The Waiting Game - Guest Blogger, Lori Neufeld

Today we welcome back, guest blogger, Lori Neufeld from Winnipeg, MB.  I always look forward to Lori's posts.  A woman focused on balancing a busy life as a working Mom and wife, with her passion for paddling! Go Lori Go!!!

We're still happily married after a Duo swim at Sturgeon Falls!  Photo by Steven Walker

With an exceptionally cold winter and a late spring, the ice finally disappeared on the Winnipeg River towards the middle of May. I eagerly jumped in the car and headed for the waves the following morning; the first playboating session of the season was a great way to spend Mother's Day! But it's the beginning of July now and we're still wearing drysuits. The chilly waters and record breaking river levels have meant that the current is too fast and the banks too sketchy to be safe for beginners and kids, so I’m leaving my family at home while we wait for safer conditions. I'm eager to take Finley out with me, but her well-being comes first. So we continue to be patient.

Meanwhile, our new Dynamic Duo is proving to be an awesome learning tool. After a short lesson on eddy turns on the river near our house, Dan was feeling a lot more confident and stable. Despite me being a little small for the back seat, shimming up the hips and pulling the feet closer was super simple. Dan easily removed the foam foot blocks for added leg room up front. We rocked the Duo on the river run at Manitoba's annual Whitewater Festival, making for a lot of jealous spectators. Unfortunately, we couldn't get our “Dynamic Roll” in a whirlpool the following morning at Sturgeon Falls and we went for swim. For those of you who have paddled in Manitoba, you know that our rivers are WIDE, so a swim is never a quick endeavour. We decided after that day to mount a small electric pump in the Duo for quick bailing, making a self rescue possible. We haven't tested it out yet, but we're hoping it does the trick!

Dan and I running Farmer's Rapids on the Whitemouth River.  Photo by Judy Wilson

 MEC's Paddlefest was another great day on the water and I was thrilled to teach a class of 6-10 year olds. Thanks to the Parkland Paddling Club, the Manitoba Whitewater Club and Finley's Fun 1, we had enough tiny boats to outfit the group. The kids were all very proud to paddle a kayak that was made just for them and they all learned quickly. 

On land paddling practice at Paddlefest with Cathy Woods & Steven Walker.  Fort Whyte Alive, Winnipeg.  Photo by Jenni Halbert

Teaching a young group of paddlers at Paddlefest with Cathy Woods & Steven Walker.  Fort Whyte Alive, Winnipeg.  Photo by Dan Neufeld

I also had a blast running the Duo down the toboggan run with anyone who was willing to join me.

 

Lori (stern) and Cathy (bow) enjoying the toboggan run! 
Photo by Dan Neufeld

Sometimes it feels like we'll never actually get Finn out on the water, floating down the local gentle streams of Manitoba. But then I remind myself that she's only 2! and we have many more paddling days ahead of us. Kayaking as a family isn't an obligation, but a fun activity that I want to share with my husband and daughter when the time is right. Thankfully, these high water levels are a sure sign we are going to have a long season!

Lori and her daughter Finley at the MEC Paddlefest in Winnipeg.  Photo by

Paul Fields

Lori and her husband, Dan along with daughter Finley drive over an hour to enjoy their local playspot (minus a farm run-off ditch in Spring :).  Lori works with inner-city youth and Dan works for +Wilderness Supply.  Lori's favourite place to paddle - Sturgeon Falls, Manitoba.

Playing Hooky to Paddle

I was never the student who played hooky from class in high school and rarely did I have sick days when I was an employee but in my forties I am learning to play hooky.  Playing hooky in my mind is a gift I give myself.  This gift rejuvenates me and it reminds me of why I got in the Paddlesports business 20 years ago - I love to paddle and be on the water.

Our home is a bit like a revolving door, people coming, people going and for the most part I like it that way.  Earlier this week, our friends and canoe instructors, Allyson Phillips and Roger Warnatsch from Green Wave Canoeing in Kimberley, BC came through town.  This was an opportunity to connect with friends that live hours away over cold ciders and healthy meals AND go paddling.



































Mark and I took, Allyson and Roger's Moving Water Canoe Course last month.  You can read all about that adventure here and we were stoked to get on the water with them again.  This time, on OUR home rivers, the Chilliwack and Vedder Rivers in our favourite, Esquif Pocket Canyon. The Pocket Canyon is our go to boat for play days on the river where we do not have to load it with overnight gear.  Our Prospecteur 17 or Mistral 17.5 is what we use for multi-day trips.

We put in on river left across the river from Osbourne Road, this put in is accessible via the Vedder Logging Co. Road (take Chilliwack Lake Road, cross Tamihi Bridge and take your first right).  You do have to do a bit of a carry to access the river but it's not far.  We took out on river right at Lickman Road.  This run is a class 2/2+ and the biggest hazard is wood/trees and immersion.  During our run there were a couple of blind corners but we did not find any wood blocking the entire river.  There was always a way to avoid it.

Despite the crazy warm temperatures we have been having in the Fraser Valley recently we were dressed for full immersion in our Kokatat Goretex Meridian Drysuits and Maximus and Maximus Prime PFD's.  So often this summer we have seen people "tubing" down the Vedder River in no immersion gear and no PFD's.  The water is very cold, even on a hot day.  This was also an opportunity for me to try out my new Werner Paddles carbon Bandit - I loved it.  The swing weight was amazing and the paddle was "bomber" tough.

This run has everything in it, wave trains (big and small), one friendly hole and lots of spots to stop and enjoy your surroundings.

I hope this post inspires you to play hooky and go paddling!  It may be just the perspective change you need.

Thanks to Allyson Phillips for all the photos.

Stand Up Paddling - Copper Island Provincial Park

Welcome, guest-blogger Eli Fischbuch!

Now that school is done for me we have headed back to our cabin in Blind Bay, BC. One of my favorite places to paddle here is out to Copper Island, which is just out from Blind Bay. I thought I would do up a trip report in case there are others looking for new places to paddle.

Copper Island is the only Island on the Shuswap Lake and is a Provincial Park.  This makes it a neat destination for the day.  On this island there is a small rocky beach on the north side.  You can access the 3 kilometers trail that circles the island from this little beach.. There is an awesome view on the south side of the island from the trail.  If you are up for more excitement there is also cliff jumping on the south side of the island.  There are three main jumping heights 20, 45, and 65 feet.

From the main public beach in Blind Bay to Copper Island it is around 4 kilometers and from Reedman’s Point, which is also a public beach, it is about 2 kilometers.  If you want a little bit of a longer paddle you can go to Shuswap lake Provincial Park, which is across the lake another 1.5km approx.  There is also camping at this park, which there is not at Copper Island.

We find the best time of day to do this paddle is in the early morning before all the boats get out on the lake and make it choppy. But it can be fun to surf some boat wakes later in the day too! Sometimes we pack a breakfast and paddle out, do the trail and have breakfast before we paddle home.

Blind Bay is 25kms west from Salmon Arm right off the trans Canada Hwy..

Bay of Fundy Sea Kayk Symposium Gives Back

If you are at all interested in sea kayaking and learning from some of the best coaches/instructors in the world than this symposium should be on your "must get to" list!  Bay of Fundy Sea Kayak Symposium - September 12 - 15, 2014

Even better this group of paddlers is all about giving back and so to is one of their sponsors Jackson Kayaks.

Help send a kid to camp through the YMCA Campership Program by buying a raffle ticket for a new Jackson Kayak Karma RG (Rock Garden).  Click HERE for more details!

To learn more about the Karma RG check out the following blogpost

Kokatat 2015 Line up!

Game-changer is the word being thrown around as I came out of my Kokatat Sales Meeting this afternoon.  I am so proud to represent this company.  We continue to raise the bar for technical paddlesports apparel and so we should as the industry leader for over 40 years!

Idol Drysuit with SwitchZip technology - pant only

For 2015 the #1 game-changer is the Idol Drysuit featuring the SwitchZip Technology.  This brings versatility and design to a whole new level.  A 2 piece drysuit that keeps you bone-dry, is easy to use, looks great and gives you the option of wearing just a drytop when you want or a full drysuit.

Close up of pant and top connected using SwitchZip technology

Next, we continue to keep our PFD's in the forefront of comfort, features and just plain "lookin good" .  The Poseidon is the culmination of years of feedback from our loyal consumers and our dedicated paddlesport professionals in the sea kayaking world.  This PFD has something for everyone.  It comes standard with 2 removable front, duplex pockets.  The fit is amazing with the adjustability that we have come to love in the Maximus/Maximus Primes with a traditional front zip.

Poseidon PFD with ONE of two pockets that come standard and the ADD ON Belly Pocket.  The Belly Pocket is not standard.

Poseidon showing how the Belly Pocket attaches.

Poseidon showing the REAR pocket on the Belly Pocket

Rear of the Poseidon showing the QR belt and the reflective tape

 Add-ons are: Chest pocket, Belly pocket, Tactic pack and a QR (quick release) belt.  Also designed to work in collaboration with our Kokatat Touring Tow Tether.

One of my surprise favourite features is the hydration sleeve on the back of the PFD.  This PFD has it ALL!

Continuing in the PFD category, my personal favourite, the Maximus Centurion. 

Maximus Centurion INCLUDES the Belly Pocket

Maximus Centurion with the large gusseted duplex front pocket

I have LOVED the Maximus Prime for it's fit and comfort, the Maximus Centurion has all that and storage.  It is also compatible with the Poseidon Belly pocket that I mentioned above.

Men's X-Jacket (available in Light Gray)

Finally, Kokatat continues to create collections for all types of paddlers and SUP (Stand Up Paddle) paddlers are no exception.  SUP continues to be one of the fastest growing paddlesports markets and Kokatat has responded again in 2015.  X-Jacket is a 4-Way stretch, UPF 50+ , DWR coated lightweight jacket.  Designed for wind, spray and sun protection it comes in Men's and Women's sizing.  There is a rear stow pocket and a belt in the stow pocket so you can wear it around your waist when it is not needed.

Rear view of the Men's X-Jacket

Men's X-Jacket in the integrated stow pocket

Please keep watching all our social media accounts for more information on all of our brands 2015 lineups.  You can find us on Twitter at nikki_river2472, Instagram at NikkiRekmanSales and on our FB page.

West Kootenay River SUP Race Re-Cap

What an amazing weekend in the beautiful West Kootenays with the BC SUP community last weekend at the BC SUP Cup River SUP Race hosted by the folks at Endless Adventure.

The weather was spectacular and HOT and the rivers kept us cool and on our toes!!!

Mark and I had the pleasure of taking Mike Darbyshire's River SUP Clinic on the Upper Slocan on the Friday and it was a great learning experience and a lot of fun.  If you have a chance to get in on one of Mike's clinics do it.  He's knowledgeable, fun and safety is a top priority.

Thanks to Mark Klein aka my husband and the other half of Nikki Rekman Sales for the photos!

I look nervous...I was a bit.  Thanks to Kokatat, Werner, Jackson Kayak and Predator for my awesome gear!!

Mike D getting me on the Slocan River in the River SUP clinic - so much fun!

Saturday was the long course race down the mighty Columbia River from just outside Castlegar to Genelle, BC - 16.8 km.  Nikki Rekman Sales team members came out on top with Mike Darbyshire taking the top Men's spot, Lina Augaitis top Women's and our Alberta-boy, Eli Fischbuch taking top Junior!  We are proud to have all three athletes paddling with Werner Paddles!

Start on the Columbia River

 

First guy across the finish - Mike Darbyshire

First woman across the finish - Lina Augaitis

First Junior to cross the finish - Eli Fischbuch

We wrapped up the Saturday festivities at the Lion's Head Pub (THANKS Troy and Carly for hosting!!!) with entertainment by musician, Shane Phillip. FYI - the food at the Lion's Head is FANTASTIC.

Sunday was the most fun for participants on and off the river for the first ever BOARDER CROSS back on the Slocan River.  Very entertaining to watch!

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these Nikki Rekman Sales team members - Lina, Mike and Eli!!

THANKS to Kokatat Watersports Wear and Werner Paddles for outfitting folks in the river SUP clinics and in the Boarder Cross with rescue PFD's and paddles.

We participate in a lot of paddling communities in and around Western Canada and the BC SUP community never fails to impress me.  This is a group of welcoming, fun and gracious individuals and I am so thankful you have embraced us into the fold.

Nikki, Chris from Endless Adventure (our event host along with wife Andrea) and Mark photo: Andrea Ryman

Special shout-outs to Chris & Andrea from Endless Adventure and Mike Grant for hosting all of us.  Mike Darbyshire for inspiring people on and off the river.  To our team members, Mike, Lina and Eli - your support of us and our brands is so very much appreciated and we love connecting with you!!


Vanessa Fischbuch thanks for getting Eli to all the races and for being an amazing example of how to parent awesome kids.

Super-Mom - Vanessa enjoying some time on the Columbia River waiting for Eli to finish his race.

For more photos go to Mark's Flickr account HERE.  Please give him a photo credit if you use the photos - Mark Klein :)

See you on the water!

Whitewater Canoe Course on the Similkameen River

Last month we took the opportunity to do some professional development and signed up for a 4 day whitewater canoe course on the Similkameen River near Princeton, BC.  Allyson Phillips and Roger Warnatsch of Green Wave Canoeing put on a fantastic course and we learned a ton. 
 

On the final day of the course giving soloing a try - it's A LOT more work but fun!

Like many people, our paddling experiences have mostly been self-directed but as we have been paddling for over 25 years we are looking to do more difficult trips (namely to Northern Canada) and so getting some instruction seemed the next logical step.

Instructor Roger doing what he loves - teaching

During our 4 day course there was lots to review and even more new things to learn.  Our favourite stroke and what we believe, is one of the most valued in our arsenal is the reverse stroke.  My least favourite, the offside forward stroke for solo canoeing.  That is the most unnatural stroke I have ever done and I know I will need to practice that one A LOT!

Mark, instructor Allyson and Phil

We were complimented on our edging as we moved in and and out of eddies - that was nice to hear and our "go for it attitude".  We swam once, trying to surf a wave in our Esquif Pocket Canyon and although we didn't get points for style we put all of our rescue skills to good practice. 

Since our course we have been out once on the Vedder River and our looking forward to the possibility of some time on the Slocan River this coming weekend too. 

Mark having a great time!

 If you are ever interested in canoe instruction let us know and we will connect you with the folks at Green Wave Canoeing.  They've got a busy schedule teaching in the programs at Capilano University and College of the Rockies but they always make time for teaching outside of those programs too.  If anyone is interested in a smaller private course that can be accommodated as well.

Sunshine Coast Stand Up Paddle Board Festival - Sunday July 6th

We are happy to give a shout out to Kokatat Watersports Wear and Werner Paddles dealer, Alpha Adventures and help promote their Sunshine Coast Stand Up Paddle Board Festival on Sunday July 6th in gorgeous Porpoise Bay Provincial Park in Sechelt, BC.


I had the opportunity to get on the water in Porpoise Bay this past Saturday while I was in town to clinic the staff at Alpha Adventures.  What a spot!  My friend, MO is new to kayaking and this was her first time on salt water.  She did great and loved the comfort and stability of the Hurricane Kayak Santee 126.  Another favourite feature of the boat is the lightweight at only 40lbs!!!

MO enjoying the Hurricane Kayak Santee 126

The view from the Hurricane Kayak Santee 116 Sport

Stand up paddle boarding, demos, clinics, culture and recreational racing - A great day of SUP activities!
Proceeds donated to Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue – (Coast Guard Auxiliary)

Both races are recreational.  Short Course - 2.4 km and Long Course - 4km.
Demos and Clinics – $5 per person gets you unlimited access to demo all boards and clinics (based on availability).
Races are an additional $15 entry fee per race, but remember, proceeds go to charity!

For more information contact the folks at Alpha Adventures at:  (604) 885-8838  or check out their website

Schedule of Events (TENTATIVE)-
09:00am- Festival Begins- demos available throughout the morning and some in the afternoon where board availability permits.
09:30am- SUP fitness clinic – 30 minutes
10:00am- Basic Paddle Strokes Clinic- 30 minutes
11:00am- Advanced Paddle Strokes Clinic- 30 minutes
11:30am- Short Course Racers meet at tent
12:00pm- Short Course Race begins
02:00pm- Long Course Racers meet at tent***
02:30pm- Long Course Race begins***
03:45pm- Awards Ceremony and Prize Draw
04:00pm- Festival Ends- have a great evening!
See our Accommodation and Travel Info page if you are joining us from out of town.

Road Travels, the Good and the Bad...

We just got off the road this past Tuesday after putting over 9,000km on our #roadwarrior rig and it was definitely a trip to remember.

On a super, awesome positive note, our "new to us" 2008 Chevy Express performed great and the gas consumption was not double what the trustee old Subaru was and we had a TON more space.  Hurray!!!

We did a number of clinics (if we missed you, we hope to see you with the new 2015 product in August or during future travels in the territory).  Getting on the water is always fun and we had a chance to do that with the crew from Endless Adventure in Castlegar, BC.  Here are a few photos.

Enjoy the comfort and speed of the Jackson Kayak Ibis

Nick, taking the Jackson Kayak Journey through its paces

Checking out the stability of the Jackson Kayak Big Tuna

 The bad news, was 3/4 of the way through the trip when we got a call from my parents, that my Opa (Grandpa) had died.  The fun stopped there.  I was very close to my Opa and this loss (however expected at the grand age of 86) has been tough for me.  Thanks to all of you who sent kind words, they were very much appreciated.  We returned to Saskatoon (from where we had just been 10 days prior) for the funeral and we were very fortunate to be there and celebrate a life well-lived!  We had to get back to work and hit the road that night.  The trip improved from there.

North to beautiful, Smithers, BC to assist Kokatat Watersports Wear, Jackson Kayak and Werner Paddles dealer, Aquabatics Smithers at their consumer demo day.  A huge shout-out to Susan and her staff for moving the date ahead by one day to give us a couple of days off to rest after the epic driving - you guys ROCK!!  I am super excited to say I got to spend some time in my Jackson Kayak Cuda 12 and do a little fishing up on Babine Lake (about an hour north of Smithers).  We had great weather and I landed my first FISH from a kayak!!!  A beautiful rainbow trout, the day prior my "nephew" Eli caught 3 (which we ate, they were delicious).  While the photos did not turn out as I had hoped, this is the proof :)

Kayak fishing on Babine Lake, BC - I got one on the line!!!

There he is...see him??!?  Fun times!

Here are a couple of photos from our consumer demo in Smithers with Aquabatics.  The weather forecast was for thundershowers so we were pretty stoked to have a warm, sunny day!!!

Young Ian, having a blast!!

Lake Kathyln, a beautiful spot to get on the Jackson Kayak SUP boards

The Jackson Kayak Big Rig, big enough for you AND your dog!!!

Re-Cap 3 Rivers Rendezvous Whitewater Festival 2014 - Team Paddler, Luke Vollmerhaus

So, another Pincher Creek 3 Rivers Rendezvous is in the archives and it was one of the best yet (in my humble opinion). This year I believe there were close to 350 paddlers who came down south for this increasingly popular event near the sleepy southern Alberta towns of Lundbreck and Pincher Creek. As the festivals name suggests, there are 3 great river systems in close proximity to the campsite/event venue, the Oldman, Castle and Crowsnest drainage's.
This year, we were graced with near perfect water levels across the board and as far as May long weekends in Southern Alberta go, great weather. The days were mixed with clouds, warm sun and short rain showers (and one epic thunderstorm).

Photo: Lori Vollmerhaus // Paddler: Andy Vollmerhaus // Location: Castle Falls (I think…)

There are many great aspects to this event. Due to the semi remote location of the festival there are lots of paddlers who rarely get to hop on these southern runs despite their spectacular beauty and awesome white water. There’s also an enormous variety in difficulty of white water available, everything from barely class 1 for your beginner to staunch class 5 for your experienced adrenalin junkie.

It is a festival of contrasts, there are loads of wide eyed new paddlers down there, looking to take their first whitewater strokes, often being led by clubs from all points of the Alberta compass, there are the groups of intermediates who just love to paddle, socialize and really embrace the entire paddling culture in a way that gets me so stoked, the old dogs) who are there to help, cruise and go with the flow a bit, and then there are the frothing at the mouth chargers who want to run big water, big drops and get ‘rad’ so to speak. With all that going on one could assume that there would be ego, cliques etc, but for some reason (and maybe it is just paddling), but at this festival all these people rub shoulders with each other, talk up their runs for the day, drink beer and maybe even shoot off the occasional firework or three at the wee hours of the morning together. You can’t help but get caught up in how pumped everyone is to have come out of the Alberta deep freeze and have all these wonderful rivers running and so close to the campsite.

There are more paddling festivals throughout the year but this is certainly one of my personal favourites.

I hope everyone’s season is off to a stellar start, keep it safe and rip it up!

Cheers,

Luke