"Fired Up!" - whitewater paddling video

So i have SOOO much footage i finally put some together.
Padding footage from the last several months (dec 2008- march 2009) from all over the southeast U.S.- while primarily based in Alabama
Both creek boating and play boating

Paddled and Edited By Charlie Simmons
also featuring
Adam Goshorn
Jeremy Adkins
Danny "Hands" Flynt
Zach Sanders
Mark Travis

Music: Modest Mouse
so with out waiting anymore time...
check it here:
http://vimeo.com/4396730

-Charlie Simmons-
Team Wavesport

Crazy Weather always = Great Paddling

Over the weekend of Feb 27 -march 1 we had some incredible weather. Predictions from the week prior showed BIG rain coming so we all had high hopes of paddling something sweet. The rain started falling and it was falling hard, and after making and dropping different plans(just to make the story short) i was set to leave for the Little River Canyon Saturday morning, but tornadoes on the prowl soon changed those plans too. With several tornadoes actually spotted here in Auburn, i knew the local stuff was bound to go off, little did i know how much water we actually did get. On the drive to checking some local creeks i was amazed to see roads under water, and lots of limbs and debris all around town.
I faced an odd predicament. Most of my paddling friends had already left town before the "bad" weather came through, and others were still sleeping and not answering the phone. But it was all to my advantage, i had really been wanting to run all the local stuff again with ambitions of posting new river wright ups for Lee county. I had high hopes of hucking Chewacla State park falls and the proceeding falls as well, but couldn't find anyone to go out there with me. But, with all other excuses aside this is what i did manage to pull off in the hours later in the day.

First I headed over to a smaller "drainage"of Auburn, Town/Wrights Mill Creek, seeing as how we were in the midst of flash floods. And it was out of the banks, but that's what we were hoping for. In all my runs on Town creek, I've always wanted more water, and in most cases never get the rain, or typically leave town for steeper creeks when it does. But this time my wish had come true.
Town/Wrights Mill creek starts off mellow but as soon as you reach Chewacla state park property, the creeks gradient soon starts to show. Here are some photos of me on the left line of Town creek falls "Pass or Fail." I wore a helmet camera for the run so I'll post some footage soon.
After several exciting BIG water laps on Town creek, we headed off to the Saugahatchee. There we had several options; there is always the collapsed dam or Saugahatchee falls, it gets real meaty, but sweet at high flows. And at high enough flows, 2000-3000 and up a play hole comes in directly below the CR188 bridge. Here are a couple of shots from there I took of Zach.Its a big volume shallow playhole with chance of trees floating at you due to high flood stage.... so its really not the best feature, but when your hard up you'll take it.

While we were there another local paddler Dr. Jim Miller pulled up to the bridge, and told me of a gem of a play feature down by the take out... so we were off. And what a Gem it was! Here are some of the good photos from the day.

All this time i was in shorts!!! It was awesome weather out, and somehow we were supposed to have snow the next day??!!

And we did! i woke up to several inches and i only got better throughout the morning. Being a southern boy, i don't see it to often so i opted to go play in da snow!!!! I built a nice jump on a hill and broke out the knee board after being inspired by fellow ShredReady Team members The SledHeads. I had a good time, even with the lack of real hills. Also did a little snow sledding in the project52, thanks Wavesport!

Til next time,

-charlie simmons-

Wavesport Kayaks, Shredready Helmets, Skirtworks, Ophion Paddles, Bomber Gear

Photo Dump- Random Photos

So i found a memory card that i didn't even realize i had been missing, and on it were some great photos, and here some to check...

Chinquapin Creek - entrance falls, Chinquapin creek is on of the MANY steep tributaries to the marvelous Little River Canyon and drops up to 400+ feet in a mile.

Here is a picture of my Buddy Danny on Shades Creek falls in Birmingham. Shades Creek drops over 100 feet in just under 1/4 mile. We got several laps in that day, i was in my Jefe C1.


Mulberry Creek
Ten foot Falls

No Balls for the Falls

Huck Falls

Mulberry Fork- "yo mamma's butt" wave

Same

hope you've enjoyed it, and as always much more to come so keep checkin it out!

-charlie simmons-

team wavesport, shredready, ophion, skirtworks, and bombergear

Little River Canyon 2-5-2009

It was a low water day on LRC, but its always a good day when I'm on the water and especially on such a crown run.

For while now we have been putting in at the falls consistently, as apposed to the standard Suicide section put in (even when the water is too low to run the falls). See what we do is simply put in on the middle ledge of the typical river left LRC falls line. It starts the day off with a blast and all smiles for us. Below is a photo of Ray Morton taken by me, i really like this one. And above is a photo of me taken by Ray.

After good times and lines at the entrance falls, we headed off down the canyon. Passing up the photo opportunities of "Are you ready", "Martha's ledge","Mammoth", and "Terminal Eddy" rapids (for what reason i don't know)but we did however stop at "Avalanche" were i snapped some good photos of Danny and Cruise. (below)

Next up was "Mushroom boof" and some boogie until "Cable Falls." Cable Falls at low water has a couple options both at the top drop and the bottom drop, but the traditional low water line is far river left and here are a couple pictures of Ray and I on that line....

The bottom drop of Cable falls at low water has and still is one of my favorite moves out there. Its a drawn out flare into a two foot wide foam pile channel that you ride out. Here is the only successful photo of the day of my taken by Cruise.

Then it was boogie on down to "Pinball falls" and its eddy hops. This has been my favorite rapid on the canyon since i first ventured in. It involves about 100 yards of class 4/5 eddy hopping or charging ,with many possibilities for lines, spilling directly into the meat of Pinball the falls dropping about 12 to 15 feet between two undercut boulders. Followed shortly by a couple ledge drops. We all had a blast charging straight into Pinball and never got out to take any photos or video......unfortunately.

So here is a picture of me running the main drop of Pinball from another day.

But we set our sight on another lap on Suicide and headed for it.

The second lap was a blast never getting out of the boat at all and finishing the lap in just under 15 minutes followed by a hike out to our ride at Pinball.

Til next time, pray for rain

-charlie simmons-

Team Wavesport, Shredready, Ophion paddles, SkirtworkS, and Bombergear

Locust Fork Invitational 2009

Well the Alabama Slalom race season has begun, and it started with last weekends Locust Fork Invitational.

Three race events combined make what is called the Alabama Cup series; the Locust Fork Invitational, the Mulberry Fork Canoe and Kayak races, and another race hosted at the Locust fork, all of the Warrior river.I competed in Mens C1, Mens K1, and Boatercross. The Boatercross race is a mass start, "free for all", type race. It was a blast! Although only making fourth place, the boatercross race brought the most smiles all round to both racers and spectators.

Mens C1 category was pure fun for me this year. I didn't have anything to loose seeing as i have never competed in it before at this race series. But to my amazement i won 1st place! I look forward to further advancing in canoe categories.Mens K1 was good fun as well, and again although i only got 4th place, i was the first place plastic boat finish in the category. I was extremely exhausted when going into my kayak heats, because they were directly after my C1 heats, and each time i had plenty of energy for my C1 heat and then nothing for my k1 heat...... but thats how it goes sometimes.Anyway, im really looking forward to rest of the Alabama cup series of races, and hope to see ya out there!


-charlie-
Wavesport kayaks, ShreadReady helmets, Ophion Paddles, Bombergear, SkirtworkS

Photo Dump!!- enjoy

So Ive been out boating non-stop lately and i have a lot of photos and stories to upload, but to get a huge jump start on it all. So here are a bunch photos all courtesy of my buddy Wes Brown, thanks a lot bro!

Lunch Stop wave- Mulberry forkTallapoosa River- Andy's couldron flareLocust Fork- Ender holeTallapoosa- boofMulberry Fork- Lunch stopJohnnies Creek- entrance fallsMulberry ForkTraveling paddle wagon- new years campoutMe!

Thanks again for all the sweet photos Wes.

-charlie-

Team WS,SR,Ophion,BomberGear,SkirtworkS

Playboating in my Project 52

So with all the recent rain i have been able to get on some great creeks and rivers lately, and had a blast doing so. But all in all i have been missing a good 'ol playboating throwdown session, so over Christmas and New Years break i took to the Locust and Mulberry Forks of the Worrior river in North central Alabama.

With plenty of waves and holes to chose from we had a great time, i felt like i was returning to my roots.......... i have recently been creek boating so avidly that its been a while since i felt the rush, power, and speed of a play feature.

I want to take this opportunity thank my Sponsors, Wavesport kayaks, Ophion paddles, ShredReady Helmets, BomberGear, and SkirtworkS. They provide the best gear, with the best support so make SURE to check them out!

signing out

-charlie-