Had a great day paddling the Versaboard with Brianne down Glenwood canyon. The board is so stable, we had to fight over who got to paddle it. Here is a fun video from the day. We are now guiding trips down the Canyon, so if you are interested in taking a lesson or trip check out Alpine Quest Sports.

Enjoy the short Vid:

Liquidlogic Versaboard on the Colorado River from ross herr on Vimeo.

Took the Versaboard down the Colorado River on a cloudy day. Stand Up Paddling is the perfect way to spend days relaxing on the river.

Alpine Quest Sports is now guiding trips down beautiful Glenwood Canyon. Check out www.alpinequestsports.com for details.

It feels great to be back home in Colorado where I have access to so many awesome rivers. On Sunday I was finally able to get out on my Versa Board. Man was I blown away by this thing. This is the first time that I felt really stable SUP’ing down the river. With the skeg flipped up I was able to turn on a dime and maneuver anywhere I wanted. Then drop that baby down and it’ll go straight for days.

From the first look I thought that because of the foot slots and seat position that it would be difficult to move around on the deck. I quickly threw that thought out the door when I walked all the way to the nose and “hanged ten” with no trouble at all! This board rocks and I even had my brother hop on it. This was his first time ever SUP’ing and after 2 minutes turning around in the eddy he was ready to leave me behind and head down stream! A great testament to show that anyone can do this, don’t be shy.

Here are some pictures of my home river, the Eagle right here in Gypsum, CO.

Me Versa Boarding it up in my back yard.

This thing is stable!

It took my brother less than ten seconds to start smiling. He was pumped to get going down the river.

Matt cruising down stream, not a worry in the world.

I can’ wait to take this thing down to Glenwood and surf it up. What a fun new way to explore the rivers.

I took my last final on Thursday and to say the least, I’m ready for a break. This last semester has been brutal between no water in the Midwest creeking season, and a huge school workload. Somehow I was able to complete my Stand Up Paddle Board project just in time. Here are the pictures of the final project.
-pouring the resin first layer of glass

-sanding…lots of sanding…

-more resin

-and there is the final project

-now to load up the truck… Pick up Issac and Begin the trip home!

There is the sweet fleet for the summer. 1 Remix Hungee, 1 Jefe Grande, and 1 Biscuit 55. Can’t wait to get my Versa Board up there too!
Now off to film Issac Levinson kill it at the Wausau Team Trials. and begin filming for Driven. I can’t wait to get home and start an awesome summer of whitewater boat riding. If you haven’t checked out the teaser for DRIVEN, here it is below. Some clips from last season; I can’t wait to do even more this year.

See you on the Rivers

Driven Teaser from ross herr on Vimeo.

Kayaking is a lifestyle and a sport. The people you meet, the places you go, and the things you do all drive you in some way. Follow this story and find out, what drives us.

A free 5 part web series.

Premiering April, 2010

kayakingRoss.com

Boat choice is super difficult with all the choices out there today. I am hoping to share my thoughts on my favorite boat and hopefully help you make your decision with less sleepless nights.
I am 6 feet tall, 185lbs, size 11 feet, and a 32 inch inseam.

-me trying to impress my girlfriend, with no success-

For starters, THE CARTWHEEL IS NOT DEAD! Anyone that tells you, “no kayak cartwheels well anymore” is just trying to sell you a boat that sucks at it. The biscuit is very well balanced for both flat water and cartwheeling in holes. There is nothing better than kicking it old school and throwing split-wheels and cartwheels as clean as you can. That said, there is also no new move the Biscuit can not master.

Secondly, the edge profile is very unique to the Biscuit. It is incredibly loose and easy to turn yourself and maneuver in a hole. On a wave you have to initiate onto the edge a little more aggressively to get the bumper to grab and throw you airborne, but it is totally worth the effort! The extra stiffness the outer bumper adds is awesome and adds to the total smoothness of the ride, especially in larger features.

In total I would tell anyone looking for a new playboat to hop in the Biscuit. The Bad Ass Outfitting holds you in snug and the Cone of Comfort keeps your toenails right where they belong…on your toes. Especially if you are just getting into learning some tricks to impress the ladies, the Biscuit is the most forgiving model out there.

SIZING

I got my Biscuit early in the spring last year so I was able to get many great days in it. I paddle the Biscuit 55. I talked with Shane about which size would be best for me and we decided on the 55 without me ever sitting in it. Then this spring I was able to go to Eternity hole with both a 65 and 55 for a little comparative analysis. By switching between the two sizes I was able to really see the pros of each boat and I ended up deciding on the 55 again for this year.

The 55 for my weight was more balanced cartwheeling. When a boat is too big for you, (this goes for any playboat) you will begin to bob up and down as each end hits the water, this makes it much more difficult to control and I found myself flushing out more frequently. An overthruster definitely helps me experience more pop in my 55 but I don’t over-due it. Most of the time I forget to even grab an overthruster, when I do it’s just a float bag between my legs.

The 65 did have advantages when it came to moving around on the river. If you are doing a lot of downriver play and not worried about throwing it around effortlessly than going bigger might be for you. It was incredibly comfortable, (like watching football in a recliner) and ferried much easier.

Here are some pics of Fred Norquist and I in our Biscuit 55′s. And don’t forget, you can check out more Biscuit action this summer with DRIVEN. Teaser here