Canoecopia 2011 kicks off the paddling season
At the Valley booth, with boats all around.
We’ve written about Canoecopia before. It’s the largest paddlesport expo in the world, held in Madison, Wisconsin. It attracts about 20,000 people who come to see the latest boats and gear, hear the presentations, and connect with paddling clubs, environmental organizations, and the community of fellow paddlers.…
read moreWhitewater and sea kayaking in Yorkville
Panoramic shot of the whitewater park and the new Geneva Kayak Outdoor Center.
Most of the time, we drive east to paddle on Lake Michigan. But yesterday, we went west to Yorkville, Ill.…
read moreAt last! A spray skirt that keeps the cockpit dry
The Avocet LV
Every boat has issues; part of being a paddler is troubleshooting your boat’s quirks. For me (Sharon), the Valley Avocet LV is an almost-perfect boat for coaching, day trips and playing in the waves.…
read moreLast-minute holiday gifts for paddlers
Too late to shop. What are you going to do?OK, there are only five days to Christmas. You waited too long to order anything, and you don’t want to go the mall.…
read moreHigh winds, big waves, spectacular ice
Sunday’s winds kept us off the water, but they didn’t keep us away from the marine forecast. We were riveted by the prospect of 22-foot waves. What would they leave behind?…
read moreChecking out the Chicago Harbor Lock repair
The Chicago Harbor Lock is a monumental structure. Designed and built in 1936 to 1938, it was part of the remarkable engineering feat that reverse the Chicago River so that the city’s sewage would flow away from Lake Michigan, not into it.…
read moreNow that’s an icebreaker
You know that uncomfortable feeling when you walk into a room and you aren’t really sure whom to talk to or what to say? What you need is the USCGC Mackinaw, designed to ram through 32 inches of solid ice or ten feet of brash ice, and to fully penetrate a ten-foot pressure ridge in less than half an hour. …
read moreWhitewater kayak class is in session
John Karch explaining whitewater basics to a pool full of students.This is week nine of the first of two 10-week whitewater kayaking courses offered by the Chicago Whitewater Association in the West Cook YMCA swimming pool.…
read moreA midwinter day’s paddle
As winter settles in, opportunities to paddle on Lake Michigan gain a certain urgency. Perhaps it’s because we don’t know how much longer we’ll have safe access to water in its liquid state; perhaps it’s because once we get out of the habit of bundling up and venturing out on bitter cold days, we’ll find it easier to make excuses for staying indoors. …
read moreIn search of surf
As winter approaches, we get more Canadian air in Chicago. When the winds are out of the northeast, Chicago gets the big waves; when they’re out of the northwest, Lower Michigan gets pounded.…
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