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 […]
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Assessing a Kayaker’s Skill Level
Have you ever wondered how your paddling skills and knowledge stack up against other kayakers? There are ways to find out. Informally, you can paddle with more experienced kayakers. Observe. Ask questions. Emulate what they do. Maybe you want a more definitive rating of your skills. Or maybe you’re thinking […]
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 […]
An Unsettling Follow-up
This morning I received unsettling — but not completely surprising — news about the identity of a deceased kayaker from Appleton, Wis. Before I tell you about it, let me take you back to March 4 of this year. On that date, NEWP board member Bill Merrick sent an email […]
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 […]
Ice in Motion
With today’s Winter Storm Dan moving into the Upper Midwest, wind pushed the remaining ice sheet on Green Bay to the south along the Door Peninsula where it piled up along the shoreline Tuesday morning. It was fascinating to witness the enormous power of the moving ice. There was open […]
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 […]