Wonder Twins kayaking Blog: January 2007

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Magic Trick

Hey everyone, my name is Alan Young. My home river is the Saluda; which has my favorite play spot “pop up hole”. Pop up is best between 4,100 and 4,500 CFS, The Saluda also has some nice waves and a really fun rapid called Mills Race .

I am sixteen years old, and a sophomore at Airport High School in West Columbia, South Carolina. I have been paddling for about four years. Recently I was added to Team Riot.

I have been paddling the Astro 58. I really have enjoyed paddling this boat it is great in the hole especially when looping. I am five feet nine inches and onehundred and fifty pounds so the Astro 58 is a large boat for someone my size. The Astro is made for a paddler much larger than myself but I enjoy the larger boat with more volume because it goes really big in verticle hole moves.
I have been doing a trick that is really fun and cool to watch. I call it the Magic Trick.

You start by getting on top of the hole on the back of the foam pile.

Once you get on the back of the pile you need to gather speed as you come down toward the green water. Once you reach the green water push the bow down as hard as possible, (like a loop) this will give you the pop you need to get in the air.

Once the boat starts to pop up out of the water, stand up on the foot pegs, and bring your paddle up to your face.

Then, once the boat is vertical, throw your paddle out and forward. Be sure to throw them far enough up stream that you don’t land on them. At the same time as you throw your paddle curl forward and push your heels down and back as hard as possible to complete the rotation.

Once you feel the stern of the boat hit the water put your arms out from your sides to steady your self and sit up quickly. While you are doing all of this, your paddle if thrown correctly will have been floating back down stream and in to the hole.

Immediately after landing look around to see where your paddle has gone. Then comes the magic, reach down in to the foam pile and feel around for your paddle, if you catch it paddle quickly to make sure you keep the trick retentive.

It takes a lot of practice, a lot of paddle chasing, and a little luck, but it definitely gives everyone in the eddy something cool to watch.

Until next time happy paddling.

Alan Young

The New Years Bringing

This year the river has rose numerous times. The Saluda River can bring the best playspots in middle South Carolina. The river level can change very drastically in a matter of hours. The saluda river is a Dam released river. SCE&G control the river level through out the year. Usually in Early January and Late September the river level comes up due to the lowering of the lake. The river level can fluxuate anywhere between 400 and 21,000 cfs. On the saluda there is always something to do. Whether it be playing in the pureover hole popup or in the loop hole popup, it all depends on the water level.

The main attraction is Millsrace. It is home to numerous playspots, such as Blastomatic, Cookie monster, Dumbass hole, Chicken wing, and many more. All of these playspots change as the river changes levels and become very dangerous at a certain level or become very friendly at other levels.

One of the Favorite playspots is Popup hole. The hole is there from 400 cfs to about 5,000 cfs when if becomes a wave and then washes out around 5,500 cfs. This past weekend the river god blessed us with 4,100 cfs. My friends and I as well as many other local paddlers joined in on the high water level.

The high water helps many kayakers learn how to react to higher risk situations while whitewater kayaking. It also give many of us to work on our skills as kayakers.

Spencer Cook, Yonton Mehler, and Alan Young were out there this weekend throwing lots of split ends and cartwheels.

I, myself, was putting down some ends and got a few split ends, but with more practice Ill get better. Picture by Spencer Cook.All four of us were throwing loops all weekend long.
Alan Young looping big in Popup hole. Picture by Spencer Cook.

Alan, after mastering the loop, made up his own trick, The Magic Trick. To do a Magic Trick you have to be able to loop. You start off like a loop and put you bow in to the hole and as you reach your maximum hight you throw your paddle in the the oncoming water. Then you finish off the loop with no paddle. After you land the loop you reach beside you and pick up the paddle and keep going. Alan doing his Magic Trick. Photo by Spencer Cook.