Pyranha Blog

02
Dec

Fall ’13: Stikine+Sick-Line+Green Race

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After two weeks on the Stikine with the rest of the Sick-Line crew I finally flew home after almost a year of travels up and down the American continent. The Stikine is one of the best rivers I’ve ever paddled, almost 100km, 100 big water rapids, 3 to a few hours on the river, you choose, best scenery, amazing canyon, great friends and amazing times! Definitely hard to beat and this season up there was awesome with stable flows and amazingly nice weather! Thank you for the good times!

About to drop into the Stikine with the Adidas Sick-Line Team! Good times!!!

Going right at the Wall 2 for my first time!

I spent a few days home and soon enough I headed north for the most important and harder race of the season, the Adidas Sick-Line in Oetz, Austria. On its 5th edition now the event is in my opinion one of the hardest without a doubt. There are a lot of paddlers (about 150) and a lot of really good paddlers from all over the place plus some of the best slalom teams in the world (germany, czech republic, slovenia, slovakia… the course is really short and explosive (under a minute) and if you do one mistake you loose a lot of time and there’s no place to recover, the race is over.

This year I felt like I didn’t have much time to prepare for it as i was on the Stikine, however being in the water for most of the year without any injury made quite a difference with my previous editions. I finally reached the super final again and after a not great final run I ended up 6th, just behind team mate Sam Sutton. Props to Egor for taking third! I was happy with the result and hope I can do better next year.

Next was the Green Race in North Carolina, USA. The weekend prior to the race I attended the Russell Fork race in Kentucky, just a few hours out of Asheville. I paddled the river once and the raced it, was interesting to see how much I could remember and trying to go as fast as possible while deciding where to go at the same time, definitely an interesting experience! I ended up 5th after I got lost and dropped into an eddy/hole that flipped me… All good though, training for the Green race was on.

With dam releases being on certain days the locals have sue advantage on that river, I managed to learn the lines pretty quick but there are many tricks and little rocks that are hard to master. Race day came and unfortunately I didn’t paddled my best, I had to roll once and lost a bunch of time in the slides. I then did short boat and that didn’t work too well, it was hard to adapt and that was my second short boat run ever… I lost some time here and there and got stuck on the slides again… at the end I came 4th on both classes but some good seconds from the firsts spots.

Anyway I’m happy I made it and got to discover the south east kayaking community over there and experience the Green race, famous for being one of the oldest racing events in kayaking history. I hope I’ll be back next year for more and improve some lines down the Green. Congrats to Pat Keller for throwing down an amazing long boat run taking first place! See you next year!

Tags: Gerd Serrasolses, green race, shiva, sickline, stikine

26
Nov

Chile Update

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Paddler Lifestyle Articles

by chrismokayaker

Demshitz here with a quick update from Pucon, Chile! This is my first trip to Chile/ first time paddling outside of North America. Loving life, paddling the goods everyday and meeting great people along the way is making this trip amazing. I have been staying at the Pucon Kayak Hostel, doing some coaching for Patagonia Study Abroad. This program is sick, learn spanish, video editing, and paddling the goods everyday! Heres a shot from David Hughes on our trip to the Rio Claro. This drop is called the Throat of the Devil, Garganta de Diablo. Once you run it, your committed to one of the most beautiful, tight canyons on earth. Its a very special place where you can feel the energy of the river. Rio Claro is a very special place, my favorite river I have paddled thus far.

Chris Morelli and Pyranha Shiva get committed into the canyon

This shot is from Tino Specht who was working real hard this trip to get some of the coolest shots I have ever seen. This is the “long crack” the river funnels into a boat width for around 70 feet. The canyon has some of the most unique rapids I have ever paddled.

Super cool 70 foot boat width slide deep in the canyon.

The Nevados is a classic Pucon run when it rains, and we have been lucky to get on it a few times these last few weeks. The river is filled with sweet moves and awesome 20 foot boofs in a beautiful canyon. The Upper gorge ends with Demshitz Drop. Heres a shot of my first time dropping into Demshitz and the Lower canyon that follows.

Morelli sends Demshitz for his first time

Heres Clay Lucas sending the Wall Drop on the Upper Gorge

Shiva loves to Party!

Uno Mas, this one is called Dulce Amor. One of the coolest 20 foot boofs on the river! A big wall grind lets you take flight into the last few drops before Demshitz drop, and the Lower gorge

Screen grab browns on the Nevados

Stay tuned for more Chile updates!!!

Cheers Chris Morelli

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26
Nov

Remembering summer, beautiful BC!

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by Gerd Serrasolses

It’s been a while since BC, however it feels good to think about it now. Summer in BC was great, a bit of work and lots of paddling. Cheakamus, Callaghan, Ashlu, Fear Canyon… and a lot more I couldn’t go to. This are just a few pics from the summer, super good times paddling around Whistler-Squamish with great friends!

So good to paddle again with Aniol after a few months, ready for ultra low water Callaghan, still fun!

High ass water Ashlu Box! Better go somewhere else!

Some cute friends!

My last run down 50/50 with all the boys after our Stikine trip, amazing last day in Canada paddling the Box with all my friends!

The amazing waterfall of the Callaghan, so soft and smooth!

Having fun at the Upper Cheak put in drop

Needles to say BC was great and I’d be stoked to go back next summer and paddle all the rivers I missed this time! Thank y’all for the good times!

Thanks for the pics: Ryan Lucas, Jordan Bastin and Alícia Casas

Tags: BC, Gerd Serrasolses, shiva, summer

23
Nov

Back to Meghalaya

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by Joe Rea-Dickins

After an epic trip to Meghalaya last year, picking a destination for this year was pretty easy. Last year we turned up having done no research and found gold, so along with a year of google earth reserach myself and my brother headed back, joined in three stages by Barry Loughnane, Moe Kelleher and Chris Korbulic.

Barry Loughnane on the Upper Kynshi

Arriving in September we were treated with high water, which involved some pretty unpleasent rain in the tail end of the monsoon in the wettest place on earth.

Dan scouts a filthy rapid at high water on the Upper Kynshi

I’m not entirely sure why I keep going back to Meghalaya. I’m not the biggest fan of walking with kayaks, especially when they’re full of multiday gear, and Meghalaya has its fair share of walk-ins. All the same, when the water levels started to drop we headed to the Lower Umngot via jungle hike into a pretty comitting section.

The easy part of the walk down to the Umngot, where the path was still obvious

The Umngot itself was a fantastic trip. We paddled some great rapids, but also walked a tonne of aweful boulder strewn mess.

Moe Kelleher shows off his boof face on the Umngot

With boulders the size of houses you even have to scout the portages on the Umngot

Moe Kelleher exploring the bizzare geology of the Umngot

With four weeks of hard trips under out belt, and water levels dropping off, we decided it was time for a break from all the ball ache and headed to the gem we found last year, the lower section of the Kynshi.

Griff’s Gash on the Lower Kynshi

We had been saving a big adventure for the end. We were planning on heading to the Simsang in the Garo Hills, but unfortanately a few days before we set off the newspapers started to use phrases like “civil war” and “kidnappings.” So we sacked it off, as that didn’t really sound like that much fun. After a bit of debate we headed to the Middle Kynshi, which drops around 1,000m in 45km if you include the lower section we had already paddled.

Spot the kayaker: Chris Korbulic paddling Tuna, Mustard and Mayo on the Middle Kynshi

The photos and videos of the Middle Kynshi make it look fantastic. Be warned, out of six days we spend a good three walking.

Looks like a great river, right?

By the evening of day five we finally hit the lower Kynshi, and it was decided (by the keen members of the team, i.e. Chris and Dan) that paddling it all in one day was a great idea.

Blasting down the Lower Kynshi

Right at the end of the trip we finally made it to Krem Chympe, and underground river in the Jantia Hills. We were expecting a 1 hour paddle down with maybe one or two waterfalls. After a crazy 5 hours we made it out to the other side having run around 20 different waterfalls varying from 5 foot to around 20!!!

Dropping into the darkness in Krem Chympe

Despite the ludicrous amount of walking done it was a fantastic trip, and once again I’ve agreed to head back next year in the hope that we find a nice multiday section with easy access and no portages. That might be a bit optimistic, but who knows, there is so much left to be paddled in Meghalaya and even if we do end up shouldering out boats again, the adventures off the water as are awesome as they are on the river!!!

Additional photos by Dan Rea-Dickins and Chris Korbulic

Tags: kayak, meghalaya

06
Nov

Hammering down the Green Race

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by Dave Fusilli

Dropping into the crowd off Pencil Sharpener.

Yes I took the P&H Hammer down the Green. Why did I do this? Well, mainly because it is the only longboat that I had to use. That and after paddling the Hammer a few times I was pretty confident I could make it down the Green just fine. Plus, I was number 23 in the race.. MJ!! How could anything go wrong?

Lining up Gorilla.

The P&H Hammer is designed to be a precise wave surfing, rock gardening machine. The Freestyle kayak of sea kayaks if you will. With a ton of bow rocker and a nice flat hull, I’m sure it does this quite we’ll. Actually I did surf a small wave in the Hammer at the takeout of the Russell Fork river in Kentucky. I was amazed that I could flat spin this boat on such a small feature. Anyway, the Green race. Thankfully I was able to get a few practice runs in the Hammer before the Race. The first day I was walking that stout into the Green I will have to admit I was pretty damn scared. There where two rapids that concerned me the most. The 1st one is the first drop in the race. It’s basically a technical move into a 4 foot boof that lands in front of a rock. The rapid is called Frankenstein. The other main concern of mine is Called ” Go Left”. This one is pictured below and maybe you can see why it was of concern to me.

Go Left

After making it through this section of river I was in the clear except for Swicks, Chiefs, Gorilla and all those slides below Gorilla. The reason these did not bother me as much as Frankenstein and Go Left was because they are pretty forward moving lines. Where as Frankenstein and Go Left are pretty technical moves and turning was the biggest challenge here. I would say all and all the Hammer did pretty well in the Green Race. I had a pretty respected time of 4:43 which put me in 22nd place overall. After the first run or two down the river the challenge of this boat on Class 4-5 became really fun for me! I would race the Hammer again for sure. Doing the Green Race really legitimizes the Hammer as being called a shit running sea kayak……actually I may be the only one that calls it that?

Tags: brown claw, Class 5 sea kayaking, dave fusilli, demshitz, Green Race 2013, P&H Hammer

01
Nov

The BURN III

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by Gerd Serrasolses

Get excited, the new and third edition of the Pyranha BURN is finally here! I had the chance to paddle it for the last couple weeks and it’s an awesome boat! The boat is super easy to paddle and feels really smooth down the river and in and out of eddies. It tracks really well and allows you to throw some aggressive moves, it’s a super fun boat to paddle.

It’s big nose allows you to boof easily over anything and keeps you dry going through waves and holes keeping its speed really nicely. The outfitting it great 2014 Connect allows you to really feel good with your boat and control it with your body.

Overall it’s an awesome little boat and can’t wait to paddle mine for the next season starting so soon! I think this boat is going to be great both for teaching/learning and river running, creeking and racing! So pretty excited about this design, make sure you check it out and try one cause its worth it!

More info can be found at: www.pyranha.com/burn

For an Spanish version check: http://kayakgerd.blogspot.com/burn

Key Developments:

Increased Length – Extra speed & smoother tracking.
Sharper Edges – Greater control & precision for river running and playing.
Re-profiled Stern – Edge where you need it & reduced drag.
Tweaked Rocker – Ride high over features and get the all-important boof when you need it.
Volume Distribution – Confidence inspiring ride for intermediate paddlers or those making steeper descents.
Re-Profiled Cockpit – Reduce deck implosions and ease carrying.
2014 Aluminium Grab Handles – Stronger & more durable, attached with captive inserts for a drier ride.
2014 Connect Seat – Longer more ergonomically shaped seat pan provides an adjustable system that gives a bomb proof seating position.

Increase Speed, Greater Control, Smoother Tracking.

The third generation Burn is the latest in Pyranha’s long line of cutting edge river runners. Paddlers have come to rely on the Burn’s combination of playful hull, precise edges and forgiving deck profile for everything from the beginnings of whitewater to Class V creeks.

The new Burn refines these features further to give you more speed and drive, more precise tracking in turbulent water and effortless boofs. The Burn’s combination of stability and precision make it a proven all round performer–whether you are a beginner running Class II or an expert firing up big drops.

Burn colors for 2014

And some sick limited edition ones, make sure you order your favorite!

Here’s a little video about the new Burn III from Pyranha. I had the chance to paddle the M size on the Sick-Line race course in Austria at a good flow and paddle it as bit more in Sort. My impressions on the boat were great and I can’t wait to have the large with me and paddle it everywhere. The boat is really fast and easy to track, it’s really maneuverable and precise which is great for tight lines and catching eddies. I’m really stoked on this boat and I thin it’s going to be really fun to paddle!

https://vimeo.com/77685606

Tags: burn 3, Gerd Serrasolses, pyranha burn 3

23
Oct

Moose Festival Recap.

Categories:

Paddler Lifestyle Articles

by Matt Young

Fowlersville Falls, the first rapid of the day

Moose Fest. held annually in Old Forge, New York has been part of my calendar of paddling events for over 15 years. I’ve been attending the annual gathering of paddlers since high school. Moose Fest. has always been special for me because it’s a chance to get together with old friends and paddle some amazing whitewater. Now that I live in the great white North the event has become even more special to me because it signifies the end of the paddling season. It’s hard to believe, but they are already forecasting snow for our area this week.

Read the rest of this entry »

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11
Oct

PNW Summer Closeout

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by chrismokayaker

The leaves are starting to change here in the Pacific Northwest. As a new season begins, new travels and new adventures are blowing in the crisp fall winds. This brings an end to my first season out in Washington/Columbia Gorge. A season of raft guiding, and more kayaking than I ever have done is great to look back on. This summer, a few of us first year boys banded together and got after it. Clay Lucas and Chris Stafford are both originally east coasters, as well as myself. We were all stoked to find the treats of the PNW in our backyards. Many new friends, new rivers and new places were found along the journey. Here are a few photos that stand out, as well as a couple video edits. Hope ya’ll enjoy!

Stafford feeling Spirited on the LDUB.

The Little White Salmon is the gift to the Columbia River Gorge. With crystal clear waters, and endless boof’s, one may say the word “Church” a few too many times.

Clay Lucas styles Punchbowl Falls.

Shiva likes to go BIG, with Chris Morelli

Shiva likes to go BIG at Metlako Falls, with Chris Morelli.

Eagle creek is stout. With a few miles of hiking your kayak, you too can enjoy these perfect waterfalls. Straight out of the gnomes forest pours two amazing drops, Punchbowl and Metlako. Both of these drops make the soul feel good.

Morelli and Lower Lewis making friends.

Check out this edit of the SHIVAS at LOWER LEWIS FALLS

Chris Stafford’s video of a Lower Lewis Huck Sesh —–>

Staffords Video from LOWER LEWIS FALLS!

Friends. The gorge has many of them. Never a time where you can’t find a boating partner. Heres a pic from the “First Annual Isaac Levinson Big Wave Invitational” , a classic example of the boating community here coming together to have some fun.

The Crew.

Last but not least, check out this video edit from one day at the Cispus River in Washington. A summer time classic, this comes in when everything else is low. Super fun boogie water, some more substantial rapids and a stout gorge the leads off a 30 foot sliding drop. Always a great time to get in touch with jah on the river!

Check out the edit here —>

A day at the CI$PUS with the $HIVA and the CHRIS’S !

Parting shot: Bridal Veil Falls

Half way down Bridal Veil Falls, WA

Cheers. Headed home to NY for MOOSEFEST 2013 then out to Chile for my first adventure down there, stoked to get some updates up soon!

Chris Morelli

Tags: Morelli, pnw, Pyranha, shiva

08
Oct

Kayak Borneo – Flash Floods, Blow Pipes and Wild Boar

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Expeditions

by Jonny Hawkins

The second month of the rolling expedition kicked off well with Nick Bennett, Patrick Clissold and Tom Haywood joining me to paddle the classics from the previous month.

Nick Bennett enjoying the incredible Sungai Tolokosan, deep in the Malysian jungle.

With a bit of boating under our belt, we decided to have a punt at a 60km gorge littered with rapids marked on a 1980’s pilotage chart. The river slices through the Mulu national park, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site which houses the extremely rare, Sun Bear, Pigmy Elephant, Orangutan and also the largest cave system in the world! We used a traditional long boat to enter the park, then hired a powerful 4×4 to claw our way up to the get-on. The river dished out huge whirlpools, unpredictable boils, and a terrifying seven meter river rise overnight. After speaking to indigenous people on the way down, the crux 30km gorge was out of the question. Water disappearing underground, unportageable waterfalls and two recent fatalities made the decision easy. This trip was special because we often encountered indigenous tribesmen. Nomadic until the 1980’s, they still hunt wild boar, bare-foot, wielding their deadly blowpipes, clad in loin cloths and draped in stunning jewelry. Although the river wasn’t world class, these precious memories made this mission my favorite.

Two indiginous hunters we met at a long house. They hunt with a blow pipe and poison darts capable of stopping a man's heart in five minutes.

The two indigenous hunters that we met at a long house. They still hunt with a blow pipe and poison darts, capable of stopping a man’s heart in five minutes.

Patrick Clissold enjoying one of the many waves found during high water in the picturesque Sungai Tutoh gorge,

With water unprecedentedly high, we headed back into the hills above Lawas, Sarawak, to jump on a previously scouted multiday. The river started slowly, through incredible scenery, bursting with inquisitive monkeys and majestic birds surveying overhead. Eventually the river gorged in, as the gradient picked up, forming some awesome grade 4/5 kayaking, just what we needed. After a relaxed night in the hammocks, the river quietened before a final 10km of stunning boulder garden rapids. Locals warned us of a waterfall plunging into a crocodile infested plunge pool further down, so we hopped off with huge grins, after an awesome couple of days of adventure.

Tom Haywood deep in the jungle during the Trusan multiday.

Home sweet home.

During the month of scouting rivers, we couldn’t help but notice the devastating environmental damage caused by the immense logging industry: enormous palm oil plantations, ruined water supplies, as well as a loss of spiritual connection for the indigenous are just the start. Unfortunately, most of the economic gain is funnelled into a few big pockets, so that the indigenous land owners are forced to abandon traditions and move to the cities.

A common view in Malaysia. Virgin jungle is logged and replaced by ether palm oil and rubber plantations or Acacia tress used to make white paper.

Malaysia is the world’s largest exporter of palm oil. We witnessed first hand the effect this has on the environment; loss of biodiversity, flash floods, relocating indigenous tribes and landslides are just the start.

One thing that I hope we never forget from the trip is the unrelenting Malay hospitality. Along every river bank we were met with incredible generosity: offers to put us up, lifts to get-ons, free tanks of fuel and enough wild boar to sink our Everests (nearly), all on the good-will account, as they nicely put it.

A village chief gives Nick Bennett some vital local knowledge after giving us dinner and a place to stay.

The last couple of days were spent coaching the next generation of Malaysian kayakers. The Riverbug raft guys are super keen to get in kayaks and hope to start coaching others soon. They couldn’t wait to get their hands on our boats at the end of the trip.

Nick Bennett enjoying high water in Malaysia. Just after this rapid, the water flows off a waterfall into a pool full of hungry crocodiles. Luckily the locals had warned us about it!

Keep your eyes on the blog for the final leg’s mission into the wild Indonesian jungle. www.kayakborneo.co.uk/blog

Tags: Everests, expedition, Kayak Borneo, Malaysia

27
Sep

Gauley fest 2013

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Paddler Lifestyle Articles

by Bren Orton

Gauley fest 2013

Gauley fest, probably the biggest paddling festival in the world.
The festival takes place once a year on one of the all-time classic pieces of big American whitewater, the Gauley river.

The river is split up into two sections, with the lower section being far less demanding than the upper, meaning all level of paddlers can attend and have fun on the water. For the experienced paddler all manner of freestyle moves can be performed on both the upper and lower sections.

Gauley fest begins on Friday and runs through the weekend to Sunday, the busiest day on the water by far is Saturday, Sunday morning is quite on the river with hundreds of paddlers restricted to their tents to recover from Saturday nights antics. Each day of the festival is the same, wake up, head to the river, come back and party/chill with old and new friends.

I think Gauley fest truly epitomizes what boating is about, All levels of boaters playing the river together.

Check out some of the photos and video below.
See you on the water,

https://vimeo.com/75594013

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Fall ’13: Stikine+Sick-Line+Green Race

Chile Update

Remembering summer, beautiful BC!

Back to Meghalaya

Hammering down the Green Race

The BURN III

Moose Festival Recap.

Kayak Borneo – Flash Floods, Blow Pipes and Wild Boar

Gauley fest 2013

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