Large Varuns are in!

The 'Large' Pyranha Varun has finally landed on the shores of North America, and we've got the first batch are here at WCK. After rave reviews on the 'Medium' which was released several months before, we actually had a couple Large Varuns pre sold. That doesn't happen here all too often with whitewater boats. Come on in, check 'em out.

We will have them at the VKC Festival on the Chilliwack River for demo, or by appointment through the store.

Check out a review of the medium Varun on FraserValleyWhiteWater.com

Ryan Bayes

New boats and after work runs.

Daylight Saving time is always a highly anticipated event here at WCK.

In the winter, the switch back to Standard time brings with it the end of the after work paddles, at least an after work paddle with light that is. Likewise every spring we turn the clocks forward an hour and turn on the after work paddles.

Timing was perfect this year for the spring ahead event as we had just received some more new models that everyone was itching to try out.

Some of the new boats from Venture Kayaks and Pyranha.

We received our first ever shipment from Venture Kayaks. The Easky 13 and Flex 11 are recreation kayaks, more suited towards actually kayaking than many of the rec boats on the market today. Both models are equipped with a retractable skeg, rear bulkheads and hatches (Easky 13 has a front bulkhead and hatch). Both boats are also rudder ready should you decide down the road you want to add a rudder.

The Flex 11 is a really stable platform for novice to intermediate paddlers that want a shorter boat with out sacrificing performance, like some recreational kayaks geared strictly towards 1st timers. Don't forget, your only a first timer once. The cockpit also is more suited towards adventurous paddling, its big enough for easy entry and exit but not so big that using a skirt becomes more of a hassle than a benefit.

The Flex 11 with one seat up and one seat down.

The Easky 13 like the Flex is solid enough in the water for first timers but will carry the paddler well into their intermediate paddling. With an extra 2 feet of storage and a front bulkhead the Easky is suited to handle some light weight weekend trips for the conservative packer. The Easky also comes with a handy dry Storage Pod that mounts to the front deck within reach of the paddler.

The first WCK Easky 13's.

Both are outfitted with the super cool flip-top backrest. I was impressed with how comfortable the seats were before I even realized you could flip them up to increase the back support. Possibly my favorite part of this is that when its folded down it doesn't stick up above the cockpit, so you can actually use a nice dry fitting neoprene deck, again more kayak less toy.

The drop skegs are also super solid, the tried and tested spring loaded system on the Feel Free boats drops down with authority, you can be sure when you drop the skeg it's actually dropping. With the skeg down the boats track really well considering how maneuverable they are with the skegs up. Pull the skeg up and lean these boats over and they really carve.

Both the Easky and Flex come standard with a quick use paddle holder and flat areas to mount one of their rod holders to make your kayak a multi purpose boat.

The demo days are filling up fast so book your spot now to try out one of the Venture Kayaks.

Ryan Bayes

Vancouver Kayak Club Whitewater Festival

Vancouver Kayak Club Whitewater Festival - April 29th to May 1st 2011The Vancouver Kayak Club will be hosting its annual Whitewater Festival on the Chilliwack River from Friday, April 29th to Sunday, May 1st, 2011. For the fourth year running, this laid-back social and fun weekend event has established itself as a kick-off party for Western Canada’s whitewater enthusiasts. The beautiful Chilliwack Valley offers several excellent class II – IV river runs with boulder gardens, pool drops, and surfing waves for paddlers of all interest and skill levels, including the famous Tamihi Rapid.

http://www.vankayak.org/festival/

Meet new and old paddling buddies, demo the latest in gear and boats from our sponsors, and enjoy the free shuttle service to/from the Chilliwack River. Always a spectator favourite, all paddlers are invited to compete in the downriver race and other popular on-river contests.

In addition to the amazing paddling, the festival has been known for its silent auction and raffle where sponsors have donated some awesome prizes, such as boats, spray decks, paddles, helmets, PFD’s, and other kayaking related products and services. The paddler’s social with live music by the band “Switch” has been a crowd favourite during past years. There are also activities for non-paddlers including nature walks in the forest and hikes in the mountains.

Any questions? please feel free to post them on the VKC forum and we'll be glad to help.

http://www.vankayak.org/forum/index.php?board=36.0 Festival registration includes two nights camping, one dinner, and two breakfasts; as well as a free T-Shirt if registered by April 17th.

Many Thanks

Barney Willis

For a recap of last years festival check out the FraserValleyWhiteWater.com site here.

Ryan Bayes

Reel Paddling Film Fest was an amazing success. We showed over 3 hours of terrific paddling films and had an audience of 110 or so, at the University of the Fraser Valley here in Abbotsford.
We raised over $450 for Greg Mortenson's - Central Asia Institute...you've heard of "Three Cups of Tea", if not give it a read.

Central Asia Institute's mission is to promote and support community-based education, especially for girls, in remote regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan. The philosophy is to empower the local people through their own initiative. As of 2010, CAI has successfully established 145 schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan which provide (or have provided) education to over 64,000 students, with an emphasis on girls' education.

If you missed the Film Fest, we'll be back again in March 2011

Reel Paddling Film Festival

Come out and check out this years best paddling films!

The Reel Paddling Film Festival will be showing, once again, here in Abbotsford at a new location. Show date is Friday March 11th. at 7pm.

This year's show will be at the University of the Fraser Valley, located at 33844 King Rd in Abbotsford, just up the road from WCK. From the main King Rd. entrance, come up the stairs and enter the building to your right, and head down the stairs, inside, to room B101.

The festival is an international film tour presenting the world's best whitewater, seakayaking, and canoeing films of the year on screens in 100 cities across Canada, the US, the UK and Europe.

Most of the 10 festival category winners and some of the other inspiring paddling films that have been short-listed will be shown. Audiences could expect to see stand-up paddle surfing, hairy whitewater action, sea kayakers exploring remote coastlines, headwaters canoe expeditions, international river films, and hilarious short films capturing the lighter side of paddling life.


To see film trailers click here.

Advance tickets are $10 and can be purchased here at Western Canoeing & Kayaking or right next door at Valhalla Pure Outfitters. Tickets will also be available at the door for $12.

Theatre doors will open at 6:50pm, show starts at 7pm

New Constructions for Clipper Solo Canoes

During the winter months here at the Clipper Canoe plant we get a little bored and have some free time to experiment with different canoe constructions. With big growth numbers in our solo line of canoes last year it seemed that the Packer and Solitude were good fits to try some new constructions on.

This was perfect timing as we received a request for a custom kevlar Packer with foam core carbon ribs. This is a layup we had never done before in a Packer and we were eager to give it a try.

The Custom Kevlar Packer turned out amazingly well and the wood trim really sets off the honey clear color of the light weight kevlar. What a great looking canoe and weighing in at just over 25lbs we couldn't be happier.

The carbon seat and ribs with the wood trim make for a really sharp looking boat.

The next solo Clipper to get a make over was our most popular solo boat the 15'6 Solitude. The Solitude is hugely popular for open water and light river tripping, so durability is key in this boat. While we wanted to make something sharp looking and functional we knew it was going to be a delicate blend of light weight, durability and a pinch of sexy. We all love the expensive look of carbon fiber but it lacks in some areas in regards to strength and abrasion. So we decided to mix it up a bit and use some super light weight carbon fiber on the side walls and stick with the Kevlar laminate in the hull. The Gel-coat on a Kevlar boat provides a layer for abrasion resistance that's hard to get from any other material. Keeping the Carbon up higher on the sides and out of the high wear spots , and in full view seemed like a good idea.

Our Solitude mold is a three part mold, this is required on boats with lots of tumblehome in order to get the boat out of the mold. That made the job of getting a nice clean line for the transition from carbon to gel coat that much easier. In the end it came out looking as good as we had hoped.

The end weight of just under 40lbs was great as well. It weighs as much as a traditional ultra light layup with the added abrasion resistance of a Gel-coated boat. Sweet combo, the pictures tell the rest.

In the hull of most our Kevlar canoes we use a foam core to give it the stiffness you need to have the best performing canoe possible. We substituted the normal Kevlar core cover for a carbon fiber one, this does two things, brings the weight down and the sexy up.

Our first ever Carbon/Kevlar hybrid Solitude atop its throne in the WCK showroom.

Check back for more new and exciting stuff from the team at Clipper.

Ryan Bayes

Delsyk Akula 16 Review

Delsyk Akula Review:

Delsyk Designs new 16’ Akula proves itself worthy as a full fledged Sea Kayak built for paddlers looking for a stable yet agile craft. It will accommodate paddlers of most sizes, however, larger paddlers may feel less comfortable with the narrow beam.

For myself at 165lbs and 5’8” it was a perfect fit. The adjustable seat back support and leg lift add a level of comfort not found in many plastic touring kayaks. Having a flatter bottom with hard chines makes this kayak great for both its initial and secondary stability. Leaning it over on it's side with my sprayskirt underwater I was able to hold it there without my paddle even touching the water. The hard chine also makes this boat remarkably maneuverable; it practically turns on a dime without the aid of a paddle stroke. I would highly recommend this kayak to anyone looking for something a little playful but still super stable. Come out and try one today!

Specs:

Length: 16.5'

Beam: 23"

Cockpit: 33"x15"

Laura Demers