Werner Blog

Werner at West Coast Sea Kayak Symposium

Werner paddles was on hand at last weekends West Coast Sea Kayak Symposium.  The weather was perfect with sunny skies and light winds.  The three day event is chocked full of instruction, with every level of paddling instruction avaialble from beginner to expert.  Paddlers are also welcome to test paddle boats along with a host of gear from paddles to PFD's to skirts to rescue equipment.  Be sure to check ou this event as it makes it's return in Septemeber of 2010.

All photos courtesy of Paul Riek Sea Kayaker Magazine

Tino Specht, speaking softly-yeilding a Werner stick. As an Athlete as a Teacher.

Tino Specht, Werner Paddles and Bliss-Stick athlete, is headed off to Chile to teach with the Keener's program in just a few weeks. 

Before he heads out he wanted to get us all sorted out with some sick video and photos from his summer of training and teaching with the kids on the Ottawa River in Canada.

Have an awesome trip to Chile Tino and make sure you keep sending the video and photos!

SUPMIKE of Empire Kayaks, NY. "The calm before the storm."

With Hurricane Bill approaching Long Island NY this past August, Mike from Empire Kayaks in Island Park NY, headed out on his paddle board, armed with his Werner Paddles Spanker.  Thing is, it is not what you would think at all.  Check out this short video on the almost scary quiet before the storm.

Mike and his wife Gabrielle will certainly be glad to outfit you with all your stand up paddling and kayaking needs, but their real passion has always been getting out on the water.  With a long list of events every year, that includes this October 10th's "Great Pumpkin Kayak and Stand Up Race," their is never a shortage of ways to get on the water with old freinds and new.  Check out Empire Kayaks and enjoy some time with them yourself.

Ben Kinsella packs up his Werners, and the World Class kids, to head to Peru.

We are proud to have two top teachers and coaches paddling Werner Paddles at the World Class Kayak Academy, Josh Bechtel and Head Coach Ben Kinsella.  As they pack up and get ready for a semester in Peru, let's let Ben give us some more beta on the kids, the program and their big travel plans.

" I might be biased, but World Class is the best kayak school in the world."  (There are many amazing programs out there in the US and Internationally, but we will back Ben up and will say that World Class without a doubt has a stellar reputation among the best schools.) "The combination of faculty, students, curriculum, and epic paddling destinations makes for an incredible atmosphere for young adults to grow and learn.  

As an instructor/teacher the challenges vary from day to day and keep you on your toes.  There isn't a dull moment... and that's how we like it!  During our fall semester this year we are going to Peru, an unprecedented destination for a kayak academy.  The school will embark on many whitewater endeavors culminating with 2-3 multi-day self-support trips.  

The experience these students will gain on the water is truly amazing, not to mention the cultural and technical education they will receive on a daily basis.  There is no better way to prepare these flourishing minds for the real world than to introduce them into new challenges in a foreign country.  They will learn history on the steps of Machu Pichu, practice spanish in the streets of Cusco, and calculate the intertia of a kayak traveling down the Rio Colca.

As the Head Coach of this amazing group I feel truly honored to be a part of this historic trip! With my Werner paddle in hand I will guide the young athletes down some of the most pristine and unexplored whitewater in the world.  Peru is going to be the trip of a lifetime for these students, and I can't wait to be a part of it.  Journeying across a new continent, kayaks in tow is an amazing experience that will change the lives of my athletes.  

Here's to the never ending pursuit of knowledge, adventure, and the whitewater dream!"

Thanks for a great report Ben, we appreciate your time and the photos, letting folks learn more about the World Class Academy.  I can attest, from the time I have spent with their graduates, the program works.  The way teachers like Josh and Ben can slow these kids down, and set up classrooms while they are on the road exploring these amazing paddling destinations, is just a total compliment to how good the staff is.  Ben was also gracious enought to give Werner Paddles a really great compliment, thanks we appreciate it.  "Paddling over 300 days a year I need the best gear, and with Werner in my hands I'm confident in tackling the trials of a professional teacher/coach. "

Werner, Canadian Team Paddler, Matt Hamilton, finally reporting from Garb!

After 2 years of waiting… Garb!

Canadian Team member Matt Hamilton has been busy as of late to say the least.  Working part time in the paddle sports industry, full time on the Ottawa River and posing as a full time student keeps him scrambling to find river time.  However, this past Sunday he got the goods, let Matt explain.

"Fall has arrived here on the Ottawa River.  It is a time when I’m sad to see friends depart from a summer of fun on the river, but ecstatic that the lines ups are gone!   This past weekend was one to remember.  The weather was abnormally mild and the water was still very warm.  I headed to the city early Saturday morning for a class, and was devastated when I found out the  river had dropped to Garb levels, and I was stuck in school.  

I woke up Sunday morning to find out the river was still holding at a solid level .  A few phone calls later I had a photographer, and some paddling buddies. 

We arrived at the wave to find a good size group with huge grins on their faces!  Unfortunate for my good buddy, and Ottawa River local, Billy Harris got stuck on a cute canoe trip all weekend!  Canadian paddlers are stoked, with unusually high rain levels driving up CFS on the river the past few years, this is the first time in two years that Garb made its appearance.

It’s been 2 long years in the waiting, and it was everything I remembered!   Big, foamy and fun!"

Thanks for a great report Matt.

Jan from T.I. Adventures gives the fishing report, "Their crushing salmon!"

Jan reported to us on the Werner blog earlier this season, letting us know about the stand up paddle wave he and his staff is generating in his shop, T.I. Adventures, home town of Clayton NY. (Upsate NY in the Thousand Island Region.)  Last night he now got me the report from local kayak fisherman Bill Taddeo and his buddies that they were "crushing" salmon.

Now as we all know, and one of my favorite authors Linda Greenlaw confirms, all fisherman are liars.  However, with these amazing shots provided, we can't say that about Bill and his friends...well at least not this time.

I can tell you where they are cathcing them, but I am sure that would lead to me ending up in small pieces at the end of the hook.  I think  your best bet, if you are interested in catching some big NY State salmon from a kayak, is to drop Jan a line jan@tiadventures.com and see if he'll give you the skinny.  Thanks for the report Jan and thanks Bill for the great pictures of your Werner Paddles, I mean salmon.

The Surf Line Up. What's going on in Danny at Werner Paddles head?

I'm beat and when your beat you always think crazier things than you usually do.  This is certainly the busiest time for paddle sports reps., which means when you are living in a truck in New England for a few weeks, during swell season, you are surfing at sunrise and sunset to still get gobs of work done during the day.

So yesterday I drag myself out of the truck at 6:00am, after two sessions the prior day, and see what the Atlantic is spinning.  So as I paddle out somewhere in Rhode Island in the Capella 161, wrong swell direction for the stand up board,  I get to thinking...the experience of wave riding and hanging in the line up can be a lot like eating.  So hear me out.  For some folks paddling out is like the family BBQ, a social event.  They hang around around, chat, laugh with friends, grab a burger(wave) then hang out for awhile longer till they are hungry again.  Just soaking it all in.  For some it is like they're a fish, keep putting food in that bowl and they'll eat till they die.  It's like a marathon or something, they are out there all day?  Then there is the "Fine Dining" crowd.  This bunch will sit outside the entire session, letting one good wave after another go by just waiting for "the one."  Like trying to make sure the chicken matches the wine selection just perfectly before they will eat.

For me, surfing waves has always been like buffet style eating.  You get in there and you check out the scene, what's going to get eaten in what order and who's going to be looking to cut you in line as you get to the crab legs. Once you got that sorted it's game on, get as much in as you can as quick as you can, I mean I got things to do after this.  Then of course, once you are stuffed, there is the desert table.  You got to find the strength to walk out with that ice cream cone and surfing is the same way. You got to wait it out for the gem wave, sitting out there with the "Fine Diners" waiting for that one bomb to take to the beach. 

No matter how you eat, and who knows you may have your own style I didn't cover, like a good meal a killer session will always leave you feeling full.  But instead of your gut it's your soul that just seems ready to explode. 

Team Max's and their Werner Paddles-racing to raise money for Believe in Tomorrow

Shoving off today is team Max's of, Max's Tap House in Baltimore MD, as they race against Team Nacho Mamma's for bragging rights in Fells Point but more importantly to raise money for their charity, Believe in Tomorrow.  Two teams of three, Team Max's- Ron Furman, Jason Mislan and Jessica Welsh, Team Mamma's-Scunny McCusker, Delaware Dave and Sean Leahy, will race through the high seas of the Potomac, Chesapeake and Baltimore Harbor. Each man - and one woman – pledge to navigate individual kayaks through 165+ miles of open water to raise money in support of Believe In Tomorrow National Children's Foundation.   Believe In Tomorrow provides exceptional hospital and respite housing services to critically ill children and their families. Sticking the belief that keeping families together during a child’s medical crisis, and that the gentle cadence of normal family life has a powerful influence on the healing process.  Dave from Annapolis Canoe and Kayak

came to us at the begining of the Summer and said he was sponsoring the event and asked if Werner would supply paddles in the effort to raise money.  "It is hard at times for us," explains Werner Paddles Field Marketer Danny Mongno, "We get approached by so many people to help with events and fund raisers."  In this event, with Annapolis Canoe and Kayak on board, Werner followed and as a part of the sponsorship sent Danny as an instructor to work with the teams on some forward stroke skills for their long journey.  "Once you get to see the people involved, it makes all the difference.  I do not doubt for a second that team Max's wants to pound Scully and Mamma's into the Bay, but there was so much more to it than that.  They are all really behind helping the kids and that was no more evident than in the time I spent with Team Max's captian, and bar owner, Ron Furman."

You can log link to the web site's of Believe in Tomorrow, Max's or Nacho Mamma's from this blog if you would like to make a donation to either team and the cause.  If not, simply join the Dave and the staff at Annapolis Canoe and Kayak and the Werner family as we wish both teams lots of luck.  Check in end of the week for a race report.

Werner supports, Coastal Urge's "South East SUP Championships" 9/26

September 26th...9:00am...Willmington, NC...it's time to Stand Up and go fast!  Join Coast Urge and Werner Paddles at the 2009 South East SUP Championships.

If you are not ready to come out and race be sure to come out and support Surf Rider Foundation and enjoy a day on the beach.  Demo boards will be available from Surf Tech and paddles from Werner so you can get out and see what everybody is talking about with this great new touring and fitness sport.  See you on the water.

Werner team paddler, Matt Young, back in the saddle for NY fall whitewater.

Just back from his white water expedition to Norway, see his post on Werner Paddles blog, team paddler Matt Young is back in upstate NY and has hit the ground running, or water paddling?

Check out his quick report as he and Bill Frazer got the goods this past weekend.

"Summers in Northern NY are certainly anything but long. Fall begins on Labor Day up here, Yes that's right, while many down staters are soaking up sun at the beach we are starting to experience the beauty of fall on Labor weekend.  The changing of the seasons to Fall is always marked by the dam releases on the Taylorville, Moshier and Eagle sections of the Beaver River and Raquette River over the holiday weekend.

Along with Bill and myself, it seemed like just about every other whitewater boater in the northeast thourougly enjoyed all the Beaver and Raquette had to offer. Labor Day weekend in New York is certainly he place to be." 

Thanks Matt, we appreciate the trip report.