The West Fork of the Hood River, located near the town of Dee is a fun Class IV run perfect for those with an after work time-crunch, or those looking for a fun day on the river. Jesse in his firecracker Diesel 80 One Sunday afternoon Team Sundance decided to mosey over to the…
Recap: 2012 Upper Wind River Festival
With the fifth annual Upper Wind River Festival postponed 1 week due to high flows, tension was building as race day grew near. Come race day, the level was a good medium flow of 5.8 feet, and racers were ready to rock and roll! Over 50 paddlers showed up, under clear blue skies, to race…
Stretches for Paddlers
While we prepare for kayaking with all sorts of bright and colorful gear, we should never forget to prepare our bodies! Our muscles and tendons may be tight from being cooped up behind a desk all day, or are perhaps stiff and tired from yesterday’s paddle. Stretching these muscles will not only help prevent injury,…
Team Sundance: Jim’s First Kayaking Experience!
My first, and so far only, experience with kayaking took place in June 2011 with Sundance Kayak School on the Rogue River. In the past, I have taken many canoe camping trips with my son, and other members of my family. As a result I expected that although kayaking would be challenging I would pick…
Safety on the river
Kayaking is a team sport. You count on your buddies, and your buddies count on you. While you’re on the river, you should make your own decisions, and choose your own lines, however you should also keep an eye out for your buddies, and work as a team to move downriver through the rapids. Look…
Reflections: Learning to Kayak
Do you remember the first time you sat in a whitewater kayak? The first strokes you took, or your first combat roll? I do, and I blame my sister 100% for getting me involved in kayaking. No doubt about it. My sister and I started kayaking in 2001. She was 13 and I was 11 years…
Gear Review: Snap Dragon Design Whitewater Armortex EXP
Snap Dragon Design, based out of Bellevue, Washington is known as one of the premiere skirt-makers in the paddling industry: “We are avid participants in the worldwide sport of kayaking. Our distinctive designs arise from personal experience as well as through feedback from our customers. We seek to improve performance and comfort with the latest…
Destination: Fern Ridge Wave, Oregon
Water Levels: 1050-1400 cfs on the Long Tom River Near Alvadore Description: While feature is known as the Fern Ridge Wave, it is more of a hole. It is created as water pours over slab of slanted concrete, which at the right levels, creates a gentle, but retentive hole. It’s deepest on the river left…
North Fork of the Washougal
Yesterday J.R. and I were excited to see a new section of river so we headed out to Washington’s Washougal River. Flows were a little low, but we really wanted to do some creeking and decided to check out the North Fork of the Washougal. We were immediately impressed with this beautiful canyon and the…
2012 Upper Wind River Festival
It’s that time of year again… March is right around the corner, and so is the Upper Wind River Festival! On March 17, 2012, kayakers and rafters alike will flock to the Upper Wind River, near Carson, Washington, to take part in the first downriver race of the 2012 Western Whitewater Championships:Â a race series featuring…