"Worthy" Teaser - Kokatahi

With the Styx Race over and done with, hungovers worn off and a public holiday on monday... it felt as if we should go creeking... and we did. Poor motivation gave us a delayed start, but after rallying hard Barny and I made our midday pick up from the Kokatahi bridge. After what I think is the most beautiful heli-ride on the coast, we were sitting at Crawford Junction above about 6km of the West Coast's best white-water!

This is just a bit of the footage that we got that day... there is plenty more AND we'll be getting on this gem a couple of more times this season for sure. Enjoy.

Styx Hard-Man ... Barny Young!

Well after all the build up and everyone wondering who will it be... the Styx Race has come and gone and there is a champion! Thanks to the hard work of Pat Connell, with the support of Barny, Kev and Jeanna, the Styx Race was a major success. The event attracted 26 of New Zealand's hardest kayakers, with Keith Riley being the suggested favourite. From the very beginning of the race, however, it was apparent that Barny 'the bull-dog' Young was after the title. I foolishly tried to keep pace but after about a third of the walk in I faded hard, and decided that I should just keep a steady pace to finish in a reasonable position. Barny, however, kept charging and by the time he reached the put in he had put 2 minutes on his closest competitors who were Andrew 'Bug' Butler and Keith the "ripper" Riley. Being his home run, once on the water it would be hard to make up anytime on Barny which turned out to be impossible with Barny putting another minute on the field. Keith's turn around at the put in put him in front of Bug and that is how the top three turned out. 1st: Barny Young (59.49) 2nd: Keith Riley (62.38) 3rd: Andrew Butler (63.39).

Off to a good start.

The rat race.

Barny Young - 2010 Styx Hardman

After an afternoon in the sun, all the real kayakers congregated at the Kokatahi Pub for an evening of good music, cold beer and just a general good time. The prize giving saw every competitor receive a good prize, with the hard men being duly rewarded for their mammoth efforts.

Till next year, start walking those shuttles with your boat on your shoulder, walk to the next bus stop, park further from the supermarket... it all helps. The 2011 Styx Hard Man tested is going to be biggest and most contested title on the extreme race circuit!!

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...