Okay, all you free-loading dirtbags. No more free lunch. It's permit season. So get off your duff and send in your applications for your favorite river trip instead of waiting to get asked along. Plus, that way you can invite who you want (which hopefully will include us). Here's all the info you need... Read more.

It’s blog time here at PL, with who else chiming in but PL friend and mono-blader Benn Fraker, at sixth the highest-placing U.S. finisher at the Beijing Olympics who just took off to the land of Aus for a two-month training stint in preparation for the Games in London this summer. Tune in for his semi-monthly reports from the field. But first, this primer so you can get to know him... Read more.

Crossing Canada from the Pacific Ocean to the Hudson Bay under your own power would be a gruel no matter how you slice it, never mind trying it in a canoe. But that’s what Pete Marshall, Winchell Delano and Steve Keaveny are planning with their Trans-Territorial Canoe Expedition from May through to September 2012. PL checks in to see how their planning is going... Read more.

More paddlers will name be able to claim they’re Okies, if not from Muskogee, at least from Oklahoma City. USA Canoe/Kayak, the national governing body for sprint and slalom, just moved its headquarters from Charlotte, N.C., to Oklahoma City. PL reports on the move, with a special Q&A with CEO Joe Jacobi... Read more.

Finally, the Nantahala River has a sweet play wave. The Nantahala Gorge Organizing Committee (NGOC) will celebrate the grand opening of its new 2013 Wave on Friday, December 16 with a ceremony, reception and paddling exhibition starting at 12pm. Read more.

River guides rejoice: finally a book you can all relate to. Former river guide Tom Mahony’s Flooding Granite (Casperian Books) details the plight of river guide Zack Pruitt, a college drop-out who abandoned his girlfriend and young son when things got tough and headed back to the Sierra Nevada to guide. But he gets more than he bargained for. PL catches up with the author for a quick Q&A, and gives it a thumbs-up for those jonesing for whitewater action this winter... Read more.

After much time watching guests struggle during unexpected whitewater swims, Hamish McMaster, 20 year whitewater veteran and owner of the International Whitewater Company, Water By Nature developed the leg floaty. Read more.

The poach-fest continues. On Nov. 28, Southeast kayakers Pat Keller, Isaac Levinson and Chris Gragtmans dropped previously unrun 90-foot Noccalula Falls in Alabama's city-owned Noccalula Falls Park, causing park officials to scratch their heads and re-evaluate city ordinances. Bonus: Steve Fisher chimes in on a local news outlet's blog... Read more.

Finally, some accolades for all those walrus attacks, kayak-dragging, freezing temps and kidney failures. After completing the first successful circumnavigation of Ellesmere Island this summer, kayakers Jon Turk and Erik Boomer have been recognized as National Geographic Adventurers of the Year for 2012. And you, as paddlers, can vote to help them win the coveted People’s Choice award... Read more.

Proud of your summer paddling feat? That’s peanuts compared to Nepal's Sano Babu Sunuwar and Lakpa Tsheri Sherpa’s Ultimate Descent, going from the highest place on earth to the sea in one continuous non-motorized descent, with kayaks playing the final role... Read more.

In the latest merger news in paddlesports, Emotion Kayaks of Pennsylvania has been sold to Lifetime Products of Clearfield, Utah. PL checks in with Emotion founder Tom Strauss for the lowdown... Read more.

Worried about tipping over on your SUP in whitewater? Boardworks and partner company Badfish of Salida, Colo., recently unveiled a new inflatable paddleboard that will do wonders to keep you on the surface where you belong. Read more.

Holy tie-fest. Marking an event with the most ties in its 16-year history, this year’s 16th annual Green Race on North Carolina’s Green River was once again as carnage- and competition-filled as ever, with Isaac Levinson winning the crown and coveted “Glass” trophy for the first time ever. And for the women, Adriene Levknecht three-peats with a new women’s course record of 4:57... Read more.

The Cuban Team finished on top of the medals table with nine medals, including four Golds, while the Canadians grabbed seven medals at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico. Led by Carrie Johnson with two golds, Team USA claimed the third position on the medals table, earning two starting positions at the London 2012 Olympic Games... Read more.

Ann Raiho and Natalie Warren have some blisters and a place in the record books, just becoming the first all-female team to ever paddle from Minneapolis to Hudson Bay... Read more.

For the second year, the Save the Colorado River Campaign Fund has made donations to 15 environmental groups up and down the basin – from Denver to Las Vegas to San Diego – to help protect and restore the Colorado River. The river’s water supplies are being stretched thin, and the river itself has been stretched beyond the breaking point. This year the Colorado River’s 5 trillion gallons of water were once again drained completely out and never reached the Sea of Cortez in Mexico. Read more.

The U.S. might be slaying it in the stand-up surf scene with the likes of Slater Trout, but when it comes to surf kayaking, Basque Country and the UK are barreling to the top of the line-up -- and podium. That’s how things played out, at least, at this year’s World Surf kayaking Championships, which recently wrapped up at North Carolina’s Outer Banks.... Read more.

In a sign that the paddlesports retail world is, if not riding a wave at least creating ripples, on October 22 the Nantahala Outdoor Center opened the doors of its groundbreaking experiential retail and outdoor activity concept shop, NOC Asheville, inside Asheville, N.C.'s The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa.... Read more.

After nearly a century, Washington's White Salmon River in south central Washington is flowing freely again. Earlier today, a hole was blasted in the base of Condit Dam, and its reservoir - Northwestern Lake - began to pour through it. The reservoir is expected to be fully drained by sundown... Read more.

The International Whitewater Hall of Fame (IWHOF) moved to the banks of the South Fork American River Oct. 14-16 to honor members of the Class of 2011, including this year’s inductees: Explorer - Richard Bangs (USA); Champion - JP Burny (Belgium); and Advocate - Oliver Cock (UK)... Read more.

Who’s the paddler to beat in the extreme kayaking world? Twenty-three-year-old Sam Sutton from Rotorua, New Zealand, who once again demonstrated his dominance by winning the fifth annual adidas Sickline Extreme Kayak World Championship in Tirol, Italy, for the second year in a row (and getting to soak in a hot tub with Miss Tirol 2009)... Read more.

After three days of tight competition at the World Rafting Championships on Costa Rica’s Pacuare River, the Teva US men's and women's teams nab 7th, while Japan strokes to its first-ever world title. And PL was there for every dip of the blade... Read more.

On one of the toughest slalom, courses in recent memory, the Teva US women's team took 4th and the men 8th in the slalom event at the world rafting champs in Costa Rica, with the spoils going to the Czechs. PL reports from the field... Read more.

Don’t think rafting is international? Don’t tell that to the 48 men’s and women’s teams from 32 different countries gathered in Turrialba, Costa Rica, for the 2011 World Rafting Championships on the Pacuare River. PL reports direct from the scene... Read more.

If anyone's used to getting wet, it's Eric and Dane Jackson. So it's a natural that apparel-maker Kokatat has tapped them to team up for the 2013 kayak season to create a Jackson Signature Line of boating gear. Read more.

The fear of being trapped in a closed-hull boat with a spray skirt is a barrier for may entry-level whitewater paddlers. Fluid hopes to eliminate that fear with their new sit-on-top whitewater kayak. Designed with hull characteristics similar to their top end whitewater kayaks, while providing superb stability and confidence, this new boat may make the difference for whitewater enthusiasts interested in learning to kayak. Read more.

With a new conversational format designed to get more participants into more discussions, organizers heralded the 2012 Whitewater Symposium Oct. 12-14 in Jackson Kayaks' back yard of Rock Island, Tenn., as a resounding success... Read more.

The Black Canyon of the Gunnison has long been a badge of multi-day courage for top-level Class V kayakers. For good reason...the 12-mile, Class V-VI stretch within the national monument drops up to 230 feet per mile beginning just three miles in at The Narrows, includes one mile-long portage and countless others, and has taken the lives of such world-class boaters as Chuck Kern. A few kayakers, however, are slowly chipping away at its puzzle by running rapids never run before. PL checks in Tom Janney for the Black Canyon lowdown... Read more.

The removal of two dams on the Elwha River in Washington State began September 17th and will restore roughly 70 miles of pristine wild rivers. The project is held as the largest dam removal project in the region, and the nation and is expected to benefit the Native Elwha Klallam Tribe as well as paddlers and fishermen as well as the natural environment. Read more.

What kind of schwag do you bring on a 60-mile canoe trip in the Canyonlands? Whatever is up to the task. PL (in company of 12 kids and eight “grown-ups," if you can call us that) whiled away the dog days of August canoeing Canyonlands National Park. And while we tested out a slew of canoes and paddles, we also put an array of accessories to the task, from newschool firestarters and firepans to SUPs and sleeping bags. Here’s the rundown... Read more.

After setting a record by sea kayaking around Australia in 332 days, Herr Hofffmeister (Germany’s Freya Hoffmeister) is at it again, this time taking off Aug. 30 from Buenos Aires to be the first person to paddle all the way around South America. In all, the glutton for paddling punishment is planning to do the trip in three stages of 4,800 miles each over the next 3 years)... Read more.

Who’s the world’s best kayaker? At the moment, in timed whitewater slalom at least, it’s Peter Kauzer of Slovenia. While that's great for Kauzer, the U.S. is psyched to have used the event to secure one Olympic spot in men's and women's kayak for next summer in London.... Read more.

Wind might have delayed the World Slalom Championships in Bratislava, Slovakia, but it's done nothing to ruffle the marriage of Dana Benusova (SVK) and Scott Mann (USA), about to celebrate their one-year anniversary of slaloming down the aisle... Read more.

Boaters heading to the Gauley this season have reason to celebrate: for the first time in recent memory, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently announced that 2011’s release schedule will feature 29 days instead of the normal 22, with most of the later release days pumping out 3,200 cfs vs. versus the normal 2,800... Read more.

Hurricane Irene rocked the Deerfield river valley largetime with historic, 100,000 cfs flooding when it passed over the Northeast at tropical storm force. Local businesses are continuing to recover from the damage as boaters size up new challenges on and off the river. Read more.

Paddling into Grise Bay on Aug. 19, once-strangers Erik Boomer and Jon Turk managed to travel 1,485 miles in 104 days, skiing on ice, jumping from flow to flow on moving pack ice and finally paddling through ice-choked water to complete the first-ever circumnavigation of Ellesmere Island. PL checks in with the ragged, haggard tandem... Read more.

One of whitewater's leading pioneers, John Berry, passed away Aug. 11 at age 86, but not before helping change the sport as we know it today. A tribute by Charlie Walbridge... Read more.

With the 2012 Olympic Games drawing near athletes battle for the podium in Slovakia. As a qualifier for the Games many competitors are hoping to make their move. Read more.

Idaho’s notorious Class IV-V North Fork of the Payette struck again this summer, this time on Aug. 14 when Fidelity Investments executive and Liquidlogic lead investor Boyce Greer, 55, died while kayaking Jacob’s Ladder. The death, which happened just after the rock drop on Jacob’s, occurred just a month and a half after the drown ing death of 19-year-old pro paddler Stephen Forster of Connecticut, marking the North Fork’s second fatality in two months... Read more.

Icing on the cake for an already stellar Colorado whitewater season, more than 200 people showed up to paddle and party at the 2nd Annual Bailey Fest in Bailey, Colorado, August 13-14, with PL on scene to revel in the river running mayhem... Read more.

Nil, nunca, nada. That’s how many sprint paddling spots the U.S. team has earned for the 2012 London Olympics after the recent ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Szeged, Hungary, where perennial powerhouses Germany and Russia took home 11 medals each. But there’s still one more chance to secure a berth. PL checks in with U.S. Sprint National Senior Team Coach Guy Wilding for the state of sprint in the states... Read more.

Don't be surprised if your local eddy starts to get a little more crowded. Okay, not really. But the Paddle Council, a volunteer advisory group providing input to the Outdoor Industry Association to help grow the industry and expand participation, recently received a $30,000 grant from Nielsen Expositions to help grow participation in water sports. That's a lot of enchilada plates... Read more.

Where do New England paddlers go to get down in the heat of summer? They descend on the Zoar Outdoor Center's Deerfield River Festival, now in its 17th year following the 1994 signing of a precedent-setting re-licensing agreement between American Whitewater, the New England Power Company, anglers, conservationists, and government agencies that addressed the management of the Deerfield River... Read more.

Place your bets on who’s going to win this one. On Aug. 8, First Descents Inc., a Colorado-based young adult cancer nonprofit founded by kayak star Brad Ludden, commenced trademark infringement litigation in the U.S. District Court against Eddie Bauer Licensing Services LLC and Eddie Bauer LLC to protect its trademark rights, reputation and goodwill. Our hunch: Ludden will navigate these waters as deftly as he does a river... Read more.

Paddlers like to get wet. No where was this more evident than day one of the Outdoor Retailer tradeshow in Salt Lake City, where paddlesports took center stage in the outdoor industry at the Open Air Demo at Jordanelle State Park in Park City. Bonus: a record number of people on SUPzilla... Read more.

Sometimes even the best-laid paddling plans can fall prey to Mother nature. Such is the case with the recently planned Shetland Bus expedition. During World War II, Norwegian fishermen traversed the North Sea between the Shetland Islands and Norway's west coast carrying agents, saboteurs and weapons in daring operations known as the “Shetland Bus.” On July 16, three kayakers tried to attempt the same stretch, only to be forced back by weather and abort the mission... Read more.

Once a year, industry bigwigs gather in Salt Lake City for the annual Outdoor Retailer tradeshow, where those lucky enough to attend can ooh and ahh over paddlesport manufacturers' new designs for the upcoming year. For those smart enough to stay on the water instead, here's a quick PL sneak peak of what the tradeshow cronies will see... Read more.

They call it “The Floateo,” where anything that floats goes. And pretty much anything goes anyway at the Black River Festival in Watertown, New York, one of the whackier, more festive river festivals in the country, kicking off the Whitewater King of New York race series... Read more.

Funds are being raised to present the students at Carnegie Mullen University with the challenge of addressing the physiological differences between men and women in designing kayaks. Read more.

The paddling world lost one of its up and coming stars in late June when Connecticut’s Stephen Forster, 19, died while paddling Idaho’s North Fork of the Payette River. Read more.

Boardworks Surf has a new fish in its SUP and surfboard school...a bad fish. The company recently announced that it will start making Badfish river boards, owned by Zack Hughes and Mike Harvey of Salida, Colo., taking the manufacturer from garage-maker to gargantuan. PL catches up with founder Hughes for his take on all things river Sup... Read more.

Wondering where to canoe in Canada? Here are the 50 best canoe routes of Ontario as chosen by one of Canada's most famous paddlers. Bring your hockey stick and Kokanee... Read more.

At 73, the czech-accented and bushy eye-browed Stan Chadlek will still crush you. As we speak, he’s heading back to Alaska’s Aleutian Islands for the fifth time, this time to paddle 250 miles around tidal-colliding Unalaska Island with fellow adventurers Rob Avery and Ron Monkman. Throughout the 24-day expedition, filled with treacherous crossings, he also plans to placate his thirst for finding ancient mummies. “It could be my last big trip,” says Chladek, whose book on exploring Central American caves will be released this June. “I think the French have done it in doubles, but no one has ever done it in singles...” PL caught up with him to get his take on all things Aleutian... Read more.

Forget about the Jackson Five...call them the Jackson Three. The Jacksons -- dad EJ, son Dane and daughter, Emily -- won the overall title in five of six categories as the country’s best freestylers converged on the country’s newest whitewater park in Cascade, Idaho, for the USA Freestyle Kayaking Association’s National Point Series Championships July 8-9, 2011. Read more.

Despite high water giving organizers conniptions about holding a point series event for the National Freestyle Point Series circuit, the Montana Whitewater Championships went off with flying colors and freestylers to kick off July. PL checks in with organizer Kevin Brown on the success of the event and Brennan’s Wave, as the point series now heads to Cascade, Idaho, for the season finale... Read more.

When Great Britain’s James Bebbington won the gold at the World Freestyle Kayak Championships in Plattling, Germany, it marked the first time the title has migrated off North American soil. Inside: a special PL Q&A with the new champ, plus his account from Palm on what it took to bring the crown to the UK (Bonus Video: Bebbington's winning ride)... Read more.

He’s nearly twice as old as the race is long, but that didn’t stop Durango's Andy Corra, 50, from paddling to his seventh title in the 26-mile FIBArk downriver kayak race on June 19, setting a record for number of wins in the 62-year-old race. Read more.

“See ya, pops, that’s for all the pointers.” That could well sum up a new Jackson dynasty as Dane Jackson, 17, son of four-time world freestyle champion Eric Jackson, dominated the International Canoe Federation Freestyle Kayak World Championships in Platling, Germany, taking home three Golds and a Bronze. Meanwhile, Brits Claire O’Hara and James “Pringle” Bebbington took the top crowns for the women’s and men’s division... Read more.

Holy upset, Batman. In an uncharacteristic early bow-out, four-time world champion Eric "EJ" Jackson was ousted in the quarterfinals of the Freestyle Kayak World Championships in Plattling, Germany, five points behind Germany's hometown hero Martin Koll, who earned the last semifinal berth... Read more.