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By Dane Jackson

Hey Everybody. This is what I have been doing for the past few months. I have been all over the place. I have been having a great time, and I have paddled almost every day, which is great. I have been with friends and family, paddling in British Columbia on Skookumchuck wave, with my best friend Jason Craig. Enjoying some high water in my hometown in Rock Island, Tennessee. As well as creeking in North Carolina. So, pretty busy

I started off with some creeking in North Carolina in September. Jez Blancherd from Australia was our driver for team week with Jacksonkayak. He took us to these drops about 2 hours away from Ashville. It was called Triple Falls, and it was three really fun steep slides. The third drop was not runnable at all, it was too narly. The second one was the cleanest, all of us ran it. But only a few of us ran the top one because it was about a 10 ft boof, it was really shallow at the bottom, about a foot deep. But we had good lines. That day was awesome!

Then I got home and flew out to Reno, Nevada with Jason Craig. Reno is Jason’s hometown, and we had a month to hang out together, all of October. We hung out for about 3 weeks, paddling, jumping on the trampoline, doing school, fun stuff. Then, we went to one of the sickest waves. Skookumchuck in British Columbia. This is no ordinary wave, no no, this is a tidal wave. Or in other words, a wave in the ocean that only comes in when there is a tide. And it stays in one place. It is HUGE!! You can throw pretty darn big tricks. It has big whirpools right below it, which aren’t fun to go into. Also, you will see Sea Lions right below you every now and then. The wave is big for about 2 ½ hours, then it goes down to a medium size for an hour, then it keeps dropping. Until it is gone. When it is big, that is when you can get the biggest tricks. Jason and I were getting some big air blunts, pan ams, and all the other big tricks. We were there with Jason’s dad and mom. Jason’s dad would paddle with us, and Jason’s mom would hike in and watch and film. Then we stash our boats in the woods, hike out, and return the next morning for another big day. If you have a great roll, good control in a hole or wave, Skookumchuck is strongly recommended that you go. It is a blast! Then I left for home on November 2nd, time for some Rock Island surfing.

Last but not least, I have been paddling here in my hometown of Rock Island
Tennessee for a month now. About 2 weeks ago,TVA spilled 6,000cfs out of the dam. Which is a great level, because we have 3 choices of waterfalls, then a big rapid called Sieve City, but it is not the prettiest rapid at that level. Then you got the main hole, then the best part, Brave Wave. It is a wave right below the hole. It is green and about 7ft tall and really fun. You can go pretty big on it. We had only 2 days of it though. But it was still a really fun paddling sessions. It was great.

So that is what I have really been doing the last few months, really fun. I am looking forward to 2007 for another BIG year. Have fun everybody,

Thanks,

Dane