So this year was the first time I changed paddles in ten years. I have stuck with my foam-filled AT2 standard for a long time and I think most people will tell you, once you get used to something it’s hard to change. With my summer plan to be on the road, and finally having a chance to get out to the California wilderness, I decided I needed to make the change to something I could feel really confident about when SHTF. Werner was the obvious choice for the strongest most reliable paddles in the industry. While the largest majority of my friends went with the straight-shaft Powerhouse, I had a friend hand me their bent-shaft Sherpa on the river one day and I was hooked. The slightly smaller blades than the Powerhouse made it a little bit more forgiving and the bent shaft is simply what I know how to use. The switch to the different style of Werner vs. AT bent shaft was no problem. By the end of the first day the Werner felt just as natural in my palm like I had been using it all along. The confidence of Werner’s continuous weave fiberglass meant I wasn’t checking my paddle for dings or cracks after every day on the river. After a full season from coast to coast I’ll never look back to my old paddles. When paddling in areas of high commitment and risk you just have to eliminate anything from your equipment that could fail you. A Werner paddle is that piece that you can hold season after season and feel good about.

Fantasy Falls

For my playboating blade I got the Double Diamond. The DD is a full carbon construction with double Dynel edging and a layer of Kevlar. The foam filled blades are the only way to go for playboating whether on a wave or in a hole. The biggest difference I noticed switching to this paddle was how light and stiff it was. The super stiff paddle made moves precise and sharp. The blade shape is smooth and perfect for fast vertical strokes.

Glenwood Wave

Finally, I also use Werner for Stand Up Paddling. The same construction that makes their creeking paddles so bomber goes into their paddles for SUP. I see countless blades from the other surf companies with blown out seams and chipped edges. I’ve got two full seasons on my fiberglass Carve. I can push off rocks, get rocked to the beach surfing and it doesn’t show a bit of wear. I suppose my point is, when you use Werner paddles, you’re more worried about picking the right line and pulling the next move. The paddles just do their job.

Big Sur

Many people got to check them out firsthand at Gauley festival and see Jordan out there tearing it up. Liquidlogic is working on a new composite playboat. It doesn’t have a name and the only mission for Shane with the boat is to keep testing till it’s perfect and figure it out after that. We had an awesome set of sessions on Garburator Wave with the level holding at -1 feet. Here are some of Shane’s shots from the sessions and the video with Jordan Poffenberger absolutely killing it.

And a couple of shots I found from round 1 testing at Glenwood Wave in June.

So in addition to all the other work going on in the Liquidlogic factory. Shane has been at it on another little beauty as well. It doesn’t even have a name but it’s sure to get your attention. Here is a quick teaser from a session at M Wave. Thanks to Brianne Horton for shooting the video. We also took them up to the Ottawa and that footage will be up soon!

Currently Brianne and I are in Hood River volunteering as the photographer for a First Descents camp located up at the Panorama Lodge. These are an amazingly inspirational group of people that drive me to continue to raise money and awareness for such an awesome program. If you don’t know who they are, please click on my banner, find out, and donate to help change someone battling cancers life.

With the camp starting on Thursday we came in early to hang with family and get some laps on the little white. The little white salmon, I believe, is in the top 5 favorite rivers for anyone that’s been lucky enough to set foot here. It has long boulder-garden rapids, steep horizon lines, clean boofs, and everything else in between. It makes for the perfect place to showcase and test Liquidlogics latest creation the Stomper 90! The new Stomper 90 is the perfect addition to fill your quiver of LL boats. It takes the ability to boof over everything that the Jefe Grande brings, the speed and agility of the Remix, and adds it’s own special flavor with it’s flat hull and unique edge profile. It is by far the fastest whitewater kayak I have ever paddled. It has changed the way I paddle and I continue to learn new and amazing things as I get more comfortable running a flat-hulled creeker. It will be coming out around August and will be the perfect addition to the Remix or Grande you have already or will be purchasing soon. Here are some GoPro photos from a couple of laps down and an edit rocking my new Black Ops Jefe Grande and of course the Stomper 90.

One of the awesome views down the river.

A cool action shot.

Geoff Calhoun representing for Demshitz on the L dub.

When in Rome…brown.

Here is the edit. Stomper 90 on the lil-white. Be aware, music may have lyrics not suitable for small children. My gear seems to be running a black and yellow theme this year so it’s only fitting.