The New Jackson Kayak Dynamic Duo

This week I finally got to try my Dynamic Duo! My Dad and I took it out on the South Fork of the American’s Chili Bar section with my Mom and our friends Colin and Hope Kemp. We had a blast! It was super stable and maneuverable and sliced through the holes like butter. We added two 200 bean Happy Seats and another set of hip pads so I could paddle it and both Dad and I were very comfortable. I started out kayaking class 2 rivers at the age of 3 in a tandem whitewater kayak and transitioned to my first Fun 1when I was 4. My parents were amazed at how I could eddy in and out and ferry on my own as well as read water which I had learned from kayaking in a Duo with my Dad. The Dynamic Duo is the perfect learning and training tool for anyone who wants to get on the water, and especially great for introducing your kids to one of the most fun sports a family can participate in!

American with the Girls

This week  I got to kayak the Chili Bar section of the South Fork of the American river with some of the greatest kayakers in the world!  My coach, world champ and Canadian champ Ruth Gordon, Australian champ Tonya Faux, my mom and dad, mom’s cousin Jessica, our friends Shelby and Brett and Ruth’s boyfriend Toby who was trying his shoulder out after surgery.  It was incredible watching Ruth and Tonya play at Maya and First Threat but the highlight was acing Trouble Maker with everyone watching me-Tonya even told me it was awesome!  One of the best parts too was the fact that we had more women paddling then men in our group.  That doesn’t happen very often.  See you on the river

Reno Home Town Throw Down #1

We had our first home town throw down and it was a big success!  These competitions are all about getting people out in the river to have fun and get wet.  Plenty of by standers stopped to watch as some people took it very seriously, and others were just there to have a good time.  I was the only junior but placed 3rd over all in the woman’s group-My Mom was last but had a good time too.  It was especially fun because my whole family competed and my Dad was also 3rd.  I hope to make the next one but might be on my way to Kernville for the Kern River Festival where I will race in my new Galasport glass boat for the first time!  Here is a link to the write up on Worldkayak.com.

http://worldkayakblogs.com/throwdown/2009/04/02/reno-hometown-throwdown-1/

Being Coached by World Campion Ruth Gordon!

This is turning out to be a very exciting year for kayaking!    It all started when I was asked to be on Team Reno for the Reno River Festival which meant I was going to be trained by the woman’s world champion, my adopted big sister Ruth Gordon.  I was going to be the the intermediate kayaker and there were 3 other people who were picked to be on the team who had never boated before.  Unfortunately, the sponsorship fell through and Team Reno was dissolved, but Ruth called me and asked if she could still train me to compete in the Rodeo!  I have been meeting her at the whitewater park on the Truckee river at least twice a week and am really getting good at spins and am trying to turn my plug into a loop.  It’s hard work but I am having so much fun.  I hope to have a loop and cartwheel by the Reno River Festival about a month away.  You can get information at renoriverfestival.com.

My Ski Race Season Wrap Up

Well, it’s been awhile since we updated The Sage Page, but we promise to stay a little more on top of it for kayak season.  Sage is a member of the JETS (Junior Expedition Team) at Kirkwood Mountain Ski Resort and competes in several different races in the season including a Rail Jam, GS, Banked Slalom, Skier cross and All Mountain Competition.  Sage (nickname Powder Day Sage because we are up there whenever it is snowing) managed to get two 3rd places this year, 1 in the Rail Jam and 1 in the All Mountain Competition.  As usual, she was the only female that managed to place in her age category which had over 60 kids total!  The All Mountain Competition was the highlight of the season.  The kid’s pick their own route off Norm’s Nose and are scored on their technique, aggressiveness and style.  Sage picked a route with a commitment chute on top, point and go until you can finally turn, then jumped off a large rock and finished it with a 180 jump over the lip of the finish line.  We quit skiing in March to commit to kayaking, but look forward to next year.  See ya on the river