The good news is that even though the YTV isn’t “women’s specific,” it’s still a great fit! It gives full support where it needs to, and it doesn’t constrict in places that it doesn’t need to be.

I recently had the opportunity to compete in team trials for the USA Freestyle Kayaking team, and I’ll admit, I was a little doubtful in getting a new PFD with only a few days before competition. Thankfully, it didn’t take much to adjust to the YTV, because it remains similar to Astral’s other designs yet with a lighter weight and a lower profile.

The YTV is excellent. Super lightweight. Large pockets. But most importantly, for the ladies, it’s not constricting on the chest.

After getting back from Chile in end of January I had some things to take care of like drivers license, vehicle, visa for this year in U.S.  and of course I had to make some gas money to go kayaking. Came 15^th of March and I was on the road north from California to Hood river. Stoked to see all my friends who live up there BDP boys, Tits Deep, River Roots crew and Substantial Media House. Plus all the soulriders on top of that. Quite a crew living between town White Salmon (WA) and Hood River (OR). First thing in a morning I called my friends and later on was lapping Little White Salmon after almost a year. That has became a routine for next two weeks unless we planned to go skiing or hucking.

First huck sesh was famous Celestial falls. Years of new school influence couldn’t let me day go by without getting Hail Mary of that sweet perfect looking waterfall. All was going as smooth as possible. We all had fun and killer lines. It was my turn and sat in a playboat after good half a year. Took no time. I had my spot where to start bowstall and had my move visualized. It felt good to go so I went for it. Started to pump – one, two, three, down and there it went I threw a big ol’ loop like when I was 16. I felt it go all the way around so I leaned forward to stomp the landing. I totally did except when I landed it felt wet… My skirt blew. The Playboat I borrowed from my friend had a smaller cockpit than my creekboat and I did not that one through to put a tie down strap around cockpit to make sure it will stay on. Here I was swimming. Towards left side because that’s where my friends where. My bro DJ had me with kayak and we were charging towards the bank where Wes was about to throw rope from. He did. Missed. We are close to an upcoming ledge hole… he tries again but I wash away. I knew it was bad but didn’t think this bad… I jumped over hole but get sucked right back and loose control completely. For good 45 seconds before my friends got me out. So close… It felt like it took me forever to get back up to car to change and come backto watch Galen Volckhausen send a sweet crooked hail mary and Rafael from Quebec do a nice back freewheel. Live and learn… I remember that day to be the closest call I ever had. It took about two nights in White Salmon with friends and 5 laps on Little White and I was back in the game.

Six of us decided to fire up legendary Eagle creek. Todd W., Galen, DJ, Tom Brit, Olin, Marty and I. Punchbowls was super epic because Jam boy brought a playboat up there to come into eddy and throw a back freewheel! So sick to watch. Last time on Metlako I broke my nose landing flat so I made sure I was gonna plug it this time. Todd went first and I followed 10 seconds behind for safety. I had a good line landing soft. Hand roll was easy. Stoked! I see Todd struggling tho so I start to figure out situation. He landed flat and hit his nose.. I give him a chance to go down asap but he says he is ok. Take care of the rest of the boys and we are good. Most of them have sweet lines. DJ and Marty didn’t hand roll which make our day watching them drinking celebration bootie beers. Two days later we did possibly first ever descent of White Salmon from Trout Lake to Columbia river. Great crew, amazing whitewater and sunny day that will stay in our memories forever. Four more days of solid bombing Little White Salmon got me about ten laps and I knew it was time to go back south and roll the dice one more time.

Sahalie and Koosah sounded like whitewater of 21^st century. Everything felt good. Until we got there . Sahalie is huge when you first get there. That was ok but we were waiting for the second vehicle with kayaks, two boaters and part of our media team. We had to wait. Just for safety reasons too. Hour and half they showed up claiming a lost.. Seth Stoener and DJ, Galen was in my car. We have Tait Troutman and Jasper G for pictures.Marty for safety. Ideal set up. But timing, hurry up and wait, and 3 pm give me a little weird feel to it. Will Pruett shows up to set up safety we told we might be here so he stopped by when we were gearing up. J Me and Galen are going for it. I feel huge respect and I am nervous. But adrenalin junkie sense says go with it bro it will be sweet. We scout the lip and put in.. We are going for it. Galen goes first, boys are concerned about him looks like.. I wanna get there to help if needed. They give me thumbs up. I am in. I peel out. It feels great. I am tucke on the wrong side so I go to the other.. As I do that I took I mini back stroke on wrong side that flipped me over to get me upside down… I get ejected as I hit the landing. It took four years to get ejected again.. I swim straight to left where my bros have me right away too. We got my boat not my paddle but it could be worse… I am drinking a bootie and setting up safety, being very uncertain about Koosah falls just downstream of here. Seth has a good line but I see him having a big hit from his boat… We struggles to hand roll and looses a paddle. We throw him a spare we had. Missed. He is out. Bag him right away and made sure he is good. Him and galen go chase a boat I stay for safety. DJ nails the line and he is stoked at the bottom. He wants Koosah. I am still thinking but its getting late. Seth and Galen didn’t find the boat.. Lets see Dj fire this thing up. Nice line but landing a little flat. Swimming, dented kayak and third swim on 5 hucks to top the day off.

-Jakub

Also, we are extremely proud that the Brewer Show was selected by National Geographic as “Gear of the Year” for Spring/Summer 2013:

Visit National Geographic’s website for the full article

March 22, 2012 – Asheville, NC – Leading provider of personal floatation devices and water-specific footwear, Astral, announces their new freestyle-inspired vest, the YTV, as the official PFD of the USA Freestyle Kayak Team at the ICF Canoe Freestyle World Championships. Taking place September 2-8, 2013 on the Nantahala River in the heart of the North Carolina Smoky Mountains, the ultimate whitewater competition will host more than 300 of the top freestyle paddlers from around the world.

“We are extremely proud to support the USA team in the World Championships especially having it right in our back yard,” says Astral Brand Manager, Bryan Owen. “It’s an incredible honor to have the USA team in our gear and for the opportunity to support the organizations that do so much for the whitewater community and the sport of Freestyle Kayaking.”

Astral has also made a contribution to the USA Freestyle Kayaking organization (USAFK) that will provide sponsorship for those training to become certified judges of the fast growing sport. In addition, Astral will provide a few of the custom designed YTVs to be auctioned or raffled at events to benefit both USAFK and Team River Runner, a non-profit organization that provides active duty service members and veterans an avenue to find health and healing through kayaking and other paddling sports.

“We appreciate this partnership,” says USAFK Chair Risa Shimoda, citing a longtime relationship with Astral, “not only for the PFDs but also the donation, which goes a long way with our judge certification process.”

For more information about the YTV, additional Astral products and endeavors visit www.astraldesigns.com or contact Mandy Gresham at mandy@darbycommunications.com .

For more information about the USAFK visit www.usafreestylekayak.com or contact Risa Shimoda at risa@theshimondagroup.com.

Yonton Mehler, Big Rocks freestyle session.
photo Effort Inc.

For 2013 we are proud to announce new freestyle inspired design from Astral, the YTV.  This newest addition to the line introduces our Torso-Lock™ foam platform that has been in evolution for almost 8 years now. The  YTV was created to be “Simple by Design” to address the specific needs of freestyle kayakers , sailors, and general use whitewater enthusiasts. We also wanted to create a design that was ideal for first time paddlers looking for a comfortable and easy to use lifevest.

In creating a vest for this specific population, we set the following design goals:

• eliminate ride up / reduce bulk
• easy donning and adjustment
• reduce weight and materials (this has both performance and environmental motives)
• must fit a wide range of paddlers from small teenagers to large adults.

Astral athlete Chris Gragtmans.
photo Effort Inc.

The origin of this ‘platform’ (term for the basic layout and shape of the foam panels) dates back to Astral’s creation of Foam Tectonics that made its debut with the Newton, and later the Willis, Bella, Greenjacket, and Sea Wolf.  Foam Tectonics essentially separated the front panel of the vest into two parts with a inside layer that warps the lower torso, and an outer panel that floats freely as the paddler tucks, rotates, or swims. For a more technically oriented or expedition paddler the Foam Tectonic platform is really nice; although someone looking for a more user-friendly or entry-level  models like the discontinued Willis (and other attempts to replicate its basic shape) may be overly complex and a little “strappy” for both newbie’s and freestyle purists alike . This is where the YTV comes in.

NOC’s Brad Caldwell shredding in the new YTV.
photo Effort Inc.

Our new Torso-Lock™ platform is essentially a simplified version of Foam Tectonics as it fuses the two panels together yet maintains many of the same fit characteristics. A primary component of the system is the ergonomic wrapping of lower panel’s side wings below the widest part of the rib cage which helps to lock the vest in place. On top of that we intentionally kept the growing population of younger, smaller kayakers in mind so that its designed to fit them exceptionally well. The back height of the YTV has been reduced significantly when compared to the past Willis and Bella designs so there is no interference with a smaller paddler’s range of motion.

The YTV is a great fit for women and smaller paddlers.
Photo Effort Inc.

Key Features of the YTV include:

• Simple by Design construction makes it easy to don and use.
• Featherweight keeps it light, fast drying, and reduces raw materials and waste.
• Torso Lock™Foam Platform eliminates rideup.
• Knife Tab for your weapon of choice.
• Two zippered pockets for you essentials.

YTV testing. Nolichucky River TN.
photo Effort Inc

Astral’s GM Yonton Mehler on the name YTV: “I guess for a lot of years I’ve been the main promoter of adding this platform to our line…to the point that I had to eventually made fabric patterns, and cut and sew them myself. Then I gave my sample to Philip (Astral’s lead designer and CEO) to start working on it in the R&D department. For a long time we didn’t have name for it, so in the development process we referred to it as the ‘Yon-Ton-Vest’.  Yonton modestly  added, “I don’t love the name, but overall it’s a product that I’m proud of and I love using it. I think a lot of others will too… so I guess it’s kind of cool.”

Astral SE Rep Spencer Cooke surfing in his YTV.
photo: Effort Inc

Available: At your local Astral dealer in March.

Colors: Black, Navy, Yellow

Sizing: (measured at widest torso circumference)

small/medium: 31-37”
medium/large: 38-44”
large/x-large: 45-51”

MSRP Price: $119.95

I just got asked again if I am crazy. I am not crazy. I was not born with big balls, I was born with no balls! I do not believe that anybody was born with a “tough”- gene. Everybody that run class five have all worked hard to gain confidence and to build courage. The truth is that nothing comes for free in this world. Not even big balls.

What I have found in kayaking is an element in which I could play to such an extent that the fuzz of the world around me goes quiet. What you find in kayaking I do not know. Nevertheless there is something all we kayakers share: A profound sense of belonging in the current of a flowing river. The reasons why this is so, are individual, private and intricate. They can not be put in a category and labelled. Except from one. FLOW. I think it was Evan Garcia that once posted this in his blog, in regard to Bomb-Flow. For Love Of Water. Simple. As. That.

I once in a while hear the following: “Technique can be learned, guts can not”. I call bullshit. This supposed truth blocks a major part of women from becoming their best. And a significant amount of guys. On the river, just like most other times in life, you need to be able to break it all down. Sometimes we need to analyze what went wrong. Then you need to get back on that horse. It sounds simple. It isn´t. But it is doable. If your mistake is due to lack of skills, then step back. Was it just a mistake, well then do not beat yourself up over it. Shake it off, and maybe even walk back up and try again. But never ever ever believe that you can never get better because you “have no guts”!

Courage is not something we are born with. It is something we achieve. And damn, it is hard work! To build courage you need to put yourself into situations where it is in play. Start with small drops, rapids, slightly more technical rapids and waterfalls. If you find yourself stuck in your comfortzone then it does take an effort to pull yourself out of there. The first step is to find a goal just outside it, yet not too far away. It doesn’t have to be a 10 meter waterfall. It can be simply choosing a different line down a rapid you have run 100 times. But most importantly: YOU have to actively change your path.

Yes, ladies, the men are born with more testosterone. But we are born with more brains (fact) and finesse (fact).  I am not saying it is easy to build courage. But to blow off your potential with ” I have no guts, so I will never get better anyways” is just not good enough. It all starts with small steps. They are the most important ones. In addition, when you run something smoothly and how you wanted to run it, step back and analyze. Why did you manage to pull it off? Recognize how well you have done, and be proud of yourself.

Eventually you will find that by building courage in one discipline, it can transfer into other disciplines. I just tried my first backflip on skis. Not because I am crazy. But because it was a reasonable step outside of my comfort zone that I was ready to take. More important than having it transfer to skiing is that building courage on the water can transfer to life off the water. The potential gain is immense: Improved self-esteem, an alerted ability to cease chances when they arise, standing up in difficult situation and not at least: Fulfill your potentials.

In my opinion, we do not need to paddle like the guys. We need to paddle like girls. Embedded in this statement is a profound belief that we can do exactly the same as the guys, but we need to figure out our own ways to do so. In other words, we can not just follow in the footsteps (paddlestrokes) of men.

No more excuses, ladies. Time to get to work.

In 2008 we made the very first Astropad dog bed, a truly unique ByProduct created from some of our manufacturing leftovers. Since then we have seen a solid reduction in our factory waste and have crossed paths with lots of happy river dogs. Here’s a look back at the idea that started the Astral Byproduct movement, and a first glance at the 2013 redesign:

The Facts:

• Kayakers wear PFDs.
• Most kayakers have dogs.
• During the PFD manufacturing process we get about 80% yield from die cut foam, meaning there is about 20% excess not used to build your PFD.

The Idea:

• What if we were able to transform these manufacturing scraps into a usable byproduct for your best friend?

The Solution:

The Astropad Dog bed is a ByProduct made primarily with environmentally considerate foam shavings left over from PFD manufacturing. These closed cell buoyant foams provide a truly luxurious place for your river dog to crash after a long day on the water.  Best of all we are able to use 100% of the foam from our manufacturing, meaning there are no leftovers going to the landfill – instead we give them to your dog.

The outer shell of the Astropad is made from a durable 600D Polyester on the sides panels, bottom, and top edge. It has two convenient carrying handles for easy transport. In the center we use soft Organic Cotton that keeps your hound cozy while he dreams about the next big day on the water. Open up the Velcro closure and you can easily remove the baffled insert for machine washing.

New for 2013: You pick the color with options of Olive, Grey, and Cranberry. We also blended in a bit of lightweight polyester fill along with the foam scraps (approx 8% by weight) to make the Astropad a bit softer, lighter, and fluffier than in the past.

Sizing:

Available: Now

Order from our Shopatron store and receive free shipping in the Continental US.

After spending a significant amount of time in Pucon, on the morning of January 1st, Jakub and I decided to pack up the Red Fiat and head south.  Kayakers in Pucon said the Florin would be too low, but we found it on the high side of good and even paddled the gorge you pass on the way up to the Florin.  Actually, Jakub, Nick Gottlieb, and Ari Walker paddled these rivers because I was suffering from serious Pucon-itis back issues, which forbid me from bending over.

Jakub sequence on the Florin

Next we returned to the Golgol, which had finally dropped to a high, but runnable level.  It may not be well-publicized, but there is another section below Golgol’s quintessential waterfall run, which is of a totally different characteristic, but equally awesome.  The plan was to then explore Argentina, but with the Golgol border burnt and crossing impossible, we headed south stopping at the Curringue and Petrohue before finding the rivers further south to be flooding.

Nick Gottlieb shows us the Petrohue.

With the options being to wait in the pouring rain for the rivers to drop, return north, or sign-up for the ferry wait list to Chaiten, we decided (after hours, maybe even days of debate) to return to Futaleufu and hopefully spend some time there when it was not miserably cold and rainy.  Well, I don’t think either of us regretted the decision to spend the last one and a half weeks of our Chile trip down in sunny and hot Futaleufu, lapping the Bridge to Bridge section, Infierno Canyon, and paddling numerous Toda Futa days.   It was nice to finally experience summer and truly appreciate the Futa scenary.

Terminator on the Futa

After seven days of Transit, including ferries, busses, automobiles, and airplanes, I am back home in Buffalo gearing up for the next adventure.

Mandy Gresham
Darby Communications
mandy@darbycommunications.com
828.254.0914 o/828.545.5041 c

Asheville, NC, Feb 07, 2013 –

Astral announced today that Chris Summa of Modern Tradition Sales will expand on his territory of Florida, Georgia, and Alabama to include the Gulf Coast States of Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

Based in Jacksonville, Florida Summa has been an Astral sales representative since November of 2011 and has recently hired former Astral sales representative Justin Sams to help service dealers in the expanded territory.

“Justin had been an outstanding rep for us years ago when he worked with our good friends at Outdoor Sports Marketing.” commented Bryan Owen, Astral’s Brand Manager. ” He comes with years of experience in paddlesports, surf, and footwear; possessing an intimate understanding of Astral culture and products.”

Both natives of Florida, Summa and Sams are active paddlers and surfers who have been immersed in the industry and are committed to the success of Astral dealers in this key region.

-Nicole Mansfield

Enjoy these images of the Pucon Siphon from Nicole…

Jakub falling off the Middle Palguin.

WWGP athletes enjoying summer in Chile.

Start of the Palguin Boatercross during the WWGP.

Jakub on the Rio Turbio outside of Pucon.

No trip to Chile would be complete without a little vehicle drama.

Jakub Nemec and Geoff Calhoun enjoying some hiking time near the Rio Plata.

Jakub on the Rip Nevados testing the 2013 Greenjacket. Its boofs nice.

The author and woman of many talents, Nicole Mansfield.

Here she’s demonstrating some Dukes of Hazard shuttle entry skills while stuck in the siphon.

In the past couple of months since I got the Brewers, I have put them through just about every situation I can think of.  They have quickly become my go to pair of shoes for almost any outdoor activity, and here are the top 5 things I love about them!

1)       Versatility.  I have worn these shoes in so many situations, from long days of hiking and boating on Linville, Toxaway and Raven Fork, to a self-support 2 week Grand Canyon Trip with epic slot canyon hikes/scrambles, to skydiving, to beach camping on a barrier island, slacklining, longboarding, trail running, Mountain biking, and everyday use going to class. And the fold down heel is great for slipping back on after changing clothes and driving home or around camp. They drain water immediately and dry out quick. If I have to pick 1 pair of shoes for everything, these are them!

2)      Style.  As I mentioned above, I wear the brewers to class all the time. No longer do paddling shoes look like some alien space boots that you can’t really wear cargo shorts with.  Brewers dry quick too so you can wear them around after paddling as well.

3)      Comfort and Lightweight.  You can wear these all day, the foot bed is comfortable and supportive, and the shoes are super light. At the end of a long day on the Grand canyon, I would usually end up putting these back on to wear around camp.

4)      Low Profile.  I had gotten used to paddling barefoot or in thin booties not serving up much protection in virtually everything except my creekboat, so it actually took me a little while to figure out I could wear these in my playboat. They are solid shoes, not something you’d exactly think would fit in a playboat but astral found a way to make them low profile and still super solid for burly hikes. I didn’t even have to change any outfitting in the playboats.  I figured out earlier this week they even fit in my Loki, the slicey low volume old school playboat, I am still pretty stoked about that!

5)      Grip.  The 5.10 rubber on the soles of these shoes is hands down the best thing about them.  I honestly do not think I would have been capable of making some of the portages on the Toxaway without these, a grippy sole is absolutely essential out there and on similar runs, not only to make the portages easier, but to make them safe. I don’t know how I kayaked without good shoes before these but I definitely will not go back to the days of chacos or tennis shoes! A good grippy sole you trust can make all the difference!

We are very proud to be recently featured in Be-Pal magazine which is targeted towards the outdoor enthusiasts in Japan.

Our very own Yonton Mehler made a cameo appearance in the magazine (and he never even told us that he speaks Japanese)…check it out:

-images courtesy of Whitewater Grand Prix and Nick Gottlieb

Sure, almost everyone had heard of the Whitewater Grand Prix by the time the second one kicked off on December 1st. And everyone knew it was “30 of the world’s best kayakers” brought together to race “some of the hardest whitewater in the world.” But of the thousands of people signed up for the “Free Online Coverage” Facebook event, how many of them actually knew (or know now) what a “whitewater enduro” is? Or what the race courses were like, or anything else that wasn’t conveyed by the artsy short-films called stage summaries?

Well, fortunately, I spent two weeks driving thousands of kilometers around Chile following them around (and kayaking), and am properly equipped to answer these questions.

So, first off, a “whitewater enduro” – not to be confused with a stock car race (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enduro_race) – is a time trial race that is longer than a sprint and shorter than a marathon. In the case of the Grand Prix, the first event, a race on the Rio Gol Gol, was around five minutes long. The Gol Gol is a pool-drop river with ~5 major drops. The athletes all arrived at the Gol Gol on December 1st, discovering (to their dismay) that the river was high. In  two days of practice, the river dished out serious carnage – Eric Deguil and Kyle Hull both broke ribs, and there were a handful (7?) of swims. Then, the night before race day, the river rose a full foot, and the athletes voted not to include the final 40′ waterfall called Salto del Indio in the event. The first race day saw a couple swims, and Juan Antonio de Uguarte broke his finger in three places – but kept racing until later that week when an x-ray confirmed it.

Evan Garcia on his way to fourth place in the Gol Gol enduro race, behind winner Mike Dawson who swam on day one of the race, but came back on day two to take the event despite an undiagnosed broken back from the Rio Claro two weeks earlier.

After the Gol Gol event, nobody in Chile seemed to know where the Grand Prix would go for stage two. After weeks of sun and low water, December came, and all of Chile became rainy and cold (and it has been that way ever since, with one day excepting). A couple more practice lap swims led to a decision to hold the event on the Rio Puesco (also at high water), a steep boulder-garden style river in Curarrehue, Chile, about an hour from Pucon. The continuous nature of the Puesco made the swims a bit more dangerous than on the Gol Gol, and a swim on the Puesco took Mike Dawson out of the Grand Prix for the duration.

Nicole Mansfield discovers why the rapid is called “Tres Troncos” (three logs).

A tight river with steep, technical lines, the Puesco made for a different race than many of the other stages – there was no flatwater to sprint, just technical lines to smooth. This played towards Astral team member Evan Garcia’s strengths and he placed second, behind Eric Deguil (despite his broken ribs).

Stage three was supposed to be a giant slalom down Salto del Mariman on the Rio Trancura just outside Pucon, but unfortunately the incessant rain had brought the level up too high for gates to be feasible, so after some more indecision, the organizers decided on a sprint race down a section of the Nevados river. To the athletes, this was a welcome relief – after the injuries, swims, and general next-level-ness of events one and two, the Nevados looked to be more fun and less terrifying. It also turned out to be the only sunny day of the entire Grand Prix. The Nevados is a Pucon staple, filled with picture perfect 20′ers, well within the reach of mere mortals, and was only flowing at a respectable medium to medium-high flow (unlike the Gol Gol and Puesco). Setting safety at the finish line, which was just below a 4′ ledge with a meaty hole, I saw some interesting lines, but far less carnage than on any of the other races thus far, with only one competitor swimming (just after crossing the finish line upside down).

Astral athlete Jakub Nemec boofs under a rainbow in the Rio Nevados on the one second drop of the race course, a 20′ boof towards a wall.

After that, the entire Grand Prix boarded their bus (and assorted other vehicles) and drove and ferried their way to Futaleufu. I drove through Argentina to get there, getting broken into, searched, and told that my kayak needed a permit on the way, but ended up making it just in time for the first of the two events there. Consistent with the theme of the Grand Prix thus far, the Futa was very, very high and only getting higher. As a result, both events were held on the most commonly run stretch, a section known as “Bridge to Bridge.” Like the Nevados, it contrasted with the Gol Gol and Puesco races in strict terms of difficulty, allowing the racers to paddle hard and worry a little bit less about danger and making lines. The stage 4 boatercross sprint went smoothly, with Astral ambassador Katrina Van Wijk taking her first victory and Evan Garcia coming in with his 4th top five finish.

The girls of the Grand Prix, battling hard in the short stretch of flatwater at the top of the final race, about to enter a massive Futaleufu rapid.

The fifth and final event was a mass start marathon race on the entire “Bridge to Bridge” section of the Futa, including through Casa del Piedra (after the bridge, technically speaking). This section is somewhere around six miles of continuous big water boating with no respite – the few sections that aren’t filled with huge waves and holes are littered with whirlpools, boils, and eddy fences. Despite being a long (twenty-five minutes or more) race, the competitors were still clustered close and battling hard through Mas o Menos and Casa del Piedra, the two biggest rapids stacked right at the end of the race course.

It was hard fought till the end – Dane Jackson, Eric Deguil, and Evan Garcia all at the front battling it out in the last stage, with everyone else not far behind as they cross under the second bridge of “Bridge to Bridge” through the boiliest section of the river.

Overall, it was a pretty incredible display of whitewater talent. When you hear repeatedly that some of the best paddlers in the world swam, you know the event is pushing the limits. It was great being here for the event and getting to paddle with the athletes before and after. Pat did a great job getting the event together, and I wish him the best of luck for next time.

Somehow I happened to pull off a flight to Santiago de Chile after straight two months of work after getting off the one and only Stikine river. My friend Nicole Mansfield had the same plan so we decided to rent a car together to be able to travel more and have a cheap car rental. After picking my boat up in Valdivia (thanks Pyranha) we got to Pucon and next thing we know Evan Garcia and his Substantial crew: Fred, Anton and Logan we driving behind us.

We did Palguin top to bottom including well known Stout ten into middle Palguin falls. It was a good day of kayaking after two months. WE moved on and kayaked everything runnable in the area. There was not a whole lot though due to low snow pack and no rain, just sunshine, which was nice.

We did V+ lower Llancaue, where my kayaking ended for a few days because I hurt my ribs doing a back freewheel off the 30+ footer. Slowly and steady I got better just in time for Whitewater Grand Prix.

I am sure you know about this outstanding event organized by Patrick Camblin and Emily Meredith. It was awesome to see and live with 50 kayakers traveling Chile and racing on the steepest and most technical creeks like GolGol, Puesco, Nevados and two races on Futaleufu to get our big water fix. Props to Dane Jackson for winning this thing on and off the river.

For more info visit whitewatergrandprix.com .Right now I am back in Pucon catching up on updates and emails. Sick like never before. Three weeks of rain and cold weather got me. Most of the rivers are running so I am hoping to get better soon and hit them. I am getting anxious to go kayaking which is a good sign.  Have a nice Christmas!

Jakub

Backpackers looking for good backup footwear have long faced a dilemma framed by the available options, namely Crocs and Chacos. It looked something like this:

- Crocs are light and comfortable, great to wear around camp at the end of the day when your sore feet want to breathe, but they’re bulky and provide little support or traction. If your primary footwear fails while on the trail then you face the unenviable option of hiking a long way with a heavy load on shoes that just aren’t up to the task.

- Chacos provide better support and traction for hiking with your pack on—quite a few AT thru hikers opt for using these as their primary shoes. However, if you’re looking to use Chacos as secondary camp shoes then they weigh a lot and take up too much room in your pack. For long distance hikers they represent too much bulk to be worth carrying as backup footwear.

Enter the Brewers: a light, fast-drying, compact-able shoe with a lot of support in case you need it.

During my two-week, 100-mile trek through the Smokies I used my Brewers on a daily basis, interchanging them with my hiking boots depending on the situation. I fished up and down Hazel Creek in them, grateful for the Stealth rubber traction on the slippery stream bottom. I wore them each night in camp, flipping the heel down at bedtime so I could quickly slip them on for the inevitable middle-of-the-night restroom call. I hiked in them on the afternoon that the trail crossed a creek ten times, and I found them supportive enough that I continued to walk in them after leaving the stream and ascending the ridge. I ended up climbing 1,000+ feet under a full load and felt absolutely comfortable in my Brewers.

To be clear, I am not recommending the Brewer as a distance hiking shoe. If you’re walking far under a load then these are not the ticket: get a good hiking boot for that. But if you want comfortable camp shoes that can perform on the trail when needed, then these really are great. Here is a breakdown of the advantages for trail life that the Brewer presents:

- Lightweight: 214 grams on average, hard to beat

- Excellent Traction: Stealth rubber is unmatched for sticking to slippery, wet surfaces

- Comfort and Support: Brewers wrap around the foot and give stable contact with the ground

- Compact: The minimalist design allows you to pancake these puppies into a very small volume

- Quick Drying: They just won’t stay wet. Mine dried in an hour when set under the sun.

I no longer have to compromise between comfort, weight, and packable volume when I pick a camp shoe. The Brewers are my go-to footwear for kayaking, backpacking, and impressing the ladies (by which I mean my girlfriend, who loves them, too). That’s my honest opinion; hope you find it helpful.

Chris Gallaway

Horizonline Pictures
www.horizonlinepictures.com

CONTACT:

Mandy Gresham / Darby Communications

mandy@darbycommunications.com

828.254.0914

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Asheville, NC – November 20, 2012 – Whitewater kayaker and Astral Ambassador, Harlan Taney, will attempt the world solo speed record in a kayak paddling the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon during a federally scheduled, experimental flooding and release of the Glen Canyon dam. Taney plans to continuously paddle the geographical length of the Grand Canyon, 277 miles, and intends to break the current record of 36 hours. His attempt will begin at midnight at Lees Ferry near Marble Canyon, Arizona (river mile 0) on November 21^nd immediately upon release of the dam. Taney has worked closely with the hydrologist to precisely coordinate his launch so he can ride the flood for 24 hours and be careful not to out run it.

Taney, a Flagstaff native, has worked in the Grand Canyon as a river guide for over 15 years and the speed run has been a goal of his for some time. “The Grand Canyon Speed Run for me will be exhilarating and an amazing adventure,” says Taney. “But it will also be a way for me to experience the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River on whole new terms; just me, alone with my kayak, exhausted, paddling downstream on a river in flood.”

An Astral Ambassador for several years, Taney has boldly competed in and adventurously explored big water all over the world including some of the most remote places on Earth. Taney will make the attempt in an Epic 18x Touring Kayak while wearing Astral’s Sea Wolf PFD and Brewer shoes. The versatile and technical Sea Wolf is built on Astral’s foam Tectonic platform and offers exceptional mobility, accommodating range of adjustment and ample storage space.

For more information or media/sponsorship inquiries, please contact:

Harlan Taney

htblacktail@hotmail.com
(928) 853-1698  cel
http://www.4cornerfilmlogistics.com
http://www.pangeasports.net

They met up with Isaac Levinson the 2011 Green Race champ, stayed at local legend Pat Keller’s house and got to experience the real American Dream. Along the road they went to the Lord Of the Fork Race in Kentucky, Atlanta and it’s Coca-Cola museum, checked out the Liquid Logic factory and then it was Green time.

Thanks to Isaac Levinson, Pat Keller, Chris Stafford, Shane Benedict, Woody Callaway, John Grace, Jason Hale and everyone that looked after us Europeans/Kiwis.

Our Lives – The Green Race S01-Ep01 from Twelve Productions on Vimeo.

Produced by : Twelve Productions

Directed, Filmed & Edited by : Ciarán Heurteau

As you can see enhancements like a large clamshell pocket, front tow system pouch, and flash green shell fabric really set the new Greenjacket apart from other recuse vests on the market.

Available March 2013.

Read the full article on Canoe and Kayak’s website: http://www.canoekayak.com/gear/safe-is-smooth/

This has been a crazy season for me on the river. I started off with a warm water creeking trip to Far North Queensland. This area is fast becoming an adventure Mecca in Australia, and I will be moving up there full time in a couple of months.

From Cairns I headed to California, Here I was super lucky to get on some of the Ultra Classics, Back to back. We traveled from Fantasy Falls, to Dinky Creek, Then to the Kaweahs, and finally Upper Cheery before Max Davidson and myself drove North back to BC. After witnessing some pretty scary stuff go down on the river in the States, my Class 5 fire slowed right down.

While working as a raft guide in BC, I got plenty of runs in on the classics around Whistler: Ashlu Box, Callahan, etc. After a crazy summer in Whistler myself and a couple of good friends headed South again. This time much further to Colombia. Colombia is another whitewater Mecca, the people are amazing, the rivers challenging, and the scenery breath taking.

As my Season draws to an end of the rivers I will be jumping back into my play boat and enjoying some big wave surf action on the Beaches of Australia, cant wait! More Photos will shorty be up on my website follow-the-river.com

Lachie Carracher