Learning to Kayak...

I remember what it was like when I was learning to kayak.

Both my sister and I had just moved to Oregon from Texas and were psyched to see a river in our backyard (rather than millions of tons of concrete). We weighed 90 pounds and started off in matching Wave Sport Evo's, (which proved faithful to us for the next few years, as we successfully avoided getting majorly worked). After a summer or two at Otter Bar, we were on the river by ourselves practicing our ferrying and eddy turns. Little did I know my life would revolve around kayaking seven years later. Thanks Christina for being the most awesome kayaker buddy I know! You're the best sister anyone could ask for!

Back to the story... When there's no rain in Eugene, Todd and I find ourselves making lazy trips down the Mckenzie River, every once and a while taking a friend down with us. Not too long ago, we took Todd's friend, Ross, who managed to flip once twice the entire time (and it was his first time in a kayak)!!

Anywhoo... Check out the pictures. It's always fun remembering what it was like learning to kayak:

Getting the boat's outfitted (Photo by: Kim Russell)

Ross (L) and Todd (R) taking a break from eddy turns (Photo by: Kim Russell)

The eddy at Neil's Wave (Photo by: Todd Baker)

Kim blunting at Neil's (Photo by: Todd Baker)

After a long day on the river, Ross was psyched! Here's to getting more people involved in this awesome sport!
Remember that friend who always wanted to go kayaking? Take them out and post your own experience!

The crew (Ross, Todd, Kim and Alex)

Cheers!

Kim Russell

2009 Clackamas River Festival

(Photo by: Kim Russell)

Earlier this month, Todd and I made it out to the Clackamas River Festival near Portland, Oregon for some fun and games. It was a two day festival put on by Next Adventure, packed full of both rafting and kayaking events.


The coolest event of the weekend was the big air ramp where people hucked themselves off a huge ramp, flailing arms and all.

Ansy Maser cracking a beer (Photo by: Kim Russell)

Andy Maser pulled off an airscrew while cracking a beer while going down the ramp, and Willi almost did a front-flip.

Willi working on the front flip (Photo by: Kim Russell)

At the end of the day, first place went to Todd Baker with a double-air screw. YEA! Bloody knuckles and all!

Todd on his way to a double airscrew (Photos: by Kim Russell)

(Photo by: Kim Russell)


See you on the water!

Kim Russell

2009 Miracle Mile Race

Racers coming down to the start (Photo by: Kim Russell)

A couple weeks ago, we held a boatercross down the NFMF of the Willamette near Oakridge, Oregon, a mile-long class IV boulder garden. We had about 7 racers in total in what was a double-elimination tournament. Round one saw two people race each other, the winner moving on to the winner's bracket, and the loser moving onto the loser's bracket. The losers then raced each other, of which the winner would be included in the winner's bracket. In the final round, all those of the winner's bracket would race.

Round 1:
Conor Ross
Seth Swallen

Alex Dalgleish
Ryan Scott

Glenn Dalgleish
Kim Russell
Todd Baker

After Round 1, Conor Ross, Ryan Scott and Todd Baker moved onto the winner's bracket, while Seth Swallen, Alex Dalgleish, Glenn Dalgleish and Kim Russell moved on to the loser's bracket.

At the start (Photo by: Kim Russell)

Rounding the corner below that start (Photo by: Kim Russell)

Alex Dalgleish on his way to the finish (Photo by: Kim Russell)

Round 2:

Alex Dalgleish
Seth Swallen
Kim Russell

After Round 2, Kim Russell moved onto the winner's bracket.

Final Round:

Ryan Scott
Todd Baker
Kim Russell
Conor Ross

Ryan Scott on his winning run (Photo by: Kim Russell)

Spectators at the finish line (Photo by: Kim Russell)

Shuttle back to the top (Photo by: Kim Russell)

The final round was pretty heated, with Ryan Scott and Todd Baker neck and neck for the entire mile. Kim Russell and Conor Ross weren't too far behind. Ryan Scott ended up pulling ahead at the very end for a strong finish, followed by Todd Baker, Kim Russell and Conor Ross.

Results:

1. Ryan Scott
2. Todd Baker
3. Kim Russell
4. Conor Ross

We're hoping to make this race a monthly event next year, in addition to a Eugene series of races featuring a boaterx down Sweet Creek, a freestyle at Fern Ridge Reservoir and a downriver race at the NFMF.

Stay Tuned!

www.nfmfboaterx.toddbake.com

Kim Russell

Sweet Creek!

Kim dropping the bottom drop (Photo by: Seth Swallen)

Over the course of the past week, Oregon has seen pouring rain everyday. River levels spiked and we rallied after classes to huck ze gnar in the new Diesel 80. Check out the photos! Todd is in the Habitat 80, and I am in the Diesel 80.

Hiking to the top (Photo by: Seth Swallen)

Kim Russell off the second drop (Photo by: Seth Swallen)

Todd Baker off the flake drop (Photo by: Seth Swallen)

Kim off the flake drop (yellow), and Glenn at the bottom of the gorge (orange)

Todd off the flake drop (Photo by: Seth Swallen)

Kim off the middle drop (Photo by: Seth Swallen)

Todd Baker (Photo by: Seth Swallen)

Hope everyone has a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!

Kim Russell

Skookumchuck revisited....

This past summer Todd and I were fortunate enough to jump in the Wave Sport van with Bryan Kirk and make it up to BC for some paddling...Check out some shots from Skook...

Me bustin' a sweet air blunt at Skook!

Todd Baker mid-helix (Photo by: Kim Russell)

Bryan Kirk bluntin' up a rainbow (Photo by: Kim Russell)

Kelsey Thompson (Photo by Kim Russell)


Me Backsurfin' (Photo by: Todd Baker)

February 2009:

February 2009:

Lazy nights in the casa ...

So it's been awhile since I've done a post... I've been pretty busy the past six months or so. I'm back in Eugene for my junior year at UO, studying Human Physiology. I jsut had my gallbladder out about two months ago and am finally recovered. Unfortunately, we don't have much water right now, so we haven't been able to paddle very much the past few weeks. We recently discovered the BMX track in town which is pretty badass.

Todd crankin' it out at the BMX park

Clover at 4.9 feet!

 

A new filming technique on the McKenzie River. Beachballs rock!!! (Photo by: EJ Etherington)






Being finals week here at the University of Oregon and at Lane Community College, Todd and I have been super busy studying for our exams. On Tuesday, we both had 1 left, on Friday, and decided to take the afternoon off to paddle... and the next afternoon..and the next.



This past weekend, Oregon and Washington were hit with two HUGE storms! It rained for three days straight, heavily, creeks went up 8,000 cfs overnight, ocean swells hit 45 ft, and winds hit 143 mph in places. Hundreds of people lost power, and the oldest Spruce tree in the world was BLOWN OVER!! That's right.. a spruce tree. BLOWN over. It was just a little stormy....



Tuesday:







After waking up to the gauges leveling off and go down a little bit, we decided we had to go paddle yet again. I took my Chemistry final in the morning, while Glenn, Capo and Todd took a few of theirs, and around 1:00, we all headed out to the McKenzie River to surf some big waves at a spot known as Clover.



Once again, the river was pretty darn high, but being the day after the gnarly part of the storm, most of the wood had been cleared out and already gone downstream. I think we were right...only one or two good sized chunks of wood came down over the course of our three hour sesh. YA!





Todd mid-kickflip (Photo by: EJ Etherington)


At high water, Clover is a set of three waves of which the first is a semi chaotic but super fun and bouncy steep wave with a nice pile on it. It's fairly sticky so you can throw some big tricks and still stick. The second wave of the set is in sometimes, but wasn't on Tuesday, and the third wave is a super smooth, steep wave with a good sized pile on it. Think mini-Skookemchuck and you got it!




From 2-5 we surfed and had an epic day after a by chance meeting with some old friends on the river! Props to my friend Aaron Goodwin for ripping it up with a torn rotator cuff in his right arm and a dislocated/seperated shoulder in his left!!! You rock!






Kim throwin an air blunt (Photo by: EJ Etherington)



Todd doin' his thing (Photo by: EJ Etherington)



Capo givin' er with an air screw (Photo by: EJ Etherington)



Todd and Kim surfing... (Photo by: EJ Etherington)


Blunting the Project 45, Sweet! (Photo by: EJ Etherington)



Glen surfing the lower wave (Photo by: EJ Etherington)




Todd getting up some speed (Photo by: EJ Etherington)



Todd and Glen double surfing (Photo by: EJ Etherington)






Stay posted as we'll be posting an update from Hood River early next week! Hope you're having a good one!












Kim Russell



Team WaveSport