Jackson Kayak - Hero Review

A Jackson Hero Review by OPS Team Paddler Mike McKay

The Hero is just plain fun.

Buy It Here

I would also argue that for many in the Ottawa area, an excellent river runner for many kayakers looking to expand on the area's rivers.

Most people will argue that a bigger boat is better as that seems to be the trend over the past few years. However, I will make a few arguments for the defense of the Hero:

1. Control:
Due to the easy transition between a playboat and the Hero, many will feel a great sense of control. While the Hero will lack some speed, many will feel that the compensation in speed is greatly made up in the control that the paddler will have in any given rapid.

Photo By: Ray Canton

2. Versatility:
Transitioning between creeks and big water is a breeze in the Hero. The added volume gives you more confidence in big water than a traditional playboat while the length gives you mobility through tight boulder gardens.

Photo By: Ray Canton

3. Added Fun
For advanced paddlers the Hero adds an extra element of excitement to your home base class 5 run.

Photo By: Joanne Tognarelli

Last summer I was fortunate enough to prototype the 2011 Hero with Clay Wright on the Raquette (a tight and steep class 5 section in Colton NY). I also had a chance to try the Hero on the Green River Narrows. While both rivers provide a challenge at any time, the added excitement of the Hero boosted my enjoyment factor.

In fact, I find I am now more excited to paddle the Hero than my playboat or creekboat.

I would recommend this boat to paddlers looking to add some spice to their local runs AND those who are transitioning into more river running from playboating.

Don't let the size deter you. In fact, control will play a huge role in the transition in to river running for most. Also, unless you are doing expedition paddling or consistently running steep, large drops, a big boat may just inhibit your paddling on harder rivers.

Have fun!!

Some rivers to check out in your new Hero? Upper Petawawa, Kipawa, Rouge and many more!!

See attached a pick from Hell or High Water. While the Hero is not an ideal racing boat, it was so fun to run multiple laps of the river in (as you can see by my cheery look!!).

Photo By: Julie Jenkinson HOHW 3

Photo By: Joanne Tognarelli

Photo By: Ray Canton

Stohlquist Descent PFD Review

Stohlquist Descent PFD Review By OPS Team Paddler Eric Clement.


Buy It Here

I've been wearing the Stohlquist Descent for three months now and I really like it. I’m always hesitant when it comes to changing a piece of gear. In this case my decision paid off.

The Descent felt really comfortable the first time I wore it since it is not too bulky nor too heavy. (Thanks to Stohlquist's Wrapture ® Foam) It also has the side zipper which I like more than the pull over vests. One of my favourite features on the vest is the padded anti slip shoulder straps that make those long hikes more enjoyable. Another thing I like is those two straps situated in front of your arm pits that keep the vest fairly low and locked in position. The Descent also has a big front pocket that allows you to carry a lot of safety gear. One thing I would like to have on the vest are adjustable straps on the shoulders.

When buying a pfd the first thing you should consider is your safety. The Stohlquist Descent has lots of flotation (Type V PFD with sea level buoyancy of 17 lbs to be exact), lots of coverage for back protection and is also approved in Canada, so you’re good to go. From my point of view comfort should be second on the list and this vest is very comfortable. I’d give this vest an 8/10 over all.

Eric

The Stholquist Descent In Action:

Photo By: Alex Sauve

WHITEWATER GRAND PRIX 2011 COMPLETE UPDATE

OPS Team paddler Marcos Gallegos had the opportunity to take part in one of the most historic and epic events in the whitewater community. While his video entry didn't land him a spot to compete and represent Chile (This year anyway! Watch out for next year!) He was asked to be a safety boater for the event. This gave Marco the opportunity to not only pullout world class paddlers out of the water after swims! But, more importantly go out and paddle at these amazing locations before, after, and during off days around the competition. This allowed him to take his paddling to the next level, in both freestyle and creeking.

Words By: Marcos Gallegos

Two weeks of full on paddling, competing and bendering through Ontario and Quebec have come to an end. The first ever and most epic competition of this nature to happen in history, extreme whitewater kayaking at its finest. Here we show you day by day all activities held during the full two weeks of the 2011 whitewater grand prix.

April 30th.  After the level 6 competition held on the champlain bridge we moved to sussex in Downtown Ottawa for the opening party and the premier of Rush Sturges latest film " FRONTIER" 

Day 1 Training Day: The morning of may 1st after the welcoming party we load up gear and boats to move to Wilderness Tours on the Ottawa Valley which hosted the event, we head to the river for a practice run on the middle channel and later on we head to the cabins.

Grand Prix Edit # 1 "Opening party"

So after enjoying the ottawa valley after all the practice runs it is time for the first competition finally! Day three was the "Best Trick Contest" the wave chosen for this event was "GLADIATOR"  so we all head down to the coliseum rapid were this wave is located.

Grand Prix # 2 stage one "Big Trick Contest"



Day four we left the ottawa valley and we started moving towards Quebec for the next event, but before making it to the rouge river where the next event was being held we stopped at The Ruins for a day session.

Grand Prix Edit # 3 " The Ruins"



After leaving the ruins we drove one and a half hours towards to the rouge river, again the water levels were on our side so we all knew it would be another amazing event, once setting up our stuff and spending the night on the rouge valley he headed to the river for the next event day 5!.

Grand Prix Edit # 4 stage 2 "Big Water Boatercross " on the rouge river



Day 5 was finished and we had to keep driving across Quebec for the next event. Stage 3 was the steep creek time trial on la petite bostonnais river in la tuque after 5 hours of driving and a bit more after all the poutine places the boys wanted to stop at! We arrived to the cabins we were going to sleep in and the next day  was a day off so the boaters could rest or do anything they wanted to. The next morning was the time of the competition day 7 check it out! stout edit

Grand Prix Edit # 5  stage 3 steep creek "time trial" on la petite bostonnais river, Quebec



After finishing the steep creek race on la petite bostonnais we headed to the Mistassibi for the down river freestyle contest on the mighty Misstasibi river in St Stanislas QC.

Grand Prix Edit # 6 stage 4 "Down River freestyle", Mistassibi river




Grand Prix Edit # 7 stage 5 " Big Wave Challenge "



After the down river freestyle and the big wave challenge were finished we left misstasibi and we drove another hour and a half towards Chicoutimi, Qc. We were told there is 4 times more women than men which was sounding pretty awesome! Anyways, we arrived to the hotel where we received the keys to our rooms and later on we drove to the river to go check the place of the competition. The next day was the time to race one of the most amazing competitions i have ever personally seen in whitewater kayaking this was the event # 6 the Giant Slalom here goes the edit check it out!

Photos taken during the competition.

Rush Sturges

 and Anton Immler surviving down the slide

Gerd Serrasolses charging down the finish line

Nick Troutman working the last 10 meters 

Bootie Beer for the swimers!

Massive rapid in front of the hotel in Mistassibi

Evan Garcia ready to stomp the line!

Aniol Serrasolses on the last drop

Jonny Meyers tong of 1st drop

Tino Specht working his way down the last rapid

and 17 year old Dane Jackson winner of the 2011 Whitewater Grand Prix

WWGP Wrap Up Video:

For More Edits Check Out Bomb Flow Magazine

Sweet Protection Wanderer Helmet Review

Review: Sweet Wanderer
By: Philip Kompass

So, Ive been wearing an NRS Guide for years. Probably close to a decade. I liked it. Still do actually. It was a nice helmet, Looked pretty good I thought. The fit wasn't great, and the minicell kept falling out, but it seemed to do the trick. I rarely, if ever hit my head, so to be honest it wasn't ever something I was all that concerned about. I'd always rather spend my extra cash on boats, or paddles. (I also neglected my PFD for way to long as well, but that's another story.)

A couple of things happened that made me rethink my helmet. One recent. One old.

Event 1: In 2009, I was privileged to paddle the North Fork of the Mokelumne (aka Fantasy Falls) with a crew of great boaters. Gripping whitewater for an east coast paddler, softened by years of pool-drop. The second day into the three day run, I flipped in a shallow manky class three and rattled my head of a rock badly enough to crack the rim of the helmet. I didn't replace it, even though I should have.

That little event got me thinking. Here I am, separated from help by an entire mountain range, covered in manzanita scrub and rattlesnakes, away from help putting my crew at risk, and I hit my head so hard it cracked my helmet. In class III.

I should have replace the helmet ASAP, but I didn't. I liked that helmet. We'd been through a lot.

Event 2: Back in April, I ran Sluice Falls on the Oswegatchie River. See for details on the run. This is a big rapid, and one that I'd been keen on firing up this year. If you have never been there, the "sluice" is a 15 foot falls, in the middle of a longer rapid, that has a guillotine rock right at the base of the falls. It projects at least halfway across the curtain and leaves barely a boat width to pass through. (Look carefully in the picture.) The move involves driving, slightly, onto the rock wall on river left to keep your boat and body away from the guillotine.

I was nervous. I took a monster of a stroke, and drove up so hard on the wall that my bow stuck and my stern swung in the current underneath me. I fell through the sluice backwards and upside down. My head - especially the back - and neck were well exposed to the granite of the Adirondacks, and were I a few inches closer to the river right, I would be typing this from a hospital bed. I did not hit my head... but I should have.

The next weekend, I bought a new helmet. One that stays securely in place. One that protects my temples, and, most importantly the back of my head. That helmet is the Sweet Wanderer.

Buy It Here!

Why did I choose this one? It seemed solid. The construction was good. The lining stays in place. The helmet is easy to snug up securely to my oddly shaped melon. Most people I know are happy with theirs. And, it seemed to provide me with more protection than most of the other helmets available.

Pros:
Sturdy
Snug fit, easy to adjust.
Multi-layer construction
Best helmet for the price, in my opinion
Its warm (didn't use my skullcap anymore).

Cons:
Its bulky.
Makes my head looks like a ping pong ball.
The liner drips longer than a minicell liner.

Regardless of the helmet choice you make, be certain that it provides your with the coverage that you need. Honestly ask yourself if it will do the job it needs to do, when you need it to do it? If not, get one that will.

Enjoy the pics courtesy of Alex Sauve. (I walked back up and cleaned it the second time, or that would have haunted me for the rest of the year.)

Phitty.

Hell Or High Water III - Event Recap

The sun has set on another Hell or High Water Race up in Petawawa, Ontario Canada. To my knowledge, it may well be the largest whitewater race in North America, with over 400 registered racers

HOHW continues to grow, with participants coming in from across the country, and even international competitors now. We had over 400 registered racers this year, and the guided portion of the raft race sold out in less than two weeks. Beginners to experts, HOHW provides a chance for any interested person to experience whitewater by getting in a raft – or making their own team. The event is partnered with Esprit Rafting again this year to supply all the equipment and a guide for the teams that need it.

The event also raised close to $8000 for three local causes close to the hearts of those in the Ottawa Valley: Soldier On, a charity that works to help injured CF members get back on their feet; the Petawawa Military Family Resource Centre; and, Whitewater Ontario, an organization working to help keep Ontario’s rivers clean, safe and accessible. A portion of the funds will go directly to the fight to try and keep the Petawawa River free of an impending hydro dam, and ensure that it remains a recreational resource for whitewater paddlers well into the future.

This annual event is so important, for so many reasons, as the whitewater community – and the community at large – is getting deep into the battle over the river. The event began as a means of increasing river usage, and documenting the record of safe navigation at variable flows. With record high flows this year (2011, approx 200 cms) and at near record low flows (2010, approx 45 cms) the event accomplished this. Not to mention the 1200+ person trips that made it safely down the river over the weekend.
All of the participants were great ambassadors of the river community. The place was clean, tidy and there were nothing but positive comments from residents, officials or police.

We had a high water course this year that tested the rafters, canoes and kayaks to the limits. Big waves, big holes, big flips, long swims and for those that were clean, some record fast times. A description of the Petawawa Town Run can be found on www.liquidlore.com/ontario/petawawa.
Times:

Top Male: Blake Mahoney (Remix)
Top Female: Leah Kindree (Jackson Punk Rocker)
Top Raft: Small Innocent Creatures with Clubs (captained by Jon Booren)

I know the times are pretty messy, but things got really hectic this year with 400+ racers, and although the timing team did their best, we may have a few mistakes in there.

Full Results can be found here: HOHW 2011 Final Results in the following order: All Times / Rafts / Men Long / Women Long / Men Short / Women Short.

By the Numbers:

1000+ spectators
40+ volunteers
400+ racers

200 cms
50 raft teams
125+ kayaks
3 canoes
2 injuries
and…thousands of happy people that were introduced, or reintroduced to the Petawawa River and the joy of whitewater. We are blessed in this community to have access to a river like this, and we need to remind the public of this every chance we get.

Thank again for the support , and we hope to see everyone out next year!

As told by event organizer Philip Kompass

Our own staff member Meagen Potter was on hand as well taking part with the OPS Women's raft who had a great run until they decided to put on a show and see how cold the water was at Lovers. Hell yea!
OPS Team Paddlers - Mike Mckay - Philip Kompass - Adam Chappell & Alex Perrett where on hand to take part of this awesome event, they all a great time and represented us well!

Adam Chappell:

Alex Perrett:

Mike Mckay:

Philip Kompass:

The Level Six Capital Cup

Great water levels and beautiful weather set the stage for a grand afternoon of freestyle paddling at Bates Island off Champlain bridge here in Ottawa. OPS team paddlers Adam Chappell, Marcos Gallegos and Alex Perret were all on hand and threw down in their respective heats. Our team paddlers absolutely killed it! Adam Chappell took the crown with a first place finish in a stacked field. Hard work and dedication payed off! He stuck left and right airscrews back to back TWICE and then followed with a left side phenoix monkey and pistol flip - headed back to the green shoulder for a helix and capped of the run with a right side phenoix monkey.... Holla!

Way to go boys! A solid day for the OPS Crew.

Check out some footage and interviews thanks to Rapid Media:


UPDATE: Adam's Winning Ride!