winter – Page 2 – fitness paddling

First Snow Paddling with JKK Multisport Supernova Kayak

6 Comments / boats & gear, gallery / By Marek

I had a chance to do some test paddling with Jeremy Rodger’s JKK Supernova kayak. It happen just after first snow storm in Fort Collins, so I had a pretty scenic paddling on Beaver Pond in the Arapaho Bend Natural Area. I am trying to compare this kayak to my Thunderbolt-X from West Side Boat Shop from a perspective of a long distance self supported paddling and racing.

JKK Supernova is a multisport kayak from New Zealand – the same length as my WSBS Thunderbolt (21′), 1″ wider beam (19″), but a much bigger volume and a lot of cargo space with bulkheads and hatches. It is a racing sea kayak. Jeremy wrote a review of the Supernova for my blog a few years ago.

First impressions of the Supernova: fast, stable, quite responsive, much more maneuverable than Thunderbolt.

The Supernova cockpit is pretty small and tight. It is really narrow!. The cockpit opening is only about 14.75″ wide while I have 16″ in my Thunderbolt kayak, and a generous 17″ in Sisson Nucleus 100 which has the same beam as the Supernova. So, the owners of wide hips beware.

Opening 2011 Paddling Season on the South Platte River

4 Comments / gallery, training / By Marek

I had a rather late start to my 2011 paddling season.

Northern Colorado Fitness Paddling

gallery, training / By Marek

I have created Northern Colorado Fitness Paddling group on Facebook to coordinate our winter paddling on the South Platte River. I will post incoming events and updates there as well as in a calendar on a sidebar here. Paddlers of all skills and fitness level are welcome to join us.

Winter Paddling on the South Platte River in Colorado

1 Comment / gallery / By Marek

I haven’t started any regular training on the South Platte River in this year yet. However, following our New Year trip, 22 miles to Fort Morgan, I had a couple of paddling photo session on the river above Kersey.

The river flow is going down, but there is still plenty of water to paddle. I believe that South Platte remains the only open water in northern Colorado.

Some of my paddling pictures can be licensed for personal and commercial or purchased as prints and on some other fancy mechandise at my SmugMug website. You are welcome to check paddling galleries or Colorado Water portfolio.

Yesterday, I exercised Spencer X-treme canoe. That boat felt tippy, especially, with single blade paddle. Did I really manage to paddle 340 miles on the Missouri river in that shell?
Hunting blind at a confluence of Lone Tree Creek with the South Platte. I heard a heavy gun fire further upstream at Mitani-Tokuyasu Wilderness State Area. Perhaps, it would be nicer to switch my paddling sessions from afternoons to mornings.

Starting Winter Paddling and Racing Season on the South Platte River

1 Comment / gallery, racing / By Marek

Yesterday, I finally started my winter paddling season on the South Platte River.

Two years with Thunderbolt kayak

boats & gear / By Marek

Weather is getting warmer, but my local paddling pond is frozen. I didn’t have time to drive to the South Platte River which is probably flowing. So, I played with a kayak and a camera (Pentax Optio W10) in my backyard. Since the ground was covered by water in a white form, so I can …

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