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LATEST NEWS
Geilo Norway, 27-11-07
Back down to earth: I am broken again L
I was on a high coming back from Spain: news papers, interviews... Norwegians love summer-surfing stories, especially at this time of the year when it gets dark and cold outside J But doctors made me realize that my body wasn’t that great and needed some fixing... I am getting old.
Well I came back from Spain with an ear infection. Again. No surprise. And eventually learned that ear membrane braking is ‘normal’ under a big infection. I should have known better; instead, I had a solid moment of panic. The same week, I went to see a surgeon for my knee; 3 operations to fix everything. I got the first one last Friday and have been ‘living high’ ever since J I am SO useless at the moment...
The village is now covered with snow. Flat water season has started, but I am actually more looking forward to the kiting-skiing season now. I should be on my feet again in 2-3 weeks and I can’t wait...
Bakio-Mundaka, Spain 29 oct
World Championship in Surf Kayaking: what was I doing there? Don’t ask! From the freestyle Worlds in Canada, there had been some talks about putting together a Canadian team for this event. That process took a while and just like in everything, everyone is interested, yet no one actually makes the first move. Thanks to Ed at Murky Waters for baby sitting us and making this happen...
My contribution was a last minute decision, which involved a new boat and figuring out a new game. Now picture this: I showed up on the beach with a brand new boat, no fitting installed yet, asking people the most stupid questions (do I really need fins? How do you put them on? Is there really a pattern to those waves?), etc. I have been paddling and competing for more than 10 years, yet I knew only 3 paddlers of the many hundreds who showed up! I was real joke for them and in a way, that suited me well. For once, I had no pressure and no one expected anything from me. I could party every night, as hard as I wanted; it wouldn’t make a difference I thought!
Surf Kayaking comp is about getting out there in a heat of 4, for 20 min, where you get judged on your 3 best rides. As paddlers in my heat would try to be strategic, I was the Duracell bunny taking every single wave I could, just because I didn’t know better!!! Surprisingly, every day I kept on advancing to the next round. 8 days in a row! Up to finals! HOLLY SHIT I’M ON THE PODIUM! Gold! Second time this year!
But I couldn’t scream it: I was a newbee with still lots to learn. Next Worlds are in 2009 in Portugal; I’ll make sure I show up prepared next time J What an adventure!
Ötztal Austria 07-10-07
World Championship in creeking, or Adidas Sick Line Challenge, which ever you prefer. I actually heard about the event 3 weeks ago. Fair enough; creeking has never had a World Championship before but hey, why not?
Creeking and freestyle are certainly two different worlds; but everyone will agree that there is absolutely nothing that beets creeking when it comes to the rush it gives you when you go down class 5 as fast as you can, trying to stay focused as you know very well a small mistake WILL hurt. Freestyle is subjective; you look good or you don’t. Creeking has to do with time and when it comes to results, there are no one else to blame then yourself. That’s the kind of challenge I like.
Eirik and I drove down, thinking about saving money (not a good idea at the end: it was bloody expensive in fact!). 3 days down it took us with some random camping spots on the side of highways or on cow fields; not exactly the most romantic spots! The event was held on the Ötz, in a charming little village near Innsbruk. The event was extremely well prepared; athlete reunion place, physiotherapy and massage every day, insane camera set-up on the river (...) Over 40 countries (but 15 women only) coming from around the planet, beautiful sunshine... and there it was. The river is glacier fed. At 20+ degrees, the snow melts and the river levels climb. We paddled the qualifying stretch, but that’s all we are allowed. When the Day came, the organisers did not have the permission to run the competition at a so high water level and to top it up, a good friend and paddler died in a section above exactly one day before the event... The moral of the troupes was down. We woke up everyday at 6am (I had bid no1!!), watching the water levels going up, staying around all day for further news. The news never got better. This Saturday, we learned that the chances that the competition would run were very little. We turned back, said hi to everyone, and headed back up north. At last, a good stop at the wave in Plattling-Germany will make the trip a little more enjoyable. I was very disappointed of course. I was well motivated to do well at that one. But hey, it’s part of the sport and I just have to accept it... Heading north...
Voss Norway 22-09-07
Got to appreciate the time we’ve got...
After taking the job as a teacher, the weekends have been that time. Better use it well... The school has been treating me well though, I can’t complain; the kids have been fantastic and I have always loved to teach people in general; it makes sense. But I never realized the amount of work before this day. I teach in 5 different subjects, 3 different languages and 3 different grades, in a complete different school system than the one I am used to... Do I really need to say more? Off to Voss for the weekend...
A good friend Benjamin took me down the local runs yesterday. Benji knows everything about the rivers in Voss and has run all of them, probably more than anyone ever has. That morning, he came out with the best comment ever, looking down from a bridge on the Brandset river; a tight class 4-5 run non-stop crazy slides and drops (at the top of the section we ran in the Voss Extreme race this spring): “hum, I haven’t seen it that high yet”. Hum let me think... the guy has been running this section over 30 times this season only, it’s late September in Norway (shit cold that is), there are only 2 of us at the put-in, the river is one tight non-stop canyon... is that smart? “ya ya, it will be an exciting trip” he said. As soon as we put-in, it already felt like someone was flushing us down a toilet bowl J But he was right in fact; what an awesome trip! Came out completely drained!
That night, we went out again on the normal run of the Strandelve. The river was off course high there as well, yet big open water instead. At the end of the stretch, Benji was going to show me a new line; “follow me” he said. Sliding sideways in a siv, landing upside down, as I am coming right behind him, sliding the siv straight into an undercut to avoid him, getting stocked as well and upside down... swam out as my paddle is stucked between rocks, find out that I am in a little cave, GET ME OUT! A patch of light told me where the exit was... but what light anyways? It’s 8pm and the sun in already going down. Time to go home...
Geilo Norway, 27-08-07
« What? A real job? No way! » Don’t think anyone who knows me would ever believe that. Not that I’m a lazy bum, but a bum, ya I’ll take it!
The High school in Geilo was in need of teachers. I got to know one day before school starts; and had only two hours to decide :-/ But how could I refuse? Living on the road has never made me rich and God dam, I’m getting close to 30 now!!! Since I had already a couple things lined up as to my paddling season, I had to let them know about the two World Championships to come... it got accepted J
Geilo Norway, 12-08-07
Well well… what more typical than an ear infection. Good old memories from last season remind me that this might take a while; better take it easy. Back to Geilo, biking and running, as long as the head stays dry, I should be more or less fine. And when I bust in despair, there will always be the occasional rafting trip in Dagali and Voss. After all, can’t run away from the roots!
Sjoa Norway, 17-07-07
Voss Voss Voss... good times and way too little sleep :-/ Off to Sweden for Eurocup. Driving north... as north as it gets really. More than 20 hours straight up. Suddently, in the middle of raindeers and moscitos land floats a wide river with both a creeking section and a good fast wave. I am usually not the best racer in a boater cross, but racing with the guys last time brought out a nasty side of me and paid off (2nd). Team race was next down the creek section. I teamed up with 2 other Finish guys: cool gig to blast down steep rapids and slides with 2 others :-) At last was the freestyle in which I must say, was a complete blast. Despite of a 5th finish, I threw in finals one of the most gutsy rides: Flash back -not on the europeen list :-( - and Helix -missing just a wee bit of angel to count-, but still!!! Maybe I played the game wrong and should have done more roundhouses (...), but the day that I will nail those moves proper, I will certainly gain respect from the boys :-) Overall, I took 1st in the womens ranking: nothing to complain about!!!
And when we found out that Sjoa area was in fload and that all competitions had been cancelled, we decided not too rush to get there and enjoy som awsome paddling along the way. The Gausta River at the border of Norway and Sweden, with its powerfull water, steep rapids, numerous slides and drops is now on the top 3!!!
Sjoa... in fload, yet lots to paddle around. The 'normal run' on the Sjoa River had giant Zambizi size waves, most of them that can be surfed!!! In beetween, creeking the Ula and long boarding at the camp ground, well, a blast again!!! Officially, I need home for a rest!!!
Voss Norway, 03-07-07
Well I flew to Norway still shaken and well aware that I needed a rest, again, and let the body heal. When I got to Geilo, the tourist season had not started yet, which in combination with the needed rest, made the perfect excuse to take a week off on a Greek Island to simply chill out... God it was warm but oh so great... I got back on my feet really quick again and a week of lying on the beach made me completely anxious to hit the water again. Voss was next...
Well not quite yet... A friend of mine was organising a 24h mtn bike race in Geilo 3 days before Voss and mysteriously my name appeared on the start list. Our team got 2nd and luckily this time, there were no injury involved :-)
Voss Extreme Veko has become a tradition in town, regrouping athletes from many disciplines; mainly related to whitewater and sky diving. Each night in the main tent, a video of the day show cased the various events going on during the day; loads of crazy action happened that week for sure. Team race was first. Unfortunatly, not too many women registered, but after a desperate search for partners, I managed to put together a last minute team... and not finish last :-) The creek race was held on the Brandseth River (on my top 5 now officially): gorgeous gorge with slides and drops back to back. I took 2nd place after Mariann and would have come quite far up the list with the men too!!! Rafting was next: got to compete with 5 other guys, all at least double my size, and took a 2nd place there as well :-) At last was the boater cross, again no other women, so there I was on the start line with guys like Steve Fisher :-/ almost made it to the next round, but not quite...
Colorado USA 04-06-07
The last days before I left to Colorado were completely hectic. With up to 60 pages to write to finish an internet class in International Environment, over 20 boxes from my dad’s basement to sort out and a tone more logistic stuff to complete, taking the flight to USA was my final release. A fellow teammate came to pick me up in Denver as I was finally breathing again; sitting back and enjoying the ride...
Colorado was a comp mission, starting off at a Pro-Invitational in Steamboat that included both creeking and freestyle disciplines. I played the game a little different at the creek race; paddling my ass off to the finish line, forgetting on the way to look up for faster lines, stupid me; the half-seconds I accumulated hitting rocks on the way bumped me into 5th place; I was officially pissed. Won’t happen again I promise myself. But on another end, the freestyle I did in the last month paid off on the wave: after throwing the biggest air in the women category, I took 4th place in front of many well known top paddlers. It made me smile again. I took 4th place overall. Next year’s podium at the Invitational is within reach.
The second mission was the Teva Mountain Games in Vail. Well... in the first boatercross I was far down the list (10th), not quite understanding why, until I took a chat with the organisers that came to the conclusion that mistakes had happened. It is not my style to complain; a good chat I hope will help to reduce mistakes in the future. Those guys are doing an incredible job that I don’t want to question... Shit happens, that’s all.
The steep creek race was the one I wanted to win, really bad. After the first round, I took the 4th place, with just a couple of seconds to catch up to make the podium. In the finals, I started the run as good as it can be, flying down the course and hitting my lines. Then things flip, suddenly. My bow barely hit a rock that made me spin and flip, loose my paddle, hit an insane amount of rocks, run a drop up-side down, hitting my head really bad on the lip, until I finally swam out. I reached shore knowing I had hurt my head, again, but I suppose adrenalin made me look better than I was. 2 minutes after I started to feel sick and my face got numb. That did it; rescue mission to float me across and into the ambulance. Why do I attract hospital so badly...
The scan was clean, but the brain is shaken and the neck is overly stiff. I am stuck with a neck collar for a couple of days but should be able to start on flat water again next week. I spent the last days of the event helping out with judging and timing the freestyle and the last boatercross; I figured it was much better than lying alone at the hotel. Being out there for my fellow teammates made me feel better; I could send them my leftover energy I had; my mental strength in competition has definitely improved since last summer.
A few days to recover are now needed, but I am not giving up competing. The season has just started, really well to. For once I believe that injuries are making me stronger. Or is it the pain killers I’m taking J ?? Norway is next...
Quebec Canada, 22-05-07
Wow, what a month... The play spots in Quebec were definitely at their best and our timing couldn’t have been better. After the slalom race in Quebec city and the clinics at dealers, Eirik and I took the road again to hit what I like to call quality boating spots: fresh big waves and sweet holes: everything I needed to quick off the freestyle season and rise my skill level. Dam, didn’t thought I would make it to Colorado this year for various reasons, but now that the body has recovered fully after the ski accident, I am on fire to kick ass again J !!! Colorado here I come again...
Quebec Canada, 07-05-07
This past week-end, I drove to Quebec city (East coast) for the St-Charles River Festival and 'Quebec Cup' and competed in slalom... and won the bronze :-) !!!! I'm on fire :-) !!!!! A couple of visits to Pyranha/Sweet dealers today, then heading to the waves in Trois-Rivieres to train all week... away from the croud this time...
Ottawa Canada, 01-05-07
I left Norway a week and a half ago, leaving the little town of Geilo in still 10 below and a good meter of snow on the ground. The week before leaving, I broke personnal reccords of heights and start doing tricks in snowkiting, and lifting my heaviest in the gym: absolutly nothing could stop me!!! actually not quite I found out...
...Geilo Open is a alpine skiing race well known in town. The concept was awsome: beer on the way up, getting towed by the grooming machine to the very top of the mountain to end up in a mass start of about 80 guys and only 2 girls, racing in pure downhill style (and its good old fashion skis and outfits; my skis were 2m long in flashy yellow/green and I was dressed in purple !!!) to the very bottom again!!!! Well I saw the start and was pretty much told the rest... a guy behind me steped on my skis and draged one out, making me fall chest and head first at a spead of a good 70km/h to straight 0, on ice, 2 other guys on top of me... ambulance to local hospital: concussion and broken sternum was diagnosed on the moment, 2 or 3 extra broken vertebres was found a week ago in a follow-up check on my arrival in Canada... Couldn't be more typical of me I'm affraid. Not once have I been to a World Championship and not been breaking something major a couple days before the event. Predictable.
Doctor said everything was in place, 'only the pain could stop me'. Well I also found out that all the goodies prescribed by doctors were actually not aloud at a Freestyle World Championships to-become-Olympic-discipline. I had no choice but using beer to ease the pain; oh unfortunate!!!! I got in my squirt boat 4 days before competing (less than 2 weeks after the enjury), trying to train serious and make up for the time I had lost doing stupid things before leaving. Well it paid off. I competed on Monday; big croud, good music, wicked and like never seen level of competitors. I made it to finals more or less satisfied; I had to step it up to make it happend. The last knock off was crual: waiting on results each time, sitting in a one-of-the-most unconfortable boat there is, waiting for my judgement... and I made it to the top :-) !!!!!! First Gold Medal for Canada!!! A gratifying run through Phil's hole in the cheers of the croud and a solid rounds of liquid on the return made my day. Monday was a great day... all week will be a great... and let the season begin :-) !!!!
Geilo Norway, 06-04-07
HALLO!!! Am I dead?? Do I look dead?? Certainly not!!! Just been hiding in the North Pole (Norway that is)... Winter has been absolutly fantastic! Great mixture of work, kiting-skiing-training, good friends and parties, good health, what else could I ask for? Nothing to complain. The snow pack has been considerably thick all winter and much much more than the rest of Europe. Work has kept me really busy and outside a lot: snowkiting and skiing instructor, guided tour with tourists and fitness trainer at the local gym; I managed to keep myself quite fit and dam happy :-) !!! Paddling, well... I took a trip to Lyon France this winter, but the wave was unfortunatly not running to the best level then. More localy, I have found some flat water with a small stream coming out of a cave and was able to do intervals and long distance training at least once a week. But flat water does not satisfy me, and I am now officially burning for some real action :-) !!! And I really mean it!!! I've started to look at the schedule for summer 2007. The main goal this time is to stay a little longer in each area and compete in a fewer events; the most important ones of course, but also a few low stress and fun ones. The summer will include a lot of boating time and hopefully a lot of footage and picture taking. The tour will start in Canada... dam, only 10 days to go :-) !!!!!
Geilo Norway, 19-11-06
Ya well, the snow has been covering most of Norway for at least a month, but that was no surprise. Yet I found a stretch of warm water on the fjord near Geilo coming from a factory upstream. Sweet!! I don't want to know what's in that water: I am just more than happy to have found a cute winter spot! The water is shot out of a cave and into a tight little channel with walls high enough to put gates easely. A bit of dealing with the owner of that factory and I could have my own slalom course put up in no time :-) !!!
Even better, I was out this past Saturday on the lake in Geilo: the sun had been warming up enough that I could break off the ice with my kayak and create a 500m long channel to paddle on. On one side, a fan club of cross country skiers probably wondering what the hell and on the other side, an slalom (alpine skiing) competition happening; load music comming from the speakers; lovely scene to watch from the water!!!
Suggestions for a warmer paddling destination this winter?? Hit me with it...
Geilo Norway, 27-10-06
After a full on paddling summer in Canada and States, Eirik and I are back to the North Pole (Norway that is) to enrich our bank account again before the next season. As my health slowly came back, we took advantage of the last warm week-end to paddle on the Dagali river: a beautifull stretch of norwegian style ‘big water’-steep rapids river…
…2 days after, the snow started to fall and left a good 15cm on the ground, probably here to stay…
Geilo Norway, 09-10-06
'Gee... where have you been??' SICK :-( !!! After the World Cup 2, I came back home in desperate need of a rest. The solid ear infection and the fever took many weeks to finally disapear and I am slowly coming up again. 2 months, 2 long months... The doctors never found more than 'big infection in and around the 2 ears'; a syndrom of some sort: never was able to read to final diagnosis!! But I am better, much better now... But so hard it is to keep a child seeted, so hard it was for me not to do much at all and let the body heal itself. Can't stand it. So how did I keep off the water?? I did not; I just avoided the water from getting in and made sure the heart rate wouldn't go up more than 100!!! ...so Eirik and I took off to the cost and went see kayaking (with our Burns that is). Went paddling with the seals and the lovely scenery. What!! Paddling isn't always about getting trashed all the time ;-) ... ya, maybe another week before next time!!!! See you back on real water soon!!
Ottawa Ontario, 11-09-06
WORLD CUPS
In hospital… 3rd time in 3 weeks… ear infection, on/off fever, completely exhausted (…) Took 2 doses of antibiotics with no results and tried to hide the pain, but it eventually cached up to me. I had to sit and watch the second World Cup from shore L; huge disappointment. I drove back to Canada today to get fixed again... A hard decision to cut the tour 2 weeks sooner, but I've had a wonderful season so far and I didn't want to end it on a sad note. Already at Team Trials and first World Cup, my results were showing that something was stopping me from being at the top. I now hope the doctors will find the source of the problem; got a head scan this Thursday…
In the next couple of days, I need some days off the water to recover and hopefully recover for good this time. That extra time will also allow me to catch up with dealers and finish bookings in preparation for the next season…
Ottawa Ontario, 30-08-06
CANADIAN TEAM TRIALS
I just faced a wall. I had never missed my chance in K-1, never in 7 years. I flushed off the wave 3 times in a row, a perfect score. It happened so fast. I stayed in the eddy below for a moment, right after my turn, to try to understand what had just happened... After all the work I had putting into this; I just did not understand...
But apparently I had built up my own viscious circle somehow along the way and now I had it coming straight back at me. The pressure that I had put upon myself was enormous and I just wasn't allowed to fail. I even put aside the ear infection and fever that had started 3 weeks ago and was causing me quite the pain. And when the mic turned on that day, with friends cheering my name, ‘female paddler extraordinaire’, I paddled up the eddy with intense dedication, focused on not to fail… and managed to screw up.
But when you focus on the wrong things, the negative takes over the positive and somewhat screws up your mind ...and your results. I am learning this now, but a little too late. I'll be back next year and never will let this happend again...
One good news though... 1st in Squirt. Yeh!!!! I knew I could make it again in squirting, but was even glader to see that I would have made the men's team as well!!!
Ottawa Ontario, 28-08-06
After being at the Gatineau River Fest this past week-end here in Québec, for a cosy time on the water demoing boats and gear, we are now headed back to the Ottawa for the last sprint of the summer. The month of August has been spent on the Ottawa training hard for the up-coming events, and hopefully will pay off. The pressure is high, but so are my chances to perform good as well. Wish me luck at Team Trials and World Cups! I will keep you freshly up-dated.
Ottawa Ontario, 17-08-06
I missed OR, but on purpose this time. After reflections and discussions with sponsors, I was better off staying on the water then drinking beer and talking all day!!! I had a thought for all of you who were there; I missed not being there myself, especially for not being able to see the people you only see a few times a year. But at the same time, I racked up a serious amount of freestyle training time. I have been out on the water twice a day ever since we got here, run 3-4 times/week on top, got some help from friends and even got myself a personal coach (Brendan Mark)!!! The Ottawa river is now officially a zoo, with very many international paddlers coming from all over, so I got to get up 5.30 each morning L My progress is remarquable though and I really hope I can keep it up to Team Trials and World Cups…
Ottawa Ontario, 02-08-06
Hum, got to love the big waves... We've been spending the last 2 weeks on Lachine and Ottawa river. Nothing more complicated than surfing twice a day, not too much driving in beetween: enjoying the simple format. Lachine rodeo got announced for the 29th, lost of fun and many international paddlers. Unfortunatly, since the competition is video-judged and they couldn't make it happend on the spot, we are still waiting on results... bummer. The next day, Jimi Cup was on: now being the only squirt boating festival in North America: well I just had to be there! The squirt boating scene is one of a kind: a few youngsters, but mainely older crowd, discreet on the water, but friendly as it they can be, and most of all, all weird in their own way! It feels good sometimes to get out of the main scene and meet with different people. It opens up the mind and make you breath fresh air. The Ottawa river, probably one of the best playground ever, is getting slowly packed with paddlers from all over, in preparation for Team Trials and World Cups late August. The zoo is on, so better appreciate the moment now!!!
Ottawa Ontario, 16-07-06
'Let it rain'... Last winter had droped a heavy snowpack on Western Canada that changed to heavy rain in the Spring. The whole land was covered of rivers out of their beds, water flowing in a thick grey colour, more logs getting jam on the way, river trails inaccessibles, river festivals getting cancelled one by one... all and all less attractive for us to stay around. Despite the fact that BC-Alberta is a giant land of decent creek runs in a normal season, seams like the luck was not on our side when we droped in. We did run great creeks every day, some of which the locals hadn't seen in a while, but we would quickly have to move to a next destination before the rain poured again on us and the long road cought up to us as we got more and more tired and sore.
It made it after a certain day... After the Grizzly creek mission and a couple more gnarly creeks, all of which were hard on equipment and high impact for the body, we drove north-west to the Clearwater area for some more friendly paddling before driving east again to Jasper. We ran the Upper-Lower Estoria creek on the Saturday and the trip became a servival mission for me. First the solid hour walk in grizzly bears land with all gear, down a very steep bony creek and thick bush to put-in, to finally get there and realize that I had a cracked blade on one side. Then took the -what I thought was the smartest- decision to portage when came the hardest part of the run: a 7-800m long continuous class 5 canyon. The walk was straight up the mountain for many hundreds of meters, crazy steep and squetchy ground. I was crossing a gowly near the top, with heavy creek boat on my back when the entire ground underneath me broke and started to slide down. I had to let go of the heaviest: the boat that was. A few seconds after I came to a stop thanks to my digging feet: my heart pounding at 200bpm, thinking my time had come. But I stood up and kept going, empty for gear. Then when I looked back down again, I saw the boat had made it down into a very small eddy far below. I made it down the gowly, slowly and carefully this time, to discover that my boat had nothing but 2 scratches in the front. Lucky, shit lucky... Finally the portage had done nothing but moving me up and down: on the river I was no more than 100m through the canyon. I decided that whatever was left of it was still safer than taking the way up again. And it went in fact good.
Further down the run, as if it was not enough, my buddy got pined on a small feature. When I came from behind to grab and free his boat, I then got fliped, half paddle didn't survive through the rock garden below and after a couple of attempts to hand role, the rocks started to hit harder and harder on my head: I had to pull the plug... The run ended up soon after that episode: I was bashed, completely demolished and promised myself that I disurved a day of rest...
Too bad for Whisler Creek Cup, it would have been the climax of the BC tour, but all and all our luck was not at the best. The friendly eastern is calling us: time to drive home...
Clearwater BC, 07-07-06
After the lllooonnnggg drive North, we were quite excited to hit the water again. At the time we arrived, Calgary area was running big, so we made sure to hit some good runs before the water droped again: Sheep and Elbow creeks, Kananaskis for some freestyle amongst a few. And of course we had to include some tourist stuff in Banf and Lake Louise :-). As if it was not enough, we felt for driving again, especially after hearing that Shookumchuck wave was running XL all week... but the long drive, ferry, drive again, 1h paddle to the wave (...) got all worth it when we saw the monster. No question why it is so well known...
Then down to the hippy-green town of Nelson for a very local but friendly river festival on the Slocan. But nice-and-easy riding is only good for an afternoon! That night, I had to take a couple of rides on the Brillant Dam wave, running way too big :-). Amazing how small your brain gets when there is a camera on shore! The next day, we hooked up with some solid boaters to try a re-run of the Grizzly creek which hadn't been run for 6 years... for a reason: 2 out of the 3 drops were runable. The rest was either a rocky chaos or lovely log jams... feeding into the Koch creek: thank God for the extra water!! ...we've seen easier days...
There was one night camping out in a nowhere place that we got a little surprise... In the middle of the night we heard some noises: something started to push our kayak stack to the ground and bounce around our paddling bins. BEAR!!! Allarm sign flashed in my head, but instead of freaking out, I simply opened the door to the van, then turned around to Eirik and said: 'We've got visit'. Poor guy, 4am, thought I'm gone blind. We both fell asleep again: the creature ran away... 6am, our little friend was back, 2 paws on the van checking inside. Eirik wakes up first this time, little knock on the window to 'scare the bear'. Oops, the big black male comes to a close-up on the window... Get the horn!!! Well, that bear was used to horns and noises and people talking, obviously. It took a good 15 min before we felt alright with the idea of steping outside again. Final result? Good pictures of muddy bear paws everywhere on the white van... and the paddling gear!!!
On the Clearwater surfing...
Canmore Alberta, 22-06-06
Back to the land of mosquitos!!! It took litterally 2 seconds before we started to jump around trying to avoid the little creatures from eating us alive! 'Welcome home' they shouted!
Fibark Festival in Colorado was a great one. I had never seen a town so involved in a whitewater event: concerts, kids' fair, food court and lots of happy paddlers around. The first event was a Boater Cross on Pine creek: mainly a 1km stretch of fast current and big waves into a narrow and steep channel... all leading into ONE BIG HOLE... The crowd was pleased: on the side cheering for carnage as we, stupid paddlers, were waiting for the 'go' to get our beating. I took a practice run before the race: try to cut my line too early, fliped in the boils, rolled back up and gave one big stoke before fliping over again, to misteriously end up on the corner of the monster and get spit out right away... Thank god!! I promised myself I would shoot straight for shore on the other side next time, mainly as far out possible :-). After that episode, I got myself together again to finish 2nd in time trials :-) On the final run, 4 boats lined next to each other, all shit nervous, even if I was the last one out, I catched up quickly to the others (the hole keeps you awake and agressive to say it that way!!) and finished 2nd...
Freestyle? Well, nothing else than a very big air loop and a cartwheel that day, not enough to go very far :-(. Like being put in front of a camera when the photographer asks you: SMILE!!! ... I'll be spending a big part of the next weeks to get that perfect smile right at the perfect moment :-) I am in Alberta now for a short period, paddling local then heading to BC for a longer while...
Colorado USA, 2006-06-12
Dawm nettwerk!!!! Been accross the land trying to find ok connection. It seems like the very warm weather has been putting weird ideas into all my electronic belongings: cell phone sounds like a fax, video camera does not play, MP3 player does not stop and computer does not connect... interesting carma floatting around!!!!
After Vail, we headed up South to get a little away from the crowd and paddle different stuff: Homestake-Gilman Gorge and the wave in Buena Vista amoungst the other. Then came a little virus for a couple of days that considerably slowed me down for 48 hours... Then road again to Crested Butte. Oh-Be-Joyful Creek Race was an intertaining event: very steep creek with many drops up to 25 feet, technical slides, non-existing eddys, more water then it is normally runed at, all that in an altitude of 3500m and long air-less walk to put-in: made racing down VERY hard!!! Not to count the numerous 'crash and burn' from everyone on their way down: many paddles and boats got totally demolished. No wonder the prices at the ceremony included boat repair kits: kinda ironic! Never have I been so nervous to go down before a race, even pulled out half-way down the run in practice: couldn't breath and didn't remember what was coming next at 300km/h right around the bend... But hey, after a good night sleep I finally mellowed out and made it down the next day, got 3rd to top it up. Never have I been so sentimental after a win!!!
One more week in Colorado before heading to BC...
Colorado USA, 2006-06-03
TEVA MOUNTAIN GAMES
Hum, Vail… In the heart of Colorado USA lies a little mountain village full of healthy athletes and friendly paddlers. The Teva Mountain Games are held each year and attract some of the best athletes in a variety of extreme sports such as whitewater kayaking, climbing, biking, adventure racing (…), under about the same format as Voss extreme week in Norway or Brentgarden in Switzerland. Each day of the event the town is crowded with enthusiasts and the medias are everywhere, constantly after athletes for interviews.
The whitewater events included a Paddle-Cross race at Dowd's Chute on a 2km of continuous big waves with 3 'gates' to hit on the way, an Extreme Creek race down Homestake's gnarly-rocky-steep section, a Big Trick and Freestyle-Pro Competition on the little feature in the town of Vail and at last a Paddlecross in Vail trying not getting knock down by local paddlers or over hanged obstacles on the way… The pressure was high for everyone as we competed against many strong international paddlers. Results?? I got a bronze medal at the gnarly Extreme Creek race and silver for throwing an air loop at the Big Trick contes :-) That made me happy for a little while!!!!
Ottawa Ontario, 2006-05-17
Dawn water levels: too high or too low, no in-beetween! Or maybe it is a question of timing. In fact, the Quebec city area had big amount of snow over the winter and the rivers there have been blasting for the past 2 weeks :-)... not the case for Montreal or Ottawa area, where the 'no snow' winter season is now making the water levels drop in fast speed :-( All that to say that poor event organisers had to cancel or postpone events one after the other. Chambly Rodeo was cancelled (wave was gone), Basse Cachee was pospone (way too high) and now turn to Bus Eater Rodeo this weekend (too low) :-(. Strange season...
With a group of strong paddlers we ran the Basse Cachee before the event got cancelled, a water level that definitly not to many (if no one) had run before. The drops were relatively clean but dawn pushy; the rapids in-beetween were no less than survival paddling through massive holes and very fast current. 2 left at the start, 1 broke a boat and an other swam in a not pretty hole and completely destroyed his equipment. Never seen a seat coming apart such way: bolts and screws came off and the rest... well... let's call it a design makeover :-).
Ottawa Ontario, 2006-05-09
We had the Level Six Cup at the Champlain Bridge in Ottawa last week-end. What a miserable weather: cold, blowing and drizling: not a perfect temperature to go out an play :-(. Even through this horrible weather, the happening was a good one: loads of serious good paddlers on the water and a good crowd to cheer us up. The wave became a hole only a day before the competition making it more technical, but good skills did not stop the best paddlers to throw big. And of course the party at night was one to mention: slow start but happy ending. God paddlers are good at shocking the 'ordinary people' by being over friendly and turning a standard crowd into caos! No, not that bad really... Another one to mention earlier this week was the premier of the new YGP's movie Dynasty and the Oil and Water Project: when the Tour comes around your town, check it out! Serious footage combined with a serious environmental cause; great match...
The rest of my two last weeks (other than paddling) have been spent on either building the inside of the van or on the road visiting dealers around Quebec. Things always take more time than expected, but officially and once this mission is completed, life on the road should become a little more relax and I'll be able to focus on the one and only good stuff: paddling every day and enjoying the sun!
Summer is on its way!
Ottawa Ontario, 2006-04-27
I left beautifull Norway on April 20th, after a wonderfull norwegian style easter. The bad weather had brought strong wind on top of high mountain plateau of Hardangervidda, and snow kiting was at its best :-) .
Back to dry land here in Canada with a relatively mild spring. The melted snow has left us good water levels to paddle on; great to be out again! Already the day after my arrival I was in my playboat, a little rusty yet feeling strong. The long winter of training in the gym and on snow has made me anger to paddle again and my motivation is very high. The St-Charles River Festival was a fun one, always nice to see good old paddling friends out playing! I took part in the downriver race on the Saturday as a starter of the season and managed a decent 4th place (knowing that the 3 first places had real downriver boats I suppose to slalom boat!) and got my lovely face in the news papers the next day :-). The St-Charles River in downtown Québec city is not a hard one, but it is quite nice to start easy especially when it is still icy water flowing...
Now back to Ottawa where I am finalizing the last logistics of the Tour. Never thought I would be driving a good old american GM 'drug dealer style' van, but hey, nothing is better than doing an american Tour the real american way :-)
See you on the water!
Oslo Norway, 2006-02-25
A new site!
‘This is a site for my friends and family who I, never often enough, am able to contact, and to all of you who have a passion for living the moment: enjoy!’
Finally! After a long thinking process and numerous letters from friends blaming me for not keeping in touch so often! Nothing mean, but it is a fact that when life turns around you at a very fast speed, you often forget to say hi. So there it is, my way to let you know what I am up to! Enjoy reading the new stuff as it comes and watching the videos and pictures of the tour!
Cheers from Norway!
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