May 5 | Departure

by Ginni Callahan

Join NRS ambassador Ginni Callahan as she throws her sea kayak on a sailboat and leaves Mexico for the great unknown.


The most romantic moment of my life involved oars. Henrick motored his sailboat out of Puerto Escondido harbor and dropped anchor just off my beach near Loreto, Mexico. I stood with my little day pack and my computer bag and watched him row in to get me – this sweet, mysterious foreigner with a penchant for adventure, a love for the water, and a sailboat.

In this day of motor dinghies, he was rowing. For simplicity, he had no dinghy motor. It may be unique to a kayaker’s genetic coding, but I found this to be tremendously exciting. He was rowing. Continue reading →

Apr 27 | North Coast Rhythms: Part II

by Rob Lyon

Don’t miss the exciting, inspiring finish of Rob Lyon’s epic kayak tour along western Canada’s wild North Coast. You can read Part I of the story here.

I Ching, Hexagram #10, Treading, Six in the Third Place: “A one-eyed man is able to see, a lame man is able to tread. He treads on the tail of the tiger. The tiger bites the man.”

Continue reading →

Apr 13 | Sea of Cortez Expedition: Part II

by Tyler Bradt

Will Tyler Bradt and crew complete their Sea of Cortez expedition? Not if a few thousand angry seals have anything to say about it.

 

In Sea of Cortez Expedition: Part I, we followed Tyler Bradt and crew from Portland, Oregon to the Sea of Cortez, and finally to a remote island shore swarming with unhappy seals. Now, Sarah’s kayak has sprung a leak.

Triaks have serious watertight compartments and two 80-pound floats on each side – luckily, sinking one is hard, if not impossible, to manage. Sarah had hit a rock and split her dagger board sleeve almost in half. There was about an eight-inch by one-inch crack looking straight down to the bottom of the ocean; we needed to find a place to make repairs immediately before things got worse. I began leading the charge, trying to find a weak point in the seals’ line of defense. As we got near shore, the seals would charge into the water barking aggressively. They would then swarm together by the hundreds and charge us, bearing their teeth. I have had many animal encounters, and the seriousness of the seal charges was immediately clear – these were not animals we wanted to mess with. Continue reading →

Apr 9 | Sea of Cortez Kayak Expedition: Part I

by Tyler Bradt

When whitewater stuntman Tyler Bradt undertakes a major sea kayak crossing, he encounters some surprising new challenges. Including seals.

 

The Sea of Cortez kayak expedition began as a distant thought – a vision of an adventure through a sunny, windswept sea far removed from the cold Northwest winter. The original idea was Boomer’s and Sarah’s, but it only took me about five minutes on the phone with Boomer before this vision began obsessing me too. Continue reading →

Mar 30 | Grand Ladies in the Grand Canyon

by Susan Hollingsworth

Join river runner Susan Hollingsworth and a group of adventurous women kayak paddlers for a self-support trip through the Grand Canyon.

 

Me, Tammy, Lana, Lisa, Tina, and Jenn at Pierce Ferry

Lisa’s steadfast composure soothed my nerves. Jen’s multiple injuries dwarfed my blister discomfort. Tina’s mellow-but-charging style exuded humble confidence. Tammy’s lavish meals demonstrated the value of preparation. And Lana’s relentless pursuit of good times brightened every moment.

And I – the sixth female on our two-week, 280-mile self-support kayaking trip through the Grand Canyon – mostly just sat back and enjoyed sharing such an epic river adventure with so many other women. Continue reading →

Mar 16 | Middle Kings Solo: Part II

by Dan Simenc

Catch the exciting finish of Dan Simenc’s epic solo trip down California’s notorious Middle Kings River, captured in words and video. You can read Part I of the story here.

 

I wrapped the rope around my hands for a better grip and yelled out in desperation as I repeatedly attempted to lift my kayak up above the rim. The slope I was standing on was loose, and the throw rope was thin and hard to grip. After a short but intense battle to hoist the loaded kayak up and over the cliff, I realized this effort was futile. I began searching for something to wrap the rope around while the boat hung dangerously over fast moving water. Continue reading →

Mar 9 | Yoga for Boaters’ Shoulder Pain

by Andria Davis

Don’t let shoulder problems keep you from boating. With good technique and some guidance from Andria Davis, yoga can help you reduce pain and prevent injuries.

 

Boaters are known for having trouble maintaining two things: relationships and shoulders. I’ll spare you any relationship advice. But for your shoulders, I have plenty!

As a yoga teacher and boater, I get lots of questions about dealing with shoulder pain and injuries. People often ask for one stretch or exercise they can use to help them heal. I’ll tell you one, but first we need to discuss some stretching basics and talk about what yoga is and isn’t.

First of all, yoga is not stretching. Yoga, as it is known today, is a system of healing which focuses on the mind, body and breathing. Practicing yoga can help you heighten your overall awareness and improve your body’s alignment, ease, comfort and strength. Yoga will only work for you if you do it with mindfulness. Without mindfulness, it is not yoga, and it can actually exacerbate existing problems. Continue reading →

Mar 2 | A Morning Workout in Mexico

by Ginni Callahan

Take a break from the grind and enjoy this paean to paddling from sea kayaker Ginni Callahan.

 

 

Taming the "wild beast."

A surf ski is a wild beast with bloodlines that point to South Africa and a heritage of lifesaving in the surf. The only thing it loves as much as speed is throwing off its rider. With a 60-degree feathered wing paddle, twitchy hips, and gas-pedal rudder controls to figure out, I paddle my new surf ski tentatively away from the boat yard for the first time in December. Friends gather to witness the carnage, but are disappointed.

It’s humbling to be a beginner again, which is good for the soul, but these are not waters in which I want to swim. Continue reading →