It’s only taken me 5 Months to get around to editing this footage, but looking back, paddling the Jed on the Lunch Counter wave on the Snake River was probably two of the best days of paddling I had this year.  Here’s a short video, with a couple of shots of the Loki thrown in to mix it up.

Lunch Counter Stout Blunt

Lunch Counter Flashback

You probably came to a moment when you portaged one rapid, telling yourself that you would eventually run it later. That moment came first on the Mastigouche lac Sainte-Rose, 2 years ago. I saw the huge horizon line, didnt feel the last hole/mush and said to myself “lets come back later”.

With more experience and skills, this year felt just natural to go back and try this run. Beside, I was showing around the goods around Quebec to Simon Roy, native from Gaspesia. we did a quick stop to Mastigouche Nord to run a minimum-low level of the last 2 rapids then drove only 10 minutes to the other run, Mastigouche Lac Sainte-Rose.

Too much excited about the upcoming afternoon on the river, I stopped the car  halfway in the steep dirt road and told the guys we would just have a quick look to the slide. Only 2-3 steps before the river..it happened…

A pile of leaves were covering a crack between 2 rocks…my ankle got in and snap! It was too late. Laying on the ground with a huge pain coming all the way up in my entire leg, I was just saying to myself “the f**k you just did”. Its kinda hard to explain every feelings you have when you come to have an injury, especially when you have an active lifestyle.  Thinking about not paddling till winter, not able to work during 2 weeks, neither giving my martial arts classes for at least 3 weeks…it goes from denying to anger interspersed with   culpability or optimism. Still managed to take photos of the boys and had a great time though.

  

  

Simon Roy, glad to have ran one of many gems Quebec has to offer

I felt dumb because last time I gave a creeking clinic this summer, I put an emphasis on being vigilant while scouting and stuff, taking time to avoid injuries. What I learned from this weekend, apply my own advice to my everyday runs and stay focus ALL the time! Even if it looks like nothing, don’t get distracted by the excitement of running something.

Sprain ankle

See you next spring

Fusilli’s previous post is the perfect segue to mine.

Big Rock is my home playspot, its less than 10 mins from my house and I have logged more hours there than most anyone. However, over the years and hundreds of sessions I became jaded, as it happens when you spend lots of time at the same place. I had begun driving much further to playboat even when Big Rock was running, just because I wanted something different. Then along came Jed.

The Jed has not only progressed my skill level but also the fun level. Tricks that used to be hard to impossible are easy now with the Jed. I love Mr.Jed – no homo. The same can be said about BR, as new moves and linking capabilities have re-energized my love for this hole. I’ve lived here for 10 years and wanted to make an edit of BR since day one, however it took this re-found appreciation to fire me up about putting one together.

http://youtu.be/bpJDzdUpgqc

enjoy

I love kayaking, and it is for this sole reason why I know I want to be able to kayak my whole life. Self preservation and sustainability is central to this. I have now been kayaking for well over half my life. I have seen myself transform from a beginner kayaker aged 9 to the expedition kayaker I am today. Throughout this journey the period of time I wish to look back on, share and discuss with anyone reading this is the transformation from aged 18 – present, 23 and lessons I learned.

Aged 18 I made the decision to branch out of the UK and go on my first true extended kayak trip, 3 months in Norway. Best decision of my life. Norway turned out to be everything I had dreamt about, epic white water, great people, a true testing ground.

On this trip I pushed myself harder than ever before, I ran almost everything I set my eyes on. I was so keen and fearless I just wanted more! I did this not because of peer pressure. In fact on a hand full of occasions many of the people I was paddling with the likes of Matt Tidy, Maxi Kniewasser and Andy Phillips to name a few would occasionally walk things I would not. Reflecting on this the difference is experience. These individuals were more skilled and completely understood the dangers of each rapid and what was required to style them. This only comes through experience. At the time my skill level far surpassed my experience. It is for this reason why my kayaking at this time was not sustainable. I had 4 swims that season 2 of which were very close calls.

Aged 19, I returned. This time more experienced, more skilled and as keen as ever. Similar story, I gave it my all, went as hard as I possibly could. What was interesting on this trip was that I was walking rapids that I had previously ran the year prior. I had absolutely no desire to run them again. The reason for this was experience, it’s like I unlocked an additional layer in reading the river, a deeper insight into dangers. This has continued to develop as I have paddled more rivers.

I know live in British Columbia. I moved here aged 20. BC is unique, its rivers continuous, many deep inescapable canyons, high water runs on every river, caves, wood anything that is dangerous is in BC. It is and always will live up to its reputation as one of the most epic kayak destinations in the world yet one of the most dangerous. Here especially, and in many other places in the world, decision making can be the difference between life and death.

I would like to share with you an experience that developed my perspective on hard white water. Summer 2011, I had the worst swim of my life. I swam for 700 meters down Fear Canyon of the Elaho, one of Whistlers many test pieces, often described as the training run for the Stikine. Deep in the canyon there is a rapid named Mini Wassons, 2 stacked ledge holes one on river right one on river left. You have to thread the needle. I was kayaking with a hand full of the best kayakers I know, Louis Geltman and Chris Gragtmans to name a few. Everyone, except myself decided to run a safer chute hard river right. I went for the main line. I styled the line, I was fist pumping down the river but suddenly wham. I was getting smashed in a small ledge hole after the main event, not visible from where we were scouting from. 20 seconds of getting worked and no sign of a way out, I pulled my deck only to be in the middle of the biggest volume class 5 run in the area. I was helpless and exhausted spending 50 meters at a time under water only ever getting half breaths every 20 seconds. I was a inch away from drowning, Chris saved my life, he managed to pull me a shore 20 meters form the crux of the canyon. Had I swam into that I would not be here now.

What I leaned form that:
• If the consequence of swimming is death is it worth it?
• But more importantly, is running it and swimming going to endanger my team members. I asked a lot from Chris on that day. He ran 700 meters of class 5 blind to save my life. I will try my hardest to never force anyone to do that again.
• Be sure before you run things that you have assessed ALL the dangers and can accept the risk presented.
• If the risks are high make sure you are 99 percent sure you will make the line.

The message I am trying to portray is be increasingly vigilant, make the right decisions, ensure your experience and skill levels are as equal as possible. If they are not, build on your experiences slowly, do not rush things, the rivers will always be there. Learn from the more experienced kayakers around you, discuss lines, if someone is walking a rapid ask yourself, why? Maybe it is because they are having an off day or simply are not feeling it, but maybe it is because they have more insight in the potential effects of messing up your line.

I know I want to be able to kayak forever. I have learned from my own lessons and peoples around me. I do everything in my power to kayak sustainably in order to give me the best possible chance to kayak for many years to come!

Thank you Pyranha for all the support, the Burn and the Shiva are the tools I use and I love them. Below are a few pics of what I have been up to over the past few years.