I was planning on heading west yesterday to catch up with the Colorado tour, but due to some van issues, I’m still at home. Â While I wait for parts, I’ve been playing on my backyard run in the Loki, remembering how much fun it is to paddle a slicey boat (though I seem to remember that my feet hurt a lot more in the old boats). Â Here’s a little video action.
22
May
22
May
Downstream Fun with the Loki and Varun
Recently I have had the luxury paddling the new Pyranha Loki and Varun. Â Both boats are so fun and I would suggest everyone try one out. Â Down river play has become a new favorite passion of mine. Â Huge splats, rock spins, and stern squirts all the way down the river in both boats. Â The Loki and Varun surf and play like champs. Â Enjoy the video and try one out!
Kindly, Ty Caldwell
22
May
This One Is For The Road Warriors
Straight out the Warehouse in Asheville...Dinver, crushing the boof line at funnel
Over the weekend I helped out at Mountain Man Outdoor Supply Company’s Paddlefest in Old Forge, New York. Dinver, Tony G, Jeb, and myself sold some kayaks, represented Pyranha proudly, and even got a chance to go kayaking.
Jeb Hall laying the Shiva down at Double Drop
16
May
Season kick off in Colorado
For last month plus Colorado whitewater has been on. Very early snow melt and low snow pack are not helping our conditions but rivers and creeks are running. After first trip out of Crested Butte was to Arkansas and Bailey. Then I started going down to Durango where the real men whitewater is. First weeekend we did Middle Box and Pandoras Box on Animas river at high flow. Super fun. The other weekend my everyday schedule was two laps on Vallecito (Probably the best whitewater in Colorado) and then straight to Pandoras Box at its highest flows ever run… 🙂 Thanks to my friends Nate Klema, Ben Luck, Matt Wilson and Cooper for firing shit up! Below are pics mostly from my head cam. Stay tuned for more! Brown!
Entry 10 footer on OBJ
portage on Bailey – Shiva L rocks!
waterfall on OBJ 10 minutes from my hometown of Crested Butte
Air off the waterfall
Big very juicy boof in Pandoras box on Animas river 1400cfs thats big dude..
Sweet train by put in for middle box and pandoras 🙂
Entry falls on Vallecito that creek is the best whitewater in Colorado
Fuzzy bunny on Vallecito sick drop!
Stay safe out there
Jakook
16
May
Boater Chic Festival
Alright ladies, this weekend in Western North Carolina is all about you. It is the 5th annual boater chick festival starting this Saturday with various events going on. Nelson’s Nantahala Hideaway is the meeting spot for all events, including camping and hosting a party, because no festival is complete without a big ass party. There will be live music, awards, a raffle and of course plenty of fun for everyone. This includes dudes. As for actual boating, there will be a number of clinics that you can partake in, including a playboating clinic that I will be putting on. I will be rolling in style with the Pyranha van filled with various boats for anyone part of the clinic to jump in and get a feel for all the different boats Pyranha offers. For a full line up of clinics at the festival, take a look at the schedule of events. There will also be a freestyle comp held at the Ocoee and a boatercross on the Cheoah. Go ahead, you know you want to join!
10
May
The Varun Mystery
On first appearances the Varun might confuse, it’s a little bit of a freestyler, but you probably won’t see people seriously competing it, mixed up with a little bit of a river runner means its main niche is bigger volume rivers where you need some speed, but want to stop and throw down some big moves, and it certainly moves in the right hands – Think Nile or Zambezi style rivers to see the full potential but the Varun can work every single feature of your everyday play run…
So, for a little inspiration here’s a collection of some of the stunning places the Varun has been…
Africa trip 2010, Ric Moxon at minus rapids Image Maxi Kniewasser
Ric Moxon on the Zambezi. Image Maxi Kniewasser
Pete Simpson on Man Eater rapid, Kawarau River, Central Otago, NZ. Image Antz Longman
Bren Orton messing about on the Tryweryn. Image Steve Cooper
The Varuns first Grand Canyon trip. Image (and paddler) Craig Kleckner
Sam Ellis Falls of Lora
Have fun out there!
09
May
Sweet Redemption on the Opalescent
Sometimes Second chances do happen.
The Boofs in the gorge did not stop. Photo: Morgan Boyles
In Spring 2011 a group of 6 paddlers ventured deep into the Adirondack Wilderness to make an attempt at paddling the Opalescent Gorge. Â A portion of the gorge was first paddled by Dennis Squires and Tony Malikowski in inflatables in 2005. Â As far as we knew it had not been attempted since. Â Tragically Dennis passed away while paddling in New Zealand in 2007. Â During our attempt in May 2011. Â We hiked with our boats 4.5 miles only to find the gorge was much too high for a safe descent. Â We wallowed around in the dense woods for a while, and eventually made our way around the gorge to put back in and quietly float the 10 or so miles back to the car. Â One year later Myself, Bill Frazer, and Morgan Boyles redeemed ourselves and had a successful descent of the Opalescent Gorge.
05
May
Jed Small First Look
I want to write up a short review of my first impression of the new small Jed; sick. I took my new boat and headed to Eternity, which is a local hole here in Western North Carolina. This boat was extremely quick  to spin to set up for moves and without much effort at all I was able to set this boat into the air. Compared to the Molan, it takes far less effort to pull off some big air moves. Next up will be a review of river running with the Jed. As a small female paddler, I am extremely excited that Pyranha has added this boat to their line up!
