The Newest Thing in Multi Day Whitewater Paddling

I had put this together a little while ago. Its a video of almost the entire Liquidlogic Staff doing an overnight trip on the Chattooga. Its a 7 minute video of the trip. Its 15mbs and is pretty fun to watch I think. It also introduces the folks behind the scenes at LL. Missing are Woody who you all know, and Debbie who takes care of all of us at LL.
Sarah Ashworth is the President of Liquidlogic. She has been paddling for a while including whitewater, and teaching sea kayaking. She is a nervous class 3 paddler, but loves to get out there. This was her 2nd time down section 3 it was 2.0 ft.
Jill has been in customer service forever and is one of the most excited people about paddling that I know.
Elliot is our newest addition to customer service. She came from one of our retail stores. Rock Creek in Chattanooga.
You know Johnnie, Whitney, Maria, and Myself.
Steve Jordan is in charge of sales and has been in the industry forever. He has paddled all over and is paddling the CR 125 proto in this video.
Beaz is an old friend of ours. Who had just returned from helping with relief in India from the Tsunami.
Nick and Dominique are Maria's family. Whitney and I have been paddling with those guys for the last 12+ years.
Youngblood was just checking out whitewater for the first time. How about that second day on whitewater he runs second ledge, pretty cool.

Anyway enough of that. I just thought it would be fun video for you all to check out.
So instead of the age old debate of hole boat versus wave boat how about a whole new category.
Whitewater Touring.
Whitewater Touring with Liquidlogic!

The Winners of the LL Ultimate Hook Up Video Contest!

So I started showing the videos at Gauley Fest. I had just about finished showing them all when total chaos fell upon the booth but that is another story and I hope there isn't any video or photos of that. All I can stay is the LL booth stayed packed for most the night and it was a very fun evening.
This year was so much harder than last year. We had so many good entries put in this year. I didn't know what to do. There were 3 or 4 strong entrants in each category and I didn't know where to start but after thinking about hard on the drive home and most of yesterday here is what we have come up with.

The Finalist in Creeking Were
Montana Video, Click This!
This video is chock full of good footage. Some very hard stuff run. Well put together, and I liked the music. The only thing I would say I negative is that I wish there was something more than just whitewater porn. There were also a couple shots that were over exposed. Since it is so close I have to look at everything. I like the endless search part of it.
Northwest Invitation, Click This!
This is a very clean production. Obviously somebody has some nice equipment in this group. Very slick, nice LL logo, nice shots. They are calling us out on not being out there paddling and representing more. The only thing I would say is that the shots used were shots we have all seen a million times, except the angle they used on Spirit Falls that was sweet.
River Pigs, Click This!
River Pigs is another super slick production. The interview was different and the guys accent makes it really different. I have to say there might have been a little too much talking and not enough paddlling. The shot of the double falls was awesome. That is a great shot. I wish there was a little more paddling.
Between Swims, Click This!
Between swims is a nice humble look at running the hard stuff. Because we are all inbetween swims. I like it.


The Finalists in Freestyle Were:
Small Town Boys, Click Here!
Awesome playboating. A few locations that I haven't seen. I like throwing in different things like the jumps that are rediculous and the seal launch, as well as the playboats running some big water. The Music was a little weak though boys.
Brendan Garvey, Click This!
This video was hard to place because it had alot of everything. I liked the music a ton mixed with the old movie effect.
There was good playboating, and some creeking. Rumour has it this boat was sent in for warranty? That seems a little iffy. Especially if its the boat in that last shot. The only thing I would say about this video is that I have seen alot of these places many times before. So I hope to see new angles when I do see them again.
Guillaume The Canadian, Click Here!
Guillaume is hands down one of the sickest C boaters in the land. I liked the use of many different playspots. The editing was tight with the music. I liked the photos, night shots, ramp mixed in. The music was almost really good but got annoying. However it sounded original which I think is very cool.



The Finalists in Humour Were:
Avid Kayaker Video, Click Here!
I have said it from the beginning. This video rocks. Music is perfect. The guy is goofy as hell, and the editing is great.
The only thing I would say is I wish there were more stunt shots like falling into the tree. I cry everytime I see that.
Searching For Water, Click Here!
Another very proffessional video. Very well edited. Funny voice over. Beautiful shots. The Sand Monsters Got Away?
This video is very creative. I really like that.
Team Class 10, Click This!
Team Class 10 another super funny video. This is probably the hardest category for me because I liked all of these so much.
I laughed my ass off with this one as well. I didn't think the beginning titles fit with the rest of the video very well. After the titles this video rocks.



The Winners are:


Creeking
Northwest Invitation, Click This!
Freestyle
Small Town Boys, Click Here!
Humour
I couldn't decide between these two. So they both win.
Avid Kayaker Video, Click Here!
Team Class 10, Click This!


THE OVERALL WINNER AND WINNER OF TWO FREE BOATS IS:
Between Swims, Click This!


If you are one of the winning teams give us a call here at LL and ask for Shane or Jill.


I have to tell you all that this year the contest was awesome. The videos that were sent in were incredible. I love getting my mail in the morning and seeing good fun with kayaks with a cup of coffee. I can't wait till the videos start coming in for next years contest. I hope to keep making it bigger and better.
Shane

Cheoah River Release 2005

The Cheoah is one of those runs that we all wanted to do when I worked at NOC. We had heard some stories from back before the drought when it ran huge and there were big waves and holes and stuff. It was one of those things you thought might never happen. But a few years ago I actually did get on it from a bunch of natural flow and it was a blast. So I did have a little heads up on what the run was going to be like. It was fun, a little pushy, some technical rapids, and a few places where one rapid runs into another.

Another release coming up this Saturday. The shuttle should be smoother and more people know the lines. There were thousands of little fun holes and waves as well as some fun rapids. I don't think the new team guy is coming this time.
Here is the link to the video. Its in a new Quicktime format so you will need to have Quicktime 7.
It is the only way I could make a 4 plus minute long video only 9mb.
I showed this at Gauley Fest.
First Cheoah Release Video, Click This!

LL Contest Videos VOLUME 5 9/22

So the videos keep coming. I am trying to keep up. Trying to put them all up but I can convert them. I am wallowing in videos but the best are getting up there and a few aren't but I will have them at the fest. Woody and I are working on it. Deciding. We understand that this is paddling livelyhood. We know that your creeking, playboating futures may rely on this decision. We are taking it very seriously. Here are a few more that we found entertaining.


Andy Hill a young ripper from the north land sent this in. I don't think he has been paddling very long at all and look at what he is doing. Can't wait to see what he is doing in a few more years. Nicely done.
Big Fish Video, Click This


Rumours is a creeking vid with lots of good footage. Its one of the many awesome creeking vids this year. What the hell are we going to do this year in the creeking category.
Rumours Video, Click This


Will brought out the stage props early in this video. Mostly filmed on one location gotta respect that. Isn't trying to blow us away with location just paddle illustration.
Will Video, Click This
check them out.
Shane

New Team Paddler on the Cheoah!

Here is the link. You are not going to believe it.
You will never believe who it is.
LL's New Team Paddler

More Vids For the LL Video Contest

The Contest is heating up. There are now quite a few entries. If you entered but your video isn't up here I will do my best. I am putting up the best videos and the ones that are in quicktime. It is a little bit of a mission to convert them. Check them all out and let me know what you think. Woody and I have the final say on who wins but we will take some voting into consideration. Its not hard to tell who is seeding the vote. You know who you are. I like it. Makes it fun all around.
Great videos everybody.


These guys put in a video last year and won the creeking segment of this contest and they are trying to get the top honors.
Another very good entry this year. We will just have to wait to see how they do.
Montana Video, Click This!


Between swims is a great flick. Nice shots and as the title says a couple swims.
Between Swims, Click This!


Nice one team class 10. Remember that time?
Team Class 10, Click This!


This is a very high end video. Very nice footage and very well put together. Super clean, super slick.
River Pigs, Click This!


A little stab at us for not representing up in the Northwest enough. Nice video also. This is getting harder by the video.
Northwest Invitation, Click This!


Brendan Garvey stopped by and dropped off a video. Its a really nice mix of footage from a few different years. Including some recent tough lines and nice playboating.
Brendan Garvey, Click This!


Again keep checking all the vids and sending in your votes for the winners in the 4 categories.
Overall
Creeking
Playboating
Humour
LL Forum Click This!
Later
Shane

More Liquidlogic Video Contest Entrants

The past week I probably recieved 20 new videos. Here are more of those entries. I think you will like all of these. They range all around 10mbs so if you are a slow hook up don't do it. Some movies made load completely before they play be patient.

The first video is from Quebec and this guy rips. He is a C-1 paddler that is really out there doing the latest stuff but with a single blade. Check it out.
Guillaume The Canadian, Click Here!


Here is a video of a awesome young paddler, Chan Jones. Looks like he caught some good water this year. Very well edited and put together video.
Chan Jones Video, Click Here!


What would an LL video contest be without a Foam boat video. This time he is running the $#!@%^%$&$@!^%$*&).!
Foamie Video, Click Here!


Gus for Bubba is a sweet creeking video shot in the Southeast and in Colorado. Another tightly edited piece.
Gus For Bubba, Click Here!


Will sent this video in from Afghanistan. Which I beleive was shot in Tajikistan and I am sure I mispelled both of these.
Kind of a scary video and the whole thing just brings up more paddling hazards like automatic weapon fire and is that a throw bag they are throwing at you.
Kayakistan Video, Click Here!


Last but not least the Avid Kayaker. I have to admit I was a little worried when this first popped on the screen but I ended up laughing my ass off. It is a sweet video with awesome us of alternative water sources.
Avid Kayaker Video, Click Here!



You all can have a big impact on who wins this video. Woody and I are deciding on the winners this week and would love your input. Put you vote in on the forum. I will put up a discussion topic.
Shane
Liquidlogic Forum, Click Here!

A Few Contenders for the LL Ultimate Hook Up Video Contest!

The first one is super creative and very well put together. Not a paddling video but fun to watch.
Searching For Water, Click Here!


Bodaboda is a foreign vid with footage from Hawaii Sur Rhone and The White Nile in Uganda.
Bodaboda, Click Here!


Small Town Boys is a great playboating video with some great stuff from skook and some river running from parts I don't know.
Small Town Boys, Click Here!


The Ditch has a warm spot in my heart because these guys are making it happen with what they have. Nice work on a drainage ditch to make a good play hole. Nice work.
The Ditch, Click Here!



All these videos are well put together and are up for the award of winning the 2005 LL Ultimate Hook Up Video Contest
There are 4 categories
Overall
Freestyle
Creeking
Humour

The Overall winner gets a Free Boat
The other category winners recieve a pro deal and other great prizes like, Woody's old booties.

You can still enter if you send in a Quicktime movie that is 400X300 and less than 15mb soon.
Email it to me at shane@liquidlogickayaks.com

Shane

Taking the Cross River to Canada.

Okay I have been on the road for a while so its time for a little more info on the CR series as well as some other stuff thats been going on.
I drove up to Canada a couple weeks ago to do a few things. I wanted to paddle the CR in a little bigger water and on some waves to just get a feel of where we were in that aspect now that we have gone through 5 different versions of the Cross River including hulls with no disk, progressive rocker, and all that stuff. What I figured out is that the spin disk is still the way to go. The CR is much looser with the disk and I don't have to put such a wide flat hull on the boat to get that looseness. What that allows me is the ability to make a forgiving boat that is still loose and easier to edge. It doesn't feel like some huge box that you are trying to paddle downstream. Nor do you have to sacrifice performance for looseness and edging. That extra width also messes with your roll.


So anyway here are the things that I have really grown to like.
1. It is comfortable. I was paddling in it all day and not having to get out for anything.
2. It was still very playful. I could flatwater cartwheel it. I could actually flatwater loop it and I am not that good at it.
3. It paddled on the wave very well. I actually chose it over a playboat some days because it was faster for catching flatter waves. In fact both of the guys that were paddling them in this video were actually psyched enough to choose them some days as well.
Zack the guy in the blue boat in the video actually asked me specifically if he could paddle it several days including wave sessions, and a couple of river runs. That was, I think, a good indicator of where it is right now. Which is, playful, comfy, and getting very close to being done.

I also paddled with Pat Camblin in the CR. That will be a post for another time.

Here is the video of Tom and Zack playing on the Ottawa. You can also check out some river running footage.
Cross Rivers on the Ottawa, Click Here!
Cross Rivers on the Green, Click Here!

More to come...
Shane

Cross Rivers on the Ottawa and the 3 Legged Chicken Man

I just got a couple photos the other day of the CR 125 on the river.
I had Polk Deters. All 64 185 pounds of him and Zack from the World
Class Kayaking Academy checking out the latest version of the CR 125.
So I figured I would throw up some pictures. Since I haven't gotten the video
edited yet. I should be able to get it loaded up in the next week as well as an up date
on the Ottawa River Festival Event.





Oh yeah I forgot to show you all this video I got of the 3 legged Chicken man the other
day on the Chattooga. The footage of the 3 legged chicken isn't that cool but the dude that
showed us the 3 legged chicken was a classic.
I hope you enjoy.
Shane
3 Legged Chicken Man Video Link

Taking the New LL Boats for a Spin.

Just before leaving to head up to Canada for some playboating I took a trip down the Green with the local boys. Nate Elliot, Daniel Dela, and Tommy jumped into the CRs decided they were going to really see if they could run a river. So the first real river run for proto number 4 was the green at 200%.
Now you might say to yourself so what these guys have run it a million times. But still its the Green at 200%. After the trip Daniel proceded to take the CR down the Green everyday for the rest of the week. He was addicted. The final day he did 5 runs down the Green in one day in the CR. He said he still felt really comfortable running the river, and it made everything so much more fun. Here is a video from the first day.
Cross Rivers on the Green
Later Shane