Locust Fork Invitational Canoe and Kayak Races 2010

The Locust Fork Invitational kicks off the Alabama Slalom series of races which consists of 3 race events culminating to make the "Alabama Cup." This year the original date scheduled was last weekend (feb 6-7) which was rescheduled due to high water (who would have thought a white water event there could be too much water?) to the weekend of Feb 13-14. And as the weekend rolls around it turns out we were predicted 1-4" of snow. Combine the two and you have a recipe for a low turn out, in both spectators and racers but we still had a HUGE low country shrimp boil friday night followed by a great time throughout the weekend.........And to top it all off my division, Mens Championchip C1, was the first division to race on Saturday and i was lucky bib #1..... needless to say it was quite brisk, but beautiful and fun nonetheless.Despite the abnormal weather conditions and the low numbers of spectators and even racers, i think its safe to say all in attendance had a great time myself included. And with a first place finish in my division im all smiles.
So to sum up my complete weekend..... i got to playboat with a good buddy at a great spot while the snow was falling, got to do a little Alabama back country snowboarding with a some decent log grinds, and compete in the first event of the "Alabama Cup" slalom races the Locust Fork Invitational 2010. And when you put it all together it = a GREAT TIME!!!!

-BIG THANKS- to Chip and Joel for letting me use the Vajda its a sweet boat!
Also to Tyler and Jessica for letting me crash in the warmth of your home
-charlie-

Kayak Little River Canyon- "Suicide Section"

Kayak Little River Canyon - "Suicide Section" from charlie simmons on Vimeo.

Danny Flynt, Charlie Simmons, and Charlie Mix....

kayaking Little River Canyon- Suicide Section rapid by rapid
Filmed by: Charlie Simmons
Music: Pepper

Little River Canyon has it all big water, big moves, and more- here is a taste of what its like to go in at a lower level which offers technical concentrated lines exposing sieves and undercuts that are normally out of play

-enjoy-
Charlie

Ophion Paddles does it again..... SUP Paddle Blade

So getting more into Sup-ing or Stand Up Paddle boarding I have created the need for a GREAT PADDLE. Currently in the Stand Up Paddle Boarding market the paddles have a very vast range in both price range (anywhere from $40-$500) as well as paddle uses(from flat water, to touring, to racing, to whitewater) and even with such a huge market base it still hasn't been

easy finding the right paddle for me. Being both a white water paddler, and an avid canoeist i have combined my experience and knowledge combined with Sasa Rejec owner and designer of Ophion Paddles and together we have come up with a paddle blade that i think will both meet needs of strength, use, and paddle bite; and all the while still weighing in with the lightest of them!Materials will be optional, the above shown blade is made of carbon fiber, and other possible options are fiber glass, and even kevlar and same for shaft options.

-BELOW- Photos of Me and fellow Sup paddlers Zach Sanders and Wes Littlefield testing the Ophion SUP blade-
This blade was built well for white water use, testing GREAT on slides, surfs, holes, river running and even water falls. The strength alone seems virtually "unbreakable" and being based off an already popularly demanded canoe paddle blade, its sure to make a great name for itself amongst Stand Up Paddlers world wide!
The conclusion amongst all of us is that is in fact a SUP-ER SUP paddle! If you are interested in trying one out PLEASE let me know and I will be glade to let you , as I would love more feedback!
-Video to come soon-

-Shred Ready Helmets presents... the "Gnar Bar" Review

Continuing to bring you the best coverage possible, Shred Ready has come up with the Gnar Bar attachment for the Standard Full Face helmet

Shred Ready’s new Gnar Bar is constructed of High quality Carbon Fiber providing strength as well as contributing to its SUPER light weight and with an Aluminum core inside to provide the backbone this piece is sure to handle any GNAR you throw at it!

Through my experiences testing the Gnar Bar, I have taken in to consideration several things that I have personally found fault with previous protective bars available otherwise; such as Visibility, Coverage/Protection area, and last but not least Strength.
And to this great Bar I have to give it two thumbs up in every category, proving excellent when put to the test through both real paddling experiences and not so realistic (like personally taking a full force swing directly to the bar from a broom handle while wearing it!)

And as you can see from the photos the “Gnar Bar” provides full coverage from the helmet brim to the jaw line to allowing protection from any sort of full front blow to the face, and all the while only coming in at just over 1cm in width your visibility will NOT be sacrificed.

In action video and photos to come soon!

-Charlie Simmons-

Team Shred Ready Helmets