Bonito Back Breaker: Rush Sturges slightly offline on the Chilean waterfall that fractured his vertebrae. Photo courtesy Rush Sturges/Dream Result
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You never know when your 15 minutes of fame will come. Take mild-mannered kayak fisherman Drew Gregory, for instance, whose YouTube video of him getting embarrassed and pummeled by rabid geese has topped 100,000 views and aired on Jay Leno on Friday, Feb. 5. PL caught up with him between pecks for the low-down... Read more.

So you say you can’t afford a new playboat? You can always take matters into your own hands like contributor Wyatt Roscoe did when converting his dad’s ancient Perception Mirage into a 6’5” playboat. So it looks like the bride of Frankenstein? Who cares when you’re surfing something full of soul (kids, try this at home!)... Read more.

Let’s see Ponce de Leon tackle this. At 7 a.m. on March 6, seven intrepid paddlers and sailors will take off on a 1,200-mile, round-the-clock paddle/sailing adventure race called the Ultimate Florida Challenge. Starting near the entrance to Tampa Bay, the blister-inducing course will take them on a 1,200-mile counter-clockwise circumnavigation of Florida in 30 days or less... Read more.

After a more than 25-year run, the West Coast Sea Kayak Symposium is no more. In another sign of the economic times, and beleaguered trade association picture, the Trade Association of Paddlesports (TAPS) recently announced the cancellation of the marquee West Coast Sea Kayak Symposium, held annually in September in Port Townsend, Wash. Read more.

In November, the Epicocity Project teamed up with National Geographic for a descent down Brazil’s River of Doubt. Their mission was to document the species that inhabit this Amazonian evolutionary hotspot before proposed dam projects become a reality. Read more.

When it comes to paddling in the Olympics, you have to like having it in a city named after a river. Such is the case with Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro winning the bid to host the 2016 Olympics, putting the Games in South America for the first time in history. PL checks in with those in the know to see how it might affect the U.S. chances to medal... Read more.

It wasn’t quite a Dream Result for Rush Sturges. While in South America filming for his new Dream Results video, the kayaker suffered a compression frature in his back running Chile’s 80-foot Bonito Falls (but will be back in action soon)... Read more.

Holy saltwater blisters, batman. She did it. On Dec. 15, Freya Hoffmeister completed her 9,400-mile circumnavigation of Australia in 332 days (245 paddling days), ending one of the most challenging sea kayaking trips in the world. The feat makes her the first woman to ever complete the journey and only the second person to do so since friend and mentor Paul Caffyn completed it in 1982. PL chimes in... Read more.

Bud ambassador. It’s a title we’d all covet, and one that now belongs to one of the best and most iconic paddlers on the planet. And with Budweiser signing four-time world freestyle kayaking champion Eric Jackson as a brand ambassador it means that Jackson workers will never have a shortage of libations in their beer fridge or shuttle. Read more.

While some sectors of competitive paddlesports seem to be shrinking, at least one is emerging. As of early December, it’s official: after appearing as a demo event at the world championships in Spain this summer, C-1 W, or women’s C-1, will be in the World Championships. PL checks in with those in the know... Read more.

So you ran the gnar, canoed up to a bear, and sea kayaked under a whale spout. Where’s the proof? Without it, it’s just another tall boating tale. Luckily, there’s a new crop of Point of View (POV) cameras that make capturing these moments easier. Here’s some PL guidelines to help you make an informed buying decision to back up your abducted-by-UFOs claim... Read more.

Frankly my dear, I don’t want a dam. That Bogartian attitude is being sung in force by Washington, D.C.’s American Rivers, which recently released a list of 58 dams in 16 states slated for removal this year. That’s the opening of a lot of paddleable waterways. Read more.

It's permit season. Not for fishing, but for floating. So get your act together and send in your applications for your favorite river trip. Remember: if you don’t play the game--or aren't a cook or good looking--you won’t get invited along. Here's all the info you need... Read more.

Want to thank someone who rescued your ass? As well as buying them beer and a plate of enchiladas, nominate them for an award. PL tells you how... Read more.

Paddlers accustomed to the relatively easy Class III waters of the Lower Youghiogheny are now tackling a more forbidding foe threatening their waterway: a strip mine that would strip the river of its wilderness character. Read more.

Richard Harvey is a brain cancer survivor, 2 ½ years past his best prognosis. But he's also a dyed-in-the-wool paddler, now that he's discovered First Descents, a camp helping cancer survivors kayak. Over the next few months, Paddling Life is lucky enough to bring you his tales from the trail... Read more.

USA Canoe/Kayak (USACK) could borrow a line from the David Bowie classic, "Changes." And it owes this to another David. In late October, USACK Executive Director David Yarborough resigned after holding the position for six years. In his stead, the board appointed 1992 Olympic gold medalist, Olympic broadcaster and all-around fun-guy-to-paddle-with Joe Jacobi as its interim executive director. Read more.

Watch out, Robert Downey, Jr. There’s a new Ironman in town. Hot on the heels of his win at the Lord of the Fork race on the Russell Fork, Andrew Holcombe pulled off first place finishes at the Green River Narrows race in the long and short boat divisions, earning the overall “Ironman” title and setting a new course record in the process... Read more.

So everyone’s sites are on the 14th annual Green Race. Not Andrew Holcombe, who recently cleaned up with a new course record at the Lord of the Fork race on the Russell Fork... Read more.

Want your rec kayak to shine? Follow the lead of pimpin’ paddler and contributor Mike McCrae’s winning combo... Read more.

With her Ugandan malaria programs, avid kayaker and doctor Jessie Stone has a special place in her heart for the White Nile. A soliloquy from her on the section that's soon to be dammed.... Read more.

On October 24th, 200 paddlers got together in Portland, OR to form a huge floating 350 as part of the largest day of political action in history. Read more.

Sure, paddlers know how to network on forums. But they can also do so for a cause. Read more.

Freestyle has the World Championships, slalom, the Olympics, and extreme racing the Teva Games and Adidas Sickline comp. Stand-up paddlers now have their own event for top bragging rights in the Battle of the Paddle, as well as a new icon in 14-year-old Slater Trout (love that name) from Maui... Read more.

So SUPping is getting off the ground. To go about it correctly, PL cornered SUP-convert and 2003 US National Freestyle Kayak Champion and ACA-certified instructor Jimmy Blakeney to offer his tips, from beginner to advanced. A SUP rep and athlete in New England for Jimmy Lewis Boards, Blakeney has developed a full SUP curriculum based on his kayak and surfing experience, and launched his new SUP school, New England Paddlesurf, this summer to get people stroking in the right direction… Read more.

It might not have been the results he was hoping for, but Andrew Holcombe put on a solid showing for the USA with a fifth-place finish at Austria’s Adidas Sickline Extreme Kayak World Championships. Read more.

Canoe & Kayak magazine publisher Jim Marsh might have ruffled some feathers when he announced at Summer OR that the magazine was hosting its own paddlesports show. But in the long run, it got the industry to come together, and OIA to react to the needs of paddlesports, with the result being new dates for the summer show and other concessions for paddlesports... Read more.

This week, a collection of top paddlers released an open letter to the paddling community calling for support of a project designed to help control climate change. The project, called River of Action, asks paddlers across the country to participate in the 350.org International Day of Climate Action by representing the number 350. Read more.

When we at PL took our kids for a late season sea kayak trip on Washington’s San Juan Island, we figured what better place to test two new kids’ PFDs from MTI? Throw on a Class I-II float down the Colorado immediately afterward (the day before school), and the testing grounds – er, waters – were complete. Both passed with flying colors – especially when the testers hurled themselves off the 25-foot cliffs... Read more.

For the 4,000-plus paddlers in attendance, the last weekend in September marked another wild and wacky Gauley Fest, in a event presented by Subaru and benefiting American Whitewater. Rollicking rapids, revelry and roshambo... Read more.

The Durango, Colo., boating community was saddened when one of their own, Tony Miely, an ardent kayaker and manager of 4 Corners Riversports, was involved in an ATV accident on Sept. 18 and will likely lose his right hand as a result. But there's a way you can help... Read more.

While men's K-1 paddler Brett Heyl garnished seventh at the recent World Slalom Championships in Spain, that's as high as U.S. paddlers fared. PL got in touch with the U.S. team's head coach, Silvan Poberaj, to share his thoughts on our team's performance… Read more.

London Calling. Three-time world cup slalom champion Scott Shipley was living out that song by The Clash this summer in Boulder, Colorado. While rivers were raging in the Rockies, he used a local warehouse to build a miniature indoor alternative to the rivers outside: a scale model whitewater arena mimicking the 2012 Olympic course in London... Read more.

sweep by Australia in the successful debut of women’s C-1, all new faces on the podium in men’s K1, and familiar paddlers atop the other disciplines sums up the slalom world championships, which just concluded in La Seu d'Urgell, Spain. In all, 55 nations sent 98 men’s kayaks and 22 C-1 Women to the Pyrenees to paddle against the sport’s best. A special PL congratulations goes out to Brett Heyl, who was top U.S. finisher in 7th... Read more.

Who Ya Gonna Call? When Washington, D.C.'s Team River Runner sought to establish a new chapter in Portland, Ore., it naturally called on Sam Drevo, the high-energy former Extreme Kayak World champion. And though Team River Runner had established a dozen other chapters across the country already, it’s hard to imagine a smoother and more hopeful kick-off than the one that happened in Portland this summer. Read more.

The International Whitewater Hall of Fame (IWHOF) Event inducted its new crop of honorees at the NOC's GAF Weekend Sept. 25-27 in Bryson City, N.C. Included in the list: Lars Holbek, Rafael Gallo, Bill Mason, Mikhail Kolchevnikov and Czech Republic slalom sensations Stepanka Hilgertova and the Hochshorner Brothers... Read more.

Six new World Champions. That's the storyline from Thun, Switzerland and the World Kayak Freestyle Championships. With a whopping 1,500-point ride in the finals, Nick Troutman finally upstaged EJ to take the crown. Keeping it all in the family, Emily Jackson took top honors for the women. A PL recap of what went down... Read more.

On Saturday, Aug. 22, a classic was reborn as Timberline Tours took the reins to host the Gore Canyon 2009 race, a classic Class V whitewater race bringing together the finest whitewater paddlers of all types from throughout the Rockies to Paddling Life’s hometown run on the Colorado River... Read more.

In late August, Werner Paddles rep Dan Gavere ran Punchbowl Falls on the West Fork of Oregon’s Hood. No matter that he botched it time and time again before nailing it; that’s how’s he treats all his sports, from kayaking to kite boarding. And now that he’s set his sights on SUP, there’s no telling what he’ll accomplish. PL checks in with the multi-sport master… Read more.

On Monday, a crew of local raft guides and kayakers found the body of 31-year-old Ryan Morgan pinned underwater in the rapid below Spirit Falls on the Little White Salmon River, WA. During his run on Sunday, Ryan made the portage around Spirit, got back in his kayak at the standard spot, and was swept into the sieves and logjam on river left directly below the put in spot. This was the first kayaker fatality on the class V Little White Salmon River. Read more.

Wavehoppers and wildwater boats on Class V? Yep, it happens every year at the annual Upper Youghiogheny Race, whose Class IV and easy V whitewater lends itself to cumbersome craft that can flat-out move. This year, moving down the course the fastest was none other than speedster Geoff Calhoun… Read more.

Now here's someone who doesn't need a paddle sponsor, or even a paddle to kick ass. From stand-up paddling to big wave surfing, 32-year-old Aussie phenom Jamie Mitchell dominates, plain and simple. And he did so sans paddle this past weekend, July 26, winning the world championships of paddleboarding at the 13th annual Molokai to O’ahu paddleboard race. Read more.

Don’t think the paddlers on these teams are dorks. They can out paddle you, out handroll you and probably out party you. And they can definitely out score you on any kayak polo course on the planet. PL recaps a breathtaking world kayak polo championships, that saw the French win in overtime and the Great Britain gals dominate… Read more.

Those who know Slim Ray know that he’s one of the best river rescue pioneers on the planet. While a back injury suffered on Asheville, N.C.’s Green River in 1991 might have kept him from continuing to run the gnar, his poise and professionalism in river rescue is still second to none. All that is available to paddlers now with the release of the fourth edition of his uber-popular River Rescue, which is bigger and better than ever. PL checks in with the Grand Master of river rescue… Read more.

Flip-a-cup, dodgeball, special water releases, impromptu Town Hall meeetings and stomach-bloating vats of 3.2 beer sum up this year's Outdoor Retailer tradeshow in Salt Lake City. A PL report from the field... Read more.

Who says the canoe industry is down? Certainly not a group of paddlesports and outdoor industry veterans who recently purchased Lincoln Canoe & Kayak, breathing new life into a 50-year-old flagship paddling brand... Read more.

Miss an eddy in a rapid and you have to rely on the right strokes, and perhaps a bit of luck, to get through. The same could be said for missing a magazine issue in the publishing world. In a sign of the economic times plaguing the print and paddling industries, Paddler magazine, owned by the American Canoe Association and distributed as a benefit to its members, has hit a rapid it’s found too tough to negotiate and has suspended the print edition of its May/June 2009 issue… Read more.

It’s finally happened: kayak fishing has come to your TV screen. Officially letting you bubba from your bedroom, Heliconia Press recently announced that starting January 2010, The Kayak Fishing Show: with Jim Sammons will begin airing on the World Fishing Network (WFN). The 13-episode TV series will be broadcast throughout the year into 25 million North American homes in both standard and high definition. Read more.

Somewhere, Dr. Scholls is smiling. But while blisters were the name of the game at this year’s 2009 Yukon River Quest, the longest annual canoe and kayak race in the world where paddlers race non-stop over 460 miles to Dawson City, so was fun and festivities at one of the toughest adventure marathon events in the world. PL checks in... Read more.

At this weekend’s Slalom World Cup races in Augsburg, German, one Italian racer will truly be paddling for Survival. Not because the boating bombshell is out of her league, but because she’s supporting a charity for threatened tribal people... Read more.

Beginning and intermediate paddlers in the Rockies just got a bow rescue in the form of Paddling Colorado – A Beginner/Intermediate Guide to the Best Paddling Routes. Written by expedition kayaker and long-time instructor Dunbar Hardy, the guide features 120+ paddling routes from lakes to Class I-III+ whitewater for kayakers, rafters and canoeists. PL checks in with the author... Read more.

Forget the rodeo, slalom, boatercross or even Hooligan race. At this year’s 61st annual FIBArk Festival on Colorado’s Arkansas River, the kudos went to Andy Corra, owner of Durango’s 4 Corners Riversports, who at the ripe age of 48, won the 26-mile downriver race as well as the crown of Wildwater National Champion. Read more.

A new course record, dislocated shoulders and punctured boats, and a Kiwi sweep sum up this year's Bud Lite Lime Homestake Creek Race at the 8th annual Teva Mountain Games, with Nikki Kelly and Mike Dawson taking top honors. PL checks in from the field... Read more.

While they had all the best intentions of bettering their sixth-place showing from the last world championships two years ago, and 3rd-place overall finish from Ecuador in 2005, the US Men’s Rafting Team could only match their showing in South Korea by stroking to a sixth-place overall finish on the 31-km Class III-IV Vrbas River and Tara River at this year’s World Rafting Championships in Bosnia. Read more.

With high water coursing down the Rocky Mountains, freshly married Nick Troutman of Jackson Kayak and Australia’s Tanya Faux took home top overall honors at this year’s Paddling Life Pro Invitational on Monday, May 25, sponsored by Steamboat in the Summertime, NRS, Kokatat and Dagger Kayaks. Read more.

Northern California’s Ben Stookesberry is living the whitewater dream. He works construction jobs during the winter with the legendary Knight brothers to help finance global whitewater exploratory missions, produces films under the Clear H2O brand, was recognized by National Geographic Adventure... Read more.

Alexander Martin will soon be the first person to cross the entire contiguous United States by canoe and foot, all within a six month time span. Read more.

Most people know Mongo as that farting mongoloid on Mel Brooks’ Blazing Saddles. But as head raft guide for Vail, Colo.’s Timberline Tours, and captain of the U.S. Raft Team since 2001, Chris “Mongo” Reeder, 40, is better known for creating blazing paddles. He’s hoping his teams paddles will be blazin’ this week (May 17-23) as his team competes at the World Rafting Championships on the Vrbas River in Bosnia… Read more.

On Mother's Day, May 10th 2009, Team Dagger's Christie Glissmeyer set a new women’s world waterfall record by running 82-foot Metlako Falls on Eagle Creek in Oregon. This descent came less than a month after Tyler Bradt set the new men’s record at 186 feet, making this one of the most historic springs in the history of whitewater... Read more.

When will the kayak waterfall record chase end? Barely a month or two after Pedro Olivia broke the mark with a 127-foot plunge in Brazil, Tyler Bradt upped the ante even more with a whopping 186-foot drop off Washington’s Palouse Falls on April 22, 2009. Plus, comments from Tao on Tyler's huck... Read more.

Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the best kayaker of them all? The New England Whitewater Triple Crown Championships tried to find out, with separate wildwater, slalom and freestyle events and a winner-take-all format in the Tariffville Gorge of Connecticut's Farmington River... Read more.

Yo dirtbag boating artists…want a wave to win some coin, a kayak, accolades from your paddling peers, and a chance to immortalize your artwork forever? Here’s your chance: WaveSport just launched a kayak graphic contest, so get that mouse clicking and creative juices flowing... Read more.

Jack London can have his Call of the Wild. For us boaters, we’ll take the call of the river. That’s what former world champion Kent Ford is banking on with his new 93-minute documentary The Call of the River, offering the world’s first look at the history of whitewater. An update on the flick, and a special PL Q&A with the filmmaker... Read more.

It’s paramount to river paddlers everywhere. Your buddy’s getting ready to run a drop and you’re down below setting safety from shore. But how do you know if you’re doing it right? By reading this PL Exclusive from safety guru and Downstream Edge kayak School owner Nick Wigston. Read more.

The kayaking world lost one of its grandest legends March 13 when Durango, Colo.’s Lars Holbek lost his fight with cancer at age 51. A PL tribute to a true legend with more than 70 first descents worldwide, but more importantly, a spirit that has inspired paddlers for generations... Read more.

In an attempt to promote his eco-surfboard company, infamous paddler Corran Addison recently tried to freeze himself solid while paddling a standup paddleboard. Known for pulling controversial media stunts, Addison attempted to once again out-do himself. Read more.

It’s happened to the best of us. It’s the first boating day of the season and as you’re getting your gear on you hear a loud pop. Not from your elbow joint or shoulder, but your dry top. You find it on, but your gasket is sitting on your head. Looks like you’re out of a gasket, and relegated to a cold day kayaking. Read more.