Fluid Kayaks Team

Attention fans: I have just returned from another training mission in the northwest. My girlfriend Natalie and I spent a couple weeks near Arcata CA, doing some HARDCORE training. Because that's how we roll.

First we spent about a week staying at an EXTREME youth hostel at the Pigeon Point Lighthouse, pictured above. To the untrained eye, it probably looked like we were lying around eating a lot, but it was actually MENTAL training. That was stage 1.

From there, we quickly headed to Northern California and took advantage of the elusive and mythical "rain on snow event" which every kayaker dreams of. The California Salmon is usually low and cold at christmas time, but thanks to the R-O-S event, it was mackin' high water, and we were able to spend an amazing day surfing the infamous Trip Point (a.k.a. Dirka Dirka) Wave.

(The Salmon is your average NorCal play run, as you can see here.)

Through a long series of misadventures, we also ended up on a run of the Limestone Bluffs section of the South Fork Salmon, although it was several days later. The only reason that I mention this trip is as an excuse to show you this photo of Martin and his Car. I'm sure you all remember me writing about Martin and his mullet a few years ago, but now, due to an ambush by a girl with scissors, Martin no longer sports a hairstyle. However, you have to give him credit for having bullet holes in his car (not just the stickers that are so popular).

How did the bullet holes get there? Well, I think it's funnier if I just let you wonder.

Continuing in that hilarious style of presenting photos with no context, here's Melissa drinking after sustaining a head wound. I'll just let you put together any details you want to.

After these completely unexplained and hilarious hijinx on the Salmon, Natalie and I had time for some creeking closer to Arcata, and she put together this review of the Medium Solo:

This fall I sliced open a good 6 inch slit into the sidewall of my Prijon Creeker 225 while running the double drop on the gnar section of the Big Thompson at low water. Being open to new possibilities on water craft, I decided to try out the Medium Solo that Celliers of Fluid Kayaks sent to Leif Anderson to use as a demo boat. The Medium Solo is larger and heavier than the Creeker. I was excited to try it since I have often noticed that when I am paddling the Creeker I tend to sub-out more often than my fellow paddlers. I took the medium solo out for the first time on a high water run of upper and lower Willow creek in January (check out Leif's old video of Willow creek). My first impression was, wow! This is great, I'm not subbing out and I can stay on line much more easily than in the Creeker. The Solo tracks very well and is fast. I found that holes didn't grab me as much and I was able to keep up my momentum. The boat turns quickly when it is put on edge and I was able to quickly slide into all of the small eddies that I needed to get into. The heaviness of the boat was a bit of a downer when I had to hike it out of the canyon, but on the bright side, it'll make me stronger. I didn't get photos of Willow Creek, but Leif gentlemanly took photos of me in the Solo on Burnt Ranch Gorge on the Trinity river.

We also took a quick trip up to Clover Point wave on the McKenzie river in Oregon. The water was high and the wave was extremely dynamic. We planned an overnight trip, but ended up spending three days and nights there.

To finish things off, we took a couple days in the surf near Arcata, to actually train for US team trials, which are in my home town of Glenwood Springs this year.

Well, I'd better get back to sitting around and not boating. I've got to keep my butt in RACE READY condition - able to sit down in my kayak at any time. Until next time. -Leif Anderson