Saturday, February 21, 2009

Kickin Off The '09 Season

With consistent flows and new gear, paddling in the Gorge this year has been off to a great start. My brother and I are getting out on the Green Truss Section of the White Salmon at least 3 times a week as well as going to the Hood River pool each Tuesday for Kayak Polo.
My new M Burn has been treating me better than ever and after spending lots of time with it on the Green Truss and other local spots I've seen just how well it can perform on the steep creeks. The Burn's volume placement helps the boat punch through big holes while the smooth lines give lots of speed and provide for huge boofs.
My new skirt from SnapDragon has also been performing nicely and is keeping the cold water of the White Salmon out of my boat. The skirt snaps on easily but seals tighter than ever around the deck to keep any and all water out.
With Husum's gauge at 2' the water on the White Salmon has been pretty low, but not low enough to keep my brother and I off the Truss. Actually with the put-in only 10 minutes from our school creeking has become a routine after-school activity.
Prior to this year I'd never tried kayak polo and was ambivalent as to how fun it would be, but now nearly done with my first season I've fallen in love with the new sport and encouage anyone who's interested to drop by the Hood River pool on Tuesdays. Kayak Polo moves quickly and gets more physical than I had thought, which only adds to the intensity and fun of the game.

Staying on line through Upper Zig-Zag















Deep inside the White Salmon















Special Thanks to Pyranha Kayaks, Snap Dragon Design, and photographer Tate Taylor.