East Fork of the Lewis River – Intro to PNW Waterfall Kayaking

by kylethomas | Feb 12, 2023 | Creeking, Featured Post, jacksonkayak.com, JAdventures Main Banner, Whitewater Feature, WW Disciplines

I love whitewater kayaking in the Pacific Northwest in January. Why? January usually starts the paddling season for the middle section of the East Fork of the Lewis (EFL) River in Yacolt, Washington at my favorite flows. Due to a huge logjam in the middle of the run,...

Diversify Whitewater – Greater Seattle 2022

by kylethomas | Oct 30, 2022 | Event Coverage, Events, Family Zone, jacksonkayak.com, JAdventures Main Banner, Outdoor Adventures, Recreational/Touring, River Running, Whitewater, Whitewater Feature, WW Disciplines

This year I was fortunate to volunteer as a kayak instructor for Diversify Whitewater’s Greater Seattle Area weekend event. The mission of Diversify Whitewater (https://diversifywhitewater.org/) is to promote Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in paddlesports by...

Middle Fork Championship 2022

by kylethomas | Aug 16, 2022 | Event Coverage, Events, Featured Post, jacksonkayak.com, JAdventures Main Banner, Karma RG, River Running, Whitewater Feature, WW Disciplines

I had the pleasure of attending the 2nd annual Middle Fork Championship in the greater Seattle area. This downriver whitewater race is hosted on the “Middle Middle” aka the middle section of the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River. The Middle Middle is a convenient...

Launching the ACA River Kayak Hand Paddling Curriculum

by kylethomas | May 20, 2022 | Clinics, Creeking, Featured Post, Instructional, jacksonkayak.com, JAdventures Main Banner, Whitewater Feature, Whitewater Instruction, WW Disciplines

Paddling with your hands? What’s that all about? Probably a decade ago, I was presented with a silly contraption at a pool session that was made from plastic, strapped to your hands, and made it super easy to hand roll a whitewater kayak. Someone called them hand...

Cedar River Slalom Race in the Antix 2.0 and Dynamic Duo

by kylethomas | Apr 6, 2022 | Antix, Dynamic Duo, Featured Post, jacksonkayak.com, JAdventures Main Banner, River Running, Whitewater, Whitewater Feature, WW Disciplines

I recently moved to Issaquah, Washington in the Greater Seattle Area and fortunately found myself a 15-minute drive from the Cedar River slalom course. This well cared for whitewater slalom course is maintained by members of the League of Northwest Whitewater Racers,...

Built for Longevity: 100+ River Days in my Nirvana

by kylethomas | Mar 2, 2022 | Creeking, Featured Post, jacksonkayak.com, JAdventures Main Banner, Nirvana, Whitewater, Whitewater Feature, WW Disciplines

I completed my first lap in my pink Jackson Kayak Nirvana whitewater kayak on July 27, 2017 on the Skykomish River in Washington state. Since then, I own the same pink Nirvana and have completed 100+ river trips on the same hull and that number keeps going up. It was...

PNW’s New ACA Instructor Trainer Kyle

by kylethomas | Feb 28, 2022 | Featured Post, Instructional, jacksonkayak.com, JAdventures Main Banner, River Running, Whitewater, Whitewater Feature, Whitewater Instruction, WW Disciplines

My experience with the ACA dates back to my days volunteering as a sea kayak and whitewater kayak instructor and trip leader for Outdoor Recreation Georgia Tech (ORGT). I started volunteering with ORGT back in 2009 as an Instructor-in-Training (IiT). While in that...

BIPOC Paddling Skills Day – Greater Seattle Area

by kylethomas | Oct 18, 2021 | Clinics, Events, Exploration Feature, Family Zone, Featured Post, jacksonkayak.com

On September 18, 2021, the Greater Seattle area paddling community gathered at Lake Sammamish to share our passion for paddle sports with community members. The fun and free paddling skills day was designed to introduce Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) to...

Ready, Set, Go | Middle Fork Championship

by kylethomas | Aug 9, 2021 | Creeking, Featured Post, jacksonkayak.com, JAdventures Main Banner, JK Team Posts, Karma, Karma RG, Karma Rock Garden, Whitewater, Whitewater Feature, WW Disciplines

After a tough year I, like so many others, needed a distraction and something to look forward to. Along emerges an idea to put together an informal (and free) whitewater race on the popular after-work “Middle Middle” section of the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River...

Medium vs. Large – Reflecting on the Antix 1.0

by kylethomas | Jul 6, 2021 | Antix, Featured Post, jacksonkayak.com, JAdventures Main Banner, River Running, Whitewater, Whitewater Feature, WW Disciplines

I know, I know. The Antix 2.0 is the hot topic right now, but I want to talk about another awesome kayak that’s been a hot item on the used boat market, the Antix 1.0. For years, I enjoyed paddling the Large Antix 1.0. I am 6’0’’, 190 lbs, and wear a size 12 Astral...

The Joy of Hand Paddling | Whitewater Kayaking

by kylethomas | Jun 17, 2021 | Antix, Featured Post, Instructional, jacksonkayak.com, JAdventures Main Banner, MixMaster, River Running, Whitewater, Whitewater Feature, Whitewater Instruction, WW Disciplines

I’m going to talk about those plastic things you store in the stern of your kayak, hand paddles. Maybe you’ve used them on the river or at a pool session, but alas I’m going to encourage you to blow off the dust and take them for a spin. You don’t want your first time...

The Sky: Skykomish River, Washington

by kylethomas | May 3, 2021 | Creeking, Featured Post, jacksonkayak.com, JAdventures Main Banner, Nirvana, Whitewater, Whitewater Feature, WW Disciplines

Flowing alongside U.S. Highway 2 on the west side of the Cascade Mountains in Washington state is the Skykomish River, affectionately known as “The Sky.” Maybe you’ve heard of it, maybe you haven’t. Or maybe you’ve driven by it on your way to ski or snowboard at...