Symposium Llanca-Spain - Wendy Killoran

First time I was on the water again with my old paddling friend Wendy from last year's Newfoundland trip!

I made her relaxing in Greenlandic style...

But she was excited to kiss a frog (fish...) soon!

Symposium Llanca-Spain - Maligiaq Padilla

Pavia likes Maligiaq's Greenlandic seal claws necklace..

...me too... :-))

balance and flexibility - makes a perfect "Freya wannabe"...

...next the balance board goes on the baseboard - and then we'll try on your qajaq!

...ohhhh, some practice already...

But for getting points at the Greenlandic championships it should look like *that*!

...anyway, Maligiaq probably gets points for being the first Greenlandic coconut picker in the Medtiterranean...

Yes, that's Maligiaq, too! Using a hard shell kayak and my epic wing!

This was too much - he needs to fill up again...

Symposium Llanca-Spain - Spanish drinking habits...

Red wine was served in carafes with a very slim end - the goal was to aim directly into the mouth, the more distant the better...waterproof black jackets were sometimes very helpful :-)) ...

... for me...

... or for Greg...

... Maligiaq preferred it on the bare skin...

...Pavia risked his pretty ugly yello hat...

...and highly skilfull German junior paddling talent Andreas Dippel (16) was better off using a cup or two...

Symposium Llanca-Sapin - let's party!

In the main symposium party tent there was growing a real SOF on a real tree...

The man organizing this miracle and others: José - he desrves a hug!

Javier Knörr helped with "Greenlandic contacts" to invite Maligiaq, Dubside, Pavia, Greg an d me to this great event!

Javier and Javier - no, you are not looking like "everybody" ! :-))

Greenlandic Party in my van withJavier, Maligiaq, Uluunguaq, Pavia, Dubside, Wendy, Idun, Sven, Greg and me.

Black goes with the Rainbow

I met Ron Steinwall at our pool session in Baraboo/ Wisconsin after Canoecopia. he brought along a bundle of different color carbon Novorca Greenland paddles, which didn't take long to catch my attraction.

Although I really love my "Woman in all black" carbon Superior Greenland paddle, which was my best friend throughout my whole rolling career, I couldn't resist when Ron offered to make me a very different carbon Greenland paddle - colorful as the rainbow...

Ron Steinwall, the creator of the colorful Novorca Greenland carbon paddles

He created a pretty prototype, great already, but my imagination was a symetric one, giving kind of a windmill effect on really fast paddling :-))

So the computer animation looked like this:

And - in Ron's workshop, it looks already like this:

After a weekend off paddling (I think he deserves it!) Ron will finish next week the what probably will be the most color- and beautiful Greenland paddle in the world - he'll add plenty of silver glitter allover, and a clear coating, which will make the colors even more bright and shiny. Wait fior next week's posting!

It will be shown off to "real" public first at the Anglesey Sea kayak symposium...

Yes, you can call me a "witch"...

Kokatat stuff...

Deluxe Boater's pants, Tec Tour anorak. Both in custom color black.

If a drysuit is too much, this stylish Kokatat combination works fine! Gore-Tex at it's best, lots of details. have a look on the website! The boater's pants have latex gaskets, and a comfi neoprene waist. Latex gaskets on the anorak, an adjustable neck to vent. Bets fit hood. Two pieces I really love!

The Kokatat Gore-Tex Paclite Storm cag comes in red, this is the custom color grey.

My most useful comfort and safety item!

On lunchbrake, it serves as a one-(wo)man tent, quickly put on as a windbreaker over all your paddling clothes. It has a fleece pocket for handwarming, is light and comfi to wear

On the water, when colder weather than expected is coming up, you can put it easy over all your paddling clothes, without taking anything, not even the pfd, off.
Or you have it handy after a capsize, when a fast warmup is needed, for yourself or for the victim you were rescuing.
The bottom fits over the spraydeck, and could even replace one in case of emergency.

I'm never going without, even on the shortest daytrip!

The Pond Scums

Couldn't help, but I needed to share those pond scum pics...it's spring time! - It was fascinating to watch 100dreds of frogs doing what we all love to do - roll around and pile up!

epic paddles, the black version, and the lightest one...

I've got some new epic paddles!

The new series of epic wing blades are made now in China, with a better Carbon structure, and (just to match me better... :-) ) an all BLACK shaft (sigle line for med flex, double line for a stiff shaft)!

They sent me a mid size wing with a med flex shaft to try, thanks for that!

I'm not sure if the smaller blade, but with the matching color tops my loved old large epic shovel with the stiff blue shaft... :-) at least for modelling!
And probably on serious long distance racing.
And, to get anybody else who would like to try, started in the "wing feeling"...

But then, the other blade they sent me to try:

If since then I was really convinced that there is no better blade for me than a wing in all conditions, I started to play around with this "nothing" in my hands - 20 ounces, 567 gr !!

Best on the market, and it made me think to swap at least sometimes to this cute lightweight thing, where precise maneuvers might be required, or in surf to have a better rudder feeling.

And - important to me - the shaft feels the same as I'm used to...

Active Tour Full Carbon Length-Lock™

only 20 ounces - 567 gr