The week before Christmas the temperatures rose and it rained a bit. So the forecast was promising. I tried to gather some motivated kayakers which wasn’t that easy to find a couple of days before Christmas Eve. Some had to go to work, others had exams at college and there even were those who don’t want to go kayaking if the temperatures are around the forties (°F = 5°C). Anywho I found at least one guy to join me, Philipp Much.
As a kayaker/film producer I have been striving to produce professional whitewater kayaking videos, improve my editing, and my filming. These are some of my best shots from the past couple seasons.
Thanks to all kayakers in here for producing good lines to film.
Filming and Editing by Fred Norquist
Shot on Canon 7D & GoPro HD
Visit BombFlow for more sick edits.
I’ve had a fun time getting ready for the trip. Let’s just say I haven’t been completely focused on that goal. I got my list started. I didn’t achieve a very precision attack but I got the basics figured out. A place to sleep. Some things to drink. Clothes to stay warm. A place to put your poo, and trash, but food for 12 days that wouldn’t bore me to tears or stop me up so I couldn’t poo proved the hardest to figure out. Well, I guess dealing with the (unspeakable) opposite problem from being stopped up might be the most difficult situation I have ever dealt with on a long paddling trip. But that isn’t the point of this article. The point here is food. Sorry, I got distracted by reminiscing about Nepal. I never plan food 12 days ahead, so to say that I procrastinated the food buy would represent a serious understatement.
I suppose this is long out of order from my travels this summer but I just came across an SD card with all the shots from my trip down Westwater Canyon. It’s crazy that I’ve lived only 3 hours away from this beautiful place most of my life and never took advantage and hopped on a trip until this year. It was the perfect way to wind down after the crazy excitement of the Outdoor Retailer show where we launched the new Liquidlogic Stomper and all the other great products with Legacy Paddlesports. I was pumped to meet up with my good friends from First Descents and share some sun, beers, and good times in the canyon. I mean, truly, that’s what this sport is about. As much as it feels good to push yourself, and seek challenging whitewater. It’s the times spent with your friends on the river that really makes you keep coming back for more.
Trois courses sur la Green Race, ça fait dèjà mal dormir la veille. J’ai passé une grande partie de la nuit à me remémorer les passages et les traces que j’allais prendre le lendemain surtout en open canoë où je n’ai réalisé aucune descente dans l’embarcation.
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.