The Colorado Kayak Chronicle aka CKS Squad Blog: A place for CKS’s Staff and Team Paddlers to share trip reports, gear reviews, photo postings and insights into anything and everything paddling. The goal of this blog is to bring you a variety of perspectives and interests from around the world, to share inspiring photos, videos and stories and most importantly, to help you get excited for your next day on the river!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Fist of Boof Presents - Boof Kwon Do, The Art of the Over Vertical Boof Stroke
Presents
The Art of the Over Vertical Boof Stroke
Do you want your boof to have three O’s? Sure you do. Well, let the sensei tell you a little secret. To booof, you need to wind up with all of the force you can muster and then unleash it like a roundhouse kick to the face with the stars and stripes pants for looking at Starla. Forget about it. You think anybody thinks I'm a failure because I go home to Starla at night? Forget about it!
Just like at Rex Kwon Do, at the Fist of Boof Dojo, we teach you to discipline your image. You think I got where I am today because I dressed like Peter Pan over here? Forget about it! Now, to accomplish both the goals of adding an O to your boof and of looking good while doing it, today we are going to discuss the over vertical boof stroke. This is a technique I developed over two seasons of fighting in the Octagon. It’s called Boof Kwon Do! I need a volunteer. O.K. You'll do. Bow to your sensei. Bow to your sensei!
Here we have our volunteer Jim Janney showing us the over vertical boof stroke on the Upper Little Wind River in Wyoming on a rapid dubbed Windscraper.
- Come in hot and in control.
- Tighten those torso muscles and wind up, reaching your paddle as far forward as you can.
- With your elbows at ninety degrees, push your top hand across your body at eye level, and as far out past your boat as you can, while maintaining your torso clench and wind up. Your top hand should be reaching slightly further from the side of your boat than your bottom hand.
- Dig your blade in, feel the resistance and unleash your round house torso rotation, using your body torque, not your arms, to pull your blade back through the water to your hips.
- Bring those knees up to your chest like you’ve been doing your nightly crunches below a framed picture of Starla.
- Feel the thickness of the water and the purchase as you remove the blade from the water and finish your torso rotation. Your shoulders should finish parallel to the edge of your boat.
- Uncork a torso rotation back to the opposite side of your boat as you dig in for a stroke upon landing.
- Now you’re prepared to defend yourself with the strength of a grizzly, the reflexes of a puma, and the wisdom of a man.
- Sensei Stafford
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
The Astral Green Jacket Rescue PFD
I've been using the Astral Green Jacket rescue PFD for two seasons now. I use it for everyday paddling as well as teaching River Rescue courses. The thing I love the most about it is the way it fits. It's comfortable and it doesn't get in the way of my range of motion. It's also been very durable, which is really important to me. When teaching rescue, I am constantly swimming out into the river and pulling myself up onto rocks. The jacket gets a lot of abrasion from the rocks, and mine is still going strong after two full seasons. The front pocket is slightly worn, but that's it. I know rescue vests are more expensive then others, but this one makes up for it in the long run.
• Pros:
- Fit: easy to put on and really comfortable. Doesn't impede paddling movement at all.
- Durability: I'm pretty hard on my gear, and this jacket gets a thumbs up.
- Pockets for the tether keep the tether out of the way. Available on both sides too. I use the other one to hold a couple of biners.
- large front pocket for stuff
• Cons:
- I love the tether pockets, but the zippers tend to open sometimes. I have to keep checking to be sure they stay zipped.
- when using the throw rope that fits behind the front pocket, it was too bulky and got in the way of paddling and rolling. It's a great idea, but it didn't work for me. Plenty of people use them and don't have the same problem, so maybe it's me.
• The Verdict: I will never buy a different PFD until Astral comes out with one even better. I hate it when my jacket messes with my range of motion. The Astral is comfortable, bouyant, and durable, and it has useful features.
• Pros:
- Fit: easy to put on and really comfortable. Doesn't impede paddling movement at all.
- Durability: I'm pretty hard on my gear, and this jacket gets a thumbs up.
- Pockets for the tether keep the tether out of the way. Available on both sides too. I use the other one to hold a couple of biners.
- large front pocket for stuff
• Cons:
- I love the tether pockets, but the zippers tend to open sometimes. I have to keep checking to be sure they stay zipped.
- when using the throw rope that fits behind the front pocket, it was too bulky and got in the way of paddling and rolling. It's a great idea, but it didn't work for me. Plenty of people use them and don't have the same problem, so maybe it's me.
• The Verdict: I will never buy a different PFD until Astral comes out with one even better. I hate it when my jacket messes with my range of motion. The Astral is comfortable, bouyant, and durable, and it has useful features.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Fun Times in NY State
It rained cats and dogs in upstate NY a couple of weeks ago and the Black River skyrocketed up 9,000 cfs. Returning to Buffalo after paddling a low water Hole Brothers only a couple of days prior, I was reluctant to travel all the way back to Watertown, NY. But, the trip was well worth it. The wave is dynamic, super fun, eddy accessible, and has just enough line to let yourself catch your breath before heading back out.
Jeremy Laucks clean browning
Craig Kleckner's ridiculous back Pan Am
Here's a little video Jeremy Laucks made of the Molan in action.
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