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HomeNL-2011-09 In the News
In the News

A selection of paddling-related news stories.


"Paddling the Pecos River"
"Each fall, in the heart of the Chihuahuan Desert in West Texas, a little-known miracle transforms one of America's most iconic—and tragically dammed—waterways. Revived by diamond-clear spring-fed creeks, the mighty Pecos River is reborn, creating a 60-mile stretch of wild and secret Class III whitewater. And did I mention we had it all to ourselves?"
Complete story: Outside Online
Entry contributed by John Bartos.

Paddling.net Photo of the Week

HCC member John Rich had his Boundary Waters photo entry selected as the runner-up photo of the week for the Paddling.net online newsletter, with a circulation of 90,000 people.  That photo was only available for viewing in their newsletter for one week and has since expired,  but you can still view the photo by clicking the thumbnail photo here.

And the following week, John had a photo from the Pecos River selected as the first place photo of the week.  That photo features HCC member Louis Aulbach's son, Steven, and his girlfriend Bin Lizzo.  See the photo here: Paddling.net

Entry contributed by John Rich.

"Kayak causes crash on I-5" (Seattle, WA)
"State troopers say a loose kayak is to blame for a pileup on Interstate 5 early Friday.

"Washington State Patrol Trooper Julie Startup said the kayak fell off a car in the southbound lanes at about 12:40 a.m.  Two cars swerved to avoid the kayak and crashed into each other, and two other vehicles hit debris from the initial crash.  Medics treated two people for minor injuries.

"The 47-year-old Seattle woman who was driving the car that lost the kayak could face fines for failing to secure the boat."

Complete story: KOMO News
Entry contributed by Paddling.net.

"Polynesian Canoes Arrive in Monterey" (Monterey, CA)
"Seven Polynesian ocean-going canoes that set sail in April across the Pacific Ocean on a historic expedition arrived in Monterey Friday. 

"According to a news release Friday, the double-hulled vakas, crewed by a pan-Pacific network of Voyagers from Aotearoa (New Zealand), Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Vanuatu, and Tonga, will travel 15,000 nautical miles by celestial navigation propelled by the wind and sun, using solar electrified motors..."
Complete story: Central Coast News
Entry contributed by John Rich.

"Duo will row, row, row their canoe gently down to the Gulf of Mexico" (Kidron, OH)

"Starting late Sunday afternoon, a local man and his cousin will take the first steps on an adventure as they pick up a canoe, carry it down the road about a mile and put it in the Sugar Creek.

"From that point they will commence rowing on a journey that over 2 1/2 months will take them through a system of creeks and rivers, and eventually down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, through the Mississippi Delta and into the Gulf of Mexico.

"John Detwiler, 22, Kidron, and Ben Swartz, 22, of Botkins, say they expect to wind up their 2,000-mile journey Nov. 3.

"Detwiler said he got the idea about two years ago. He said while writing a theology paper and reading books on adventures, he found himself longing to go on a great adventure -- something he could relish the anticipation of, which would take a long time, cover a long distance and would have a sense of uncertainty and being "on the edge" about it..."

Complete story: Daily Record
Entry contributed by John RIch.

"PSC arranges Dragon-boat versus Canoe-Kayak face-off" (Manila, Phillippines)
"The Philippine Sports Commission is reportedly arranging a face-off between members of the Philippine Dragon Boat Federation and the Philippine Canoe-Kayak Federation.

The face-off is being put into place to determine which of the two groups will be recognized as an official national sports association..."

Complete story: ABS CBN News
Entry contributed by John Rich.

"No paddle, not even a canoe" (Ottawa, Canada)
"A cash-strapped Julian Potvin-Bernal hopes to be reunited with his repaired, two-month-old canoe today.

"If everything goes well, he'll have it to compete in the final World Cup whitewater slalom canoe regatta in Prague, Czech Republic, and keep his Olympic dream alive.


"Sponsors were charging to his financial rescue after Bernal learned on Tuesday he was up the creek without a paddle as well as a boat when he arrived in Vienna, Austria.


"Sometime during one of his two flights the main tools of his trade were severely damaged. He was horrified to see his canoe and paddles when he picked up his luggage in Vienna.  'The boat was pretty much bent in half. It was caused by the baggage handlers, but we're not sure where..."

Complete story: Ottawa Citizen
Entry contributed by John Rich.

"Teen trying to cool off drowns in Brazos River" (Houston, TX)
"After a morning practice session Friday, Benjamin Ola and four of his teammates on Travis High School's junior varsity football team decided to cool off in the murky waters of the Brazos River.

"Hours later, authorities fished the body of the 17-year-old student from the river bottom while his grief-stricken father wondered how such a thing could have happened to his strong, athletic son..."
Complete story: Houston Chronicle
Entry contributed by John Rich.

"Trial date set in Kansas River drowning lawsuit" (Topeka, KA)
"A jury trial has been scheduled in a lawsuit being pursued against the city of Topeka and state of Kansas by the father of one of two men who drowned when their canoe capsized in the Kansas River in 2007 in Topeka.

"Joshua Bryant, 25, and Richard Heyroth, 30, both of Topeka, drowned late Aug. 5, 2007, when the canoe they were in capsized after it went over a spillway at the south end of a low-water weir.


"The suit contends authorities failed to adequately warn boaters of the approaching danger posed by the weir; provide an adequate route to carry watercraft or cargo to avoid the weir; and comply with conditions set forth in a 1987 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit requiring a public boat ramp to be built upstream from the weir..."

Complete story: Capital-Journal
Entry contributed by John Grisham.

"Canoe capsizes, man missing" (Chicago, IL)
"Emergency officials searched early Tuesday for a man after his canoe capsized in a retention pond.  A canoe carrying two men capsized at 1:30 a.m. in a retention pond, Lemont Fire District Chief Carl Churulo said...One of the men was able to swim back to shore, Churolo said. The man was treated and released at scene...Emergency personnel, including divers and a helicopter, searched for the second man..."
The body was recovered later.

Complete story: Herald News
Entry contributed by John Rich.

"Mystery Surrounds Death of Man who was Kayaking with his Young Son" (Long Island, NY)
"It had the makings of an idyllic summer afternoon on Long Island: a father and son, out on the river on Suffolk County’s north shore... It is not clear precisely when disaster struck... The boy, Caden Luca, 5, was found first, about an hour after the kayak had left shore. A couple in a 30-foot boat spotted Caden bobbing in the water, about a mile from shore. He was kept afloat by his life vest but was being pulled out to sea by the tide...  By the time the Sandomenicos lifted the exhausted child onto their boat, Caden seemed overwhelmed... When Mr. Sandomenico asked what had happened, the boy, shivering and exhausted, said his father had disappeared underwater... Officer Luca, who was not wearing any flotation device..."
Complete story: New York Times

Ladies and Gentlemen: WEAR YOUR PFD'S!
Entry contributed by Honey Leveen.