Maine Paddling Connection Blog
The Sandy River flows for 73 miles from the Sandy River Ponds out near Rangeley, to the Kennebec River in Norridgewock. One of its best know features is Smalls Falls, a series of gorgeous waterfalls with vertical drops and the site of Smalls to the Wall, a steep creek paddling race held annually in the spring.
Read MoreRecently I had the pleasure of working with Peter Sawtell of Seven Rivers Paddling to manage risk and safety on the paddling sections of Untamed New England, an iconic adventure race that took place on the New Hampshire Seacoast this year.
Read MorePortland Maine is a wonderful paddling destination. This year I once again ran a Level 1-2 American Canoe Association SUP Instructor Certification Workshop in Portland. Nine instructor candidates, myself and an assistant spent June 8-10 on Portland's East End completely geeking out on standup paddleboarding.
Read MoreI've written blog posts about Black Canyon in the past. I don't always say a lot, but the fact that I keep on returning to this incredible paddling destination pretty much says it all.
Read MoreThis group was no different and I've already spent time paddling with some of them. We had a pretty intense session over three full days with some very skilled and knowledgeable personalities. Group learning at its best!
Read MoreJewell Island is a 221 acre island named for George Jewell and sits on the outer edge of Casco Bay, an eight mile paddle from Portland, ME. According to history, he traded a bottle of rum to the local indians for it in 1636 and used it a fishing base.
Read MoreIn June I moved to Maine, completed my work on the California 100 and joined the board of directors for Rivers for Change. Shortly after I decided if I was going to work with an organization built upon a founding principle of source to sea literacy, I ought to see what a source to sea is all about. After mentioning it to founding board member Danielle Katz, her immediate response went something like "yes, absolutely, yes lets do it!".
Read More"No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man."
Heraclitus said it so certainly and believed strongly in change in the universe. I experienced universal change very clearly on this trip.
Read MoreI've been working on a system for SUP traveling for some years and at every step I've made changes to improve it. My parameters are simple. It needs to be 50 pounds or less, it needs to hold everything I need for a trip and it cannot include any unnecessary equipment.
Read MoreOn a recent canoe camping trip to a class I & II section of the St. Croix river in New Brunswick we brought along a Red Paddleboards 9'2" Surfstar for some added fun. This was my first time traveling on water with an additional board, although it's the main reason I got this board in the first place.
Read MoreI've been working hard in the paddle sports industry for 15 years. In that time I've never considered it a career, although it has accounted for a large percentage of my income each year. I've met many wonderful people through this sport including many of my best friends.
Read MoreAfter a five-day cross-country drive listening to a Short History of Nearly Everything, sleeping in the backseat of my Subaru at truck stops with everything I own and toting 5 standup paddleboards and a bike on a trailer behind me I arrived in Maine only to find out I still had another hour and a half to go.
Read MoreI'm leaving town soon so when I got the call from Gretchen to do one more paddle before I left, there was one particular paddle I had in mind. Looking at currents and weather, everything appeared perfect for a trip going west and then east.
Read MoreI haven't paddled this route since, I don't know, 2006 maybe? It's been awhile and I've been wanting to standup paddle it for a long time. It's a gorgeous stretch of coastline with beautiful waves & scenery. Since Federico recently finished restoring his classic thirteen foot prone paddleboard from the 70's/80's, it was the perfect time to partner up and make the trek.
Read MoreBack in November last year Tim Chandler of TRY Standup and myself started talking about an ACA L3 Surf SUP Instructor Certification Course in California. California is known for surf and this course has never been delivered in this state. A few months of back and forth emails and Tim was at work organizing and hosting the course.
Read MoreWhen three days disappear in a blink, you know it's fun. We had a solid group of eleven made up of eight candidates and three Instructors. The real kicker for this weekend is that every single person brought something to the course, most notably their fun personalities and willingness to learn and contribute.
Read MoreMonths ago I got an email from Jeff Burton that basically said "we should put on a downwind camp." Time passed and we brainstormed, put together a basic curriculum and eventually evolved the idea into a 3-day Tomales Bay Downwind Camp with friends who were interested in learning more, getting some focused practice, sharing ideas and having some fun.
Read MoreWhat an awesome weekend. There was just so much good energy being passed around Steamer Lane this weekend that it would've been difficult to not have fun and feel refreshed. I had a blast spending time in and out of the water with friends, watching the pros compete and scoring some fun rides on well-formed Santa Cruz waves - a rare treat.
Read MorePaddling is so awesome. Today I co-lead the second California 100 Training Clinic of the season with Elaine Baden, a great paddling coach with a ton of experience and comfort on the river. Our styles meshed well with each other and the 14 students and 2 assistants we paddled with. 18 of us put in on the Sacramento River at Posse Grounds in Redding, CA and worked our way downriver, sharing technique and strategy along the way.
Read MoreFifteen years ago when I was in my first year of paddling I got some great advice from a mentor. "Don't worry about the certifications" he said, "focus on your paddling." From that point on I've never taken an assessment until I was absolutely, positively sure I was ready and able to pass.
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