First pile your car high with toys courtesy of Wavesport and Nookie then put on your favourite Nookie sweater (almost forget your paddles) & drink fifteen cans of Red Bull.
One ferry trip and sixteen hours later i had arrived in Plattling East Germany . with sweet water levels i figured a week should be plenty to brush up on my hole skills. Plattling is famous for its warm water and half naked chicks sunning themselves on the bank.
After re-aquaintinging myself with the wave i started on a mission to get back loop Mc nasty’s down.
By day two the weather was 32 degrees and scolding and by then all the other English boys had arrived and had started putting their tents up.
The tents looked oh so bland so i set about cheering every one up by Nookieing every tent with a stencil and a can of red graph paint.
The week drew to an end, averaging 9 hours a day on the wave.............. i needed a break.
It started to rain.... solidly. With rising river levels we had to get to Austria and fast. I had a gut feeling that before long the wave at Crazy Eddy’s would be good to stomp some big moves on .
Arriving at Prutz it was obvious that the Inn was close to bursting with a mass of brown swollen water swirling past.
Every one got some pizza and then climbed in to our newly Nookied tents and slept .
Day break and we were chomping at the bit to get down some rivers. First on the list was the Tosens section on the Inn. As half the water was snow melt and bloody freezing it was perfect timing to do a little RnD on the Nookie Softcore and hell did i need it. The cold from the water could be felt from the bank. Wishing i was in Uganda i peeled out and then spent the next hour and a half throwing wave wheels , macho moves and down river kick flips down what could only be described as a farm of big waves, this must be where they are born. With no big holes we stomped the river just in time for friend Fraggle to return from hospital after previously cracking his head open on a down time mission. Imst to hamming was next on the list. This section has a huge catchment area for water so un-surprisingly it was huge perfect for catching waves on the fly and getting more air with some down river tricks. Thank god for my Nookie Airhead cag, without it i would have been sweating my nuts off. As we got off the river i couldn’t help feeling sorry for every one in their heavy drysuits. Well after what seemed to be a another rodeo session i retired to bed. Morning bought a quick blast down the Shults gorge.
By now i was getting sick of wave trains and rock dodging. I wanted a wave and a big one at that. Arriving at Crazy Eddys i legged it on to the bridge and to my delight a monster sized bowl shaped wave had formed just down stream of the bridge. Now this wave you have to share with surfers and as in Munich they aren’t to keen on kayakers. My first ride a nice warm up getting the feel for the wave and my surroundings
Sitting in the Eddy was like waiting for the nurse to give you a reboot of morphine, finally the surfer was off and i was out of the eddy like a shot, high contrast blaring out of the ipod, touch down, one super fast steep acceleration and i was plaining. First trick climbing to the top of the wave i loaded my rail with a big chunk of water and headed out on to the shoulder, aggressive edge change supplied me with a sweet amount of air. Thinking i'm going to have me some of those apples i chucked a sic clean Panam, with a smooth landing after that it was plain sailing. After a manic 300 ride, two day session at Crazy Eddys the guys had to eventually tear me away by reminding me it was time to go visit fellow Nookie ambassador James Weir.
We rocked up in Switzerland just in time for it to start raining. Jim arrived at the camp site which was situated just outside Carara and we got down to a good old fashioned Thames valley style tale gate party in Jim's Nookie bus. With rivers nice and high James set about taking us on some of the better rivers the first i cant remember the name but it starts with a nice 4 metre fall and then your in, from then on in its moderate volume class 4 hole and rock dodging. The day ended with smiles all round and a bbq. Day two bought more river fun.
Finally it was time to say goodbye to James Weir and be on our way to Leon France. Upon arrival i shot to the airport to pick up Dan Fellow Rocket Boy, then we zipped to the wave. The wave was running and at about 1700, well after far too much driving i crashed out and let the boys play .
H.S.R is one of those waves that feel like you are being pulled down the high way at 90 behind a Ferrari. Three days of rocket launcher style riding and it was time to head home .
Mission accomplished.
Many thanks to Nookie Kayaking Equipment, Wavesport kayaks, Streamlight paddles & Marsport.
We then had the competition season with two stages of the French National selection: Millau and Metz.
The highlight of the event was of course the party and the Nookie foto kontest. The rules were simple enter your best three photographs of the event and win cash, the standard of entries was incredible and a big shout out to all the photographers who entered. Pictures paint a thousand words so without further ado the results of the StraightDownStriit Nookie Foto Kontest, applause!
First place photographer of the Creek Race and winner of 100 swiss francs Michi Gaehwiler 
