Hey this is Andy Gates from Rapid Transit Video, I have posted two new videos under my library. Here is a link to my library on Rapid Transit Video.

The first video is a kayaking instructional video, showing how to loop, called Bag-0-Tricks. This is the first of many instructional videos. If you have any suggestions on new tricks for me to instruct just leave a comment and I will try to get to it as soon as possible.

The second video I have posted is of Spencer Cooke, Alan Young, Jason Aytes, and myself, paddling Eternity hole on the Tuck., 1/4 mile hole on the Noli., Green river play, and Wilson's creek.

Heres a link to my library at Rapid Transit Video.

Remember to check out all the libraries while your there.

Until next time,

Andy Gates

GAF Homers Hole

GAF was awesome this year with some great karaoke performances, and clear weather. One of my favorite things about GAF was that the "NOC Wave" has been changed in to a hole and renamed "Homers Hole", so I'm told. The hole was pretty fast and shallow but over all fun, with a few strategically placed rocks to get a little more water flowing through the hole it could be a cool new attraction to add to the Nantahala. Loops were pretty rough, but cartwheels, blunts splits, space godzillas, and even donkey flips are possible.

Over all i had a blast and I am already looking forward to next year.

Alan Young

photos by Casey Jones and Andy Gates

Blunting..

Okay, so you are comfortable on a wave, and you want to start to expand your wave play abilities beyond spinning. Well, a good basic play boating trick is the “blunt”. It is a great skill to build upon to learn more difficult wave moves. An ideal wave for blunting can be defined in two basic ways one is a wave that has a defined high side or where the water curls back in the trough of the wave. The other is a wave that is fast, steep, and has a good amount of power. The other day I was at the USNWC with Andy playing on their “M Wave”, which is a very fast relatively powerful wave. Okay, to begin to blunt you need to get as far back on the wave as possible by either spinning or dropping an edge. Next, accelerate toward the trough of the wave, once you hit the trough stomp your feet at the same time you drop an edge (drop the opposite edge you cartwheel on), while simultaneously with the same blade as the edge you used launch your self forward with a quick powerful stroke. This will get you the speed and bounce you need to get into the air. Immediately after, switch your edge hard while you’re still going up and pull your other blade down (like a cart wheel) pulling your boat up and out of the water. Then, simply land in to a back surf, and spin forward.






Hope to see you on the water soon

Virginia Trip Early June

In Early June Spencer Cooke, Alan Young, and I went up to Virginia for a Riot demo on the James. When we got there the river level was around 5 foot. At that level the Z-Dam is a great playspot. The Z-Dam is best between 5.8 foot all the way down to 4.8. The lower it gets the stickier it gets.

Here is a video of our trip.

In the Picture below Alan Young is doing the first part of a McNasty.The next day we ran up to the Potomac River at Great Falls. We ran the center line a few times before it began storming. This is the first time Alan or I have ever run anything like this. It was amazing, the feeling of your body going weightless as you boof over the lip of Grace Under Pressure.

Spencer Cooke Boofing Grace Under Pressure.
On our way out of the Potomac River we saw a ton of dear on the side of the road.

On the following day Alan and I headed back to the Z-Dam. The water was a little lower but it was still awesome.
Alan Young Looping big at Z-Dam.

A swan attacking me at my dads apartment.

Our new Riot Sales model.

See you on the river.

Andy Gates

Eternity Hole Play Session

Eternity Hole Play Session Recently Andy, Chris, and I went up to “eternity hole” on the Tuckasegee River. This was Andy’s and my self’s first trip to this fabled play spot. As it turns out it was an amazing place to play. This hole was only running from 5:00am till around11:30am so we had an early start to our day. With the early morning temperature, hovering around freezing Chris proposed the use of rubber dishwashing gloves tucked under the gaskets of our dry tops to keep us a little warmer. This explains why our hands are pink in the photos....

Me

Me

Chris

Chris

Me

Me

Chris

Chris

See you on the water

Alan Young

Today Alan and I had all intentions in geting in the water. When we pulled in to the parking lot the water was down, the wind was killer, and it was cold. By the time we got out of the car Scarby cruises over to us on his long board. So we decide to go skating through the park.

All i can say is that we had fun... even though Alan riped his pants and i got mud on mine.

Scarby skating down the trail

Myself rounding the first corner

Alan Falling on his knee on his first and final run down the trail

Myself gaining speed to go around the sharp corner

If you look really close you can see my pants from where i flew from the board in to the woods.

Scarby finishing his last ride down the trail.

Thats all for now.

Stay safe, use protection.

- Andy Gates

Video of Gauley Fest 06