Foot Rot Fundamentals by Anna Bruno | Aug 21, 2018 | Instructional, Whitewater, Whitewater InstructionFoot Rot Fundamentals Warm Water = Fun and Fungus? Summertime is in full-swing up on the Ottawa River. Low levels mean big waves, and warm water means paddling in shorties or skin to win! But warm water, warm weather, and long days in kayaks can also equal the dreaded...
Kaituna River by Anna Bruno | Apr 9, 2018 | 2015 Zen, Whitewater, WW DisciplinesFor the past five winters I have chosen to make Okere Falls, on the banks of the Kaituna River my second summer home. You may have seen the Carpark of Dreams video showcasing the transient, summertime Kaituna community- and are already thinking about this dreamland,...
Family Fun at the Tohickan Release by Anna Bruno | Nov 24, 2017 | Antix, Family Zone, River Running, rivers, Whitewater, WW DisciplinesGrowing up in Pennsylvania meant being privy to a surprising wealth of whitewater. There are plenty of rivers within a few hours drive of my parents house ranging from grade I-V. My favorite of these is a small, grade 2-3 creek called the Tohickan, or the Toh. It is...
Facing Fears: Hole Boating by Anna Bruno | Nov 21, 2017 | 2016 Rock Star Competition, Events, Internationalisation, Playboating, United States, Whitewater, WW DisciplinesThis year I was forced to confront a longtime weakness in my kayaking skill set: Hole boating. For years, it has been easier to say that I just didn’t like it, that I preferred wave boating, or to make the excuse that there just weren’t any good holes near me. To be...
The Eight Golden Rules of Kayaking by Anna Bruno | Aug 2, 2017 | 2016 Rock Star Competition, Instructional, Internationalisation, rivers, United States, Whitewater, WW DisciplinesPaddling in large groups can be stressful and hard to manage. Paddling with teenagers can also be stressful and hard to manage on occasion. At World Class Academy, I frequently got to do both, often on new and unfamiliar runs. What can make paddling in larger groups...
Why Bigger ISN’T Always Better by Anna Bruno | Mar 11, 2017 | 2015 Zen, 2016 Rock Star Competition, Creeking, Reviews, rivers, Whitewater, WW DisciplinesLast year, my small Karma felt too small for me, especially on bigger volume rivers multidays and while racing. Often, it felt like my stern would catch and sub-out, or that my boat was slower than my competitors. Before heading to California last spring, I made the...
I’m All About the Lace… and other Layering Tidbits from Anna by Anna Bruno | Oct 11, 2014 | WhitewaterOne of the most underrated skills in kayaking is knowing how to manage energy levels and body temperature to maximize performance and energy on the river. Everyone struggles to know what to wear and how to layer for a long day on the river. One thing I have learned...
Yoga for Paddlers| Shoulder Reach Through Stretch by Anna Bruno | Sep 12, 2014 | WhitewaterThe mark of a kayaker, more than the beat up hands or a twice broken nose, or even a vocabulary diminished to the adjectives of “brown” “stout” “sick”, would have to be the shoulders. The broad, muscular, possibly even overdeveloped, yet with a history of...
Yoga for Paddlers: Side Stretch for your Lower Back and Hip by Anna Bruno | Aug 18, 2014 | WhitewaterWhen we sit in a kayak, our hips are typically below our knees, and our pelvis is tilted forwards underneath our ribcage. This position causes your hipflexors your iliopsoas muscle strains to contract, and can put immense strain on your quadrutus lumborum, a muscle...
Spring Reflections by Anna Bruno | Jun 27, 2014 | WhitewaterExactly a year ago I ran some of the hardest whitewater of my life. It was a semi-intentional decision, influenced in part by the right time, the right place, and the right group of people. I had just finished a year of working for World Class Academy, where I spent...
How To Make a Wheel Chart: Tips for Improving Training by Anna Bruno | May 14, 2014 | Instructional, Team JKCartwheels, loops, spins, mcnastys, godzillas, tricky woos…. With so many different free style moves out there, it is easy to become overwhelmed when wanting to improve your play boating and learn new tricks, and it can be difficult to know where to start. In...
Learning To Commit by Anna Bruno | Apr 25, 2014 | Creeking, Team JK, UncategorizedCrystal clear water reflected the vast wilderness back, the red of my boat framed by a splash of blue sky, towering grey rock walls, and the luxurious green of New Zealand moss and ferns. We were nearing the crux of the first gorge on the Waitaha River. Like most of...
