Building Rolling Confidence & Reliability by Boyd Ruppelt | Jan 23, 2024 | Featured Post, Instructional, Playboating, River Running, Whitewater, Whitewater Feature, Whitewater Instruction, WW DisciplinesIs there really such a thing as a bombproof roll? Many people say it’s a myth, and they’re right that we’re all still in between swims. The truth is though, you can develop bombproof technique, unwavering confidence, and strong reliability with your...
Looking Back on 2023 by Hannah Ray | Jan 19, 2024 | Creeking, Featured Post, jacksonkayak.com, JAdventures Main Banner, Playboating, Whitewater, Whitewater Feature, WW DisciplinesLooking Back on 2023 This season had some wild ups and downs. I paddled some of the highest water levels ever recorded in the Northwoods. Punching through Second Drop on a high water run of the Peshtigo River, WI. Then I endured continued drought at my local spots and...
Paddling on your period by JK Team | Jan 15, 2024 | Featured Post, Playboating, Whitewater, Whitewater Feature, WW DisciplinesPaddling on Your Period submitted by Ottilie Robinson-Shaw I’m female, and I have a period. I’ve cried, had cramps, and had accidents on the river. I’m writing this blog for 13-year-old Ottie because if I had needed it, I’m sure someone else would. Story Time...
Persistence, Determination, and Perseverance Leading to Nearly Lifelong Dream Being Realized – World Champion! by sethchapelle | Dec 14, 2023 | Featured Post, jacksonkayak.com, JAdventures Main Banner, Playboating, Whitewater, Whitewater Feature, WW DisciplinesPersistence, determination, and perseverance lead to nearly a lifelong dream being realized – world champion! I am a world champion!!! It still feels surreal to say. This has been a dream of mine ever since I started competing in freestyle kayaking nearly 25...
Why You Need a Slice Kayak in Your Quiver by Hannah Ray | Dec 9, 2023 | Featured Post, Instructional, jacksonkayak.com, JAdventures Main Banner, Playboating, Whitewater, Whitewater Feature, Whitewater Instruction, WW DisciplinesIn the spring and early summer, water is plentiful at my local and favorite travel-to spots. There’s playboating, river running, and river surfing to choose from…or do all three! As the season progresses into mid summer, the rains are fewer and far...
Right Advice, Right Time, Right Person by JK Team | Dec 7, 2023 | Featured Post, Playboating, Whitewater, Whitewater Feature, WW Disciplines“Right Advice, Right Time, Right Person” submitted by Ottilie Robinson-Shaw As part of my “Better Call Ottie” program, I often receive questions from paddlers and parents looking to support their kids’ progress in freestyle. Among the...
How to Hand Roll: Rolling a Kayak Without a Paddle by Boyd Ruppelt | Dec 6, 2023 | Featured Post, Instructional, jacksonkayak.com, JAdventures Main Banner, Playboating, River Running, Whitewater, Whitewater Feature, Whitewater Instruction, WW DisciplinesThere are a lot of ways to hand roll and this only includes one or two of them, but my goal here is to give you a foundation for learning the skill on your own using a technique that works. You can also learn with hand paddles and webbed gloves if you need to get the...
The Backdeck Roll & Safety in Shallow Water by Boyd Ruppelt | Dec 5, 2023 | Creeking, Featured Post, Instructional, jacksonkayak.com, JAdventures Main Banner, Playboating, Whitewater, Whitewater Feature, Whitewater Instruction, WW DisciplinesEven if you know how to backdeck roll, you’ll want to watch this video for a modified version. The rule is simple, stay in the box and keep your elbows down. If you do that, the backdeck roll is faster, safer, and even better for shallow water and rocks than any...
Improvement Guaranteed: Do this Warm-Up every time you paddle by Boyd Ruppelt | Dec 3, 2023 | Creeking, Featured Post, Instructional, jacksonkayak.com, JAdventures Main Banner, Playboating, Whitewater, Whitewater Feature, Whitewater Instruction, WW DisciplinesOne thing I’ve found over the years is that the top kayakers in the world all have certain skills and regular practices in common. Do this warm up, listed below, every time you touch the water and your boat and edge control will improve drastically. For the more...
Building 3-Dimensional Edge Control with Quadrants by Boyd Ruppelt | Nov 30, 2023 | Featured Post, Instructional, Playboating, River Running, Whitewater, Whitewater Feature, Whitewater Instruction, WW DisciplinesWhen most people think of edge control in kayaking, they only think about using edges on a single axis, right and left. The problem is that whitewater rivers rarely allow for the use of a single axis weight transfer or edge. Typically, there is some combination of...
How to Back Pan Am by Bartoz Czauderna | Nov 28, 2023 | 2014 Karma Unlimited, Featured Post, Instructional, jacksonkayak.com, JAdventures Main Banner, Playboating, Whitewater Feature, Whitewater Instruction, WW DisciplinesLearn to BACK PAN AM by doing exercises in the video! What is it? Back Pan Am is an elevated aerial rotation at a vertical angle greater than 90°, clear of the foam pile at some point, where the freestyler rotates around the stern of the boat. This is an over-vertical...
Freestyle Fun by Hannah Ray | Nov 9, 2023 | Featured Post, Playboating, Whitewater, Whitewater Feature, WW DisciplinesThis summer I took a little road trip to Salida, Colorado. The impetus for the trip was to river surf the new Scout Wave 2.0 and catch the boat ramp hole at prime playboating levels. The first few days I arrived, the level for the surf wave was great! The levels for...
