ODP Ambassador Jerimy McNeely & his son Shawn having some fun in their Project X’s.
View the Project X online at http://www.outdoorplay.com/Wave-Sport-Project-X-Kayak
ODP Ambassador Rippn It Up!!!!
August 19, 2011 By
Tenaya Slide in Yosemite
August 2, 2011 By
Posted by Lisa Kincaid from Kokatat 
Kokatat Ambassadors Charlie Center and Katie Scott run Tenaya Slide in Yosemite.
“On July 12th Katie Scott and myself drove down to Yosemite hoping to catch Tenaya slide with a good waterflow. We met Dan Simenc, Rush Sturges, Matt Baker, Benny Marr, and Ben Brown at Tuolumne Meadows at around 8 p.m. After trying to camp for the night along the road, we were informed by two rangers and a spot light that there was no camping, and the closest campsite was 30 miles away. We packed up all our stuff and drove blurry eyed to the closest campsite.
After a fitful night sleep we drove back to Tenaya and quickly got our gear together, paddling and hiking the two miles down to the slide. The water level turned out to be lower then when I had paddled it in the past, which meant the “smoother” right line was guarded by granite shelves. We decided to fire it up regardless, thinking that the pothole on the river left side was deep enough that a left run wouldn’t be the end of the world. Dan proved this by getting pushed left and boofing out over the pothole at the bottom. I followed suit, the impact upon hitting the bottom was enormous. Katie Scott became only the second female to run the slide, running farther right and spinning out at the bottom. Ben, Benny, and Rush followed.
After running the slide we sat and marveled at the view of Yosemite through the Tenaya valley. Slowly we made our way back to the car, and were quickly off to the next mission.” – Charlie Center
Local kayaker runs Park falls
July 12, 2011 By
By CHRIS PETERSON Hungry Horse News
Jared Jimmerson has kayaked over bigger waterfalls in his earlier years, but Glacier National Park’s Running Eagle Falls is one he says he probably won’t do again – at least not anytime soon. The 2007 Columbia Falls graduate survived a trip over the falls in Two Medicine on June 14.
“That’s the biggest hit I’ve taken,” he said. “It knocked the wind out of me.”
Jimmerson’s descent, the second known descent of Running Eagle Falls, can be seen online at www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2-r-lMJ8j4. In the video, it looks like he crashed into rocks on the side of the raging falls, swollen with spring runoff, and then disappeared entirely only to pop up at the bottom upside down. It’s not until he righted his kayak that the viewer knows he’s OK. It wasn’t exactly the line he envisioned.
“I was trying to go a little more left,” he said. “But it ended up a pretty good line. The water was pushing so hard, I had to go right.”
Jimmerson said just getting into the kayak was an adventure. He had to hike up a hill to the top of the falls and then descend through cliffs to a small eddy where he could set his craft. At one point he cliffed out – he couldn’t go up or down. He got himself out of the jam and lowered himself into the kayak. Once he pushed off, there was no turning back.
Jimmerson said he scouted the route the day before with friend and fellow kayaker Shay Wieringa, but the creek came up significantly overnight. Wieringa and friends Maddy Niermeyer and Libby Tobey were on hand to help if something were to go wrong. One was in a kayak and another had a throw rope.
Jimmerson had an additional worry – the falls has a cave at the bottom and he didn’t want to get sucked into it.
Jimmerson’s father is noted Columbia Falls painter Allen Jimmerson. He said his father’s paintings of the falls inspired the run.
At lower water levels, Running Eagle Falls is known for its unique rock formation, which makes it appear as if there are two waterfalls. It was formerly known as Trick Falls.
Jimmerson said he’s done longer descents on bigger waterfalls, including an 85-footer in Oregon, but so far Running Eagle was the most daunting. He said he plans on running more falls, including Natural Bridge Falls on the Boulder River in Montana, which has a 105-foot drop.
“I’m definitely not done yet,” he said.
Park spokeswoman Ellen Blickhan said the creek is not closed to boating, but Park officials don’t “encourage or recommend such activity.”
For more information on whitewater kayaking and gear you need, please visit Outdoorplay Kayaks
How to Throw a Rope Bag In Whitewater to Rescue Paddlers
June 23, 2011 By
By George Sayour, About.com Guide
One of the most important pieces of whitewater rescue equipment to aid swimming kayakers, canoeists, and rafters is a throw bag which is also called a rope bag. A throw bag enables the user to toss the rope to a person who is out of their boat and requires rescue from the river. Throw bags are tossed from a stable postion into swift water and even rapids enabling the swimmer to grab the rope and get pulled to safety. These steps will instruct would be rescuers in the art of using a throw bag in whitewater and swift water rescue scenarios.
Time Required: To Practice: 1/2 hour.
In Real Life: Just Seconds
Here’s How:
1. Quickly Get to the Throw Bag
Remove the throw bag from the kayak, canoe, or raft, being sure to untie or unclip it from being secured to anything. If it is strapped to your waist, remove it. The throw bag should be completely removed and unattached from everything and everyone.
2. Open the Throw Bag
Open the mouth of the throw bag so that the rope can be freely removed from the bag without restriction. You may need to un-Velcro the cover of the bag and squeeze the plastic retainer on the drawstring.
3. Grab Hold of the Throw Bag and Rope
Hold the bag in the hand that you plan to throw the bag with. Remove the end of the rope from the other hand and hold it firmly.
4. Aim Ahead of the Swimming Kayaker, Canoeist, or Paddler
If the swimmer is being carried downstream, plan to throw the bag downstream or ahead of the swimmer. If you simply aim for the swimmer chances are the bag will land upstream or behind him or her since they will continue moving while the bag is in the air.
5. Throw the Throw Bag
This is the moment of truth. You will throw the bag and not the end of the rope. Be sure to hold onto a significant portion of the rope end securely. A second person can also hold the rope end, providing additional support. Throw the bag with the rope in it using an underhand motion. Don’t worry about throwing the bag downstream of the swimmer as they should be able to swim to it.
6. Get to the Rescue Rope
The person in the water should let go of the kayak or canoe if he or she is clinging to it and swim in the whitewater to the rope. Be sure not to try to stand up and don’t get tangled up in the rope.
7. Securely Hold the Rescue Rope
The swimmer should have hold of the rope and not the bag. At this point the current will do the work. Both people involved in the whitewater rescue, the rescuer and the person being rescued, should just hold securely onto the rope. If there is another person with the rescuer, that person should also hold onto the end of the rope providing even more support. The water will carry the person downstream causing him or her to swing toward the shore.
8. Get the Swimmer to Safety
Once the person gets to shore help him or her to safety. Congratulations! You have just completed your first whitewater rescue using a rope throw bag.
Tips:
1. Don’t throw the rope bag behind the swimmer as they won’t be able to swim upstream to get to it.
2. Don’t throw the bag using an overhand technique. It won’t go as far and is less accurate.
3. The whitewater rescuer needs to throw the bag and not the rope.
4. The person being rescued from the whitewater needs to grab the rope and not the bag.
5. If the swimmer holds onto his or her kayak or canoe it will generate a lot of force on the rope. In this case, more than one person should hold the other end of the rope. If there is a tree nearby the rope can be wrapped around the tree for further support.
What You Need:
* Rope Bag / Throw Bag
* Knife (For Safety)
* PFD on the Everyone Involved
For more safety gear – click here
Know How to Swim in Whitewater
March 17, 2011 By
By George Sayour, About.com Guide
The whitewater season is ready to explode in most parts of the country. It is for this reason that my last few posts have been focused in on some of the basics of getting started in whitewater paddling, from taking a whitewater kayaking lesson to understanding the whitewater classification system. If you’re thinking about adding whitewater kayaking or canoeing to your paddling repertoire, both of these are things are components of your initial preparation to hit the rapids.
Another thing you’ll need to be able to do and understand is to be able to swim in whitewater. You heard me right, I said swim! Right now you’re probably thinking, “I don’t know if I want to paddle in rapids, let alone swim in them.” Well, its all a part of the process really.
Every whitewater paddler has at some point flipped their canoe or kayak and had to get out and swim. For most of the rivers you’ll be paddling as a beginner this won’t be too big a deal as long as you know the basics of swimming in whitewater. So, just prepare yourself and you’ll be just fine. Trust me.
