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.
So it has taken a little time to sift through all the different photos and media from the trip so there will probably be 2 Japan updates here at SBP. I am also crazy busy trying to finish Slippery When Wet and get the last 3 trailers out and live so forgive me for my lack of updates since we have been back. Let me start out by saying that Japan was not exactly what I expected, in a good way. This country contains some of the most unique white water I have seen anywhere in the world; everything from steep committed creeking to aqua blue big water. Personally I did not expect such a versatility of white water nor the amount of big drops that litter the island. When it comes down to it the white water was AMAZING but the local people of Japan were the ones that captivated my trip.
No matter how you cut it, slides are tons of fun. There are all types of slides, and while some are big and scary, many are not. Regardless of whether you are having a blast on some mellow slides or trying to set a world speed record on something large there are a few techniques which will help you ensure success. Watch below as Shane helps us out with some basic slide technique:
Slides from Whitewater Instruction on Vimeo.
After a long period being only shuttle-bunny ’cause I injured my ellbow, I finally could get back into my Jefe and go kayaking. Therefore my friends and I decided to go to Norway to have some good times like in the year before. Here are some pictures of our trip – hope you like them. We ran rivers like the Stordalselva, Raundalselva, Lower Rauma, Kleivelvi, Tysselva and many more. Thanks to my friends for this great journey!
Photos by: Daniel Egger, Robert Machacek and Alexander Hirako
greets Stocki
