A few thoughts about the inclusion of womens canoeing at the upcoming Read the rest of this entry »

I just finished calling the 2009 Whitewater World Cup races in France, Slovakia and Germany without ever leaving Chattanooga. How did I do it?
Read the rest of this entry »

Since retiring from competitive canoeing five years ago, one of my most interesting journeys has been the path to becoming a better kayak instructor. No superlatives here – just a commitment to constantly getting better. One such opportunity is coming your way Read the rest of this entry »

We all know that kayaking is a cool sport, full of great people and takes us to amazing destinations. But paddlers creating and finding purpose in kayaking is my new favorite part of the sport.  Think Brad Ludden or Joe Mornini. Now add fellow kayak instructor, father, and friend Bill Hester to that list as “Paddling For a Purpose” takes him on a 1,000 mile journey from Bryson City, North Carolina to Read the rest of this entry »

My 1992 Olympic Teammate Eric Jackson created a revolutionary kayak. Thanks to his boat, you have a revolutionary opportunity to try the sport of whitewater kayaking on America’s Olympic River.

OAC Kayaking does have size restrictions for its Dynamic Duo program so please check with us to see if this is the right adventure for you!

Need to tune up your whitewater skills for the mid-western kayking season? Is improving mobility and agility through a rapid something you’ve been wanting to work on? Join me for the Ray McLain Memorial Training Camp in Wausau, Wisconsin this June as we re-focus elements of slalom racing to improve your overall whitewater skills while honoring one of the legends of whitewater.

I’ll be organzing and coaching workouts at the Wausau Whitewater Course June 24-26, coaching at the open slalom race on June 27th, and coaching at the “Dash for Cash” and Slalom Survior on June 28th. For more information, check WausauWhitewater.org or contact Julie Walraven at (715) 574-5263 or email Julie at wkcc@dwave.net.

Check out the ease and beauty of paddling your own kayak on Ocoee #3 Lake with professional guides from Ocoee Adventure Center.

Thoughts and questions following USA Canoe/Kayak Slalom Trials about how we win:

Energy and motivation to achieve something significant can come from a variety of places. No matter where you are in your process, checking in with Seth Godin can never hurt. As an unashamed fan, it’s a daily occurrence for me. Here’s an easy and entertaining 17 minutes of Seth at this year’s TED conference.

Last fall, our friends at World Kayak welcomed Gold Medal Connections’ Slalom Survivor into their line-up of whitewater events for the “rest of us.” While we’ve never been so happy to see all the elite athletes of canoe/kayak pushing their personal limits, we did see a widening gap between kayak racing and kayaking. Many folks that just want to have fun competing with their boats. Which is what makes the Gold Medal Connections partnership with World Kayak so natural. Take a look at this short video that showcases Slalom Survivor as it was played the 2009 Gold Medal Camp on the Kern River in Kernville, California. And then go to WorldKayak.com and find a place to play this summer!