Underdogs of the 2017 World Freestyle Championships

by Jezz | Nov 22, 2017 | 2016 Rock Star Competition, Australia, Event Coverage, Events, Internationalisation, Playboating, rivers, Team JK, Video, Whitewater, WW Disciplines

Everyone loves an underdog, the story of someone coming from nowhere and becoming the next big thing in the sport, or someone who has worked so hard in the sport but just never quite got their moment in the spotlight, an underdog is always a great story in sporting...

Facing Fears: Hole Boating

by Anna Bruno | Nov 21, 2017 | 2016 Rock Star Competition, Events, Internationalisation, Playboating, United States, Whitewater, WW Disciplines

This 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...

Why do You compete?

by Jessica Yurtinus | Nov 20, 2017 | 2016 Rock Star Competition, Event Coverage, Events, Family Zone, Playboating, Whitewater, WW Disciplines

Earlier this year I was put in a situation to make a serious decision about competition and what drives me to compete. It was April, the Truckee River was running high, the Reno River Festival was right around the corner, and all my paddling friends were...

How to have the best 50th Birthday Ever!

by Jessie Stone | Nov 19, 2017 | 2016 Rock Star Competition, Family Zone, Internationalisation, United States, Whitewater

What’s the best way to spend your 50th birthday? My recommendation is preparing for the World Championships in Argentina! I never could have imagined how going to kayak camp in Argentina in preparation for this year’s ICF Freestyle World Championships would be the...

Jackson Kayak’s Kids Teaching Kids Pt 1 Hand Rolling Made Easy

by teamjk | Nov 16, 2017 | 2016 Rock Star Competition, Family Zone, Instructional, Playboating, rivers, Video, Whitewater, WW Disciplines

Jackson Kayak’s series on Kids Teaching Kids kayaking fundamentals.  So often, kids are intimidated by cold, sounds, texture, and a desire to please that they fall into the trap of not wanting to try.  When kids show other kids how easy skills and...

Why the Rockstar is Still the Best Playboat I’ve Ever Owned

by katelyngreen | Nov 13, 2017 | 2016 Rock Star Competition, Playboating, Reviews, rivers, Whitewater, WW Disciplines

It’s been about two years since the release of the latest Rockstar, and I’m just as in love with it as I was when I first paddled it. My first experience in a 2016 Rockstar was in Ausable Chasm in upstate New York in 2015. As I practiced on flatwater in between...

M Wave Birthday Shred

by Riley Frank | Nov 12, 2017 | 2016 Rock Star Competition, Playboating, rivers, Video, Whitewater, WW Disciplines

The M Wave is always a fun place to be, my birthday was no exception. We had an awesome crew of strong paddlers. Nathan, Cody, Paul, David, Ben, my parents Dave and Toni, and a quick show from Paul Paulmer. Mathieu came out on Sunday for his first time and slayed it....

A Year of Big Waves

by Brooke Hess | Oct 27, 2017 | 2016 Rock Star Competition, Internationalisation, Playboating, rivers, Trip Reports, Trips, United States, Video, Whitewater, WW Disciplines

It’s been a rad year paddling some massive whitewater and surfing some big waves! Huge thanks to all the friends who set safety for me and laughed with me as I beatered my way through...

France Trip

by JK Little Shredders | Oct 21, 2017 | 2016 Rock Star Competition, Family Zone, Kid's Kayaks, Playboating, rivers, Trip Reports, Trips, Whitewater, WW Disciplines

This summer was my 6th trip to France with Llandysul Paddlers, with a record number of around 100 paddlers going, including my mum. Getting there involved a 24 hour coach journey, including a ferry crossing from Dover to Calais. When everyone finally saw the sign to...

Freestyle Kayaking on Sky Sports

by Claire OHara | Oct 17, 2017 | 2016 Rock Star Competition, Event Coverage, Events, Internationalisation, Playboating, rivers, Video, Whitewater, WW Disciplines

Earlier this year I had the awesome opportunity to film with olympic medalist Helen Reeves for the Sky Sports Go Canoe kayaking production. The feature went out as part of the world championship slalom and sprint Sky Sports show and featured all the main paddle sport...

Secret week on the Ocoee River

by teamjk | Oct 13, 2017 | 2016 Rock Star Competition, Family Zone, Playboating, Trip Reports, Trips, Whitewater, WW Disciplines

The Ocoee River is a dam release river that sits just on the border of Tennessee and North Carolina. It releases 3 days a week throughout the summer and on weekends starting in September. Through an agreement with the Tennessee Valley Authority, there is also a draw...

Sullivan Falls – Tidal Reversing Falls Extraordinaire

by Jessie Stone | Oct 12, 2017 | 2016 Rock Star Competition, Internationalisation, Playboating, rivers, Trip Reports, Trips, United States, Whitewater, WW Disciplines

For several years I had heard about Sullivan Falls from different sources – first it was Phil Urban, Dustin’s father, and then from Brett Cicotelli from the Atlantic Salmon Federation. Both Phil and Brett had told me how great it was, but it was not until this August...