Riot welcomes two new Team Paddlers

Riot Kayaks is proud to announce the addition of two new team paddlers, Patrick Camblin and Karl Moser. Patrick, hailing from Eastern Canada and Karl from the Western US are both extremely accomplished and well known kayakers who Riot welcomes to our family.

Patrick Camblin:

(Patrick styles a fairly handsome hat)

Accredited with: Pioneering combo moves, Being a Buseater local and Traveling the world with a kayak...

Other accolades: Winner of the IR Big Gun Show, Lyon River Festival, Quebec Cup, Buseater Invitational & voted by peers as 'Playa of the Year' (Best freestyle kayaker)

(Patrick, sailin' on in his new Astro)

Other Sponsors: Red Bull, Tribe, h20, Levelsix, Smith, Astral, Snapdragon

(And again, flying in the Astro)

Patrick gave us some words regarding his recent career decision: "I've had 7 amazing years with the good folks over at Liquidlogic. A big thanks to Shane and everyone there for all of their help and support over the years... But times change and people need to move on... Riot is a company from my backyard that i've always admired for their innovations and consistently great boats. I'm stoked to join their already stellar team..."

Patrick's links:
www.triberiders.ca
www.younggunproductions.com



Karl Moser:

(Karl in Africa)

Most folks know Karl through his former association with the Epicocity Project where he co-produced popular kayaking DVDs, Bigger Than Rodeo, Mission Epicocity and the most recent, play-boating instructional video, Amplify. Karl has moved on now to become the head coach at the World Class Kayak Academy. Additionally Karl is organizing other worldly efforts including benefits for kayaking clubs and environmental knowledge growth in countries such as Uganda and China. He has also become a highlighted video producer on Rapid Transit's web site where he plans to broadcast some of his upcoming kayak adventures on video.

After recently placing well in the Best in the West comp in Montana Karl gave us a few words regarding his new Astro 54: "Paddling was sick yesterday! The more time I spend in the Astro the better it paddles. I think it makes me look pretty." (Maybe Karl said that about his photo, not the boat...? Anyway, the photo of you in the boat make's you look pretty Karl!) He went on to further explain that the Astro, "loops big and McNasties well. Now I can't wait to see what she can do at Skook. I'll send you some pics when I get back." So, expect to see a report from Karl when he arrives back from Skook. The guy is amazing on a wave so we will expect some nice action.

(Karl clean-split sequence via Astro at Best in the West comp)

Other Sponsors: NRS, Astral Buoyancy, AT Paddles, Shred Ready, H2o Audio

(Karl loops huge in Astro)

(Karl unwinds a powerful McNasty, courtesty Astro)

Karl's links:
http://worldclassacademy.com/
http://rapidtransitvideo.com/producers/moser.php

Once again, welcome to these two guys to the Riot team. We will no doubt see great things from both of you.

Waitaha River

Hello, everyone! Just wanted to share a trip report I recently wrote about my first day of Heli-kayaking in New Zealand! You can find the write-up on my website, Downstream Movement. Below is a sample of the visuals taken by Kev England. (Cheers for that Bro!!!)


I ride my bike by a florist every morning on the way to school. They have a chalk board outside that has a couple quotes written on it each day. Today it read..."Sometimes taking the risk is the safest thing to do." Who would've thought a florist could be so inspirational!


The Magnum has proved over and over again to be THE boat of choice to take into the shit. As if it has a "boof on command button," the thing just jumps out of the water. I think salmon were tested in the prototype process.


Again the trip report full of deep thoughts, LOTS more pics, and plenty of entertaining stories can be found at...Downstream Movement. Video footy of the day is featured in my South Island Video at...Rapid Transit Video.


And like a Buttermeleon, I'm OUT!

-Cooper Lambla

Magnum in 3-D!

Hello ladies and germs!
Hope all is going well in the kayaking world. I just finished up a semester of school, and have something exciting to show for it. A 3-D animation!



I imported photos of the Riot Magnum into the program and recreated it as a 3-D model. In addition I made a landscape, waterfall, and kayaker. Here's the video:



A wide angle of the scene


Homeboy close-up


To see more stills from this project and others surf to http://ridetheflow.blogspot.com/

good lines good times


Nathan

High Water Ottawa

Recently, the New river Academy headed up to the Ottawa river in search of some big waves. We were hoping to get there right in time for Mini Bus, but instead we got up there and found the water was too high for Mini Bus. This was ok because there was still an epic wave in, Big Bus. This wave is huge! I have been on some big waves, but this one is still intimidating. With a great righty shoulder, going big isn’t too hard. The only hard part of this wave is that it is so fast that getting back up to the top can take some work, but once you do you're in luck for getting some big air.
3 pictures here


going for the panam © Michelle Yates


airscrewing © Michelle Yates

The water began to drop so big bus was getting a little trashy and mini bus wasn’t in yet. We found another wave that was quite as big but was great for working on every move from spins to combs.


Riot's Zach Mitchell going big on a Pistol flip © Michelle Yates


Getting a blunt © Michelle Yates

The on the last day we were up on the Ottawa the water level still was going up and a high water mini bus level came in. this wave even at this supposedly off level was still amazing. Giving up some of the biggest air I’ve ever had or seen. This wave introduces a new challenge however, the tow rope. The entire group had some trouble to start with using the tow rope but eventually people started to get it down to where they could get out every time instead of just face planting on the eddy line every try.
The Ottawa is one of the best play rivers in the world and coming back at high water after only seeing it at low water just proves to me how good it really is. Hopefully I will be able to get up to the Ottawa again sometime when mini bus is in.

See you on the river

Eli Spiegel

Big Magnum is out there + Alabama Video report...

I have a couple pieces of news to report. 1st, the Magnum 80. There are some boats on the water and the big guys are loving this boat!
Here is Daniel Windham, 6'2", 180 lbs, dropping into Go Left on the Green in his Magnum 80. (photo Andy Gates)

Same guy, same specs, at Nieces Pieces (photo Andy Gates)

Same guy, different day, different rapid. (photo Chris Gallaway)


Big guys, even 300 lb guys, fit in this boat. Should I have phrased that as 300 lbs of guy fit in this boat? Well, at least two 150 lb guys fit in this boat, just to give you an idea of its capacity. That little short person in front of us was even impressed.

Yes, this is a little bit embarrassing but you gotta prove your point somehow. The Magnum 80 and the new Thunder 76 have a LG cockpit, lots of thigh room, a larger, more accommodating seat... as you can see. We haven't actually tried paddling like this yet but we plan to. We are having the custom spray skirt tunnel made at IR as we speak.

Some video of the Magnum 80 is coming soon as well. I am out at the Green once, twice, maybe three times a week and will have the Magnums and Thunders on my vehicle if anyone is in the neighborhood and wants to use a demo boat.

Now, this is the 2nd part of my news. Alabama, it's a wet, cold, frozen place in the first weekend of March. At least it was this year. Andy Gates and I went down to NAWFest and froze our arses off.
Cooking breakfast on the frosty, winter landscape (photo Adam Motes)

Snow and ice doesn't generally make me want to go play boating and I tried to refrain as much as possible. I did, however, manage to shoot some video of the event and some more on the Little River Canyon the following day. Please enjoy the video at the Rapid Transit Library.
Chris Wing and I thumbed it up. (photo Isaac Ludwig... I think.)


Ooh, while I'm here, one more little tidbit. IR has title sponsored the Mustache Growing contest and it starts June 1st, runs through July 31st. Grand prize is a drysuit! You heard it. All you have to do is grow a stache for two months and you may win a drysuit. Many hi-dollar consolation prizes exist as well. Go to http://TheMustacheKing.com to sign up now. It's free and all you have to do is be capable of taking photos and posting them to a blog... oh, and growing facial hair.

Later,

Spencer Cooke, Team Riot

NZ: South Island Video Update

Greetings, my peoples of this ball of muck we call earth!!! I'd like to invite you to share the people, scenery, rivers and good times of a land far, far away in a wee place we like to call New Zealand. In particular the South Island of New Zealand...


Yours truely dropping into the tasty goodness of Nevis Bluff on the Kawarau River.

What you are about to witness is the second installment in a series of video journals hosted by Rapid Transit Video, that document my travels down here in NZ. The aim of these videos is to share the best kayaking New Zealand has to offer. In this South Island flick we travel to Hokitika...the Heli-Whitewater-Boat-Ridin' Capital of the World, as well as Fiordland...one of the most gorgeous places I've ever been, and finish in Queenstown on the mighty Kawarau River...which contains the best high volume rapid ridin' on the South Island. (And is actually where I paddled again today!!!)

Enjoy...
NZ SOUTH ISLAND VIDEO HERE!!!
You may also view this and other Rapid Transit videos at the free video podcast. Either use the Podcast link on the RT web site or go to iTunes and search for Rapid Transit.

I'd like to thank all the rockin cats who I've paddled with, who have been patient and let me point my video camera at them! As well as everyone who have let me/ us crash on their floor, given rides or just provided hospitality! Cheers!!! Also big ups to Spencer Cooke who has been a tremendous help in every way, including editing the footy. And CHEERS to New Zealand for being such an awesome place!

Keep an eye on my blog, Downstream Movement, which will continue to be updated with pictures and stories from the trip, including all the rivers and good times shown in the video.

Until next time, this has been the captian speaking, reminding you to fasten you seal belts when riding in dragonflys.

Peace,

-Cooper Lambla

Canyon Creek Race and Northwest Creeking Comp

The Peanut gallery at the the starting line

This past Saturday marked the first NW Creeking Competition in its new incarnation. Past years have seen low turnouts and lower water levels for the Canyon Creek Extreme Race but the combination of new ‘management’ and a significantly earlier race date was a grand success.

Joe Stumpfel, I and 80 some-odd of our closest paddling friends, came out in force on April 12th 2008. As some of you may have heard from me before, Canyon Creek levels are measured against the ‘unit’ (he). Its runnable very low and very high but flows within 4 or 5 inches of the unit are pretty standard happy flows. Past years flows have been more like 12 inches under. This year lots of racers we caught by surprise with the higher flows and found themselves rodeo-ing when they should be racing.

Luke S, the guy who made it all happen

You may also notice the Ol’ Joseph was in a K1 instead of a C1… I don’t get it either.

I volunteered as a starter right between Prelude and Thrasher. Prelude is one of the sticker spots on the river and I and the other starters watched or rescued 10 or so swimmers all while watching from above as another smaller handful of paddles swam out of the first drop as well! I heard personally from about 5 people who swam on their morning practice runs!

Richard hitting the boof at Thrasher

Well we couldn’t have asked for a better day and the even turn out exceeded anyone’s expectations. A big thanks to Luke Spencer of Next Adventure for making the whole thing come alive, to Shannon Crosswhite for doing a great job as volunteer coordinator and to all the racers, volunteers and spectators who came out to hang and made the day what it was.


Results are posted at Paddler Magazine

Don’t read to much into my place! 1: it was my first race and I didn’t want to blow my wad 2: since I was a starter, I ended up coming down after the R2s which was well after they were expecting any kayakers SO, I think my time was a little bit made up. No worries though, it was just a good day on the river with friends, in the sun, with great water. Pretty ok in my book! I’ll take the whole thing next year.

Riot C1-er Joe Stumpel, cross training.

Check out some more photos here

Hope to see ya’ll on the river soon.

EJ


Photo by michaellongphoto.com

ThisRiverLife

Clemson, SC Video Premiere and Demo...

What up all!

Spencer Cooke, Andy Gates, and I will be traveling to Clemson University next Tuesday evening. We will be hosting a premiere of Spencer's video, Night of the Living Donkey, as well as hanging out at the pool session with a fleet of Riot boats to try out. For you larger paddlers, we will have the Thunder 76 and Magnum 80, Riot's newest toys at this demo...

Check out the trailer for NoTLD here.


The whole event will take place in the Fike Recreation Center on campus... the movie will start at 8:00 pm, with some complementary pizza and Red Bull provided, and then we will move downstairs to the pool as soon as it's over(around 9:15ish) for the pool session and demo.

This event is open to the public as well as to Clemson students, so hope everyone can make it out!

For more information about the event please contact Andy Jordan at:
aojorda@clemson.edu

Good lines!
Chris Gragtmans

Cooper Labmla New Zealand video #1 on Rapid Transit

Cooper Lambla reports with his Magnum and Astro from down under with a video journal entry on the Rapid Transit web site. Take a look at http://RapidTransitVideo.com


More coming soon from Cooper. Stay tuned. See Cooper's blog follow his year abroad in detail. Downstream Movement

2007 skook stuff

HELLO everyone!

Dru and i had a wicked season on the sunshine coast last year. we got a ton of footage and only lost half of it...this video is made up of what was left over. Quality is not so great this time but its a crazy one! Our camera crew was laine and shana, they're the stars of the show!!

Highlights of '07 were watching the sea lions endlessly devourer fish in the eddy, insane phosphorescence under a full moon, trying to keep the surfers the fu*k away, tracking down stolen kayaks, surfing at first light Christmas day (we were the only ones there?), and just having a great time with everyone coming and going.

Sister Natalie and I. She is in the video too.. and she'll be at skooks a lot this summer :)

Micah and dru. Scary ride down the face.

thanks for checking in....you style it out there....ya hear!!!

ms. emily

Spring Break

boofing cave man pic by Joey Jarrell

Well maybe not that wild, but definitely wet. After givin' her all semester with school and keeping good grades, I was in definite need of a break. Luckily I was able to do some kayaking locally and then got to travel up to Western NC and sample some of their finest. I managed to catch our local classics Johnnies and LRC at good flow. Then I came down with a bad cold and was out of commission for a few days, but recovered in time to meet up with some some friends in NC to get on Big Creek and the Raven Fork.

The Raven Fork is by far an incredible place, and I feel very privileged to have kayaked there. Enjoy the pics:

shot of Headless by Ryan Moore

pic by Joey Jarrell

Launching at Mortal Combat pic by Joey Jarrell

Sam watching me at Mike Tyson's Punchout(I'm the little yellow dot at the top of the picture) pic by Joey Jarrell

It's so easy a caveman can do it!!! pic by Ryan Moore

And here's the video thanks to Ryran:

The Raven Fork from r.moore on Vimeo.

http://www.vimeo.com/822819

Now it's back to the books!!!

-Charlie Mix

winter boating in germany and austria

hi everybody!

it's snowing again!
the word is that it's been the coldest eastern in a hundred years or so around here. AAAHHH!
but there still is hope!
actually we've been out quite a lot!
i've been creeking, playboating, partying, so i won't complain at all!
due to the winter i haven't paddled my magnum for almost four months, and i almost forgot how good it feels! this boat is simply the most predictable and sporty creeker i can imagine.
and the astro is: well, the astro! going huge, stable, comfy...

oh wait, do you wanna hear more?
no?
really?
if i have some pics?

well...

yes!


you're welcome!



we spent a night in that car!

rissbach - photo jensklatt

more rissbach - photo jens

roemerfall - photo mathias raabe

same drop, same photographer

washing machine, augsburg, loop paddleswitch
photo micha schomann

dto

dto no PS

winterboating!
jensklatt

hmm, hope that was enough for now! full stories are to be found on bootfahrer.blogspot.com
guess i'll go back to the washing machine asap! good to go boating every day again!

peace,
sven