Thursday, May 17, 2007

CALIFORNIA MAGIC!



-At the put in. Day one- Californian season-15th May 07





So we have been here just over 5 days now and already been in the thick of it! Word was out that the Kaweah rivers were going to be in on monday this week so we met up with some USA guys headed down the freeway 6hours to sequoia National park area.


-B running 'Double drop'





On Tuesday morning we put on the East fork on the kaweah river. Apparently one of the top one day runs in california, the East fork of the Kaweah river was a big step up for the first run of the season. With a great crew and much anticipation we took 6hours to make our way to the take out.
The first part of the day we bombed down some classy 10-20foot drops and slides and the odd 30footer.



-Sam Sutton stepping up and running 'Triple Drop'





By mid morning we made it to 'triple drop'. A crux drop with 3 sections. A steep drop entry into a slide into a big hole, followed by a recirculating pool and down a final slide. Sam stepped up first and styled it, no worries.
Not far from there we took out and portaged our boats around a unrunnable gorge and down to a lunch site.




-Nick Wimset on 'Triple drop'











-Nick in the middle of 'Tripple Drop'








After lunch we had our first mishap of the trip. We entered a drop with sever consequences followed by a large narrow 35foot waterfall. Unfortunatly mike was stopped at the bottom of the waterfall and nick landed on him. both now being recirculated and with time swimming out into the pool. With everyone else now at the bottom of the drop i was able to stop in an eddy at the top of the drop. I now had to be directed by brendans hand signals off this drop blind of what was at the bottom.
An amazing drop! so clean.





Nick on one of the hundreds of un-named drops.







Not far from here we took out at the next crux and usually portaged drop on the river. This waterfall apparently only ever paddled once before looked good to me and brendan thought the same. With the rest of the team on safety along the bank and above a cave below the drop Brendan and I put back in our boats and paddled now named 'fugly falls'. I peeled out and hit my line that I chose, slide off a slab rock and then it was white out. Impact followed by turbulance! I was clear of the falls and i had stuck it!




Josh Neilson- 'Fugly falls'







Brendan followed suit with a similar line.




Brendan Bayly on 'Fugly falls'







A bit further on we were met with another situation where mike came down this rapid and made it sweet and looked back upstream to watch the next person come down and was swept into an unknown undercut. With a bit of time her came up and out of the undercut but it took us about 30mins of rope work and a bit of kiwi ingenuity to finally free the boat and finish the final mile of the creek down 6ofoot slides and boulder gardens.





-Another Beautiful Gorge on the East fork












-Nick in amongst it







This run definatly stepped up to its reputation and by far one of my best river runs ever!
The next day we hit the Middle fork of the Kaweah, which was a good chill day after the east fork.


-Middle fork on second day - Tim Copplestone on the drop, B in the cave running safety.





Now we are back in Coloma fixing the van and off to south silver tomorrow. Next week we might be back down to the middle Kaweah to run a multi day run on the dinky creek waterfalls section or on royal gorge of the american.
More updates soon
take care to everyone
peace
Josh

Friday, May 11, 2007

WORLD CHAMPS 2007!



Josh Neilson- 2007 World Champs- Buseater- Ottawa river





Internet has been down for a while now and the world champs is over. Since then A crew of 10 Kiwis loaded up 2 big vans and went on a road trip to niagra Falls and crossed into USA and headed back up to montreal where we have been checking out the city and surfing the waves at lachine on the st Laurence river.


-Competition site





So the worlds was Last week now and was a super happy day for me! i was in heat 5 along with fellow kiwi Sam sutton and a bunch of other people from round the world. My first 3 rides were ok with a few good moves but flushing off the wave soon after. My final wave was such a cool feeling.




-The Tow In







I grapped the tow rope and could hear everyone screaming from the bank next to me. As soon as the Rope tightens you must rail the kayak to the Left and hold on tight! The tension on the rope swings you out into the middle of the river and when you feel yourself dropping into the pit of the wave you let go and your time starts. My final ride consisted of 'Air blunts' both sides a couple of big 'Pan-am's' some spins and a front flip. It was not enough to forward me to the semi finals but was enough to make me have the biggest smile on my face! I was so stoked to be there!


-The Tow in









-Josh Neilson- Ride 4- Pan-am









-Josh Neilson








The next 2 days saw the juniors and women compete and then all the finals on the last day! It was amazing to watch some of the top kayakers pull off moves that freestyle competitions have never seen before!
The world champs at 'Buseater' wave on the ottawa river has changed the bench mark for freestyle kayaking and i was so happy to be part of it!




-Red Bull jetski- Brooks getting some air






Pedro-Team Brazil meeting the Red Bull Girls. Classic Dude!





THANK YOU to everyone who has helped me get here and represent NZ at this event. Also thanks for checking out my blog along the way and the ongoing emails!



-Getting Air in the New Specialist




For now it is off to ottawa airport where i will sleep the night before flying to California for some more steep creeking and hot summer days!
keep an eye out on here for updates on the rest of the trip!









HUGE THANKS TO:
-Bliss-stick kayaks
-KEEN footwear
-Canoe and Kayak New Zealand
-Hydraulics
-FAMILY!!!!
-everyone who supported my Kayak film show and the Malaria clinic!
THANK YOU!!!

Tuesday, May 1, 2007

Official training day









Hey all today was official training day on the buseater wave where the competition will be tomorrow. Every country was designated an exclusive time on the wave relevant to the number in the team. As the nz team is small we were paired up with Sweden and had the 1pm time for an hour.



-Yappa- Pan-am



(BLISS-STICK 'Specialist)




Yappa - pistol Flip



(BLISS-STICK 'Specialist)







-Yappa- Airscrew



(BLISS-STICK 'Specialist)






- Brendan Bayly- Air blunt


(BLISS-STICK 'RAD-180')

For anyone out there wanting to know what this boat is like I definatly think this boat is great!
It is not as fast down the face of the wave as the RAD series but makes up for that in its potential to get big bounceas it realeases from the wave with ease. Its shorter than all the rads but added volume in the cockpit giving more space for larger boaters and a more stable body position.
With a new rail design this boat carves round the wave smoothly and releases well. A great feature to this boat is that is surfs backwards a lot better than the rad.
More updates from the boat soon.




-Nick Boyes- clean blunt


(BLISS-STICK 'RAD-180')





Josh neilson- tow in


(BLISS-STICK 'Specialist)

I have decided to switch kayaks and now using Bliss-sticks new boat the Specialist which i trained in today! LOVE IT! Its still white and still looks very nice!



-Josh neilson - Pan-am


(BLISS-STICK 'Specialist)






-Yappa- Airscrew


(BLISS-STICK 'Specialist)

So tomorrow is the day we have been waiting for! I am in heat five so late in the day.
Thank you all for your support!