Africa update from Ian

Hectic would be the best way to put it. I've been over here for three months now and on the road since end of October, long time to be traveling but this trip has been far from slow. First month was awesome in South Africa, tons of paddling funny water situation there but good none the less. Then we hit the real epic stuff in Mada Gascar as we spent a whole month over there charging ,racked up 6 first descents, and tons of stuff that nearly had me crapping myself the entire time. The highlight was a 3 day decent dropping a thousand feet a day that would easily rival anything anyone has found in the high sierras with some of those Toxaway style big slide from the south east. Along with the 9 ft. croc that came flying out of the bushes in full attack mode only 5 feet from me and my boat.

Then came the hectic month of travel and horror. I made it all the way to where i am right now in northern Tanzania only three days from the Nile and the chance to leave the van behind for a while so that we can paddle every day and relax. That only comes after 5,000 km of shitty roads, numerous scouts of flooding rivers and two days on the Zambezi that was running at half a million cfs. The biggest thing i have ever done or seen. 30 ft waves crashing on your head and sending you 25ft under water. Thank god for the pack jackets between our legs to keep our skirts from imploding, as swims would for sure be fatal. but with that behind i am looking forward to a little relax time and then one more multi day on the Murchison Falls section of the White Nile where we can scare our selves running from crocs and hippos before flying home to sanity and the chance to make a little money. Hope the winter was well, and I cant wait for all that snow back home to start melting again.

Ian Garcia,
Team SR

Patagonia & Dams

Hello there dear SR Helmet Family.
The trip to south can't be much better, the Patagonia of Chile and Argentina is incredible.
We drive for 3800 Km. in 16 days to arrive in the magic Backer River, the Backer river is one of the biggest rivers in Chile and run with 55,000 CFS.
On the way to the Backer we visited the Gol-Gol river in Chile, the Escondido river in Argentina and the incredible Futaleufu river.

When you do a kayaking trip that long, the crew is something very important and this time we had a perfect team : Ema my girlfriend, my best dude Lj Groth, Evan Garcia, Severin from Europe and Juanito from Peru.

At the moment that we decided to do this trip, I was very interested to know more and more about the “Patagonia sin Represa”. This is a very big problem here in Chile, just because the goverment of Chile is ready to make a dam on the Backer and the Pascua River.

The big problem about this incredible Backer river is that next 2009 they are going to be built 5 different Dams that are going to be built on the rapid section.

Patagonia Sin Represas is fighting with the big electricity company Endesa and they want to built the electric dam in the big Backer and Pascua rivers and people is completely opposed at this dam project...

After have the opportunity to run this incredible river I feel totally sad just because all this beautiful place go to disappear and the future generation don't go to have the opportunity to run this awesome rivers....
Tomorrow we go to the mystic Middle Fuy for continue Run The Shit... So very soon some cool more picture....

From the very end of the world Chile.
Rodrigo Tuschner.

Paddling in Fayetteville, WV

I left a week ago from Readsboro,VT. We still had about 3 feet of snow left on the ground and it was 20 degrees out. This trip I brought the dog and the cat. It was a 14 hour ride in great weather and the cat Laya seemed to enjoy it.

I paddled the New River Gorge 4 days so far and played at “Sweet Spot” on the Gauley. The New River Gorge has been at a great level and is big water fun! I’ve been working on macho moves and kick flips and am pretty sure by the time I go home I will get a few macho moves. I have been working really hard on the Phonics Monkey and have had awesome help from Kelsey Thompson and Bryan Kirk. I have a short video of one from the New. It’s not perfect but I’m happy with my progress.

I still have a week left and then I’ll head home to VT.

It feels so great to be paddling again!

Elaine Campbell

BRH Helmet Art Show in Asheville NC & NAWF experience

The Shred Ready BRH Helmet Art Show is tonight in Asheville NC, 7-10 pm, clock time (aka, the time your clock tells you). If you are local and have time I highly recommend running down to Phil Mechanics Studio 109 Roberts St Asheville, NC 28801-3128 and check out the helmets. You can mapquest it. If you are familiar with Clingman Avenue or know where the Grey Eagle is, it's right across from that. I got to get a sneak peak last night and I must say there is some really cool stuff there, worth looking at. I got a few photos with my phone.

This one brought me back to the 70s, what little I experienced of the 70s


This one brought me back to HeeHaw Jones. I think HeeHaw's lawyers are not going to be happy. Uh-ohhhhhhh.


Here's me and the big guy himself, doing the helmet dance. Be the helmet, do the helmet dance.


There's the big guy and one of his little buddies, hanging out at the helmet art.


Pretty maids, all in a row.


I have created fire!


Ma Sherburne and the little lady would be proud.


Not to poo-poo all the helmet artists, but, Robert, the little guy on the left, he actually designed the helmet itself, so there.


Mean, awful, horrible human beings


Also, I just got back from the NAWF (North American Wrestling Funtime or North Alabama Whitewater Fans or Nasty Alien Wrench Farmers). I can't remember the acronym but it has something to do with the North, but it's actually in the South. Shred Ready is located in the Alabama North/South so I figured this blog was the appropriate venue for these words. I took some more pictures with my fancy phone camera phone. I had a fun time in snowy Alabama this year, my fourth visit to NAWF. This time I didn't get to win any NAWF money or NAWF prizes but I did have the honor of hanging out with famous celebrities from Jackson Kayaks, Dagger Kayaks, Wave Sport Kayaks, Riot Kayaks and other Kayaks. I was able to hear famous people refer to themselves in the third person, we ate fried chicken and baked beans together and we froze our clowny arses off in 30 degree temperatures all weekend. NAWF is fun.

The Mion Footwear guy was there. He is famous.


The Ben from the AW was there. He is famous. AW puts the AW back into NAWF.


This guy puts the Alabama back into Northern Alabama.


Chuck is famous.


Thanks for coming out. I also want to remind all people of hair lip hair growing potential that the IR Mustache King 2008 contest begins on April 1st. There are an unreal amount of prizes to be won for the bravery of hair farming. We are limiting the number of competitors to 40. There are still some spots available. TheMustacheKing.com

Love,

Spencer Cooke, Shred Ready member of team and owner of Effort Inc Effort.tv RapidTransitVideo.com Night of the Living Donkey Enter The Donkey

Chris Gragtmans is crazy, but I like him. DESOTO FALLS VIDEO

Chris Gragtmans DESOTO FALLS video. You saw it first right here at ShredReady.com



My friend Chris and my other friend Chris went to DeSoto Falls last month. One Chris did the kayaking and the other did the camera...ing. I have looked up the Spanish translation of DeSoto. It means... the Soto, which makes this whole thing that much more amazing if I do say so myself.


The vehicle from which this short film is coming to you is a brand new one by the name of Rapid Transit. Brought to you by Effort Inc and Effort.tv. The soon-to-be web site is RapidTransitVideo.com where one will be able to find all sorts of FREE, online kayaking films, video clips, podcasts and other booty, courtesy of Mion Footwear and Riot Kayaks! All featured Rapid Transit videos can be seen at Mion Footwear's site. A plethora of other videos will be available for viewing at the Rapid Transit site from a variety of kayak filmmakers.



The DeSoto video has been shot and edited by award winning video producer, Chris Gallaway (Green Race Movie), and is sort of a soft launch for Rapid Transit.


Shred Ready has kindly sponsored this first video for Spring 2008 as a way to congratulate and celebrate Chris Gragtmans for his successful descent of DeSoto. Since it was right in Shred Ready's Alabama back yard it seemed more than fitting.


Please enjoy,

Spencer Cooke, Shred Ready Team Member
Effort.tv
RapidTransitVideo.com