Astral is proud to be an official  sponsor of the US Freestyle Kayak Team, and to show our support we wanted to bring the team something unique from the factory here in Asheville, NC.   Check out these photos of the custom Willis jackets that the team will be wearing.  The artwork on these jackets is simply beautiful and is exclusive to the 2009 US Freestyle Kayak Team.  The back of each jacket has 28 stars representing the 28 spots on the team roster.

We have had a few folks ask, “Where can I get one of those USA jackets?”…well, the answer is that you can check out the Willis at your local dealer and you will be blown away by its unsurpassed fit and comfort.  However, to get one of the USA team jackets you need to grab your playboat and head to the hole immediately. You have a lot of practice to do if you’re going to make the team in 2011.

photos courtesy of Jeremy Laucks: Salida Colorado

Everglades,  photo: Bryan Owen

“I just wanted to let you know how effective your V8 ventilation is.  Due to a navigation error I portaged my kayak 3 miles last weekend through swampy grassland and forest in 90 degree weather.  I was pretty tired when I got back, but realized I had forgotten about the pfd I was wearing. It and my torso were dry and cool. Thanks for a good product.”

Shep

Just wanted to check in from Colorado and share some of the goings on as of late…  I’ve always kind of given Colorado a bad rap, and it’s been a fun 2-3 day stop on the way to Cali, but never the final destination for any trip.  I decided that it was about time I gave the Teva Mountain Games Homestake Race a shot, and hit a number of runs I’ve missed out on in the past.

Looking very out of place in Texas.

Pat and I made the long journey out in a Dagger Suby a week before the race, and crashed with the myth and legend, Chris Schell, when we got to Denver.  The 10 days since have been a ridiculous barrage of steep whitewater and good people.

We started things off well with some laps on Homestake Creek and Gilman Gorge on day 1, and Tommy Hilleke was cool enough to let us make Glenwood Springs our base camp for the next couple of days.  That was awesome and I can’t thank the Hilleke family enough.

Pat hiking up for another lap on Homestake.

By far one of my favourite parts of the trip has been paddling the Barrel Springs section of the Colorado…  The Colorado is running super high with snow runoff, and I think the Upper/Lower Death combo is one of the burliest big water rapids I have ever run!  I was praying that my sprayskirt wouldn’t implode and my paddle wouldn’t get ripped out of my hands as I plugged into that massive hole.

The entrance to the monster.

Both runs were incredible out there, and it’s tough to beat the feeling of becoming a part of something that makes you feel so inconsequential.  The Barrel Springs rapid was huge too and super fun.  Possibly my favourite run in the state…

Another great thing about that section is the fact that we could paddle it straight to the Hilleke’s doorstep.

Pat on the float down out of Glenwood Canyon to the city.

Myself hiking up to the house in a state of satisfaction.

We also did an epic mission into the Crystal drainage and checked out some sick park and hucks.  It was the craziest off-roading I have ever done, and fortunately the rack only flew off Tommy’s truck once.  Here are a couple of pics from that adventure…

Crystal Mill Falls… such a sweet drop.

Reattaching some roofracks.

The epicocity of Colorado backcountry.

South Fork Crystal!

Please don’t miss the eddy above this.

Hope everyone else is getting on some good water.  Video coverage of these drops as well as Yule Creek and Homestake Race coming soon!

Peace.
Chris

above, Tyler in Corsica sporting his new Greenjacket

With the large numbers of paddlers gathered in Corsica it is no wonder the locals and tourism board of Corsica took notice. This year the largest amount of kayakers were recorded paddling on the island in history. To help the cause of introducing more Corsica inhabitants of the value of kayaking tourism the National newspaper COUSE MATIN showcased a very large article in the news print. Of course I managed to claim the front cover of the paper, which impressed my mother as well as all the kayakers gathered on the island and hopefully left a kayaking imprint on Corsica.

Tyler Curtis

check out more photos of Tyler’s trip on the Corsica Gallery

The Rio Embudo is one of the best creek runs in the Southwest.  If you go paddle there you will probably meet Atom Crawford, local ambassador to NM (he lives at the takeout) and webmaster of New Mexico H20, an online resource for paddlers in the SW Rockies.  Atom and his crew are organizing the 1st Annual Budo Fest on May 8th-10th which will feature a series of races and relays down this famous creek along with some New Mexican beer drinking and a good party.

Learn more about Budo Fest at http://newmexicoh2o.com/

Nicole Mansfield on the Rio Embudo. photo: Chris Menges

Here at the Astral Buoyancy Company one of our primary goals is to reduce our factory’s waste to nil.  We are proud to create handcrafted PFD’s from the most environmentally considerate closed cell buoyant foams available such as Gaia and PE foams, developed as an alternative to toxic PVC found in the lifejackets of yesteryear. The die cutting process, which stamps out the flotation panels from the sheets of these various foams, creates about 80% yield, leaving about 20% of the raw material as excess.   We have been saving this excess scrap material since we started about six years ago in hopes of one day creating byproducts as a usable alternative to the landfill. The first of these by-products is the AstroPad dog bed…

The Astro Pad, our first By-Product

With that said its time to meet Sampson, our shop dog and tester for the AstroPad prototypes.  Sampson has been in the whitewater scene for about six years now, sniffing around venues like Salida, Squamish, Fayetteville, and Banks… pretty much being a full time river dog along the way and now he’s a big time operator in the home office in Asheville, NC.  Ole boy even surfed Skookumchuck in a zodiac raft back in ‘06 so you know he’s legit, if you don’t believe me check out his Blog. Anyways, here’s a shot of Sampson at his first week on the job at Astral when he was using a scrap sheet of foam as his pad.

Sampson before the AstroPad (with toy squirrel in background…no, its not a brown)

As time passed and more scrap foam was accumulated it was time to bring the AstroPad concept to fruition.  We developed a process to essentially chip the leftover foam into small bits that when stuffed into the liner create a memory foam like feel.

Foam shavings used as fill for the AstroPad

For the outer shell we used our leftover fabric scraps (also saved since the company’s inception) to create a unique and stylish patchwork design.  We topped it off with adding a Velcro closure for easy washing of the outer shell and added some convenient carrying handles for transport.  The first batch of AstroPads left the warehouse a few weeks ago and since then we have made Sampson and his fellow river dogs quite happy after a long day on the water.  Here’s a few of these happy hounds:

Roscoe, photo courtesy of Chan Jones

Chomski, photo courtesy of Astral’s Tracey Haswell

Philip Curry and Sampson

For complete info on the AstroPad check out our Products Pages and email us at info@astralbuoyancy.com to place an order. Keep in mind that the colors are assorted as they are made from our leftover fabrics (but we try to make them all look sweet cause we know your dog wants to look good too!)

Stay tuned for more Astral By-Products…

If you are a whitewater paddler and own an Ipod or computer then you should really check out the In Between Swims podcast. This installment dubbed “Back to the Core” features an Interview with Astral’s founder and president Philip Curry, where Philip talks about what it was like to sell Lotus to Patagonia, Coast Guard PFD certification, and the future of PFD’s.  Also on this issue Immersion Research’s John Weld swims The Potomac’s Horseshoe and Shane Benedict joins from Zwick’s on the Green River to talk boofing.

Listen to the BACK TO THE CORE MP3

learn more about this podcast at the In Between Swims Homepage

or get the In Between Swims Itunes Download

Photo Credit: Tyler Roemer

Last weekend, my friends and I headed to the middle of the desert for a mid-winter huckfest. Celestial Falls is part of a two tiered drop- the upper is about 65 feet and the lower drop(celestial) ranges from 45-50 feet. The put-in was super sketch due to the 3 inches of ice covering everything….including the seal launch.

Three of us put-in that day: Christie Glyssmeyer, Josh Mckeown, and myself. It was a balmy 28 degrees and cloudy. We all figured that since we dont follow football and it was super bowl Sunday, it was appropriate to do something exciting ourselves….and I think this was better than sofa surfing anyways!

Josh went first with a burly line but was ok. A bit of a hard landing but he did well nevertheless! I followed him with a tuck off the center line and was very happy with my line (and happy I didn’t pee my pants!), and Christie followed me. All in all it was an awesome day. I had the best line I’ve ever had off my first big drop and got to walk back to the car with no dental work needed…even better! If you choose to make the trek to Celestial, be safe and conservative. Sometimes it throws ya random punches!

Happy Paddling,
Christina Russell

To see more photos of Celestial check out Christina’s Gallery

It has been a frigid week here in Western North Carolina. Temperatures and operational schedules have been sub-optimal. This has given me ample time to wade through my hard-drive in search of entertainment. Check out these not-so-great lines from past trips and remember to keep ‘er on line in ‘09!

chengqui,

JC Rain

WARNING: THIS VIDEO CONTAINS EXPLICIT LYRICS

whitewater mix tape - volume 1.0 from jc rain on Vimeo.

Astral is proud to work with some of the most talented female paddlers in the world. The Greenjacket was designed as a unisex rescue PFD, and thanks to the Foam Tectonic construction which provides added comfort and mobility, we have seen the Greenjacket emerge as the choice rescue jacket for women.

Here is some feedback from the team:

Christina Russel

“The Greenjacket is a natural choice for me as a woman and as a creeker.  The movable panels, adjustable torso length, and built in protection make it the best rescue vest for women on the market. I feel comfortable, stylish, and safe! Thanks Astral!”

-Christina Russell

Christina at Dillon Falls, photo Tyler Roemer

Adriene Levknect

“The ability to tuck while kayaking, weather it be while going under a hole or down a waterfall, is great, the front of the vest is slim and comfortable. I also like the stability that the two separate panels give to me while paddling.” -Adriene Levknecht

Adriene in Mexico, Fall 2008

Lizzy English

I just paddled with the Green Jacket yesterday and loved the flotation distribution.  It clearly provides all the safety features and also allows for full range of motion for the arm movement.  Additionally, the vest has the proper straps needed to adjust for thinner and shorter torsos and still maintains an even and snug fit.  Especially being a smaller paddler, I can not have my arms restricted in the least and the new Green Jacket provides all the safety, comfort and ease of use that a creeker vest needs.

-Lizzy English

Lizzy on Fordyce Creek, CA/ Photo by Taylor Cavin

Join us at the Pullen Aquatic Center in Raleigh, NC on January 24, 2009 for the annual Rollapalooza from 2:00 to 7:00 PM. This is a great opportunity to get some wintertime boating practice and instruction from some of the best pros and industry professionals around.  The event is held in an Olympic size indoor swimming pool (its nice and warm in there, this place is fancy too!). Top manufacturers like Astral and Werner Paddles will be on hand to answer your questions and display the newest products.  Also, demo the latest boat designs from all the top kayak manufacturers.  See you there!

The Gauge/ photo: Chan Jones

Christmas came early this year to the mountains of North Carolina. A band of storms blew in from the west bringing several inches of rain to the parched southeast and causing paddlers to rejoice. After watching the front dump inches of rain on the Smokies through the radar map the whole day and night before, Pat, Toby, Drew, and I decided to venture into the Raven Fork for some high water action. With the Oconoluftee River in Cherokee over 2000cfs, we knew we were in for a big day.

Pat Keller, Raven Fork/ photo: Chan Jones

Typically this creek holds water very well and is runnable for days after a rain event, so often a Raven Fork trip involves bluebird skies. Even at lower levels, this creek is nothing to sneeze at. On this day, we drove to the takeout through pouring rain that continued to fall as we hiked and paddled downstream.

Toby McDermott/ photo: Chan Jones

When we passed the gauge on the way to the top it read 20 inches. Shortly after putting on it was apparent that the level was still rising, and was estimated at Mike Tyson’s to be around 24-27 inches. We moved downstream cautiously, running most of the enormous rapids but walking a few. This steep creek was a ridiculously steep river on this day but all of us were safe in our new Greenjackets. The new vest from Astral is an awesome rescue jacket. It has all the familiar features of the 300-R but with an improved fit - less bulk in the bottom front of the jacket, an improved strapping system, and added protection in the upper back. The result is a very low profile rescue vest that, once adjusted, does not move around on your torso.

Pat with the Greenjacket/ photo: Chan Jones

If you’re in the market for a new rescue vest, check out the Greenjacket. It’s a very well thought out rescue platform that I’d trust in any situation.

Chan at Big Boy/ photo: Mac McGee

for more pics from the Raven Fork check out the Gallery

submitted by Jon Crain…

The Cascada Tamul has got to be one of the most impressive waterfalls on the planet.

photo by Leigh Knudsen

This feature dominates the take out for the most popular class IV/V run on the Rio Santa Maria. Typically, boaters can access the Rio Santa Maria near the village of La Boquilla and paddle through the Rincon Grande/Tamul Canyons to reach the take out at Cascada Tamul. With one portage, this class IV/V 13 mile run can be easily completed in a day.

Big water action in the Tamul Canyon of the Rio Santa Maria

photo by Jon Crain

Above this section of river are the upper canyons of the Rio Santa Maria. Due to a long shuttle, about 17 miles of moving class I/II, and a handful of portages the canyons between MEX Highway 69 bridge and the regular Rincon Grande/Tamul run see few descents per year. Combining the standard Rincon/Tamul canyons with the seldom run upper canyons delivers a multi-day river trip covering approximately 48 miles through 4 canyons on the Rio Santa Maria.

some good boulder boogie boof action in the 1^st canyon

photo by Adam Goshorn

Another highlight of the trip was our visit to Puente de Dios, located just outside the town of Tamasopo in the village of El Cafetal. This spot offers up a picture perfect park & huck into one of the best swimming holes ever. If you’re in Mexico and on your way to Rio Verde this is a perfect stop on the way.

author boofing through the jungle at Peunte de Dios

photo by Adam Goshorn

This brings us to our last stop on our Mexico tour, the Rio Verde. Due to time constraints for part of the group we only had time to get into the second canyon of the Rio Verde. We were rewarded for our efforts with a handful of basalt bedrock drops leading up to a 40 footer to end the second canyon.

Matt Wallace probing out the last drop in the 2^nd Canyon of Rio Verde

photo by Alex Zendel

Second canyon of the Verde as seen from shuttle

photo: Adam Goshorn

sorry, i think I’ve got that out of my system

Anyway, so my buddy Will and I headed to the Kaituna the other day after a long week of raft guiding on class 2 mank with a bunch of 14 year old boys. rolled up to the river late… after finding my good friend Ross Cornelius (the only guy i could convince to do a night run with me). putting on the river around 11pm is always good for your first run back in a couple of years, lucky i’ve done the run about 500times and know every line inside out. big moon, clear skies and good lines pretty much sum up the night session.

the next morning I stumbled out of the side door of my 4×4 van very un-eager to put my wet paddling gear on. with bluebird skies we re-motivated with a breakfast of yesterdays stale bread and got demshitz done like a virgin on prom night. nah seriously though Will was a Kaituna virgin!! little willie the virgin destroyed it though with clean lines down everything. it was a good day! 6 runs… pretty good stamina for a virgin.

So my Green Jacket should be arriving on NZ shores sometime very soon, which I’m super excited about!!

Check back for more soon!

Peace

Lawrance Simpson

Here’s a little recap of the demshitz crew on the South Branch of the Feather this past spring in California.

Cali Creekin 08: South Branch of the Feather from Aplin Independent on Vimeo.

I love watching this footage, you can’t beat California. I can’t wait to head back there again next year.

I’m super excited about the new Green Jacket and can’t wait to test it out on some kiwi creeks, so keep an eye out for some updates from the upcoming NZ summer.

Lawrance Simpson

Asheville, NC - The Astral Buoyancy Company officially announced that the new Greenjacket has been approved by the US Coast Guard. This highly anticipated whitewater rescue jacket continues Astral’s legacy of producing truly innovative and environmentally considerate buoyancy products for the core market. Originally slated for release in Spring 2008, the testing process had been extended until October when the jacket passed as a pullover entry. Today the final paperwork arrived at Astral’s Asheville, NC headquarters.

The Greenjacket is the successor to Astral’s popular Aquavest 300 and Wonderpro series, and is designed on the platform of Foam Tectonics where the front buoyancy panels are split into two parts. This separation enables the paddler to have unrestricted freedom of movement as well as the ability to customize the height of the front panel. The Greenjacket is offered in three size options, providing an excellent fit to both women and men. The Greenjacket provides increased back protection over previous models and Astral’s signature safety features like an integrated throwbag pocket and spectra safety loop.

Philip Curry, owner of Astral ecstatically commented that “November 4, 2008 will be a day we happily remember for a long time, the Coast Guard finally approved our kickass new rescue jacket, and the people of USA chose Barack Obama our next president.”

The Greenjacket is constructed without toxic PVC and carcinogenic neoprene. All excess raw materials are recycled.

For additional information on the Astral Buoyancy Company visit www.astralbuoyancy.com

MSRP $209.95

The Demshitz Movie Trailer from jared seiler on Vimeo.

This September I spent two weeks in British Colombia with my brand spankin’ new PFD- the Bella. I was lucky enough to experience the Callaghan, Cheackamas, Ashlu and even Skookumchuck Rapids all with clear blue skies overhead. After several days of wear and tear, here’s what I think makes the Bella the premier playboating vest for women. The first time I put on the Bella, all I could think about was how comfortable it was. It hugs your body like that mini dress you just bought and even has a built in sports bra to keep the gals happy. This is the first time a bra has been incorporated into a piece of paddling equipment….way to go. Did I mention it gives you the option to go “skin to wind” with the guys…and be a lady?!

The Bella comes with all the new technology- For added mobility, separate buoyancy panels make flotation a thing of comfort and stiff pads a thing of the past. The panels move independently of one another and allow for maximum mobility on a wave or at your local creek. I also discovered what I had really been missing- a shorter torso length. The vast majority of women have shorter torsos than men and Astral has acknowledged that. This is the first vest I have been able to wear that sits where it should. To help keep things feeling good, the vest is equipped with side-entry buckles. Keep it loose or tighten up. Whatever floats your boat. Finally, for those of you who could use a little extra support, Astral has added a built-in internal backband. It doesn’t get any better!

It’s clear that Astral spent many nights aided by caffeinated beverages to develop the most wearable vest on the market. They even figured out a way to make it creek worthy. In the front of the vest you will find a large sleeve specifically designed to hold their trusty throwbag and a zippered pocket to keep those must have items safe- energy bar, waterproof matches, and some extra cash (you never know when you might need it). Oh and how could I forget the knife holder?! Every paddler should use it. The icing on the cake is the extra padding added to the sides of the vest. These keep you protected during that “oh sh*&” moment when you wish you were also wearing elbow pads. I felt comfortable taking it down the Callaghan for this very reason….and I would gladly use it again as a make-shift creeking vest.

In short, the Bella is the vest to have for playboating and a great vest to take creeking if you forget you rescue vest at home. It’s the most comfortable on the market and without a doubt the most attractive. There’s a reason it’s called the Bella!

Stay safe out there!

-Christina Russell
Team Liquidlogic

So last Thursday we loaded up the truck and trailer with an assortment of kayaks, the Astral booth, some demo jackets and camping/party supplies for the weekend and headed up to Summersville, WV for Gauley Fest. I was quite stoked to be rolling up with an awesome crew of boaters from West Asheville including Nik Haase, Gabriel Latini, Jon Crain, and Paul Bartholic. They are all big fans of Astral and most of them have worked with us at the factory or on some project in the past. We hit up the local grocery upon our arrival in Summersville and stocked up on some PBR, donuts, and string to get prepared.

The Astral booth was tons of fun on Saturday. We had a lot of folks stop by and try on the new Greenjacket samples, while telling us stories about their sick Pillow splat or the occasional Iron Ring beat down tale. We also had our boys Brendan and Jones there to help answer some questions and fit paddlers in the new Willis and Bella designs. Around 11 or so we decided to take a break from lifejacket talk and play some Gimmie that Donut!

After a short committee session we laid down a few ground rules:

1. Each round of Gimmie that Donut commences after Gabriel blows fire out of his mouth.

2. The first of the two competitors to finish their donut wins.

3. Each competitor must have a sports beverage in his or her hands at all times to play.

4. If a donut hits the ground it is still in play. (a kayak was provided as a ground cover for sanitation purposes)

5. Use of hands is not permitted and will result in immediate disqualification.

We had enough donuts for about 5 rounds of play, each round more hilarious than the one before. The winner took home one of our Organic Cotton T’s as well as the lingering taste of cake donuts and PBR. Here are a few select photos of the competition and be sure to check out the Gauley Fest Gallery for more images from the weekend.

See you next year at Gauley Fest for more Gimmie that Donut!

Bryan