of good potential wave spots up and down stream, we wouldn’t stay here long though since it’s too hot baking on the rocks, very little shade. My ear infection and back were feeling better today so my super glued thumb started to hurt, kept me awake some of the night, a bit worried it might be getting infected….and so we wait for the rain…

The Barramundi Pole, confirmation that we were in St John Gorge and that hopefully the Barra will start to bite.

Day 9 – Another Blazing hot day, the river had dropped so a few of us went for a hike upstream back above the barra pole to find some billabongs. It was an exhausting walk in the heat but was nice to escape into the shade and pools. We floated back down the river to camp all huddled in a group for croc protection, although I couldn’t quite bring myself to float down the rapid we saw the croc in the day before. I was awake most of the night, my thumb is swollen and I can’t believe how painful a thumb can be.

Home, about a third of the way down the gorge, we set up camp and waited for the rain to come...and waited...and waited.

Day 10 – After a horrible sleep that even Valium & Voltaren didn’t help, I started taking antibiotics for the infection, which was becoming more swollen and sore as the day wore on. We all packed up camp and headed downstream in search of a shadier camp site. We were about a ¼ of the way down the gorge so didn’t want to go too far in case the good waves formed upstream. Boz and I took off downstream and found a pretty mint flat ledge, nice and high up with a stream nearby, sandy beach and a pet crocodile in the pool below, home for the next week.

Home, about a third of the way down the gorge, we set up camp and waited for the rain to come...and waited...and waited.

Day 11 – A miserable day for me, I was in a lot of pain from the pressure in my thumb, pretty much just hid out in the shade with Adrienne who has a nasty rash. Getting stuck into painkillers…wishing antibiotics would take effect. Some of the guys went wave hunting downstream, found a small wave but not very retentive, the consensus is that we need a lot more water. The good news was that after the river dropping a few feet over the last few days, finally it rained! We were all so stoked running around in it like a pack of crazies, it didn’t last too long but hopefully enough to bring the river up a bit.

Our pet croc...

Day 12 – Another painful night for me, even the Valium wasn’t knocking me out. The river came up a little from the rain but still nowhere near enough. I hid out again in my misery until I absolutely couldn’t take it anymore and Adriene volunteered to poke a hot needle through my nail to relieve the pressure. I squirmed like a baby, but it was instant relief as tonnes of stinky pus and blood rushed out, hurt like crazy as she squeezed out more gunk but afterwards was considerably less painful than before (thanks A), gonna lose the nail for sure.

Our little oasis, thank god!!! I may have died from the heat if it wasn't for this stream!!

Day 13 – It’s pretty spectacular from our ledge at night, every night it looks like rain, we get a wicked thunder and lightening show from some direction, while above are the stars in a clear sky. Even if the rain doesn’t make it to us, we like to think that it’s pouring into the catchment somewhere upstream. This night we got rain though, our shelter even survived the winds. In the morning the river was up just over where it was when we arrived and our little stream nearby had turned into a beautiful swimming hole and waterfall, the perfect daytime refuge. All we need now is maybe another 10 ft…sigh…we’re definitely getting worried about whether we’ll get the water we want before we leave, wet month…yeah right…still time though, we have another 4-5 days waiting in this spot before we have to carry on downstream.

Above the waterfall, the perfect clear pool.

More Aboriginal rock art...looks like a diver or something???

Day 14 – Another typical day at base camp, wake up to flies all over us at sunrise after a night of sweating, then turn into a bag liner mummy till you can’t take the heat any longer. Migrate up to the ledge with thermarest and proceed to lie up there and get destroyed by flies while some are on fire lighting, tea, coffee and breakfast. Drink coffee and wake up, eat oats while complaining and joking about it, laughing at Timmys face while he chokes them down. Sweat some more. Do an activity, play cards, read, check out paintings, fish, make lunch, sweat a lot more. If staying at camp, shade pretty much disappears around 12pm so the avo is usually a trip to the waterfall/swim hole till around 4:45pm when shade comes back. Have dinner while getting dive bombed by beetles, lie on ledge and sweat, go to bed and sweat…dream about it raining.

Camp...note the pully system up to the ledge, we had it all tricked out thanks to Timmy.

The trap, Goanna getting stuck into a fish head.

Caveman Lachie lining up the Goanna

Missed...but he hasn't given up yet, kaept us entertained for a good 15 mins as he chased it through the water and up the cliff on the other side.

Day 15/16 – Same thing different day…although since my thumb is starting to get better, I’m now getting a rash…awesome!

Typical morning at camp...

Tyler & Timmy found a wave, a bit smaller than we were looking for......like by at least 10ft

Lu & Adriene in the kitchen where all good women should be...yeah right!

Day 17 – I was missing being in my kayak so Tyler & I went exploring downstream, paddled a couple of rapids and met up with Timmy and Jesse for some fishing. Was nice to have a change of scenery, catch Brim, catfish and something else with big eyes, no sign of the elusive Barra though. Jesse and I carried on downstream to check out some paintings and paddle a few more rapids and it rained…yes! Unfortunately, I took a took a tumble carrying my kayak over slippery rocks and twisted my ankle. Meantime Tyler & Timmy walked up a stream and found a beautiful water hole, a little oasis.

Tim, Ty, Jesse & LU fishing trip, we decided that maybe the elusive Barra that we'd heard so much about, didn't actually exist in this river.

We had a group meeting in the evening, Time was running out and we’d had a weather update from Mikhaila via sat phone that told us there wasn’t much chance of rain. It was time to re-evaluate. We had 7 days left and it would take 5-6 days to get to Fitzroy crossing where we would be finishing the trip. Some people really wanted to head off so the decision was made, to some disappointment to pack up and head off the next morning.

Jesse, checking out more rock art.

Day 18 – I feel like I’m gonna miss this place, feels like it’s been home for ages. My rash was quite bad today, even on the palms of my hands and soles of feet, so weird.

After going over the camp with a fine-tooth comb, we were confident we had left no trace and set off from camp. When departing I had a moment of realisation that we weren’t going to get what we set out for, as much as I’d clung to hope, the elusive big-water and big waves we had hoped to surf were not meant to be. At that moment I resolved to take in what I could of my surroundings and enjoy the paddle out, afterall we were in a beautiful place.

With not enough rain, we left base camp to explore what the rest of the river had to offer.

The nicest place of all, the pool was so beautiful and clear that it was tough to drag ourselves out.

The rest of the gorge had some fun grade 3-4 rapids, which were probably a lot bigger before the water had dropped. Lachie snapped his paddle just before an undercut so was a little sketchy but he pulled it off. We found a massive cliff jump, Max managed to get about 3 ½ rotations before destroying himself on the landing, he was winded and wasn’t quite the same after that, residing to a raft. We figured that we had a few days to paddle out with a couple more potential gorges, including Diamond gorge and the famous Geike.

Coming to the end of Sir John Gorge

LU, the river level was dropping but the rapids were still fun.

Spot Max doing a triple flip off the cliff, he was shitting blood a few days later.

Spot LU

We were lucky to just come away from the trip with just a broken paddle, no other major equipment malfunctions.

Day 19-22...Trees, the battle of the trees commenced, with the lower river level, the trees really choked up the river. We often had to get out and drag rafts back upstream, under trees and over shallow spots, I found this especially stink cause I had jumped in the raft because of my busted ankle and this was probably the downer point of the trip for me, feeling a bit useless and uncomfortable, especially gutted that I couldn’t sit in my kayak so it was all raft all the time. Lachie managed to go all crocodile Dundee and catch a goanna, which was actually pretty tasty, tastes like chicken…of course.

Diamond Gorge, beautiful and unfortunately flat :(

We were still clinging to hope that Diamond Gorge would hold some big rapids but although beautiful it was flat as a pancake. It was pretty sad to see where the surveyors had made markings for a potential dam, and the reality of the threat the Kimberley was under set in.

Out come the maps again, only a couple more days to go...

During the paddle out, there were less springs to gather water and the quality of the Fitzroy water was dropping as the amount of cows and bats on the river banks increased. Often thirsty, rationing our water, spirits were plummeting as the river opened up to long flat stretches which were pretty devastating in the heat.

Tyler & Jessa, and the livin is easy...

There was some relief however, when the river changed it’s style and wove through a narrow section with rocky outcrops which formed some fun grade 3-4 rapids. It was a a bit of a slap in the face seeing the high water marks along the shore/walls, at least we can try and imagine how much water tears through the gorges. We managed to get one of the rafts nicely stuck in one rapid which was actually entertaining working ourselves out…..the little things at this point.

The landscape changes again as we head towards Geike Gorge

Note the high water line, what a tease!

Eagle - there was a lot of wildlife - birds, kangaroos, lizards, snakes, also heaps of cows but they don't count.

People!! It was a sight for sore eyes, we helped this aboriginal family get their truck out. You'll see by the wheel he's trying to dig it out.

More flat water…..

The rowdy cockatoos.

More trees....

Lachie finally caught a Goana, tasted like chicken...or fish.

Dinner time - Adriene protecting herself from the dive bombing beetles.

Our final landmark, Geike gorge , completely flat but beautiful, crazy rock and caves, there are commercial boat trips run here from Fitzroy crossing so we knew we were close to the end of our adventures. We also knew the the chance of running into a scary salty croc was now a possibility. It was decided that we would spend the night here and paddle out the next day.

Sean - Gieke Gorge, the end of the rapids and one days paddle out left, hiding out in the shade waiting for the sun to go down a bit before setting up camp.

Lachie - Geike Gorge

After over a week with no rain, in one final haha gesture, the skies opened up on us during the night. The wind was insane, sand annihilating us, it’s a miracle we didn’t lose any gear, we had decided to sleep under the stars as we had become accustomed to but dove for cover under the ground tarps and then scrambled to set up shelter. With everything soaked and covered in mud, we sat awake, drinking the rain water, watching the river levels (we were on a flood plane) and appreciating the irony in it all before eventually crashing for our last night in the Kimberley.

Mega Storm, typically, the best storm and most rain we had came on our last night in the flat stretches.

Adriene and here friend 'turtle baby'

Day 23 - After scouring the area for wind-swept gear, I finally got to jump back in my kayak for the final leg, a few more small creeks joined the Kimberley and the flat water turned into slow moving water for a swift paddle to the take-out. After a few hours, we had reached our destination although it looked completely different to when we left, the shore was about 50m closer, crazy!!! Wet season….yeah right!

Pelican

We made it, the river is a lot lower than when we left, time for refreshments!

After picking up cars and packing gear, we were all pretty excited to get to a servo to purchase our hearts desires…mine was liquid, lots of liquid, powerade, chocolate milk, red bull, slushie, I wanted it all.

Next stop Broome, a backpackers with a shower, internet, pool and kitchen, everything we wanted. After a few days of tending to our wounds and adjusting back to civilisation, it was time to see off Soph before carrying on a tour of the west coast on our way back top Melbourne. A few days in perth seeing off Max & Tyler and it was onwards to find some waves…finally!!!

Apparently it’s tough to get access to the beach on the west coast of oz, and you aren’t allowed to sleep at them. How do you know you’re not in NZ anymore?….you got a fine for sleeping in a carpark…..rough!

Eventually we worked our way far enough south and got a couple days of waves in which was sweet before the haul across the south to make it to the airport in time to drop of Adriene and I.

Timmy - The surf tour home along the west coast was a sweet way to break up the drive and get in our boats, we got a few big waves afterall.

It was pretty unreal saying goodbye to these people that you had lived so intimately with for over a month. It was amazing to get to know these people and make some more lifelong friends, the beauty of the whitewater world is that I know I’ll see them all again and it’s a lot easier to say catch ya later than goodbye.

Many people have asked me how the trip was…. It’s difficult to sum up such a long intense journey. All in all, it was disappointing that we didn’t get the water we were expecting and so didn’t find any big waves or get to paddle any other creeks, but we still found some awesome rapids, wildlife, aboriginal history and spent a month in one of the most spectacular places I’ve been with some fantastic people. There were tough times for us all but at the end of the day it was an amazing experience, I believe we were probably the first group to paddle all the rapids, I learnt a lot and hopefully when the rains do come the Kimberley reveals some big waves. Meantime lets hope that the dam proposals for the Fitzroy don’t get the go ahead as it would be a huge shame to lose such an untouched piece of paradise.

Photo's by - Louise Urwin & Tyler Fox

HYDRAULICS Photo competition!

2010-03-28T22:19:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone check out this photo competition! Add photos to our Facebook group page and be in to win some great prizes!
So get out there and get snapping! Or gets into your archives and hunt out your best shots to be in to win!
Cheers
The H-Team

Fitzroy River

2010-02-01T22:07:00.001-08:00

Hey Yo

After a 5 day drive across Australia, we’ve finally made it to Fitzroy Crossing, and laid eyes on the beast. It’s Chocolate brown, big, fast, flowing through tree tops and will most likely get bigger. Woo Hoo…one more sleep till we’re off, I can’t wait to watch the planes fly off and get to our new home for the next month, the banks of the Fitzroy River. Feels like it’s been a long time coming after the mega hot drive across 5000km of desert. To see what we’ve been up to so far, check out my blog, www.louiseurwin.blogspot.com

We fly out to the river at the crack tomorrow morning so from here on in we’ll be sending updates via sat phone. You can follow our progress at www.kayakthekimberley.com

Here begins the adventure, fingers crossed for sick waves, big rapids, beautiful scenery & culture and minimal crocs, flies, snakes & spiders…good times!

ChurLU :)

2010-01-31T17:40:00.001-08:00

-Coming soon to DVD - 'REALM' April 2010

Hey there everyone! So another year has passed and its time to get into the next chapter of Southern Underground Production life! Over 2009 the film crew followed 4 kiwi mates around the world through the seasons they love and shares with you how each of them lives throughout these seasons. It follows Lou Urwin and Josh Neilson as the Northern Hemisphere spring kicks off exploring new rivers up in Quebec in Eastern Canada. While they were here Sam Sutton and Mike Dawson were preparing for the Northern race season which kicked off in Vail, Colorado for Teva Mountain Games where Mike took the grand prize!
After that we all headed to Ivrea, Italy for Teva Outdoor Extreme Games with more wins for the SUP Crew and NZ taking out the World Extreme team Champs!
Some of the crew parted ways here and Sam and Josh Headed to Norway for Voss Extreme week where we raced, partied and ran some sweet rivers (seen in cover shot for 'Realm' - Sam Sutton Double Drop). While we were up there Lou Urwin was back in Canada surfing the big waves of the Ottawa followed by a trip West to run drops in British Columbia and Mike was in training again for the Sickline World Extreme Champs in Austria! After Norway Sam also Returned home to train and Josh headed out to Africa to surf the big waves on the White Nile and document his part that Southern Underground Productions has in raising money for Soft Power Health Clinic on the banks of the Nile.
Now the whole crew is back in New Zealand running the clean clear waters and big drops that we call home! Already firing up Tree Trunk Gorge, Aratiatia, the lower Kaituna gorges and Huka Falls at some ridiculous flows! So this is what you can expect to see in SUP's new Film 'Realm' coming soon in March/April 2010!

Thanks Very much to Everyone who has made this film possible!!!

Bliss-Stick Kayaks
Keen Footwear
Smith Optics
Canoe and Kayak NZ
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Uganda

2010-01-19T17:18:00.001-08:00

Ever since I was a little paddling grommet I have always looked at images from the White Nile and dreamed.... one day, when I grow up I want to go to Africa and paddle on the Nile... surf big waves and get trashed in big holes.

My last big mission of 2009 took me to the Dark Continent. With six weeks until I was due to start work in Murchison (NZ) I flew back to NZ, said gidday to Mum and picked up my brand new Bliss-Stick Smoothy care of the boys at.. you guessed it, Bliss-stick. With only a few days in NZ it was just enough time to really mess with my body clock before I headed out to Uganda.

It's like a cat only bigger

48 hours of travel (22 in Jo'Berg airport) had me standing outside Entebbe Airport in the dark looking for my driver... Robert. Funny thing is, none of the 50 men standing in front of me looked like a 'Robert'. After some broken English and a few dodgy conversations I was whisked to the car park to our waiting car. Robert gave me my first introduction to African 'innovation'. He placed some cardboard (African roof rack) on the roof of his Toyota pulled out some string, tied down my shinny new Smoothy and we were 'good to go'.

T.I.A

keeping it rural

rush hour traffic again! what a chore

3 short hours and 1475 pot holes later we pulled into my new home away from home, Nile River Explorers (NRE). No sooner had I stepped from the car, Josh Neilson and Bernard Oliver thrust funnel (beer bong) into my weary hands and said "welcome to Uganda".

Big Sky Country

Dropping Murch Falls
photo: Josh Neilson

The Nile River the world's longest at 6,695 kilometers long (the Waikato is 425km long). Due the dam being built at 'Silver Back', the Nile was kept at a relatively low 700 cumecs (the Waikato usually runs around 250 cumecs). Most of the paddling is done in the top 45km's as the Nile leaves Lake Victoria. Here the river is broken down into two different sections. NRE is situated over looking the river about 5km down on the 1st section which is referred to as the day one section.

Life in Africa is very simple and runs at a pretty mellow pace...unless you're near the NRE bar.

Most days consisted of being woken too early by the screaming village children that lived on the other side of the fence (seriously, they got going at 6am most days). Cooking for yourself is almost illegal in Africa so you'd stroll across the road to one of the many chapati stands (fried flat bread with your choice or fillings) and would cost you a whopping 700 shillings or about 50cents kiwi. From there it was back to NRE to re-live the night before (especially if Timmy Flowers or Fraggile had been in town).

Eden Sinclair getting some local beta @ Itanda Falls

Josh Neilson working on more frequent flier miles

The original Commercial Hotel

After that the big decision needed to be made. Where shall we paddle today. Most of the time we would opt for the Silver Back run from the NRE base down to a take out just below the infamous Silver Back rapid 5km down stream. If you were feeling a little more energetic then you would join the raft trip and head downstream about 25km to Itanda Rapid.

African fashion. Move over Trinny and Susan. Introducing Berno and Josh

Ummm, you had to be there.

If you chose to run Silver Back then it was time to tag into the local transport option. Boda boda (100cc motorbike). Another trip back to the gate (NRE is like a poor man's gated community Africa style) and about 25 guys on motor bikes would rush you vying for your custom. Every day they pretty much would run you over trying to get your precious shillings. A time would be made to meet at the take out and then it was time to go kayaking.

Paddling on the Nile feels likes paddling in a more pure form. This is because you don't have all the extra gear you would normally. No, thermals, no dry tops, no booties and not even a throw bag. Its almost too simple. The water on the Nile is pretty much the ideal temperature. Never to cold, never to warm it always seemed to be perfect.

Front surfing in the Smoothy is harder than it looks

Nile Special. Yes!

This trip was my first opportunity to paddle the Bliss-stick Smoothy and I seriously recommend it to anyone looking at getting a new play boat. It was the ideal size for me because it linked in between the RAD 180 and the RAD 185. Fast, predictable and possibly even more comfy than my Mystic.. Believe it! I don't normally do gear plugs but I do fully rate the Smoothy if you're into that play boating stuff check one out...

Due to the size of the river there were often several channels running around various islands offering a variety of paddling options. Even at the restricted flow the White Nile is still BIG!

Silver Back rapid would have to be one of my favourite rapids on the run. Big flow and and a small gap make for good times and plenty of upside down time.

Kalagala Falls vs Me
photo: Josh Neilson

Another favourite would have to be Itanda Falls. It would have to be the biggest rapid I have ever seen.

Itanda Falls. BIG!

Possibly the biggest highlight of my travels to date was a trip in Murchison Falls National Park. Amazing! The wildlife there is unlike anything I have ever experienced in my life. As odd as it sounds, we were in our very own national geographic feature. If its not on your 'to do' list then get it in there at number 1! I don't recall being that excited and amazed since I was about five... for real!

We opted for the self drive option (with a driver, go figure) and spent three days in the park. As far as $ goes in Africa it is expensive but in the bigger picture it is cheap as chips and money worth spending. We camped a night out in the delta under the amazing African sky with Lions, Elephant and giraffe as our temporary room mates. Priceless as!

Bush Pimp!

Dave

Murchison Falls. 700 cumecs squeezing through a 4m gap. Impressive

Peek-a-boo guess who?
photo: Josh Neilson

Taxi!

Living at NRE proved to be the most dangerous part of live in Africa. Camping only 30m from a bar that is open 7 days a week is hazardous to one's health. Especially with the team we had there. Timmy Flower's, Fraggile, Berno Oliver, Jesse James, Josh Neilson, Kirk Hollis, Davey O'hare and JACK are all people to watch out for if your body is a temple. You will be corrupted.

Five weeks in Uganda sounds like a long time but in all honesty it is barely enough. I'll be back!

Dehydration is a major problem in Uganda. If you're thirsty you stupid

African Nasty. Jigger eggs

Enough said

Rikki Johnson and Brian Frogatt take on the English Channel

2010-01-10T16:41:00.000-08:00

Here at Hydraulics we strive to bring you the best products we can and also help out on the best adventures where we can too. Recently we have teamed up with Rikki Johnson and Brian Frogatt on their quest to kayak from Paris to London. 10 years ago Rikki lost his arm in a car crash and thought his kayaking days were over. Since the crash Rikki has been the first disabled person to kayak across the Cook Straight and a year later he crossed Foveaux Strait and has also circumnavigated Raoul Island.
They will begin on the River Seine in Paris and make his way up the coast of France, cross the English Channel, then paddle up the Thames, finishing under Tower Bridge in London. They will travel between 30 kilometers and 50km a day and will not leave the kayak a slightly modified Kevlar Tasman Express model so they can sleep lying down tying it to the support boat, carrying three crew, at nights. They hope to fundraise to pay costs in excess of $38,000, and is setting up a website connected to a satellite link on the kayak so supporters can follow their every stroke.
Joining Rikki on this trip is Brian Frogatt. Brian, also from New Zealand will be out there on the water the whole way. Brian competed in the 1980 paralympics in Long jump, High Jump, Pentathlon and Javelin, has run the New York City Marathon in 1985 and 1986 setting world best times for above knee amputee both years and still holds the world best time at 4hours 50 minutes and 49seconds! These are among a few of Brian's amazing achievements over the years!

Rikki and Brian will be out there in our Hydraulics Ocean Pro PFD and we wish him all the best on this amazing adventure! keep an eye out back here for updates as they come in!
GOOD LUCK GUYS!!!

Josh Neilson's 'REALM' coming soon!!

2010-01-10T15:08:00.001-08:00

-Coming soon to DVD - 'REALM' April 2010

Hey there everyone! So another year has passed and its time to get into the next chapter of Southern Underground Production life! Over 2009 the film crew followed 4 kiwi mates around the world through the seasons they love and shares with you how each of them lives throughout these seasons. It follows Lou Urwin and Josh Neilson as the Northern Hemisphere spring kicks off exploring new rivers up in Quebec in Eastern Canada. While they were here Sam Sutton and Mike Dawson were preparing for the Northern race season which kicked off in Vail, Colorado for Teva Mountain Games where Mike took the grand prize!
After that we all headed to Ivrea, Italy for Teva Outdoor Extreme Games with more wins for the SUP Crew and NZ taking out the World Extreme team Champs!
Some of the crew parted ways here and Sam and Josh Headed to Norway for Voss Extreme week where we raced, partied and ran some sweet rivers (seen in cover shot for 'Realm' - Sam Sutton Double Drop). While we were up there Lou Urwin was back in Canada surfing the big waves of the Ottawa followed by a trip West to run drops in British Columbia and Mike was in training again for the Sickline World Extreme Champs in Austria! After Norway Sam also Returned home to train and Josh headed out to Africa to surf the big waves on the White Nile and document his part that Southern Underground Productions has in raising money for Soft Power Health Clinic on the banks of the Nile.
Now the whole crew is back in New Zealand running the clean clear waters and big drops that we call home! Already firing up Tree Trunk Gorge, Aratiatia, the lower kaituna gorges and Huka Falls at some ridiculous flows! So this is what you can expect to see in SUP's new Film 'Realm' coming soon in March/April 2010!
Thanks Very much to Everyone who has made this film possible!!!
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Tree Trunk Gorge

2009-12-16T16:33:00.001-08:00

-In the car park gearing up - Photo Josh Neilson

Almost 2 years to the day from my last mission to Tree Trunk I found myself standing on the bridge again scouting the lines! This time we had a team of 6 keen to fire it up! As this is such a sick place for footage and photos and a pretty difficult place to run safety we decided to split into two groups and 3 go first and the others runs saftey and media and then swap round.

-Setting up safety in the gorge - Photo Will Martin

Once we had scouted from every possible angle Brendan, Trent and I geared up and headed to the top. With the flows looking rather burely B and I opted for the seal launch entry while Trent ran the guts. Ask him about how this went down...!

-Trent Garnham firing up the crux - Photo Will Martin

-Brendan Bayly going first on the biggy - Photo Tyler Fox

At the top on the big one we circled round a few times before B rolled off the drop..... Boom....."yeaaaahhhooooo" (muffled by the sound of rushing water) and we guess he made it good!

-Trent following suit - Photo Tyler Fox

Next up was Trent... BOOM(even bigger sound)... and another cheer which signaled my time to roll of the sweetest lip into the canyon. about 30ft of freefall then a 10ft reconnection and into the pool!

-Josh Neilson rolling off the big one, with the coolest view! - Photo Will Martin

-Josh from above - Photo Tyler Fox

In the middle of it we re gathered and Safety and photos moved down to the next drop for us. As the light came out it lit up the last drop perfectly as B boofed off (if you want to see the shot of this you will have to ask Tyler really nicely or keep a look out in the Mags as it was the shot of the day!), Another cheer from below and Trent and I followed suit till we were making our way out of the slot canyon in one piece! Stoked to have made it through again!
-Josh getting air on the bottom drop of the gorge - Photo Tyler Fox

With a bit of bush bashing we made it back to the car to fire up the next group and get in place for safety and footage. Sophie opted to coordinate the safety side of things in the gorge and due to a recent broken back Ryan was behind the lens. Soph tied Ryan and I in and we hung off to gorge wall to get in position for shots while the others set up above. With a quick game of paper, scissors, rock deciding that Tyler would go first we gave the signal and he was off. In the same fashion as our run Tyler, Sanga and Wils all had sweet runs and made it out!

-Will taking the sickest line of the day - Photo Ryan Lucas

-Wils with a hole in the chin! The best type of battle scars! - Photo Josh Neilson

Unfortunalty somewhere in Wills perfect line off the big one he managed to connect with his paddle and come out with a hole in his chin!
So with everyone back in the carpark safe and excited we peered over the shots from the day and shared all the stories of epic landings and airborne time in the gorge. With the gear loaded ther was just one last thing to do... in true athlete form we headed to Turangi Burger King to re-fuel the bodies before we went our separate ways for a bit. I am back in the bay for a few days, B and Soph headed South for a few days and the rest of the crew headed back to Okawa Bay for some more Kaituna action. Cheers everyone for a super sick day! Keen to hit it up again next week!
Chur!

P.s Footage from this, Aratiatia and the rest of the world trip this year coming soon...

Rush Sturges breaks his back on Bonito Falls

2009-12-14T15:46:00.000-08:00

-Rush Sturges on Bonito Falls, Argentina - Photo Anton Immler

Just a quick update to everyone out there. We have just recieved news from South America that H-Team member, Rush Sturges has had a bad landing on Bonito Falls and suffered a broken back! The full story is yet to be released but we have this shot here from Anton Immler right before the blow.
A word from Rush - "Despite this minor setback, I will have full recovery and return to the game stronger then ever"

Good luck with your rehab Rush and for the full story and amazing footage you can catch this on "Dream Result" - coming soon in 2010 from RiverRoots and RevIn.

Team Nike/ Beaver Creek 2nd in World Champs

2009-11-19T14:23:00.000-08:00

I just received this message from the team and would like to say a HUGE congratulations from the crew here at Hydraulics for their amazing effort! Keep it up!

Team Nike/Beaver Creek Second at 2009 Adventure Racing World Championship

After racing 5 days on less than 3 hours of sleep, Team Nike/Beaver Creek finished a highly respectable second at the 2009 Adventure Race World Championships in Portugal. Great Britain's Team Helly-Hansen ended up victorious after scoring just two more CP's (checkpoints) than Nike/Beaver Creek.

The event introduced a new racing format, which caused much confusion, even among the world's top teams. Team Nike/Beaver Creek captain Mike Kloser remarked "I would have to say that this race had the toughest international field that we've ever raced against. There were at least a dozen top teams that could've won this thing with a little help from lady luck. Our team this year was probably one of the strongest we've ever fielded, Chris Forne our navigator was incredible, I've never seen anyone navigate under pressure of time limits like Chris did in this race. George Christison, another Kiwi (new to our team this year) added to our overall paddling strength and was equally strong on his feet and on the bike. Monique Merrill, performed up to the level that most men only hope they could. We raced full throttle from the gun on day one and found that we were having to up the ante at some points in the race just to make some of the time cuts established with this year's unique format."

Most teams were not happy that this largely experimental format (at least with this level of competition) was introduced at a World Championship event. Kloser went on to say "I personally like a challenge that is both mentally and physically demanding, but it would have been nice if all the cards were laid on the table so we would have had a clear understanding of which hand to play and when. Prior to the race, we were given both written verbal statements of the importance in accumulating all the Check Points (CPs), both Compulsory and Optional Bonus CPs. By the end of day one, we were up front in the lead and had collected all the CPs to be had by this point, but along with Orion, (defending World Champs from 2008) we quickly found out it was going be virtually impossible to collect all the CPs and make the periodic race segment cutoffs. So as the race progressed, we opted to bypass some of the Optional CPs, still barely making some of the cutoffs. Needless to say, we raced hard and had a few close calls making some of the cutoffs, which left our support crew on pins and needles waiting to see if we were going to make the time cuts. We would later find out that teams could actually miss some of the cutoffs and take a short cut to the next segment, rest some and start accumulating CPs. Typically in an Adventure Race, if you miss a cut off you are taken out of the running for the win, but as we would find out late in the race, that was not the case in this race and teams could actually benefit from missing a section, resting and leapfrogging ahead of other teams who had made all the time cutoffs.

After racing all out for five days with so little sleep, we were disappointed to have come up 2 CP's short of winning. In hindsight going into the last day, had we known for sure where we stood against the other top teams with total accumulated CPs, we would have pushed on to collect a few more CPs on the 2nd to last trekking segment. As it turned out, one of our Kiwi teammates George had been battling severely blistered feet over the 2nd half of the race and we opted to take our chances on the final bike segment, verses the trekking section. So for the 2nd year in a row, we would have to settle for second place at the World Championships, a title that we had our sites set on recapturing."

The team, which has won numerous World Championships in the past was relieved to find out that next year's AR World Championship in Spain will go back to the traditional racing format.

Louise Urwin BC Update

2009-10-09T22:57:00.000-07:00

BC Domination...

After the disapointment of not making it to California this year, we're making up for it by getting our creeking fix in BC. Tyler, Blake & I, loaded the car with boats, replacing the standard roof racks with the extra wide 2x4 special and with the back wheels almost completely in the guards of our trusty new wagon, hit the road.

From Ottawa, we made it as far as Toronto before our first stop...Colin & Ashleys wedding. We poshed it up (well as much as a car load of skid kayakers could) and enjoyed the hilarious (& perhaps a little tipsy?) priest and garden Canapes (that's posh talk for really good fancy food) before the newlyweds left us in their dust...beautiful wedding 'congratulations' guys :)

Tyler, LU & Blake poshed up for Colin & Ashleys wedding (for you mum:)

The next leg of our journey took us 40hrs across the country, through the states (with only minor immigration hold ups) before we got near Invermere, BC and our first waterfall stop, Lunderbeck...so excited...and it was too low...doh!

Lunderbeck Falls - a bit on the low side :(

A little disapointed, we arrived in Invramere and of all things got our teeth cleaned by Blake's sister.....so we're on a boating trip and so far we've been to a wedding, drove a lot, got our teeth cleaned and haven't boated....next stop Golden.....Paddle time!!!

After a slow start on the boating front, it's been game on since, we've hit up a bunch of sweet runs from Golden to Revelstoke, Jasper, Squamish & Whistler. Including 5 sick days in our playboats at Skookemchuck Wave...We've met up with a lot of friends and had some great crews to play with...good times all round, Unfortunately didn't have the camera on all of them and missed out on Beauty creek & the Ashlu due to water levels which were a couple we really wanted to get on but only one swim so far (no it wasn't me) and no real carnage (touch wood).

As far as wildlife goes, this is my 4th season in Canada and before this season hadn't seen any bears..on the Clearwater river yesterday alone, I saw three black bears, a bunch of Bald Eagles & lots of jumping salmon trying to get up the big drops and slamming into the rocks...poor wee guys. BC is riddled with cool animals (I'm a sucker for them) although I'm not sure if I'm ready to see a grizzly bear just yet....

On the wedding front, we spent some time in Jasper for Matt & Megs wedding which was unreal! Sooo many activities...Boating, Biking, partying & we even did a premier for "Valley High" in one of the local Bars...it was a big hit and thanks to some local businesses, we had a bunch of prizes
to give out and ended up a pretty wild night.

Wet Dream Result (trailer)

2009-10-01T13:54:00.000-07:00

Pretty funny tongue in cheek video offering here.

Upper Cherry Creek

2009-07-15T11:32:00.001-07:00

Where Kiwi’s can fly…

Finally, after four years of trying to get on Upper Cherry Creek all my stars aligned. I was free from any other commitments, the flow was good (well, ok at least) and I had a team.
The plan was simple, meet at the bakery in Coloma, drive to Cherry Lake, hike, paddle. Easy. Well not so fast.

The only other kiwi willing to join me on the trip was Jamie Garrod, however he was carrying a rib injury after a party wave session at Barking Dogg went horribly wrong. He was still keen to come and give it a shot.

The third member of the team, Dave came highly recommended by a good friend of mine, Joe Bousquin. However, come departure time, he had no kayaking gear and was MIA. Hmmm, what to do.

After many dead end phone calls trying to rally a team, I made the call and drove south to Cherry Lake trail head to see if I couldn't find a team there. Jamie, keen on a mission came along to check things out.

Can anyone say keen? Loaded and ready to go. Just need a team

After a lazy start to the day, a team from Reno rolled in about 1pm-ish. “Hey, are you fullas heading up to Upper Cherry?”, “Yeah, that was the plan”, “Sweet, mind if I join you?”…. Against their better judgement they started the 18km hike with a wayward Kiwi in tow. I was a happy chappy.

Anyone who plays down the walk into Cherry is staunch. Carrying 34odd Kg (75 pounds) 18km’s up hill takes it’s toll. The first few hours roll by pretty quickly but soon the burn starts to set in. Shoulders and hips get sore and your legs can go into a state of shock. Stuffing them into a kayak day after day doesn’t really prepare them for this abuse.

All was not lost though, travelling up with JC (team Reno) was hilarious. He was never shy about letting you know how much his heavy ar%^ kayak weighed or how that last hill was nearly the death of him. Tag Randolf and Matt into the mix and you have a recipe for almost wetting your pants… At least when you weren’t feeling the hurt.

Honest, I'm not hurting at all. Fake smiles during the walk-in

The scenery is out of this world. I have never seen anything quite like the moonscape we walked through on the way to put in. Photos, nor words can do justice to the High Sierra’s.

Yes

The first day starts with a sweet sweet rapid called Morning Slide and sets the scene for most of the day’s paddling. In one morning of paddling on Upper Cherry I ran more granite slides than I knew existed on the face of our fine earth.

Better than a coffee, Morning Slide, Matt getting going

It was pretty cool to be in there with a bunch of folk who hadn’t been there before. We spent the morning giggling like school girls as we ran slide after slide of sweetness. In the pools between we were all gob smacked by the views the stretched out in every direction. AMAzing!

Day one on Cherry is pretty straight forward as far as paddling is concerned. A ton of slides and three pretty sweet gorges.

Matt taking in the surreal landscape

Our first major portage came in what is known as the entry gorge. It took us the better part of an hour to get our boats and the team around a manky (shitty) blocked up rapid.

JC enjoying not carrying his kayak

From here we paddled down to the sieve pile (big arse jumble of rocks) that signaled the start of Cherry Bomb gorge.

Having watched John Grace and co. fire up Cherry Bomb in the Seven Rivers DVD years ago, it was a pretty cool feeling to finally be there for myself. Only a handful of times in my kayaking career(?) have I felt that feeling. The last time I can remember was floating around the corner to the Gates of Argonath on the Upper Hokitika back home in NZ. These places build up a legend and I had finally made it. Stoked.

My last look at Cheery Bomb from the bank

Cherry Bomb is not how I imagined it. Most rapids of that legend have an ominous raw. Cherry bomb was airily quiet. Perhaps it was because of the low water. Perhaps.

We quickly scouted the drop and cast our eyes further down stream. There were three horizon lines in the gorge and we couldn’t see the bottom of them. The first was obvious, run left. Sweet.
It was the second major horizon line that had us concerned. We knew that everything in the gorge went. We just weren’t sure where we needed to be on the second major drop. The fear of the unknown.

Having learnt to paddle in NZ and cut my teeth on West Coast rivers, its drummed into you very early on, don’t run things blind. It’s a great way to get yourself in trouble.

After much deliberation, we made the call to commit to the gorge. I think it was mentioned that if Rush (Sturgess) can hand paddle it at high flow, we should be fine.

A Kiwi taking flight

Turns out, we made it through without any drama. The boys all stomped Cherry Bomb and eddied out with massive grins. It was a pretty sweet feeling.

Matt getting into some pre-dinner tea cup action

From here down we ran a few more slides and then finished off the day with some super sweet tea cups that took us straight to camp. What a day.

It's not often you'll wake to a view this good into morning...
unless you're dating Megan Fox of course

Matt and Randolf running a breakfast lap to warm up

Day two (three) began at the crack of 9.30 as we pushed off from camp and down into the first slide. Grove Tube, Perfect 20 (more like mildly rowdy 30) and double pot hole awaited us.

All these rapids are sweet in there own right, but due to the water level and team enthusiasm we decided to pass on this section and opted for the quick walk around them. Double pot hole looked much better from the bottom but we were all still undecided about whether or not there was enough water to get far enough left on the lead in… Next year maybe.

Our paddling day really got going when we entered the aptly named Waterfall Alley. Drop after drop of Californian treats make up this phenomenal stretch of whitewater.

Waterfall Alley. I wonder how they came up with that?

For everything that day one on the water was, day two was not. After Waterfall Alley, we picked our way through some more slides and down into some low water manky gorges.

We pushed, bounced and scrapped our way through these and down into Red Rock gorge. After some quick portaging and creative line selection we made our way down through Red Rock and the final gorge, where we got back to some of the treats we had become accustomed to higher up.

One of our last rapids on Upper Cherry Creek. Randolf practices air paddling

One final portage had us around the log jam at the mouth of the river and into Lake Cherry. A further 15minutes had us walking up the final climb to the car park and the ever patient Jamie Garrod.

Beer, shower, Carl's Jr and more beer. Heaven is a place on earth.

Sweet As!

South Silver

2009-06-17T09:14:00.000-07:00

The South Silver Fork of the American River is the closest thing to natures Disneyland. Slides, drops, teacups and a ton of granite make for one big playground.

Auto Barn... Sweet As!

I first paddled the run back in 2003 and ever since it has been high on my list of things to do when ever I'm back in this part of the world.

Settled high in the Sierra's, the drive alone is worth the trip. You are treated to amazing views of the surrounding hills with their towering granite domes, a landscape foreign to many kiwi travelers.

Berno slotting into holiday mode

Its this granite that leads us along the winding roads in search of the put. After some creative 4wdriving in our 2wd Suby (with no clearance) we managed to glide gracefully into the clearing that is the carpark.

On this particular trip we managed to rally a huge team of kiwi kayakers. The ex. CPIT boys were camped at the put and have been for a few days. They had taken almost all the seats out of their family wagon and made an outdoor lounge around their outdoor fire.

NZ winter or California granite.... you can decide

Along with AD, Rachel Moore and Zak, we numbered 9 kiwi's at the put in.

Straight off the bat you are into AutoBarn, a super fast slide that kind of feels like a big granite gutter. After lapping this a few times we headed on down stream to the next sweet features in our outdoor playpark.

Slides more slides...

The team worked through the aptly named boof boof slide with varying degree's of success.

The lovely Rachel Moore boof boof sliding

Our next stop was the first of four fantastic teacup drops. It is these teacups that kiwi paddlers have been dreaming of for years. The team split up and ran and re-ran all the different combo's they could through the teacups and down into the signature drop on the run... Sky Scraper.

Zak Shaw dwarfed by Sky Scrapper

Many lines were run, smiles we had as we all threw ourselves down this granite wonderland.

After lapping out SS and the infamous Off Ramp we headed on down stream for more slides, boofs and great fun... It really is the most fun you can have in a kayak.

Team CPIT checking some of the goods.

Me lining up for Off Ramp

We all had a sweet day out in the Californian sun paddling with good friends. For me it was an added bonus to paddle with the boys from CPIT. Having paddled with them in NZ and having the privilege of teaching with them, it was great to be in one of the world's best kayak destinations throwing down.

eNZed represent.

Music is by Kiwi charger, LADYHAWKE - My Delerium

Clavey River

2009-06-04T17:44:00.001-07:00

The Clavey River is the gift that just keeps on giving.

The Clavey has long been on my list of rivers to run in California. Until now things haven’t quite worked out timing wise.

Zak and I had been keeping a close eye on the Dream Flows website. We made the call to head south and put out the call to the numerous kiwi’s lingering down the road at the local campsite. Initial enthusiasm had the team swell to seven. By morning our team had shrunk to 2.5 paddlers. Hmmm.

Clavey Car Camping

After wasting the morning away we managed to commit Shannon (fellow NZKS employee) the remaining .5. We also managed to figure a relatively complex shuttle that involved a team driving to Yosemite first… Sounds positive already.

Now that we had locked in a full team of three, the suby (actual nickname… really original) was packed to the roof and we made our way south down highway 49.

49 runs north south along the base of the sierra’s and is the all important link to many of California’s best paddling.

Zak lining up the entry to rapid #73

We decided to make camp near the put-in so we could get an early start. With a little time up our sleeve’s we stopped in Tuolumne City (they use the term ‘city’ very loosely) for a beer. After driving around the town that time forgot we found the ‘Loggers’. It was next to the only other open business in town. Sierra Ink, a tattoo outfit. Go figure aye.

Shannon thinks he's off to play cricket.. whats with that?

Anyone who has meet Shannon knows that he looks about 15. So, with out ID he was promptly kicked out of the pub and was made to sit in the Suby while Zak and I enjoyed a beer. After much piss taking the publican let him back in and even let him drink a beer.

Shandawg testing out his split paddle

Our day begun at the crack of 9.30 as we pushed out of the first eddy and straight into our first portage. Once we were back on the water things got going with both a rush and a roar. Pushy class four and laden kayaks put the team in the groove for the day.

Blue Steel. No school for that..
Image: Zak Shaw

Things were going pretty smoothly until Shannon jammed his paddle in between two rocks and proceeded to break the entire blade off. Go the class three mank (mank is usually a shitty and shallow rapid).

We make so much $$ teaching kayaking that we just cut werner paddle's up for fun.
You can see how much fun it is...

After sorting this we made short work of the remaining Upper Clavey section. Unknown to us, we lunched at the half way bridge. This was fine, however, it was one of the last decent places to camp. From here we dropped into the lower 8 miles.

The pinstripe's make for bigger boof's. Honest
Image by Zak Shaw

The consistency in gradient is amazing in the Clavey. Very quickly you loose count of the pool drop combinations you run on your journey towards the Tuolumne. Slowing, mile after mile, we made our way down stream looking for a sweet beach to set up camp. As the afternoon slipped by we realised that there weren’t really ANY camping options. Finally about 6pm we finally found a beach we could camp on. It even had sun (for the first 10 minutes).

Zak doing his best to blend in

After a restful nights sleep we pushed off from camp at 8.30 to tackle the remaining two miles that would lead us to the confluence. In the back of my mind I knew we had to keep things moving because we had organised to be picked up at midday.

Ha! Fools are paddling straight past the last camp site. At 2pm...

During the last two miles the Clavey kept doing what it does best. It kept on giving. Drop after drop the Clavey kept going. The paddling was pitched at a fantastic level. Most of the 100+ rapids were at the limit of safe boat scouting. Zak was feeling good out on the water and was happy to probe what we couldn’t see.

Shannon perfecting his rocket move. Rapid # 243

At the confluence with the lower T high fives were issued and we turned to head for our midday shuttle pick up. Hilarity ensued as we fell through Clavey falls. Going from 25 cumecs to 240 was quite the transition.

The boys getting ready to run the toilet bowl

Our Clavey trip proved to be the trip that kept on giving. After paddling the remaining 18km in an hour 20 we were worried we kept our fantastic shuttle drivers waiting at the bridge. 12.30 had us at the take out. No shuttle. One o’clock came and went. No shuttle. One thirty, no shuttle. By 2.30 Zak had drawn the short straw and was dispatched we a passing vehicle to try and get the Suby.

Zak Shaw "Where's the shuttle?"

Finally, at 3.30 our shuttle had arrived. Shannon and I were starting to feel a little worse for wear after 3 hours in the 38oC heat. High fives were re-issued and we were done.

Turns out Anna had gone walk about in Yosemite, got on a one way bus to now where and got lost. Mmm