Puntledge River Paddle Festival - May 25th - 27th

Save the date - May 25th - 27th and head over to Vancouver Island for the...

 8th Annual Puntledge River Paddle Festival

Jackson Kayaks will be available for demo and Kokatat is a BRONZE sponsor this year too.

Schwag from Jackson Kayaks, Werner Paddles, Kokatat and Seals Sprayskirts!!!

For more information check out the Vancouver Island Whitewater Paddling Society webpage.

The festival was also in the news recently, check out the great cover shot on About Town Magazine's Spring 2012 issue featuring JK boats!!!

Special thanks to Dave Prothero Photography for use of the above photo

The Hottest SUP Paddle on the Market

The Werner Paddles Grand Prix SUP Paddle Series is the hottest SUP paddle on the market and Werner's Danny Mongno tell us why.

Don't forget to share this video on your own blog or FACEBOOK page.

Another SUNNY weekend for a demo day!

Mountain to Sound Outfitters staff clinic

Another sunny and warm weekend for a demo - hurray!!!

We had a great couple of days down in Issaquah, WA at the Northwest Paddling Festival, giving new and experienced paddlers some time in Jackson Kayak's and Werner Paddles!!!

On the Friday, manufacturer's reps like myself, had the opportunity to spend time with the floor staff from local shops.  Along with Jackson Kayak VP of Sales, Marty Cronin, we took the staff of Mountain to Sound Outfitters through the Jackson Kayak line up.  The fun part was of course getting on the water with these guys.  Check out how much fun they are having.

Roman from Mountain to Sound Outfitters and Marty Cronin JK VP of Sales

Sonia assisting an interested paddler in JK boats

If you are interested in Jackson Kayak's check out Mountain to Sound Outfitters in West Seattle for all your paddlesports needs.  You can find them HERE.

Save the date for NEXT year's Northwest Paddling Festival at beautiful Lake Sammamish Sate Park in Issaquah, WA - May 10 & 11, 2013.  

Mountain to Sound Outfitters owner, Greg Whitaker enjoying the Coosa

For more photos check out the Nikki Rekman Sales Facebook page.

It's Clinic Season

At this time of year we are on the road visiting our dealers throughout Western Canada and beyond. This week I had the pleasure of taking a number of retail floor staff through the Werner G.U.I.D.E. clinic and the Kokatat Watersports Wear line up. An opportunity to take retail floor staff through the gear, educating them on everything from paddle materials and design to why a Kokatat Goretex drysuit will be one of the best investments a paddler can make. A special thanks to the crew at Ecomarine Ocean Kayak Centre, Valhalla Pure Outfitters - Squamish, Escape Route and Western Canoeing and Kayaking. As I write this blogpost this morning I am also thinking ahead to my Jackson Kayak Clinic with our new dealer in West Seattle, Mountain to Sound Outfitters. This is a fantastic shop, owned by Greg & Kara Whitaker. The staff is young and enthusiastic and I am stoked to get them on the water at Lake Sammammish this morning. This will also be the site of tomorrow's Northwest Paddling Festival so if you are in the Seattle area please come by and check out everything paddlesports. We'll be there with our fleet of Jackson Kayaks!!! This 2nd year event, in this new location is setting the stage to becoming the largest outdoor paddlesports festival in North America. I'll be writing from the road a lot in the next three weeks so if the format seems a bit off my apologies, finding the right software can be challenging. In the meantime, have a great day and get outside (even if that only means walking outside during your lunch break)!!

The Jackson Rogue: How to Support Thyself in the Grand Canyon

Welcome, guest blogger, Jenifer Jakub!!!

 

At the end of January 2012, I took a Jackson Rogue 9 down the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River for a ten day self-supported trip. Here is my review of the boat and the details of how I packed for this adventure.

I found the Rogue to be a sweet ride for the Canyon, and I most definitely hope to take it down the Canyon again next year.  It was easy to pack, stable, and had a good place for a groover.

My favorite thing about the boat was the skeg.  It makes a huge difference in the flatwater, as you avoid spin outs and it cuts through boils like butter.  I ended up leaving the skeg down through most of the rapids, too.

When loaded, the boat handled great in the rapids.  It was stable and easy to sail right through some big holes.

One downside is that it is relatively slower than some other boat choices which can make it hard to keep up with a fleet of, ya know, sea kayaks and green boats.

Another downside is that it is relatively small compared to some other boat choices (those sea kayaks); however, there was ample room for everything I needed and wanted. I felt the smaller size allowed me to keep it simple and prevented me from over packing and bringing things I didn't need.

On Packing... The nitty gritty details for those who want to know!
 1 - The Rear Hatch

If you've ever packed the stern of a boat by cramming dry bags behind the seat and into the stern, it's a pain. The rear hatch makes it easy.

I packed my sleeping bag, most of my food supply, and other odds and ends in the stern. It does get wet in there, so anything you want to keep dry needs to be in a dry bag.  It's a great place to stuff filler items that don't need to be in a dry bag, like tuna fish packets, energy bars, and extra fuel.

I found the cover of the hatch easy to take on and off.  It also stayed put and nothing was lost, even when I swam.
 2 - The Cavernous Bow

First of all, instead of a bulkhead, the Rogue has little foot pegs on each side. If these are in your way at all, you can easily slide them in and out. There's nothing to unscrew.

Secondly, the center pillar slides right out. This is a great spot for a groover. If you aren't replacing the groover with a center pillar, then you can clip your dry bags directly to the back of the center pillar. Then you can easily access your dry bags by pulling out the pillar, and there's no need to go digging into the bow. It's a great design.

I used two long 35L tapered dry bags and put those in the bow alongside the groover. First, I put things like a tarp and tent (not in sacks) to fill out the bottom of the bags. Then I pack things like my sleeping pad and Jetboil.  Anything I want to keep dry, like clothing, layers, and down, go into smaller dry sacks, which are the last thing I put in the larger dry bags.
 I gotta say, it's easier to stuff those big dry bags into the bow of the Rogue than into the stern of the Villain S (I did this on the Selway)! Since you don't have to get behind the seat, you get a bigger opening and they just slide right into the bow. In the Villain, I had to put the bag in first, then cram each individual item in one by one... and the sleeping bag, OY!

Now, although those bags slide right in, each morning I needed to use my feet to stuff the bags further into the bow.  I'll admit, it was a tight fit, until I ran a rapid and they got pushed further into the bow.  At that point, I fit rather loose without the foot pegs.  I didn't find this to be a big issue.  And I doubt it would even be an issue without the groover.  This set up may not work as well for a taller person and should probably be tested in advance of the trip.

3 - The Cockpit

I packed a day bag of frequently accessed items so that I wouldn't need to access the bow or stern during the day.  The day bag clipped onto the elastic cord used to secure the groover or center pillar, placing it directly in front of me.

I tied some cord around the section of seat by the hips, on each side.  This gave me a place to secure a water bottle on each side of me, under my knees.

Lastly, there was additional room behind my seat, where I kept a dry bag, throw rope, and first aid kit.

All in all, I was quite happy with the Rogue and look forward to taking it on my next adventure.
For more details on how to build a groover and secure it in a Jackson Rogue, see this post on the official Jackson Kayak website.  Note that if I had the center pillar in advance of the trip, I would have considered cutting it to snugly secure the groover inside it.  I did not, and I found the cam straps to work just fine.  http://jacksonkayak.com/blog/2012/01/24/grand-canyon-2012-pre-trip-report-best-trip-for-the-rogue/

To hear more about my adventure in the Grand Canyon, stay tuned to the Jackson website.  Part 1 of 3 of my trip report is posted at this link, and next parts will be posted soon!!   http://jacksonkayak.com/blog/2012/04/10/grand-canyon-post/

Blogpost by Jenifer Jakub - please check out Jen's blog and follow her paddling adventures!

Join us at the Northwest Paddling Festival - Saturday May 12th

We are looking forward to another busy weekend getting paddlers on the water in Jackson Kayaks and Werner Paddles

The event is from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on Saturday, May 12, 2012 at Sunset Beach in Lake Sammamish State Park in Issaquah, WA.

The Northwest Paddling Festival is a Free event. If you are interested in paddling the gear, there is a nominal $5 per person charge for those interested in demoing boats or Stand Up Paddleboards (credit/debit cards will be accepted).

It is shaping up to be an amazing event with over 60 vendors from the paddlesports industry!

Come out and see what the biggest collection of manufacturers in specialty paddlesports looks like in one location.

Schedule events is here

Fantastic Weekend on the Chilliwack River

We had a great weekend at the Vancouver Kayak Club Paddle Festival on the Chilliwack River.  It's a total treat to have an event in our home-town (means we get to sleep in our own bed!!!) and not drive for hours :)

Saturday was cool and at times overcast but the turn out was great and lots of paddlers were demoing Jackson Kayaks and Werner Paddles  and lovin' the fact that we were loaning out our Kokatat Drysuits.  Nothing better than a clean run and being warm and dry!!!  Sunday was warm and sunny and again the turn out was high with lots of interest in our new Jackson Kayak Zen and Fun Runner series.

We were joined by two of our BC dealers, Endless Adventure from the Kootenays (thanks for making the 8 hour trek down guys!) and the crew from Western Canoeing and Kayaking.  Both shops brought demo boats so along with our demos, Jackson Kayaks was well represented and we had LOTS of boats to share.

You can check out more photos on the Nikki Rekman Sales facebook page.  These two were just a couple of my favourites featuring, Western Canoeing and Kayaking's, Ryan Bayes paddling the new JK Fun Runner!!!  Check out Ryan's blog, Fraser Valley Whitewater.

Photos: Nikki Rekman

Vancouver Kayak Club Paddle Festival THIS WEEKEND!!!

Once again it will be held in the beautiful Chilliwack Valley that offers several excellent class II – IV river runs with boulder gardens, pool drops, and surfing waves for paddlers of all interest and skill levels. The Festival is a great way to kick-off another year of paddling with a laid-back, social, and fun weekend of events.

The festival brings together paddlers, from novice to advanced, for a weekend of fun on and and off the river. It's a great way to meet new and old paddling buddies, demo the latest in gear and boats from our sponsors, and enjoy the shuttle service to several

spots on the Chilliwack River.

Always a spectator favorite, the festival offers paddlers a chance to compete in a downriver race and other popular on-river contests.

Off the river, the festival has lots going on including a silent auction and raffle where sponsors have donated some amazing prizes, such as boats, spray decks, paddles, helmets, PFD’s, and other kayaking-related products and services. Live music by the band "Switch", draw prizes, and race awards make for a busy Saturday night.

Festival registration includes 2 nights of camping, one dinner, and two breakfasts; as well as a free T-Shirt (while supplies last).

We will be there with Jackson Kayak demo boats and demo Kokatat drysuits.

 

See you there!

Endless Adventure Gear Swap is back - this weekend!!!

This outdoor water adventure “Swap Meet” is an opportunity for you to sell your old equipment and pick up new stuff for the 2012 season.   

The event will also be awareness and fundraiser for the Borderline Boaters Paddle Club, a not for profit water-user group that has a “leave no trace” policy and promotes responsible waterway management.

Registration to sell your equipment is from now until 6pm May 4th  then the parking lot of Endless Adventure gets transformed into a “Gear Swap”, there is a $5 fee for selling your equipment with all proceeds going to the Borderline Boaters Paddle Club. “As a group, we contribute to the well being and vitality of the community via social interaction, recreation and fitness using water and fun as the common medium.”  Carl Jacks, Club President.

 

All people are welcome down on the weekend to ask questions and find out more about water sports.  Endless Adventure will also be announcing their spring/summer schedule and new programs for people at all levels. “We are excited about May healthy living and introducing a new Kayak Fitness Program that strengthens your core and gives people the opportunity to work on their paddling technique in an enthusiastic environment.”  Andrea Miller, Endless Adventure.

Come on down Saturday May 5th and Sunday the 6th from 10-6 to Gear Swap located in the Endless Adventure Parking Lot at 1286 Hwy 6 downtown Crescent Valley  (Beside Evergreen Foods)

For more information please call 1.877.386.8181 or email

Kayak Fishin' on the Bow River with Jackson Kayak Angler Stephen Laurie

Check out our Nikki Rekman Sales, Werner Paddles, Kokatat Watersports Wear and Jackson Kayak Angler, Stephen Laurie on the Bow River.

Stephen in collaboration with Undercurrents in Calgary will be offering Kayak Fishing Seminars this summer.

Check out the Undercurrents website for more details and don't forget to follow Stephen's blog.