White water on the Red River

For more years than anyone can remember there’s been an organized Tuesday evening paddle on the Red River near Gresham, Wis., from early spring deep into autumn. I’ve seen anywhere from four to 17 paddlers of all ability levels join in. The great thing about the Red, compared to many […]

Paddling La Crosse

La Crosse, Wisconsin is a beautiful anomaly. Bordered by magnificent bluffs along the Mississippi River in the unglaciated “driftless” region, the valley cut by erosion was spared the leveling effect of the last Ice Age that flattened the surrounding countryside. If you have never driven across the Mississippi River, or […]

Getting on the Stick: the Greenland Paddle

The fall issue of Adventure Kayak magazine includes an interesting story about Greenland kayak paddles, oftentimes called Greenland “sticks”. It made me stop and think that I need to give this type of kayak propulsion another look, especially since I took the time to make one a few years ago. […]

Swim Safety for USAT Triathlon National Championships

For the third year in a row Milwaukee hosted the USAT Age Group National Championship triathlon this past weekend. And for each of those years I served as kayak captain for about 30 volunteers who brought their kayaks and stand-up paddleboards to help more than 5,000 athletes make it safely […]

Kayaking is a Great Equalizer

When some people hear the word “kayaking” they think about daredevils plunging over humungous waterfalls or three-week expeditions in the Aleutian Islands. In reality, kayaking is what you make of it. You can go for a leisurely paddle in a small lake or you can take on “big” water, and […]