A budding forecast (yellow). The usual gauge is around 80cm

Philipp is a young gun from the Munich area and absolutely motivated at any conditions. We started one day before Christmas Eve and had an impressive flow of 152 cm, usually you run this section at a gauge if 80 cm.

Boofing the weir at the beginning // Max Eberl

At a normal flow run the entrance weir on the very right. In that case it is more or less a slide. But a higher flows you need to run it a bit more left, so that you are jumping from 2 meters directly to a concrete surface which is slightly covered with water. My body pitched to the deck of my Remix when I landed. Just after that concrete slide you will find a big stopper…

The hole after the weir // Philipp Much

Both, Philipp and me had a deep dive at that point and got spit out like a rocket. My sprayskirt (no it was not a LevelSix sprayskirt) popped in that whole and my boat got flooded. For me there was no chance to catch an eddy so I had to run the next rapid without scouting and with a slightly maneuverable boat. It went out good but anyhow it was my first swim in 2011…so close to the end of the year.

Some slide in the middle // Philipp Much

After some time there is the big slide. For Europe it is one of the bigger ones and pure fun.

Big slide on Eistobel // Max Eberl

I ran first and Philipp second. Then Philipp got the idea to perform a Blue Angel run. Awesomeness Check the video.
Even if I had a swim, I would say it was the perfect pre Christmas day. Thx to Philipp.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Sorry for the poor sound quality…

Cheers,
Max

“Included are some new scenes from this past spring’s kayak mission in Japan, as well as some of the gnarly lines nearby Shon’s local Mt. Shasta area.


As always though, it isn’t the “adrenaline” aspect of Shon’s work that I appreciate but the overall onda of his filmmaking, the way he never lets you forget the size of terrain and that no matter what we run we’re all pretty damn small”.

Click here to view the embedded video.

For more pick up our latest film Slippery When Wet and support the next project! Trying to kayak more in 2012 but with film school 5 days a week, I am still trying to keep my hopes up despite this temporary commitment. HUGE thanks to LL for all the support this year, it made 2011 one of the best years ever. Looking forward to many more adventures in 2012.

Once the first HD Hero was released it quickly was seen in every extreme sport across the board, all the biggest names in surfing, motocross, skiing, mtn biking, and even kayaking wanted to get their hands on them. When I first met Nick Woodman (the creator of GoPro) back in 2006 his enthusiasm and aggressive marketing style blew me away. From the beginning I knew GoPro was going to go BIG but I had no idea they would grow so fast, especially during the extreme recession of the US economy. In the past 5 years GoPro has dominated the helmet camera market with many competitors continuously chasing the coat tails of this innovative company. The Hero 2 is no different. This camera will set the new standard of high definition (still under $300) with the capabilities of 11 megapixel photos, 120 fps in SD, and wireless technology coming in early 2012. If you have not gotten on board yet I suggest you do, affordable, dependable, with amazing customer service, GoPro continues to be at the forefront of wearable camera technology.

Here is a short video testing new mounts up in Mt. Shasta over winter vacation. With LOW WATER in Nor Cal and being full time in film school at UC Santa Cruz, sometimes you just gotta take what you can get. Check out some low water Sims Falls laps with the new GoPro Hero 2.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Just to show that the original Hero is still EPIC, here is a Slippery When Wet GoPro Reel featuring all GoPro Hero shots, just in case you don’t want to spend as much money on the Hero 2, we used the original Hero for the whole film.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Big shout out to GoPro and all my sponsors that have made 2011 unforgettable, my opportunities with kayaking would be significantly limited without your support, so thank you for the resources to make all this possible. I am very grateful for everything my life and look forward to the 2012 season, hope to see you all on the water.

For more visit www.shastaboyz.com

GoPro asked me to put together a 100% Hero Reel from Slippery When Wet to promote the original GoPro Hero. This segment boast footage from all over the world including California, Pacific Northwest, Mexico, and relief work in Japan. If you enjoy what you see PLEASE order the film (you can order HERE) and support the project. Be sure to check out the NEW GoPro HERO 2 with not only 1080 HD filming capabilities, but 11 megapixel photos as well. BIG shout out to all the boyz involved with this project especially those featured: Ben Stookesberry, Chris Korbulic, Evan Garcia, Cody Howard, Ryan Knight, Devin Knight, and Drew Duval, there wouldn’t have been a film without yall, thanks for your contribution! More content to look forward to with a part 2 photo update from Japan dropping early Jan. 2012.

Enjoy the 100% GOPRO REEL and feel free to like, comment, and SHARE! see more at www.shastaboyz.com

Click here to view the embedded video.

We started the river with a small water level, one kilometre later groundwater that comes up spontaneously in a spring and give us more water along the descent.

The river never stop and just one time after a old bridge, you can stop and scout The long rapid, 400 metres with  14 dropes without eddies finished by a waterfall slide of 5/6 metres.

It was really funny to discovered a new river like this in that area !! Now time to go clean every trees and come back asap…

It’s was also a good opportunity for us to go on the Ain river, scout any big waterfalls and made a session to the Malate wave to 350 cubics.

La Cimante river pics
Le Bief de la Chaille river pics
L’Ain river pics
Malate wave pics

This season the water was prime when we arrived, but has been on a steady decline from day one. This has made for a mad dash to get all the runs and levels opportunities we can in a short amount of time. Once we were warmed up with a few Nevado runs we went straight to the Middle Palguin for some test dummy action. Good lines through Stout 10 and varying lines off the big one…Aniol and I went back up for round 2! A good day of hucking for sure…a few days later Aniol was feeling Salto Palguin so we went back for a Todo Palguin! Aniol laced the stout and we went on to run the entire river with only 2 portages.

One being a very tight manky slide with a log jam, and second is Brendan Guth’s drop on the Lower Palguin, which hasn’t been run since that tragic day. Enjoy a few shots from the 2 runs!

Stout 10…coming in HOT!

Getting mad dirty off the curling lip of the middle!

Juanito Ugarte running the middle after an exciting stout 10 descent.

Head freeze of middle with the new GoPro 2…this thing shoots amazing footage!

Papa Garcia styling in the new Liquid Logic Stomper 90…the boat looks amazing out there on the big stuff!

Aniol running stout 10 with some style…he has been on fire coming hot off a big Mexico trip.

A sick sequence of me running Stout 10…this is the scariest move offered in Pucon!

Stern mount freeze off the middle.

It amazes me to come down here year after year and continually return to this river only to find more and different personal challenges as I grow as a kayaker. I still get scared looking down at the pool while scouting the Middle, I more scared than ever of the Exportacion, and Salto Palguin is a thing of my past after having a good line last year. This has been a cool transition for me to be a part of…every year I come back a better and more confident paddler, but I always have different goals and fears in mind. Some rapids with curtain consequences that appealed to me last year could be a total no go this year…while drops I didn’t like in the past I can now see myself stomping.

Salute to the Palguin keep watching this blog as there is a ton more content to be put up and get ready for Bomb Flow TV’s Episode 6 covering the first month of this Chile trip.

Later E.G.

First day off the plane I was greeted by Anton, Ian, and my Dad in Santiago. We loaded up Ian’s new truck and drove straight to the Rio Claro. Finding the level was still super high my nerves set in big time knowing we were gonna drop into the Garganta Del Diablo canyon and run the Twirly Bird at high flows. I felt a bit bobbly in my boat, but after the first few class V drops I was back in my element feeling good as ever.

It was only Ian, Anton, and I in the canyon and we couldn’t even get out at the lip of Caracol to shoot, but with luck my pops was on the canyon rim and caught some of the action! Check the photos…

Ian running the TWIRLY BIRD!!!!!!

Myself tucking up and running the first stout of the trip…oh such a sweet moment.

The viking Anton bombing as always. Good to be back with the good boys running the real!

The rest of the canyon was a blur of pure beauty and high water scary action!!!!! It was a truly special day for me. Being back in my kayak healthy, with my older brother, good long time friend, and running the shit in my favorite country in the world! Like sands through the hour glass so are the days of our lives!!!!! Keep your eyes on egcreekin cuz we blowing shit up!!!!!!

Later E.G.

wine river

Couvertoiradde village

Every year, when I am going to the Ardèche area, I usually paddle the classical rivers (such as Upper Ardèche, Bourges,…). This year I decide to explore and run “unknown” rivers. Thanks to Henry Denis, a local paddler and famous writer of the book “Cévennes guide”, we discover a set of beautiful rivers from class III to V+ , such as Saliouse, Escoutay, Eysse, Loire River gorge that Henry has the “secret”  knowledge.

Loire gorge

Saliouse river

He brought us across some awesome scenery, where young and former paddlers gathered. This creates, all along the week an atmosphere I am in love, almost addictive!

La pression est montée d’un cran lors de l’ultime meeting de tout les participants de la Green Race. Tout le monde surpris de voir le “Frenchie” avec un open canoë en plus de son bateau long et bateau court … Heureusement, le chemin pour acceder à l’embarquement ne fait que descendre donc mon kayak long sur l’épaule, mon kayak court et mon canoë je n’ai mis qu’une heure pour rejoindre le départ.

Dossard 11, mon Stinger vert pomme sous les fesses,j’attend le fin du décompte pour partir au plus vite dans “Frankenstein”. Comportant de nombreux changement de rythme il était stratégique de ne pas partire trop vite au risque de sortir de la route sur le second rapide qui donne des sueurs froide à tout le monde tant les glissades sur les rochers sont précise et impitoyable.

Une fois franchi la vrai course commencait.

Click here to view the embedded video.

“Pin cushion” est là pour vous bousiller les bras à freiner et s’enfiller dans une passe que vous devez engager à l’aveugle. La suite en un enchainement de petit seuils et de rochers à fleur d’eau à ne surtout pas toucher sous peine de rester bloquer.

La Green race se gagne avant “Go left and die” et se perd après. C’est la réalité. “Go left and die” étant à mi-course il fallait allumer judicieusement avant car les choses très sérieuses commencent. Je passe comme une lettre à la poste, rien de mieux pour enchainer la suite.

La rivière penche de plus en plus fort, il faut esquiver et parader du tac au tac afin d’arriver les muscles brulant ,le coeur bourrinant au gilet et saisir sa chance dans “the nauch”. Je franchi tout à merveille pour enfin tourner à 90 degrés et m’expliquer avec “Gorilla” juge de paix de la Green race.

Tu n’es jamais sùr. Ultime coup de pagaie puis c’est les yeux fermés que tu dois franchir l’utime rouleau qui barre la sortie du “Gorilla”.

Les cloches sonnent à tue tête. Les milles personnes aglutinés en bord de rivières crient et sifflent. Il est impossible d’entendre le grondement de la rivière. Je passe à quelques mêtre de copains postés en sécurité qui tentent de faire entendre leur encouragement. A ce moment de la course, tu ne pagaies plus car l’eau va trop vite. Asphixié ma trace se dérobe dans “Scream machine”. Accroché par un rouleau presque aussi que moi je récule pour tenter d’en sortir. Ce sera mimimum 10 secondes de perdu mais la course n’est pas encore fini. “Power slide”, “Rapid Transit” s’enchainent sur des mouvement de buste façon shooss en ski puis je vais m’échouer plein gaz sur le granit au pied du chronomètreur et stoper l’horloge. Ma montre affiche 4minutes 36. Un temps que je savais correcte.

Sans mon erreur à “Scream machine” jaurais eu un temps canon !

C’est donc un peu déçu mais plein de motivation que je remonte au départ pour la course en bateau court

Liquidlogic me prête un prototype du Remix 79. Le kayak était 3 à 4 kg plus léger qu’un bateau du commerce ! Du coup je passe d’un kayak de 3m 60 et 26 kg à 2m70 et à peine 17 kg. Un vrai karting ! Je savais que ma puissance pouvait faire la difference. Il me fallait juste faire ce que savais faire pour cette fois-ci remporter la course. J’ai exactement suivi le tempo de la rivière. J’ai composé avec le moindre changement de relief. J’ai franchi “Go left and die”encore plus vite qu’en kayak long. Je me suis senti voler dans “Gorilla” devant des spèctateurs surchauffés. Je dépose chaque toboggan avec la plus grande concentration. La course parfaite. J’ai donné et réalisé mon meilleur parcours. J’ai réalisé du 100% pure Rico. Ma montre annonce 4’47. Un temps canon !!!

Juste le temps de ranger mes kayaks et me revoilà parti à l’azimut sanglier pour mon ultime descente en canoe. Sauf que là, je ne suis pas fière du tout. Petit zizi le mec…

Cette course en OC1 est pour ma part la chose la plus dangeureuse et la effrayante que j’ai jamais eu à faire. Pas fière du tout, j’attend mon top départ. Pour ne rien arranger je cloture la compétition. Tout le monde sera là pour voire ma brasse ou une gamelle mémorable made in France.

Dans mon PRELUDE, j’enchaine les changements de bordé pour déposer comme je peux chaque saut, rouleaux et éviter de me remplir d’eau. Sinon je passe d’un canot de 18 kg à plus de 45  kg ! C’est plus la même chose. Du coup je m’arrête vider 4 fois avant d’arriver rôti de chez rôti dans le chaudron de la Green river: “Gorilla”. Je saute le premier verrou avec succé sauf que je vais m’échouer vraiment mal engagé pour enfiler “the nauch”. Daniel un copain posté en secu me tire de ce mauvais pas et m’aide à rembarquer. Je saute “the nauch” et m’écrase limite pour engager le saut dans le gorille en marche arrière et plein d’eau !!! Le carnage assuré.

Dans une ultime tentative d’esquimautage j’arrive à revenir dans un petit contre courant. Daniel est encore là pour m’aider à vider avant de me jetter entre les pattes du grand singe.

Le vol parfait avec seul et unique coup de pagaie. 1 seconde de pure miracle. Je percute de rouleau d’arrivée dans ma baignoire dans un ultime combat avec l’écume. Je savais qu’une fois passé même plein d’eau je rejoindrais l’arrivée .

Complètement vidé et rincé par cette course épic je rejoins le débarquement en canoë mes kayaks en remorque.

Aujourd’hui lendemain de Green race je fais les comptes. Un genou gonflé. je suis courbaturé comme rarement je l’ai été. Du coup je n’irais pas naviguer sur le Talluha river. L’adrénaline a poussée fort. Je suis cuit .

Je fini donc 3ème en kayak long. Je rempote le Bateau court et finis second la de la course en OC1 car le troisième canot engagé a nageé et perdu son matèriel. Eli Helbert s’impose en légende vivante de la Green river dans son canot L’Edge ESQUIF.

j’ai toujours entendu dire que la course en kayak long était la plus dure mais je crois surtout que ce petit nombre de canoteur à la pagaie simple qui s’engagent dans les “narrows” a été oublié. Après avoir réalisé la chose, je puis vous assurer que c’est la chose la plus dangeureuse et la plus terrifiante que j’ai faite !

Et j’en ai fait des trucs pas raisonnable.

Ces grande journée sur la Green race et la Russel Fok Race n’aurait jamais été sans l’aide de beaucoup d’entre vous qui via facebook, Adrénagliss, ou ESQUIF m’avez aidés à financer ce voyage.

Mille fois merci pour votre soutien.

J’attend la proclamation des points du provisoire de la coupe du monde de kayak extrême. Je pense prendre la ête du classement.

Merci à vous tous,

Eric

They made films such as Nerpu, Valhalla, Weyakin, and One World. The Teton Gravity Research boys were locals in my home town! So this made it easy for a number of incredible legends and stories to come up around town. Matt Wilson, Ben Selznick, Brain Fletcher, Nick Turner, Seth Warren, Brett “Soup” Ferre, and many other good ole’ boys ripped up the best rivers and creek around Montana and the Rockies. There were two rivers that really stood out in my mind…Big Timber Creek and The Box of the Clark’s fork of the Yellowstone.

“The Box” for short, was a 2-3 day run in North Western Wyoming, only a few short hours from Bozeman. I had always heard terror stories about this canyon and what it was capable of doing to even the best of paddlers. In my head this was the far exterior of what was possible in a kayak and because kayaking was the center of my own little universe…it was the coolest most badass thing I could think about doing in life!

Fast forward 8 to 9 years…thousands of days on the river…and instead of the kid watching all the movies just dreaming of becoming a so called “pro kayaker”…here I am doing nothing but going kayaking and making movies of my own. This has been quite the transformation to be a part of and it wasn’t all that easy int he end, but passion and staying true to what I really wanted to become have lead me to this point in life. There I was 22 years old finally at the Put-in of The Box with 6 of my close friends ready to go!

The Box starts off with a tight little canyon known as the Honeymooner! This is mostly made up of fun class IV drops getting you ready and warmed up for the first big portage of the Box. Once you reach the Green Monster you walk high river right for about 30-45 minuets before you reach the river and an hour of flat water before the river starts to drop again. The scenery is next best to none! An amazing wilderness setting reveals itself as you float deeper and deeper into the gorge.

The whitewater that is held within The Box is world class…for the most part the rapids are very clean and runnable. There are anywhere from 5-10 portages in the run depending on how hard you want to go, but for the most part the big stuff is all walkable/sneak-able. Some of the bigger marquee drops are Deep 6, Balls to the Wall, Snuliguster, Deliberation Corner, Dilly-wacker, and Leap of Faith. There are tons more amazing class IV-V drops in there to enjoy, but just remember keep your bow up and head dry!

Tyler about to do some subbing in Deep 6! This is a classic drop that looks easy to boof, but turns out to be quite difficult resulting in some downtime! Photo Eric Parker

Deliberation Corner…you make the line or die? Weird odds, but them move goes. Photo Eric Parker

The crew scouting out Balls to the Wall! Check out that sick canyon wall. Both times we ran The Box we saw climbers sending some huge cracks on river left. Photo Eric Parker

POV shot of dropping in to Balls!

Ryan Lucas styling out Deliberation Corner the crux of the entire run. Photo EG

If you look closely you will see a white Mountain Goat high on a cliff over the river. Photo Eric Parker

Lane Jacobs boofing the oh so classic ledge drop exiting a beautiful committing canyon. Photo EG

Ryan scouting the tight line of Deliberation Corner. Photo Eric Parker

Erik Johnson running a smooth line down B.T.T.W. Photo Eric Parker

Mr. Johnson keeping the fire burning so we can cook our dinner. Photo Eric Parker

We caught some very tasty trout right in front of our camp site and ate demshitz. Photo Eric Parker

Myself capturing the beauty of Northern Wyoming. Photo Eric Parker

Johnson running Leap of Faith the last major rapid of The Box. Photo EG

Myself dropping into Deep 6! Photo Eric Parker

We saw a wild Grizzy Bear while driving through Yellowstone national park on the way home. Photo Eric Parker

The Clark’s fork canyon from the Chief Josep scenic highway. Photo EG

Camp Time. Photo Eric Parker

The full moon rising over our camp on night one. Photo EG

Ben Kinsella and Eric Parker running Balls! Photo Eric Parker

Myself in the middle of Balls going super fast towards the last slot of the rapid! Photo Eric Parker

One thing I loved about the box, other than the scenery, drops, camping, and fishing, is the fact that all the mandatory portages are 100% portages. There is no second guessing the run-ability of any of the big walks…they are absolutely massive and sieved out as a wife and kids. (just kidding)

It was a total trip dropping in to The Box, twice in one year, having two successful runs with great friends. If you would have walked up to me 8 years ago and told me i was going to be lapping The Box someday…I would have laughed and said “No Way”. It’s amazing how life changes and will lead you down different paths. I couldn’t be more happy to declare that I am truly living my childhood dream…being the elusive “Pro Kayaker” making hundreds upon hundreds of dollars and traveling the world chasing down the best rivers it has to offer.

Look for our footage in Bomb Flow TV episode #5 coming soon….

Later E.G.