Big Glitter Day?

Once a year the strange underwater folk of our paddling community all gather in themiddle of our fine country to crown the king of concrete!

The sun always shines on an August bank holiday, so it’s a perfect time for squirt boaters from all over the UK to show off they’re glittery composite boats. OK, so this year it was raining and blustery but the sun came out long enough for us to get together to crown the 2010 King of Concrete. The formula is quite simple, he who sinks the most walks away with the crown…

This sounds odd, by sinking I mean mystery move. A mystery move is a special move you can do in an ultra low volume kayak called a squirt boat. You can key into the currents in white water and sink with the flow. It’s harder than it sounds!

Saturday was a little shaky (especially on my part!) with the locals moaning about some bubbles going missing? But some got on with it anyway West Country bumpkin Mav showed off his new glow in the dark boat by hitting a 10 second mystery in the top pool! For all the Old Skool squirt guy’s this is great news – yes the top pool is back on form, as long as you can find the bubbles – apparently?

But being squirt boaters the rest of the day was sacked off for some mystery based fun and general laziness

So determined to actually get the competiton nailed on Sunday and with our competition heads on we headed off to the pub & a curry. I think we were all safely tucked up in bed by 2am?

Sunday, an early 1pm start bought the start of the competition, 6 rides in the new Pyramid pool, 3 with the flow, 3 cutting back. Mystery move times totalled together = longest time under water wins!

Chris Jones, showed off his local boy skills to take the crown totalling 58 seconds in 6 rides! Tom Bailey bagged the longest ride 13.4 seconds.

We had a load of fun, if you want to have a go or just want to dust off that old squirt boat it’ll all be happening again next year, same place, same weekend…

Thanks to Chris Jones for organising the event. Thanks to UK freestyle / BCU for supplying us with a trophy (Chris hasn’t sent me a picture of it yet, but has assured me it has pride of place above his loo!) and a huge Thank You to the guy’s at Nookie for supplying the prizes – although the squirt guy’s weren’t too sure what to do with the bag marked ATTENTION KAYAK PADDLES, there was a nice mesh pocket for the hand paddles but it wasn’t quite big enough for a squirt boat?

Ben

A letter that was emailed to us this morning.....

Hi All, Several weeks ago we purchased two cockpit covers. While on a paddling trip one parted company with our kayak, never to be seen again. You were kind enough to replace this FOC, we then purchased a third, and have been very happy with them. I thought you might be interested in our recent experience with them on our annual pilgrimage to the Alps.
We set off for the Alps on the 23rd July sharing a car with friends to help spread the costs. We loaded our kit into the kayaks to save space and fitted the cockpit covers, we loaned our third cover to our travelling companion. It was an uneventful but tiring trip, until we got to the south of France, we missed our normal turn off into the Alps and ended up going a route we had not used before. This was a dramatic but stunning climb up 2500 meters almost single track road with not a lot between us and the valley below. During our journey we had made several brief stops to ensure our kayaks remained secure on the roof rack. So what happened next came as a bit of a shock. At 2500mtrs we passed through a small tunnel on the other side of the tunnel there was what can only be described as a bomb crater which we could not see, as we hit the crater the car flexed and the front section of the roof rack came away from its fixing points. Our kayaks over took the car complete with roof rack front section, in the process taking the windscreen wipers, denting the bonnet and front wing, They then veered off to the right and tumbled down the side of the mountain on the cockpit covers, we could only see the valley floor at this stage and were assuming the worst. At some point the load flipped over and the roof rack momentarily act as an anchor before parting company with the kayaks which carried on down the mountain. Very hesitantly we disembarked the car fearing the worst to try and locate our kayaks and all our kit; we found the lot more that 150 meters down the side of the mountain. We scrambled down to inspect the damage and recover our prized positions. Once on level ground it became apparent that our investment in Nookie cockpit covers was a sound one. All our kit had been retained in the now badly beaten and heavily gouged kayaks. Our cockpit covers are no longer fit for purpose, but they were put through we think a fairly severe battering (test) and performed way above what we would have expected. Well done Nookie superb product, well worth the money. Once we have saved up the money to repair the damage to the car we will defiantly replace the cockpit covers. Now not only tested by your EVO, but also tested with a high altitude drop of more than 150meters down rock strewn slopes after a projectile release at 50KPH from the roof of a car. What else could you ask for? Thanks guys great product that does what it says on the tin. Look out for our future order for our replacements. Kindest Regards Robert and William

More info about the Cockpit Covers at this link

Boulters Rodeo 2010

Senior Men Pro Category

1st Sam Anderson ( Team Jackson )
2nd Matty Nicholas ( Dawg International Pro Team )
3rd Doug Cooper ( Nookie Team Rider )

The top three places were separated by a mear 13 points between each rider, probably the most intense final I have ever taken part in.

I will let the pictures do the talking

The rodeo couldn’t have been such a success without the help of KayakoJacko Coaching , Sam Ward , Nookie Paddle Sports Equipment , Square Rock ,DJC Electrical (sound system) Pyranha and Wavesport. A huge special thanks to Adrian Cooper for co -organising the weekend.

Doug Cooper

Nookie Team Rider

Road Trippin'

I left Monkey Island with very little plan, but a van loaded with kayaks, coffee, Team Rider Tim Copplestone and Pete H. This was the beginning of Nookie Creek Dayz II. The sun was shining when we arrived in Versam to meet Team Riders James Weir and Lilli Winter. We cruised down the beautiful Vorderrhein before heading to Ticino.

Tim and Hazel

In Lavertezzo we paddled the classic Middle Verzasca following the effortless lines and cheeky wink of Team Rider Ron Fischer. The boys then continued to take on Lucifer on the Lower Versasca.

After a camp fire and some beers we woke up next to the stunning Rovarno River. The boys hiked in with boats and kit and I followed. We finally arrived at the get in and I had to walk back out on my own for 45 minutes. I felt a little like Hansel and Gretel. By all accounts the boys had a mission on a great river with a few crazy portages including abseiling with their kayaks on their shoulder.

Next day we hit the Ribo, and as always the Ribo Falls was sweet.

Tim hucking Ribo Falls

Our next mission was to drive to Elm for the Straight Down Striit. While the boys were being manly with chainsaws I went for my first paddle of the Striit.

Hazel and Tim getting to run the Striit for the first time

James checking the lines on the Striit

The competition was great with a few surprising upsets in the head to head. Ron Fischer came second to Jakobus Stänglein.

Ron racing one of his many competitors

Team Riderz Ron Fischer and James Weir sharing a little Nookie Love

The party was fantastic with music from The Clowns. In the morning to shake the hangovers and the rain we drove south. We arrived in the Valsesia region of Italy.

We went straight for a park and play on the Solba Slides.

Pete and Tim on Solba Slides

We then went for a quick huck on Landwasser Falls before paddling the Mastelleno.

Hazel on Landwasser Falls

The Valsesia region has so many beautiful rivers to paddle, so we spent a few days making our way round all of them. I think the Sesia has got to be one of my favourite sunshine runs.

During the week Ron and Pete ran the renowned Mollia Rapid. It was definitely a challenge worth watching.

Ron in the middle of the Mollia Rapid

Ron, Sesia.

It was a great road trip and of course, I'm now busy planning the next : )

StraightDownStriit and the Nookie FotoKontest

Hidden at the top of quiet valley in Switzerland there is a crazy little creek that is home to one of the best boater cross races and party's on the European kayaking calendar, its name is Straight Down Striit. SDS was born in 2007 when a small group of friends including Team Rider Ron Fischer got together and had a race, it was the start of something crazy. In 2008 Nookie was asked to sponsor the event, to relive the highlights of 2008 look here.

This year SDS was back bigger and badder than ever and so was the Nookie FotoKontest, congratulations to the winners who all took home 100CHF prize money for their winning fotos.

Winner of the lifestyle category Florian

Winner of the fun category David

Winner of the creek race category Sveta

And some more fotos of the Team Riders in action because they are easier than words on a Sunday morning!

Tim Copplestone boofing out on the second drop

James Weir charging in the timetrail

Event organiser Silvan taking it easy, good work fella.

Alex Keller being cheered on by Bobby

Tim Copplestone deep in the action

Nookie product designer Hazel Wilson checking out the race course

Ron Fischer, Team Rider, event organiser and Silver medal winner in the boater cross

Big props to Silvan, Ron, Luc and Lukas for organising an awesome event and to Nookie, Teva and Red Bull for putting their money where their mouth is, see you for the next one.

***Check out cool party photos from Daniel Bally here***

Paddle hard, stay safe

James

Boardies are here!

The NEW Nookie Boardies have arrived today just in time for the lovely sunny day we're having in Cornwall.

Light weight and quick drying the Team Riderz have travelled all over the world in them already.

Features include a zipped security pocket, velcro waist closure with traditional lace tie and Nookie's velcro system that locks into Nookie 3/4 Strides.

The cool black and white shorts with bright green trim are the landslide result of your votes. Thanks, we love 'em too.

Great for the river, beach or pub.