Feed from The Ed

Zoning Out

Been testing the new Z.One from Pyranha recently, you can read the full report in issue 95 of Canoe & Kayak, but the one secret that I will give away is that that it's a whole lotta fun to paddle. For more boat reviews check out the whitewater listings in the features section.

Posted by Jay

Out Clubbin' Again

As part of our current Club Scene feature in the mag, we've been getting out and about with various canoe clubs across the country. This time It was off to Derby this time to pay a visit to the Midlands Canoe Club at their weekly pool session. Midlands is an excellent, active club and it was great to see community coach Ben training up other members to help coach the very keen younger paddlers into the Paddle Power Scheme. For more info on the club check out their website here - www.midlandcanoeclub.com to find your local club take a visit to the clubs section in the Info section above and if you'd like us to come and visit your canoe club drop us a line at clubs@canoekayak.co.uk

Posted by Jason Smith

Wish I was...

Spent all morning freezing my fingers off unloading boats, and hanging up test gear to dry, then four hours hunched over the keyboard cracking on with next issue. Time is always short, but it's even more squeezed at this time of year due to Christmas. Work, work, work. Deep in concentration, editing a great open boat article, I was disturbed by a rumbling noise from the corner of the office. What was it? An earthquake? A jet screaming over head? Nope it was Ruby the Jack Russel doing her own version of working hard and snoring her furry head of. Just for a second I found myself wishing I could change places. It is, as they say... A dog's life!

Posted by Jay

A Different View

Just wanted an excuse to post this pic of the Upper Dart Valley in Dartmoor. I'm used to looking up from the water, but this view is a little different, The Upper section of the River Dart in Devon is pretty much my favourite run anyway. I've run loads of rivers all over the world, many of them considered world class classics. The White Nile in Africa, The Marsyandi in Nepal, The Slave in Canada, The Little White Salmon in the States, The Cothuasi iCanyon n Peru. All amazing and special in their own ways but the Upper is still at the top of my list. When it's blowing it can hold its own in any company, but its a whole combination of things that keeps it in a special place in the heart. The fact that I've run it at pretty much every level, from hull scraping low water, to white knuckle and grim fizzoged red-alert, flood-level high, so it feels like an old friend, (all be it a friend who will up and give you a good wallop and steal your boat, paddle and dignity if you don't show respect) that you understand their moods. It's incredibly beautiful in their too, but I guess the main reason is that I've shared so many fun times and high adventures with good friends in there over the years, and will hopefully continue to do so for as long as I can pick up a paddle.

Posted by Jason Smith

A Drop of Ginge... The Drink of Champions

We seem to have developed a bit of a Ginger Beer habit at CK Towers over the last few weeks. It all started when we discovered a local store that had the fiery brew on a bargain offer. We remembered back a few years when good friend Snowy Robertson conducted a series of tests on a range of Ginger beverages and declared Indris Ginger Beer to be the winner. Lets give it a go we thought, and the office recycling bin is now sagging under the weight of a mound of empty cans. Olde Snow was bang on the money and we love the refreshing taste and spicy kick. Give it a go. It's the Ginger's nuts!

Posted by Jason Smith

Christmas Sharabang

As the Festive Season is upon us we thought it would be a nice idea to gather the Test Team together for a little Christmas Sharabang. The G17 Adventure Paddlers Weekend down on Dartmoor is always a firm fixture on our calendar, so it seemed the perfect excuse. After a bit of toing and froing on the e-mail, some sweet talking of the odd missus and some convoluted transport arrangements we finally managed to gather the gang and converge on the River Dart Country Park. Saturday dawned bright and crisp and despite the river being a bit low the blue sky and bright sun put a smile on everyone's faces. Although the weekend was supposed to be a social, we couldn't pass up the chance for a spot of gear testing, so the new Karnali and Z. One got a workout and various dry-suits where donned for our forthcoming dry-suit test. It was Ross's first trip down the Upper and, although not at a classic eyes-out-on-stalks level it was certainly wearing it's Winter best for him and was looking particularly breathtaking in the frost and glittering sun. Good fun was had by all and it was great to see so many paddlers out on the river, and enjoying the slide shows and films in the evening. Big Thanks to Ross, Steve, Jim, Colin and Lee. And To Timmy Trew frrom Palm, Matt from Pyranha and of course the Ol' Grey Bear himself, event organiser Simon Westgarth at G17

Posted by Jay