The Fraser Valley Celebrates Canada Water Week!

Thanks to our friends at the Water Wealth Project in Chilliwack, BC for the content in this blogpost and for hosting Canada Water Week in the Fraser Valley!

Join the fun right here in the heart of the Fraser Valley for our week long series of water-loving events for Canada Water Week -- a celebration of water from coast-to-coast-to-coast, held annually in the third week of March to coincide with World Water Day on March 22.

Join WaterWealth + Friends at one (or all!) of our FREE Canada Water Week events:

Monday 17th, 11am - 1 PM
Get To Know Your Home Waters Walk

Meet @ Vedder Rotary Trail parking lot at the south end of Peach Rd.
Family friendly, wear good walking shoes, dress for the weather, cancelled in the event of  *heavy* rain (call to confirm with Natalie if any doubt, 604-798-8990).

Monday 17th, 6:30 - 8:30 PM
A Watery Film Night: "Watermark"

Bldg 10 - 7201 Vedder Rd. (Sto:lo Research and Resource Management Center)
Family friendly, light refreshments provided, wheelchair accessible venue, newly released and award winning film.

Wednesday 19th, 7-9 PM
Water Champions Cafe

Sardis Secondary School (TBC), 45460 Stevenson Rd.
Childcare available (please confirm your family's need w/ Natalie, 604-798-8990), light refreshments provided, wheelchair accessible venue.  Nikki Rekman Sales and the Chilliwack Vedder River Clean Up Society will be participating in this public forum

Friday 21st, 4-9 PM
Wet Your Whistle Happy Hour(s) + Pub Night

Major League Pub, 45768 Gaetz St
Art raffle, info tables w/ many water-focused community organizations, $1 from all drinks sold between 6-9 pm (excluding specials) goes to support WaterWealth.  Nikki Rekman Sales and the Chilliwack Vedder River Clean Up Society representatives will be there.  Join us.

Saturday 22nd, 1-2:30 PM
World Water Day Community Celebration

Central Community Park, 45951 Victoria Ave
Family friendly, live entertainment, rain or shine, wear blue and show your WATER PRIDE!

+++ You can find our Water Week event series on Facebook as well! +++

It's finally here!!!

We are very excited to announce that the new Hurricane Kayaks website is up and it looks fantastic!

New videos, new images and a fantastic resource for our dealers and the consumers.

Check it out HERE.

BC Boating & Sportsmen’s Show and BC Hunting Show THIS Weekend in Abbotsford

Okay folks, enough of winter...come down to the BC Boating & Sportsmen’s Show and BC Hunting Show THIS weekend and prepare for Spring!!!

SHOW HOURS:
Friday, March 7, 2014 - Noon – 9pm
Saturday, March 8, 2014 - 9 am – 6pm
Sunday, March 9, 2014 -10am – 5pm


 I will be there, along with team member, Len Zilkowsky, tonight and all day tomorrow at the Western Canoeing and Kayaking booth for Jackson Kayaks, Kokatat Watersports Wear and Werner Paddles.  Stop by to check out our fishing kayaks and ask us about the Angler Drysuit and why the best kayak fishing paddle, is the best paddling paddle.

Introduces Paddlesports North America

Last summer I was asked to participate in the formation of a new organization called, Paddlesports North America (PNA).

The PNA Board is excited to announce that Paddlesports North America (PNA) is newly incorporated in New York State as a not-for-profit organization, and on the cusp of finalizing its relationship with the British Canoe Union (BCU) as the delivery center for BCU programming in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

This website will be up shortly, and will contain all information needed by paddlers and coaches to progress through the BCU’s paddlesport system, which is recognized as the gold standard in paddlesport training and education. In the meantime, there will be no interruption in the processing of memberships, awards and certifications. 

Until our status with the BCU is finalized, Bill Lozano, the current BCUNA administrator, will continue handling all paperwork through the BCUNA office in New York. Contact the BCUNA office by visiting bcuna.com

To be kept up to date go to the PNA website and sign up for the newsletter. 

Special thanks to the founding sponsors:  Werner Paddles, P & H Kayaks, Atlantic Kayak Tours and Valley Sea Kayaks.

To Paddle Or Not To Paddle?

Welcome guest blogger, JF Marleau of SKILS, Kokatat Kayak Fishing Team and the Nikki Rekman Sales Team.

Whether to paddle or whether to not, often depends on the weather.

A decision to paddle or not to paddle is heavily influenced by the skills of the group you are paddling with, and the terrain you intend to paddle within. Furthermore, the weather you encounter has a huge influence on the terrain, constantly changing it, and potentially altering the suitability of the terrain for your group. It is important to make a decision to paddle, or not to paddle, based upon clear and thorough information about what the weather is going to do while you are on the water. But making that decision can be challenging when you have so many factors and information sources to consider. At SKILS, we have developed a conceptual model to help simplify this process. This model, illustrated in the image below, is based on the idea of traffic lights; assign a red, green or yellow light to the weather information you have gathered, red = don't go, green = good to go, and yellow = borderline.

Recreational paddlers are welcome to download and share this model from the SKILS website,  (click on Resources in the menu bar, select Download Resources, select Risk Management folder). We also encourage instructors to share this model with their students. We feel this is an excellent way to simplify a very complex decision making process. 

Happy safe paddling!

The Reel Paddling Film Festival is coming to the Fraser Valley!!

The Reel Paddling Film Festival is coming to Abbotsford, BC for one night only, Friday March 14th.

Sponsored by Western Canoeing & Kayaking and Valhalla Pure Outfitters, the festival will be shown at the University of the Fraser Valley, directions HERE.  

This year’s event features 3 hrs of paddling films short-listed for the World Tour, including festival category winners.  Audiences can expect to see a variety of hairy whitewater action, sea kayakers exploring remote coastlines, international river travel films, motivating environmental documentaries, and hilarious short films capturing the lighter side of paddling life.

Tickets are $12 at the door, and $10 in advance.  Advance tickets also available at Valhalla Pure Outfitters.

University of the Fraser Valley – 33844 King Rd – Room B101

Show begins at 7:00 pm (doors open at 6:50 pm).

Playboating Clinics with JK's Stephen Wright and River SUP Clinics with Ken Hoeve - join us at the VKC Whitewater Festival

Jackson Kayak is proud to support the Vancouver Kayak Club Whitewater Festival,May 2 - 4, 2014 on the beautiful Chilliwack River.

In collaboration with the VKC and Western Canoeing and Kayaking, Jackson Kayak is offering two clinics, Introduction to Playboating with Stephen Wright and Introduction to River Stand Up Paddling with Ken “Hobie” Hoeve.

Clinics are $20.00 each and payable to the Vancouver Kayak Club.

For additional information you can contact the VKC via email 

Saturday, May 3^rd

9 a.m. – Introduction to Playboating

9 a.m. – Introduction to River Stand Up Paddling
2 p.m. - Introduction to Playboating
2 p.m. - Introduction to River Stand Up Paddling

Sunday, May 4^th

9 a.m. – Introduction to Playboating

9 a.m. – Introduction to River Stand Up Paddling
2 p.m. - Introduction to Playboating
2 p.m. - Introduction to River Stand Up Paddling

Stephen Wright

4-Time US National Freestyle Champion                                                      

3rd World Championships 2011                                                        

3rd World Championships 2009                                                        

USA Freestyle team member 2009 & 2011                                                   

2011 Pan American Champion                                                          

                                                           

From Golden, CO, USA                                                        

                                                           

Playboat: Rockstar M for holes, 2013 All Star for Waves                                                    

                                                           

Creekboat: Karma M  

Ken "Hobie" Hoeve

Living in Colorado for the past 20 years, Hobie has been a fixture on the whitewater kayaking scene as both a competitor and announcer. His accomplishments range from victories on Gore Canyon, the Arkansas’s Royal Gorge, Clear Creek and Utah’s Weber river to announcing and hosting events like the Reno River Fest, Teva Mountain Games, FiBark and Dominion River Rock. And within the past 5 years he has become an instrumental figure in the progression of running rivers on an SUP.

From Colorado, USA

Board: SUPerCharger

 

Stephen in action!!!

Hobie makin' it look easy!!!