Huckin Perspective

Well less than one week now and we will be in the land of big clean waterfalls MEXICO. So I thought I should do a little update on the huckin (waterfall running) aspect of kayaking. For me huckin is my favourite aspect of kayaking, there is no better feeling than dropping a 70ft+ drop and styling the line, you cant beat that free fall feeling it just keeps you coming back for more.

I ran my first big waterfall back in 2010 Metlako Falls I was so dam scared, since then I have run many big drops. The more stouts you hit the better you get and yeah you do learn the hard way. I have taken some huge hits gone over the bars boofed etc......There is definitely an art to huckin and every drop is different. Its such a fine line between taking too little of a stroke or pulling a little hard on your paddle. Its just not hit and hope stuff there is total control to running big waterfalls.

In my opinion Evan Garcia has the art of waterfall running down better than anyone on this planet so styley so smooth, you very rarely see Evan mess up a drop.Yep that's why we call him EG the Killer!!!!

(Wabena Fall 70ft Royal Gorge North Fork of the American)

This is the last big one in Royal Gorge 9 off us fired this stout of that day,with some good and bad lines.I went over the bars and took the biggest hit I have probably ever taken, felt rather dizzy at the bottom all  was good though

(Heath 2 Royal Gorge)(image Robby Hogg)

Fred Norquist having a sick line off heath 2, going for the boof stomp

Fred is a stout master for sure!!!

(Twin Falls 65ft Fostall Creek BC) (Image Mathias Fossum)

(Skookum Falls BC 60ft) (image Mathias Fossum)

(Wainui 65ft) (image Greg Thomas) 

This river would have to be my favorite run back home.This thing only flows after very heavy rain fall. I first D this drop back in august 2010. Cant wait to get back in there!!

(Round 5 Sutherland Falls 60ft Revelstoke) (image Mikkel St.Jean Duncan)

( Ram Falls Alberta Canada) (imaged Bradley Lauder)

To date this is the largest drop I have run. Ram Falls is around the 90ft range. As soon as I laid my eyes on this stout I was pretty keen to give it ago, such a nice Roley lip, just couldn't walk away from this one. I managed to stick the line, held a big right stroke, got my monkey arms on felt it out tossed the paddle and slowly tuck and braced for impact.

Peter Thompson fired this thing off first and crushed the line big ups bro, followed by Dylan Thomson and then myself!!

 Started working on this post yesterday and today I found out that Peter Thompson had lost his life on the Cheakamus River."I am stoked I got to no you bro, your such a nice chill guy, your a hard charger for sure bro, had some sweet times paddling together bro. I will never forget when we were at the lip of Ram Falls and you called it out "I am fired up bro I am ready to go" You and Dylan paper scissors rock off and you won, walked straight to your boat and styled the shit out of the Falls

I know your out there somewhere still charging bro, you will never stop"!!!

RIP Peter Thomson

Will run a big stout for you bro!!!

This is hard to put into words. All extreme sports have high risk white water kayaking falls in this category. If you paddle at a high level you are going to be taking calculated risks.You can get away with alot paddling hard white water but you can also get unlucky and get caught out in so called freak accidents.You try to do everything possible to stay safe on the river and not let theses things happen. But for me you have to put it in perspective that what we do is very risky and if you run hard white water and push the limits your running a risk and that risk could mean drowning. Anyone out there can get caught out I have had 2 friends now drown within the past year and a bit. Paddling is my life and I am willing to take theses risks. If some freak accident happen to me tomorrow and say I drowned, I would be stoked in what I have have achieved so far in my life!!!

Well cant wait to get to Mexico I have been dreaming of making it there for a few years now and now its happening. Starting to get real excited, one whole month in Mexico then Chile, its going to be an epic one. Hopefully my body holds together!!!

PEACE