WHATS THE BEST BOAT CHOICE FOR BEGINNERS?

by Anna Bruno | Aug 6, 2019 | Internationalisation, United States, Whitewater

I recently received the following email from my mother, who just finished helping out with an Intro to Whitewater course with the Philadelphia Canoe Club, where many of her students were using Zens. The boat choice was a change from the Funs of recent years, and she...

Lessons Learned On My Road to Worlds

by Anna Bruno | Aug 2, 2019 | Internationalisation, Playboating, Rockstar 4.0, United States, Whitewater, WW Disciplines

I recently fulfilled a long-time dream of mine: competing for Team USA at the 2019 ICF Freestyle World Championships in both the float and squirt boat classes. While I competed in both classes in Argentina as well, 2019 was the first time I made the team on my own...

Dealing With Dislocated Ribs

by Anna Bruno | Apr 22, 2019 | Fitness, Internationalisation, United States, Whitewater

Owie! I bent down to untie my shoes for a yoga class in Columbus, Georgia, stood up and suddenly, couldn’t breathe. I had a sharp, stabbing pain under my left shoulder blade and my entire left side felt like it was on fire and simultaneously frozen. I couldn’t stand,...

VECTOR WERO WHITEWATER COURSE: PLAYBOATING ON NEW ZEALAND’S NORTH ISLAND

by Anna Bruno | Feb 15, 2019 | Internationalisation, Playboating, Rockstar 4.0, United States, Whitewater, WW Disciplines

Freestyle sometimes seems a dying sport on the North Island of New Zealand, and while I had asked around to see if there were any fun freestyle spots at the recently built Vector Wero Whitewater Park, no one could give me a good answer. This January I decided to take...

My Year of the McNasty

by Anna Bruno | Dec 3, 2018 | Playboating, Rockstar 4.0, Whitewater, WW Disciplines

2018 has been “The Year of the McNasty” for me. Technically, I’ve been working on this trick for longer than a year, okay, longer than I would like to admit… but getting to be consistent and adaptable on both sides has been a significant goal of mine for the last...

High Tension

by Anna Bruno | Oct 3, 2018 | Internationalisation, Playboating, rivers, Rockstar 4.0, United States, Video, Whitewater, WW Disciplines

I thought about writing a blog on surviving the Stakeout season in Canada since if there is anything I hate in kayaking, it is being cold, wet, and scared. But, I overthought, delayed too long, and instead, figured I would write about one wave that always makes cold...

The Art of Giving Back

by Anna Bruno | Sep 23, 2018 | Internationalisation, United States, Whitewater

Flying with a kayak = Anywhere from $50-$250. Flying with a paddle = Anywhere from $50-$150 Giving the gift of gear to an up and coming paddler = priceless. Let’s be honest. Travelling with a kayak, paddle, and gear isn’t always easy. You are almost always guaranteed...

Foot Rot Fundamentals

by Anna Bruno | Aug 21, 2018 | Instructional, Whitewater, Whitewater Instruction

Foot 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 Disciplines

For 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 Disciplines

Growing 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 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...

The Eight Golden Rules of Kayaking

by Anna Bruno | Aug 2, 2017 | 2016 Rock Star Competition, Instructional, Internationalisation, rivers, United States, Whitewater, WW Disciplines

Paddling 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...