Northeast Wisconsin Paddlers (NEWP) annual whitewater student outing was held this past Saturday on the Red River. For most of the students it was their first experience kayaking on a whitewater river. It was great to see them challenge themselves by practicing what they learned in the classroom and pool […]
Category: video
Lester River Race 2018
Held each spring to coincide with the start of the snow melt runoff, the Lester River Race marks the unofficial start to the whitewater kayak season along Minnesota’s North Shore, drawing expert kayakers from across the region. Uniquely situated within the city limits of Duluth on the Lester River as […]
Last Ice Paddle of the Season
Last evening (April 30) I paddled on Green Bay with kayaker friends Mike Stone and Jacob Tarlton. We wanted to paddle around the last big ice sheet remaining on the bay — right in front of my house — which required launching at Volks Landing down the street and paddling […]
Spectacular Beauty at Copper Falls
High waters of the Bad River and Tyler Forks River make for spectacular sights right now at Northern Wisconsin’s Copper Falls State Park. The two rivers flow through a gorge and drop over several waterfalls. I saw only one other visitor this past Sunday morning, possibly because ice made the […]
The Myth of the “Experienced” Kayaker
We’re now in the most dangerous time of year for paddling. Air temperatures are rising. River and lake ice is breaking up. River levels are high. The desire to get on the water in marginal conditions — possibly without proper equipment and training — inevitably leads some people to the […]
Feeding Lionfish to Sharks
During our week of diving at St. Kitts last week, we had a close-up view as our divemaster speared lionfish (an invasive species in the Caribbean) and fed them to sharks to teach them to seek out the fish as prey. The lionfish invasion is considered one of the most […]
Adaptive Paddling with Team River Runner
The first time John Fritzell picked up a kayak paddle he was only 11 years old. Because of a rare neurological disorder, he was physically unable to hold a paddle for the next 39 years. Last Saturday at Canoecopia, the world’s largest paddlesports expo held annually in Madison, WI, John […]
Sesh on the Pesh: 3D Motion Capture with Video
I posted before about 3D motion capture using a Xensr device. Here’s my most recent demonstration, a kayaking session (or “sesh” as the cool kids say) recorded Sunday, Nov. 5 on the Peshtigo River in Wisconsin. To create these videos on my computer, I overlay Xensr moving map and motion […]
Team River Runner’s Apostle Islands Trip
At the extreme northern tip of Wisconsin in Lake Superior, the beautiful Apostle Islands National Lakeshore are a sea kayaker’s paradise. Last week I had the honor and pleasure of leading a group of Team River Runner military veterans and volunteers on a sea kayaking trip to the Apostle Islands. […]
Week of Rivers 2017
July 2 – 7, 2017 … my first time at Week of Rivers near Bryson City, North Carolina. This annual event is hosted by the Carolina Canoe Club. I’ve heard stories from my Wisconsin paddling friends about this event, so this year I decided to give it a try. It […]