One Year After: Team River Runner in Grand Canyon

One year ago today I set out on a 12-day Team River Runner kayak trip on the mighty Colorado River through 226 miles of Grand Canyon. I had a feeling it would be special but I didn’t know at the time how profoundly this remarkable journey through the canyon would […]

My Version of Tuesday “Golf League”

Some people like to golf, and that’s okay. But instead of joining a golf league, here’s how our informal group of whitewater kayakers (numbering anywhere from 4 to 14) enjoys spending every Tuesday evening at our local whitewater venue, the Red River near Gresham, WI, flowing tonight at about 400 […]

Collision Course? Try this Technique

Kayak navigation can be complicated. But there’s one aspect of navigation and “dead reckoning” that’s relatively simple yet pretty important once you understand the concept. Let’s say you’re out there kayaking on a large lake or in the ocean. Off in the distance you spot a boat under power (or […]

First-time paddlers try whitewater

Northeast Wisconsin Paddlers’ (NEWP) annual student whitewater outing on the Red River took place this past Saturday. Each year this event gives students from NEWP-led kayaking classes in Appleton, Green Bay and Fond Du Lac the opportunity to practice skills they learned during indoor pool classes. For some it was […]

Pesh Fest 2019

With the Peshtigo River running at a high level of 28 inches (about 1700 cfs), paddlers enjoyed excellent conditions this past weekend for the 4th annual Peshtigo River Festival, AKA “Pesh Fest.” Hosted by Kosir’s Rapid Rafts, the event is a mashup of paddling, music, food and partying with various […]

Finding Flow in SE Wisconsin

Early season whitewater kayaking has turned into a birthday tradition for me these past few years. However, the rivers in northern Wisconsin are still iced in (up?) so on Wednesday I drove down to the Grafton and Cedarburg area to meet up with my O.W.K.M. (Original Whitewater Kayak Mentor) Rob […]

Paddling on the Big Screen

Each year the World Tour Paddling Film Festival screens in more than 120 cities around the world, so my paddle club thought we should bring it to Wisconsin this year. Northeast Wisconsin Paddlers (NEWP) hosted the Paddling Film Festival this past Friday evening, March 22 at Lawrence University in Appleton, […]

SRO for Steve Baskis at Canoecopia 2019

Here’s a video of the Steve Baskis presentation on Saturday at Canoecopia 2019, the world’s largest paddle sports expo. We had a good crowd Friday evening too, but the next day it was standing room only to hear Steve’s inspiring story about his life and the Grand Canyon kayak expedition […]