Gradient and Water Calendar 2011

Well the word is out, Barny and myself have put together a professionally made calendar in co-operation with Dave Kwant and Too-A-Tee printing. The reason for doing this is that we are planning on making a grass-roots white-water film of the West Coast. This film will aim to rekindle interest in New Zealand as a world-class paddling destination and to raise awareness of West Coast Rivers. Rivers that are under-threat from hydroschemes and other forms of development.

So simply we are trying to sell as many of these as we can, and for $15 bucks the price is right. The photos in this calendar are from the West Coast of New Zealand and from our latest trip to California. Getting one is easy, transfer $15 (or multiples of that if you are buying more than one) into:

National Bank

06 0471 0706296 38

With you name in the particulars and reference fields. Then email taipos07@hotmail.com or barny500@hotmail.com with your address and number of calendars ordered. Simple! Get one for yourself, your mum, girlfriend, mistress or whoever... every one purchased helps us out heaps!

Cheers guys, see you on the river.

Start of the Summer

Since arriving back in NZ the weather has been terrible with heaps of rain, snow in October and just outright dismal weather. Last weekend, however, this all changed and we managed to get some great weather and bagged the Whitcombe Prices. This season I am turning my focus towards video, in hope of producing a grassroots white-water film at the end of the summer and because of this I am going to throw up some short teasers of the trips we get on. Here are some snaps Barny got and the short clip I made. Warm weather is on the way, get after it!

- The heli in a beautiful setting


- Barny POV punching through a big hole


- Me landing the sweet boof at the end of the inner prices gorge

and here is the short clip...

Bliss-Fest

Just a quick update from the WET - West Coast. At the start of the month was the annual Bliss-Fest kayaking event in Dunedin, which comprised of a extreme race, grand slalom, surf competition and short-film competition. Barny rolled down a day or so early to get on the Waikaia and although I wasn't able to go down, I thought I might throw a quick edit together and submit it for the film competition. Turns out it was a pretty sweet event down there, with a good turn out... Barny took out the Extreme Race and I even took out the film comp!!! Not a bad result for us down there, now its the styx extreme race to look forward too. Here are a couple pics of Barny from down there and a link to the California clip that took out the comp. Enjoy


- Barny ahead (P. Simon Davidson)


- Barny making his way back to the top for the final (P. Simon Davidson)

Here is a link to the winning short-film

http://www.cumecmagazine.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=142%3Amonday-morning-motivation-the-bliss-fest-peoples-choice-film-winner&catid=44%3Avideos

Cali Video

Well after a great six weeks in Europe and a month of being back in NZ I have finally found time to make a short clip of Barny and my trip to California. This clip also features Postman (Justin) Patt and Snarley (Charles King), who we did a lot of our paddling with. This video has footage from Royal Gorge, Big Kimshew, South Merced, West Cherry, SB Feather, Upper Middle Consumes and more. After this I have decided that I might try turn my attention towards video for this summer and hopefully I can produce a worthy film of the West Coast... Hope you enjoy this AND watch this space