Sign up now to attend the 2010 WW symposium at NOC in North Carolina.

http://reservations.noc.com/express/reservation/results.jsf?locationId=Any+Location&typeId=47&activityNameId=Any+Name&startDate=10%2F08%2F2010&endDate=10%2F10%2F2010&guestCount=1

Early bird special through June 15th.

Hope to see you there!

-Sam

Join NRG, Hopworks, Next Adventure and the Portland paddling community for the premier of Kent Ford’s The Call of the River Tuesday July 28th at Hopworks Urban Brewery! This spectacular videography takes you through the history of running whitewater, beginning in the early 20th century! Contains rare footage and interviews with paddling icons!

There will be food and brews going around.

Where: Hopworks Urban Brewery, 2944 SE Powel Blvd

When: Doors open 7:00 p.m.

Join Northwest River Guides in honing your river skills. Peel outs, eddy turns, ferries, boofing, and more. We’ll have you more confident the next time you head out on the river! Saturday June 27th 9:00 – 1:00. River section chosen depends on levels. Call the office at 503-772-1122 for details.

I think this whole thing is a little silly, and very dangerous, but none the less, the limits were pushed a little further in Whitewater Sport for new heights in successful waterfalls run in a kayak.  Tyler Bradt ran Palouse Falls in April- which was a 198 foot waterfall- but they are calling it 187.  Regardless it was a breathtaking descent and I had front row seats having rappelled off the ledge to run safety and snap a few photos.  Here is an article about it in the Oregonian.

http://www.oregonlive.com/outdoors/index.ssf/2009/05/portland_kayaker_witnesses_pal.html

You can also check out some still photogaphy and a flash video at www.kayakwaterfalls.com

It was published in the first week of May Sports Illustrated, and in the June/July issue of National Geographic Adventure Magazine.

Here’s a great photo of me surfing Colorado Wave on the Deschutes River north of Maupin, OR.  Paddling the Deschutes during the late summer and fall is so much fun.  I love being on the river with IKers, rafters and other kayakers- that’s some of what makes Northwest River Guides‘ trips so much fun. -Dave

Northwest River Guides has inflatable kayaking rivers on the best rivers closest to Portland, OR.  We regularly run trips on the Sandy River and Santiam River and have additional trips on the Klickitat and Deschutes Rivers.  These trips are a great introduction to the sport of whitewater paddling.  First-time kayakers can take their IKs through rapids up to class 3 and really have a blast on the river!  To schedule a trip, check out our website.

Inflatable kayaking fun on the whitewater of the Sandy River.

The Advanced Whitewater Seminar took place this month on beautiful snowy day.  Driving up to the Bruno Mountain section of the N. Santiam we had heavy fluries, however, just like every other AWS this winter, we ended up with sunny skies at the put-in.  With lower flows, Read more…

This is a photo of my good friend and kayaking buddy Josh just below Thrasher on Canyon Creek, WA.  What I like some much about this photo is the swirling water, dark and deep, yet white and aerated.  This is the kind of special, unique thing you get to see when you are whitewater kayaking.  In the isolated river gorge near Portland you can really feel how special these wilderness areas are.  Unfortunately, clear-cut logging caused a large landslide above where this photo was taken.  Now the gorge is filled with literally thousands of trees.  It is still possible to get down the river but much more dangerous and harder work.  Still, Canyon Creek remains one of my favorite places to kayak.  If you’d like to get started whitewater kayaking, give me a call at the Northwest River Guides office (503.772.1122) or check out our website. I hope to paddle with you soon. -Dave

Could the water be any cooler looking?

For me, this is what it is all about – teaching folks to kayak.  With my job I certainly have some tasks that I don’t enjoy that much – cleaning out the van, cleaning gear, entering class info into our database – but all of those tasks allow me to do what I really love: teach students to kayak.  The passion for instruction that we have here at Northwest River Guides is truly special.  We won’t try to sell you kayaks or gear and we won’t try to get you to take endless lessons.  Our only goal is for you to learn as fast as you can and have as much fun as possible.   We figure if that happens, you’ll recommend us to all your friends and then I’ll get to teach even more kayak lessons!  That would be awesome.  If you’d like to take a kayak lesson with Portland’s best kayak instructors, give me a call at the office, 503.772.1122 or check out our website.  I hope I see you on the water soon! -Dave

Northwest River Guides instructor Ben Liotta teaches the sweep stroke to a student.

There is really nothing like a great day of learning to whitewater kayak.  The thrills, the spills and the laughs!  Northwest River Guides teaches our beginner whitewater kayak classes on the lower Clackamas River.  The Clack, as we call it, is a great place to learn because it has water all summer long and into the fall, and has class 1-2 rapids, the “bunny slopes” of whitewater.  These easy sections of whitewater rapids allow for mistakes to be made and chances to try again and again until a student gets it right.  The Clack is only about 20 minutes from downtown Portland making day kayaking trips simple and quick.  Join us for a great time on the river and learn to kayak with Portland’s best kayak school, Northwesr River Guides.  Call 503.772.1122 or check our website for more information.

Gearing up for a beginner kayak lesson on the Clackamas River.