September 05, 2006

Disappointment on the Ottawa

The Reno-Tahoe Blog will occasionally feature entries from athletes sponsored by Reno-Tahoe, America's Adventure Place. Jay Kincaid, professional kayaker, has been paddling over half of his lifetime, and is back to blog about his life as a professional kayaker living in Reno, NV. As 2003 Freestyle Kayaking World Champion, 2001 U.S. National Champion and three-time U.S. Point Series Champion, Jay is the most proud of the many first descents he's done on rivers and waterfalls in his native Oregon and in California.

Well the first World Cup event on the Ottawa is finally over. The river dropped down to a perfect flow and we couldn't have asked for a better wave.

I trained my butt off everyday since the U.S Team Trials and was very confident and happy about the way that I was paddling, as well as feeling a bit burnt out and ready for a change of scenery. I kind of had some mixed emotions as I don't like to train at the same feature for such a long period of time, but had to because the U.S. Team Trials and World Cup where back to back.

I didn't paddle very well the first day for the prelims but was still able to make the cut to finals. Sunday morning, finals morning, I actually went out to the wave by myself and paddled for almost two hours, which is normally not something that I do before competing. I came up with a a whole new plan for my ride and was hitting it more often then not in practice.

So, finals stated and I was again competing. My first ride started off well, but I flushed for the first time all morning on my left Air Screw. My second ride started off really well. I stuck a perfect entry Helix, was getting huge air on all of my moves, and then landed weird on my left edge and carved off the wave with 15 seconds left. My last 15 seconds was reserved for my left Air Screw and my right Pan Am.

I missed the cut to the top 5 by 10 points, which is half of the score of an Air Screw. In the end I ended up 9th which was very disappointing. I trained very hard for that event and finishing 9th place is very hard for me to swallow. Like usual after a disappointing lose I have physically felt ill all day long. Not fun but something that has happened to me a few time before.

Now it is all about the comeback for me. With two events left I really need to finish well to make up for the slip up yesterday. I took today off resting and hanging out with Lisa and her Mom in Gananoque, which is only about 45 minutes from the 2nd event site in Watertown.

So, starting tomorrow it is back to training.

Posted by Nadia at 08:25 AM | Comments (0)

August 31, 2006

On The Road Again

The Reno-Tahoe Blog will occasionally feature entries from athletes sponsored by Reno-Tahoe, America's Adventure Place. Jay Kincaid, professional kayaker, has been paddling over half of his lifetime, and is back to blog about his life as a professional kayaker living in Reno, NV. As 2003 Freestyle Kayaking World Champion, 2001 U.S. National Champion and three-time U.S. Point Series Champion, Jay is the most proud of the many first descents he's done on rivers and waterfalls in his native Oregon and in California.

Two and a half weeks ago I flew back to Reno from the Outdoor Retail Show packed up my stuff for two months, grabbed the dogs and started the cross country drive. As long as the drive was it actually went very well. I arrived on the Ottawa River three days later and have been here training, competing, fishing, and running my dogs ever since.

Last Wednesday was our U.S. team Trails. I was able to make the Team again, now for the 6th year. It was a tough flow at a wave called Garborator. The wave came up and the wave was very flushy. Combine that with the fact that I hadn't really been on a wave in six months made for a stressful event for me. Relying more on my ability to compete then my current skill on a wave I was able to pull it out and make the team.

Since then I have been practicing as much as my body will allow as the first World Cup event is on that same wave this weekend. I have been making lots of progress and hope to be again paddling well come competition day.

So, that's it for now. I will update you again after the weekend.

Posted by Nadia at 11:08 AM | Comments (0)

July 19, 2006

Back to Work

The Reno-Tahoe Blog will occasionally feature entries from athletes sponsored by Reno-Tahoe, America's Adventure Place. Jay Kincaid, professional kayaker, has been paddling over half of his lifetime, and is back to blog about his life as a professional kayaker living in Reno, NV. As 2003 Freestyle Kayaking World Champion, 2001 U.S. National Champion and three-time U.S. Point Series Champion, Jay is the most proud of the many first descents he's done on rivers and waterfalls in his native Oregon and in California.

Since my last update I have been kayaking, kayaking, and more kayaking.

Yesterday I met with about 30 members from every avenue of media down at the white water park and gave them a demonstration. That seemed to go well as everyone seemed very interested and there were smiles, clapping, and thumbs up from everyone.

The white water park has been really good but is finally starting to get low, as it has been dropping around 50 cfs a day for the last 10 days. So, this means that I am going to be moving my paddling sessions upstream to a little secret hole that I have, if it is still there after the floods this winter. My favorite hole upstream washed out two years ago, so I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Other then that I have been wrestling a couple of days a week Those who have known me for a long time know that I wrestled for years growing up, so I am enjoying doing a bit of that in my spare time.

I also finally finished the landscaping in the front and back yard. And I must say that if I was competing with my neighbors in the nice lawn competition, I would be dominating.

Posted by Nadia at 04:39 PM | Comments (0)

July 10, 2006

Rafting the Salmon

The Reno-Tahoe Blog will occasionally feature entries from athletes sponsored by Reno-Tahoe, America's Adventure Place. Jay Kincaid, professional kayaker, has been paddling over half of his lifetime, and is back to blog about his life as a professional kayaker living in Reno, NV. As 2003 Freestyle Kayaking World Champion, 2001 U.S. National Champion and three-time U.S. Point Series Champion, Jay is the most proud of the many first descents he's done on rivers and waterfalls in his native Oregon and in California.

I got back last night from an eight day over night trip on the Main Salmon in Idaho. I rowed a boat again this year but brought along my kayak on the back which allowed me at one point or another to paddle on four of the days.

Other then that it was lots of fishing, and generally hanging out relaxing. I think that I might have gained some extra belly flab but it just gave me something to rest my beer on, and it will be gone soon enough...

As soon as we arrived home yesterday I quickly unpacked the truck and headed down town for a quick kayak session. This morning, like usual I was up running and will be heading to the river later in the day. If I am doing then math right our US Team trials are just over six weeks away, so it is time to ramp back up to full speed. For me that means longer play sessions and more running. I like to keep my competition weight at around 190 lbs or lower if possible, and I am at about 194 right now. There are two ways that I can do that. One, just paddle and eat way less. Two, paddle and run while eating the same. I prefer the second option as I have actually come to really enjoy a daily run, and food isn't bad either. Why do I believe 190 or lower to be the magic number? Because I feel much faster and more explosive at that weight, as well as gaining the ability to paddle harder for a longer period of time. I actually came home from the Colorado trip at 188 pounds which is the lightest that I have been since my sophomore year of high school, and I believe that it has show in my ability to be a lot faster in the races this year. I still am not where I want to be with the races or with the freestyle but I am always trying to reach that unattainable place of satisfaction.

So, from now until the World Cup is over this fall I am in full training and competing mode, and loving it.

Posted by Nadia at 11:35 AM | Comments (0)

June 12, 2006

My Life with Jackson Kayak

The Reno-Tahoe Blog will occasionally feature entries from athletes sponsored by Reno-Tahoe, America's Adventure Place. Jay Kincaid, professional kayaker, has been paddling over half of his lifetime, and is back to blog about his life as a professional kayaker living in Reno, NV. As 2003 Freestyle Kayaking World Champion, 2001 U.S. National Champion and three-time U.S. Point Series Champion, Jay is the most proud of the many first descents he's done on rivers and waterfalls in his native Oregon and in California.

Before coming to Jackson Kayak I had worked for another kayak manufacturer for the better part of ten years. A lot of things had changed during that time and in the end the only thing that kept me there was the friends that I had made along the way. The truth was, and is, that those friends will be part of my life regardless of who I work for, but that didn’t make telling them that I was leaving any easier. When I finally called Robin Culver with the news it actually took me about five phone calls that day before I could get it out of my mouth. She, like all of my friends with Dagger was very gracious and supportive upon hearing the news, as I knew that they would be.

At that point in my kayaking career the move to Jackson Kayak was really a no-brainer for me. EJ, the Jackson family, and myself had been friends for years. I loved to paddle with Eric, and just as much loved to compete against him. For us the two have always gone hand in hand. Everyday that we are on the water together it is “game on” as I believe that for both of us that kayaking with out competition would somehow be very different. I trusted and believed very much in Eric’s fresh ideas and philosophies regarding kayak design, the future of our sport, and business in the paddle sports industry in general. So, when the time was right for me to come aboard, I did so jumping with both feet despite what anybody else thought that I should do.

The truth is that I have never worked for a more professional and friendly group of people in my life as I do now with Jackson Kayak, and that is saying something as I have been doing this a long time. We have what I believe to be the best product in the world, and even more importantly at the best value. Jackson kayak is a 1 percent for the planet company and is surrounded by people who are more then willing to give what they have so that others might have the opportunity to live better lives. It makes me very proud to be part of a company with great people, great product, and great values.

Team Jackson Kayak, meaning the company as a whole, as well as the athletes making up what is traditionally thought of as a team is something awesome to be part of. It is the first time in all my years of kayaking that I am surrounded by a group of people who genuinely want everyone to do well.

Stephen Wright will come down to the water to help me with my competition ride knowing full well that his help might result in him being outscored, and that is inspiring to me. The amazing thing is that everyone on the team is like that, like a true team should be.

A lot of people; acquaintances, old team members, media, and friends, questioned me when I made the move to Jackson Kayak. Eight months later I don’t hear those questions anymore. I am now in what I believe to be an enviable situation, and I look at the company that I work for and what we are doing and can only smile.

Posted by Nadia at 10:43 AM | Comments (0)

June 07, 2006

Teva & fast driving

The Reno-Tahoe Blog will occasionally feature entries from athletes sponsored by Reno-Tahoe, America's Adventure Place. Jay Kincaid, professional kayaker, has been paddling over half of his lifetime, and is back to blog about his life as a professional kayaker living in Reno, NV. As 2003 Freestyle Kayaking World Champion, 2001 U.S. National Champion and three-time U.S. Point Series Champion, Jay is the most proud of the many first descents he's done on rivers and waterfalls in his native Oregon and in California.

I am back out west from Colorado. The Teva Mountain Games went well but I am glad that it is over. I raced really well in the head to head race finishing in second in the time trial, less then 5/100's behind EJ. I also finished second in the actual race, behind EJ, and in front of Tao and Brad Ludden in the final heat. Much to my surprise one of the gate judges said that I missed a mandatory gate, and that resulted in a disqualification, putting E in fourth place. I am not really sure of how exactly that mistake happened but never the less it was disappointing to be disqualified after being so fast all day.

The freestyle event in Vail has been my long time nemesis. I have finished in the top three there five out of the six time that I have competed and have never won. This year I finished third which was again disappointing, but the good news is that we once again had a Jackson Kayak sweep. Actually 5 of the 6 medals from the men's and women's classes went to Jackson Kayaks.

I like to call that DOMINATION!

EJ won and Stephen was seond, both having unbelievable rides.

So, I drove back to Reno after the event as fast as I could trying for an unofficial World Record. The way I see it is that if I wasn't speeding I was wasting time. I made it from Vail to Reno in 12 hours and 15 minutes. You might want to Map Quest that one to get full appreciation.

I spent one day in Reno, surfed at the play park,and then hit the road for the Northern California Coast, and the home of Kokatat. I will be here until Thursday morning and then it is back to Reno for a few days.

I am looking forward to those days at home.

Posted by Nadia at 11:51 AM | Comments (0)

June 02, 2006

No More 3rd Place

The Reno-Tahoe Blog will occasionally feature entries from athletes sponsored by Reno-Tahoe, America's Adventure Place. Jay Kincaid, professional kayaker, has been paddling over half of his lifetime, and is back to blog about his life as a professional kayaker living in Reno, NV. As 2003 Freestyle Kayaking World Champion, 2001 U.S. National Champion and three-time U.S. Point Series Champion, Jay is the most proud of the many first descents he's done on rivers and waterfalls in his native Oregon and in California.

I have been in Colorado for over two weeks now and it has been a blast. I have participated in dealer sales events, taught clinics, paddled some creeks, talked at kayak clubs, and generally had a great time.

Yesterday was a really big event called the Paddler magazine Invitational.

It was held in Steamboat Springs and was a very unique event. There was a race and a freestyle event with the goal of finding out who the best all around kayaker is. Anybody who knows me knows that I wouldn't miss any opportunity to compete in this format. In the morning we had an extreme race on Fish Creek. I had what I thought to be a great run but ended up in third place. Then in the afternoon we had the freestyle competition which I was very confident about. In the end I won the rodeo and most importantly won the Over All Competition, proving that at the least on that day I was the best.

After many disappointing third place finished this year it felt really good to win a big event such as this.

Up next is the Teva Mountain Games. I will update you on that when it is finished.

Posted by Nadia at 02:26 PM | Comments (0)

May 15, 2006

Reno River Festival 2006

The Reno-Tahoe Blog will occasionally feature entries from athletes sponsored by Reno-Tahoe, America's Adventure Place. Jay Kincaid, professional kayaker, has been paddling over half of his lifetime, and is back to blog about his life as a professional kayaker living in Reno, NV. As 2003 Freestyle Kayaking World Champion, 2001 U.S. National Champion and three-time U.S. Point Series Champion, Jay is the most proud of the many first descents he's done on rivers and waterfalls in his native Oregon and in California.

The third annual Reno River Festival was once again a great success. We couldn't have asked for better weather and the local community as well as the kayaking community was there in full force. I am not sure of the numbers but I am sure that the foot traffic was well into the thousands.

This year we had high water and the freestyle competition was moved upstream to number two. It seemed to work well as a competition feature, and was certainly better then a lot of holes that I have competed in. I paddled well all day, never having a ride below 112 points, but in the end finished third. EJ and Steven Wright paddled awesome, as usual, and were able to finish first and second. Yet another Jackson Kayak sweep! The women also paddled really well and were very competitive. Tanya Faux finished first, Nikki Kelly was second, and Emily Jackson finished in a strong third.

Today was the Boater Cross and it was really fun to be part of and to watch.

Like most Boater Cross events it was full on racing and constant entertainment. EJ put his speed to good use and won, Bryan Kirk was second, and once again I was third.

I seem to have the third place curse going so far this year. At the Brush Creek Extreme Race I finished third; At the American River Fest I finished third; At the Reno River Fest freestyle I finished third: At the Boater Cross Time trial I fished third; and at the Boater Cross final I fished third. It is kind of frustrating but I know that I am paddling well, so I expect the curse to be gone by the next time I compete.

Posted by Nadia at 09:46 AM | Comments (0)

May 08, 2006

Joe Bob's & Area 51

The Reno-Tahoe Blog will occasionally feature entries from athletes sponsored by Reno-Tahoe, America's Adventure Place. Jay Kincaid, professional kayaker, has been paddling over half of his lifetime, and is back to blog about his life as a professional kayaker living in Reno, NV. As 2003 Freestyle Kayaking World Champion, 2001 U.S. National Champion and three-time U.S. Point Series Champion, Jay is the most proud of the many first descents he's done on rivers and waterfalls in his native Oregon and in California.

2 weekends ago, Steven Wright and I headed up to Oregon for a couple of dealer visits with Alder Creek, and some great paddling. Saturday we visited the Portland store and then later headed up to Joe Bob's which was epic. It was the best feature that I have ever seen at Bob's and we had a great time.

Sunday morning we visited the Alder creek store in bend, helped out with a big boat demo, and then went kayaking at a hole called Area 51. I could tell you how good it was, but its called Area 51 for a reason.

We drove back to Reno late Sunday night and have been paddling here ever since. (Except for when Lisa and I have been doing yard work.) The river is high and it is hard to say for sure where the competition will be, but it will be great regardless.

Last Saturday we had a Jackson kayak Fun Tour event here in Reno. We met at the white water park at 1:00 with most of the Team, demo boats, high water, warm weather, and it was generally a great time.

Posted by Nadia at 03:28 PM | Comments (0)

April 24, 2006

3rd at the American River Festival

The Reno-Tahoe Blog will occasionally feature entries from athletes sponsored by Reno-Tahoe, America's Adventure Place. Jay Kincaid, professional kayaker, has been paddling over half of his lifetime, and is back to blog about his life as a professional kayaker living in Reno, NV. As 2003 Freestyle Kayaking World Champion, 2001 U.S. National Champion and three-time U.S. Point Series Champion, Jay is the most proud of the many first descents he's done on rivers and waterfalls in his native Oregon and in California.

I left for the American River Festival last Thursdays morning. Lisa and I arrived at around noon, met up with the Jackson's and headed up the river to the feature that we thought the freestyle competition would be. It was a hole just upstream of a rapid called Miya, and it was really good. We played there for a couple of hours timing rides and generally getting ready for the competition.

The next morning we got the word that the location for the event had been changed, so we headed just down river to that small hole and again practiced for the event. This hole was really small but we stayed positive about it, and everyone seemed to be doing a lot with what we had.

That night we went to the party at the River Store were we got the new update about the locations for the competition. It was to now be a freestyle through the rapid at Trouble Maker Rapid. So, the morning of the event we were all out practicing when we found a small breaking wave with eddy access just above the rapid. As a group we decided that this was the best option, so the event was now for sure going to be there.

In prelims I had good rides and ended up going to finals in first place.

Steven Wright was in second and EJ was in third. Finals were really close, but Steven was able to pull of a great McNasty on the small wave and won. EJ had a ride much like mine only he was able to get a little more pop on his moves, so he finished second, and for the second weekend in a row I finished third.

I was really upset to not have won, but I know that I am paddling well and am looking forward to the next event.

I am back in Reno now and will be until Friday when Steven and I drive to Portland and then Bend to do a couple of clinics.

Posted by Nadia at 10:10 AM | Comments (0)

April 18, 2006

Kaweah & Brush Creek Extreme Race

The Reno-Tahoe Blog will occasionally feature entries from athletes sponsored by Reno-Tahoe, America's Adventure Place. Jay Kincaid, professional kayaker, has been paddling over half of his lifetime, and is back to blog about his life as a professional kayaker living in Reno, NV. As 2003 Freestyle Kayaking World Champion, 2001 U.S. National Champion and three-time U.S. Point Series Champion, Jay is the most proud of the many first descents he's done on rivers and waterfalls in his native Oregon and in California.

I left last Wednesday for the East fork of the Kaweah, in the Southern Sierra. Thursday morning we put on the river at the highest flow that most of had done it. We had an excellent group of people and it turned out to be a great day on one of my favorite day runs in the world. We had to walk the best water fall rapid on the river because the river was simply to high, but other then that everything was as run able, or not run able, as usual.

That night I drove the three hours south to Kernville. The next morning I met up with the Jackson's and we did a few practice runs on Brush creek, the location of the extreme race the next day. The water was a lot higher then I had ever seen on that creek and it only made it that much better.

Saturday was the Brush Creek Extreme Race, and with lots of water and lots of competitors it was sure to be a great race. It seemed as if everyone was there. There were Olympians, World Champions, Extreme racing Champions, expedition kayakers, and everyone in between. Eric Jackson came out hard and won the race. Dave Garinger finished second, and I finished third. I always compete to win, and that is always the goal, but I didn't feel bad about finishing third. I have high expectations for the races that I am going to be in this year.

Saturday night I went out on the Slalom course and did a work out in the new Jackson Kayak Ricochet. I had Eric on the bank giving me instruction, and that was awesome. It was the first time that I had been in one of the new slalom boats and it is definitely something that I am going to do more of.

Sunday Morning I met my group of people who had signed up for my play boating clinic. We headed up the river to a small wave and I spent the next couple of hours helping everyone to learn and refine their play boating skills. I think that everyone had a great time and I know that it was fun for me to see everyone learning.

When I left Kernville to drive home it was 75 degrees. Four hours latter it was 25 degrees and snowing like crazy. Last night it snowed 3 inches here in Reno, but seems to be melting off pretty quick. I am hoping that it gets warm fast because I am meeting Jason Craig in two hours at the white water park. I cant tell you how ready for summer I am!

The American River Festival is this next weekend, so I will heading back over the mountain in a couple of days.

Posted by Nadia at 11:33 AM | Comments (0)

March 30, 2006

Wine, dogs & paddling

The Reno-Tahoe Blog will occasionally feature entries from athletes sponsored by Reno-Tahoe, America's Adventure Place. Jay Kincaid, professional kayaker, has been paddling over half of his lifetime, and is back to blog about his life as a professional kayaker living in Reno, NV. As 2003 Freestyle Kayaking World Champion, 2001 U.S. National Champion and three-time U.S. Point Series Champion, Jay is the most proud of the many first descents he's done on rivers and waterfalls in his native Oregon and in California.

Last Saturday Lisa and I went to Napa and we did the usual wine tour, which was a first for me. It is important to know that my attention span is fairly short and I hardly ever drink, so maybe a whole day spent tasting wine isn't the ideal situation for me. It was however a lot of fun for a few hours.

After that all of the wines started to taste the same to me, I was feeling a little bit tipsy, and I was pretty much ready for a nap. That night we headed toward the coast so that we could be at the beach early the next day.

Sunday we spent a couple of hours walking on the beach while the two dogs were absolutely flipping out. Porter, the older of the two, was running up and down the beach at top speed harassing anything living or dead that he felt necessary, and he must have found it necessary to harass everything. I wish that I had half of the athletic ability of that dog. Cash, our 4 month old pup wanted to find and eat every dead thing on the beach, and I mean everything. He also was obsessed with the seagulls and a couple of times chased them right out into the surf, with no fear at all of the water. Very cute!

We left the beach at around noon, and after a quick stop at In-And-Out-Burger we were back in Reno at around 4 o'clock, just in time for me to get a quick paddle in down town.

This week I have been paddling with Macy a bunch. He is all fired up to compete in the River Festival, and is paddling really well. He will hurt the feelings of many invited athletes.

At feature number 5 on the white water course there is a really good mystery move spot right now. I have never been very good at mystery moves, probably because I never practice them, so it is a bunch of fun to spend 15 or 20 minutes at the end of a session doing them. Macy is really good at them, and to be honest, it really motivates me to get it figured out as well.

This weekend we are having a bachelor party here in Reno for our best friend Taylor Robertson. It should be a wild couple of days. I am actually kind of scared, as I feel like I should have trained for such an occasion. My alcohol tolerance is at an all time low, and I am in bed by 9:30 at the latest anymore. It could be a ruff one!

Posted by Nadia at 12:02 PM | Comments (0)

March 21, 2006

Taxes & Tricks

The Reno-Tahoe Blog will occasionally feature entries from athletes sponsored by Reno-Tahoe, America's Adventure Place. Jay Kincaid, professional kayaker, has been paddling over half of his lifetime, and is back to blog about his life as a professional kayaker living in Reno, NV. As 2003 Freestyle Kayaking World Champion, 2001 U.S. National Champion and three-time U.S. Point Series Champion, Jay is the most proud of the many first descents he's done on rivers and waterfalls in his native Oregon and in California.

It's tax season, and "the man" has got me down. I know that I am not the only person in the world with complicated taxes, but that doesn't make it any more enjoyable. I have dedicated this week to the idea of hammering it out and getting them done. I think that I would rather go kayaking in the snow with no top on then work on taxes. Skin to win, baby!

Other then that, I have been paddling a ton. I have some new moves dialed, like the reverse Mcnasty, both ways, and have relearned some older moves, like the Phonix Monkey, both ways. Oh, it is pretty!

My favorite local training partners, Macy Burnham and Jason Craig, have been out on the water with me most every day. It has been really cold, but once you are on the water it feels just fine. Macy is paddling like the Macy of old and it is really awesome to see. I am trying to talk him into competing at the River Festival, so fellow competitors beware. Macy's got skills!

And Jason Craig is paddling awesome as well. The other day I told him that we should work on some move combinations, like the Back Loop to Mcnasty. He stuck it on his second try, and to be honest, I thought my eyes might water up. It kind of hurt my feelings, and made me proud at the same time.

Kayaking has been really fun for me this winter, despite the cold. This is something that I haven't experienced in a few winters, and it is really refreshing.

Posted by Nadia at 02:14 PM | Comments (0)

February 27, 2006

Ice & No Gloves

The Reno-Tahoe Blog will occasionally feature entries from athletes sponsored by Reno-Tahoe, America's Adventure Place. Jay Kincaid, professional kayaker, has been paddling over half of his lifetime, and is back to blog about his life as a professional kayaker living in Reno, NV. As 2003 Freestyle Kayaking World Champion, 2001 U.S. National Champion and three-time U.S. Point Series Champion, Jay is the most proud of the many first descents he's done on rivers and waterfalls in his native Oregon and in California.

The last week here in Reno has been really cold until today. A little cold weather didn't bring me down though. I have been feeling tuff on the river, kayaking everyday, but admittedly coming home after and whining like a baby.

I am yet to get any sympathy from Lisa, but I haven't given up hope.

A few days ago I paddled up at Floriston and when I left Reno it was 26 degrees. That means that it was probably in the low 20's up there, but because of my great gear it really didn't seam that bad. I was hoping to find a new play spot that the river had created during the flood, but there was no new play spot to be found. I did call my session off when I had inch long ice sickles hanging from the bill of my helmet. Enough was enough!

The next day I went over the mountain into Cali with Macy and we paddled the Chamberlain Falls section of the N. American. It was a lot warmer and we managed to find a bunch of really fun play spots. Kayaking was somehow a lot more fun that day.

Since then the weather has slowly been getting better and I even paddled today with out gloves. Actually, I started my session with gloves on but had to remove them because my 12 year old paddling partner for the day wasn't wearing gloves. I paddled with Jason Craig today and it was awesome. We played in a small hole in the south channel of the white water park and I think that we both had a really good time.

The forecast calls for the trend of warmer weather to continue, and as far as I am concerned that is a good thing.

So, until next time I will be on the river. The competition season isn't far away and I plan to be at my best ever this year.

Posted by Nadia at 01:56 PM | Comments (0)

Winter Kayaking

The Reno-Tahoe Blog will occasionally feature entries from athletes sponsored by Reno-Tahoe, America's Adventure Place. Jay Kincaid, professional kayaker, has been paddling over half of his lifetime, and is back to blog about his life as a professional kayaker living in Reno, NV. As 2003 Freestyle Kayaking World Champion, 2001 U.S. National Champion and three-time U.S. Point Series Champion, Jay is the most proud of the many first descents he's done on rivers and waterfalls in his native Oregon and in California.

Since my last update everything had been great, until today. It was Spring time weather, warm sun shine, high water, a great play hole, and again, Spring time weather.
Last night the cold came and snow fell. The white water park is being worked on because of the New years floods. This means that they just yesterday diverted the water out of the North channel and around the new play hole at the bottom. It sounds like maybe this is going to take a couple of weeks to finish. I am hopeful that there will be a play spot in the slalom channel but I didn't go check it out today because of the cold.

So, tomorrow I will be back on the water regardless of temperature. I am also hopeful that the rapid up river at Floriston might of changed and given the gift of a new play spot. Last winter with the high water it took my favorite summer time hole away. Maybe, this time it will have left us a little present. I will be checking that out in the next couple of days, or sooner if the play park is no fun.

Other then that, I am enjoying being home. The dogs are for the most part a lot of fun, except at this particular moment they are driving me crazy. For sure my blood pressure is a lot higher then normal. Okay, ten deep breathes for me... Yes, I am feeling better now.

I have been in the gym a lot, but not doing the things that I used to do. I only lift weights a little bit now, and then it is all about the aerobics. Feel the burn!

Posted by Nadia at 01:45 PM | Comments (0)

February 08, 2006

Winter Paddling & Cash

The Reno-Tahoe Blog will occasionally feature entries from athletes sponsored by Reno-Tahoe, America's Adventure Place. Jay Kincaid, professional kayaker, has been paddling over half of his lifetime, and is back to blog about his life as a professional kayaker living in Reno, NV. As 2003 Freestyle Kayaking World Champion, 2001 U.S. National Champion and three-time U.S. Point Series Champion, Jay is the most proud of the many first descents he's done on rivers and waterfalls in his native Oregon and in California.

I am a Daddy, again! Lisa and I got a new puppy just in time for her to leave for Hawaii, and for me to have to deal with a little monster. He is a German Shorthair Pointer, just like our other dog. A hunting dog, of course.

His name is Cash and he has been a ton of fun and work.
I am back on the river and my neck is feeling not too bad. It does hurt, but it is just irritating, not bad enough to bring me down. The Truckee river is up, the weather is warm (well, it is sunny at least), and we have some new play holes at the white water park that are a ton of fun. Thanks to Snap Dragon and Kokotat, I have some brand new, super dry, dry decks, and all of the cold weather gear to keep me happy and warm on the river. That combined with a truly dry boat is the perfect combination for winter paddling.

Posted by Nadia at 03:14 PM | Comments (0)

January 31, 2006

Back From Africa

The Reno-Tahoe Blog will occasionally feature entries from athletes sponsored by Reno-Tahoe, America's Adventure Place. Jay Kincaid, professional kayaker, has been paddling over half of his lifetime, and is back to blog about his life as a professional kayaker living in Reno, NV. As 2003 Freestyle Kayaking World Champion, 2001 U.S. National Champion and three-time U.S. Point Series Champion, Jay is the most proud of the many first descents he's done on rivers and waterfalls in his native Oregon and in California.

Well, I am back from Africa. It was a great trip. I spent the first week on the Nile on the day one section at a really nice camp called Nile River Explorers. The second week we moved downstream to the day two section and the great wave, Nile Special. There we stayed at a camp called the Harry Lemon.

The water level on this trip was a lot lower then when I was there last, but it was still very good. I found myself on the first day just trying to get used to the massive volume of the river. You adjust quickly though, and a couple of minutes later it just feels normal, like rivers should feel. Nile Special was amazing and I had the chance to learn a few new tricks. Everyone one our trip was paddling so well that for the first time in a long time a really just felt average. It was pretty awesome to watch and to be part of. Eric was shooting two new instructional videos and I can't help but think that they are both going to turn out very well.

Unfortunately for me I re-injured my neck, again, a couple of days before it was time to leave. So, tomorrow I am heading over the mountain to see my good buddy Jay Patt, whom I believe to be the best chiropractor ever.

Hopefully he will get me all straightened out and I can start to be pain free for the first time in months.

Also, while in Africa it was really great to see the results from all of the hard work, fund raising, and money given out of pocket, by Emily Jackson and Jessie Stone. They have both been very involved in the creation and support of a new health clinic there along the river, as well as the on-going process of Malaria education. It was very inspiring to say the least. It can be really easy to look at major problems in the world and justify not doing anything because it hard to believe that one person can really help. Well, luckily for the world there are people out there like Jessie and Emily who believe that they can make a difference, and they are.

Posted by AdventureGrrl at 09:37 AM | Comments (0)

January 23, 2006

High Water in the Truckee

The Reno-Tahoe Blog will occasionally feature entries from athletes sponsored by Reno-Tahoe, America's Adventure Place. Jay Kincaid, professional kayaker, has been paddling over half of his lifetime, and is back to blog about his life as a professional kayaker living in Reno, NV. As 2003 Freestyle Kayaking World Champion, 2001 U.S. National Champion and three-time U.S. Point Series Champion, Jay is the most proud of the many first descents he's done on rivers and waterfalls in his native Oregon and in California.

Well, the last week in Reno has been great. The Truckee River White Water Park has been really high and it seems that all of the features have changed a little bit due to the flood. For me, this is very exciting, as it means the opportunity to play in all new spots, and I'll never complain about that. The water today was the lowest that it has been in the last couple of weeks (1400ish) and the "new" hole at the bottom is still really fun, as well as a small pocket hole at number two.

Selfishly, I hope that the hole at the bottom (number five) is left alone, but I understand that at lower water it may become a bit trashy. No problem for me though, just good fun. So, all of this excitement has keep me busy lately and that is perfect as far as I am concerned.

Other then that, I am starting to think about getting some things together as I leave Friday for Uganda. Oh, I also got my new Super Star today with the 2006 outfitting. I can't imagine paddling anything else. For those of you in a leaky and uncomfortable play boat I only have one thing to say - you need to treat yourself better.

Posted by AdventureGrrl at 04:51 PM | Comments (0)

January 05, 2006

Surfing the Truckee

The Reno-Tahoe Blog will occasionally feature entries from athletes sponsored by Reno-Tahoe, America's Adventure Place. Jay Kincaid, professional kayaker, has been paddling over half of his lifetime, and is back to blog about his life as a professional kayaker living in Reno, NV. As 2003 Freestyle Kayaking World Champion, 2001 U.S. National Champion and three-time U.S. Point Series Champion, Jay is the most proud of the many first descents he's done on rivers and waterfalls in his native Oregon and in California.

OK, all of the holiday traveling is done!!! I had a great time meeting Lisa’s family in Canada and I had a great time with my family up in Oregon, but I couldn’t be happier to be home.

While in Oregon I paddled the McKenzie with Taylor Robertson and Jason Bowerman at over 7 feet. It was actually the first time that I had ever done it that high. When I lived in Eugene and the water was that high we would always go run something warmer in the Coast Range. The surfing was “top shelf” and I definitely woke up sore the next day, which is due to the fact that I didn’t paddle the whole time in Canada. I went to the gym and ran everyday with Lisa during those two weeks up North, but there is really no way to properly condition all the smaller paddling muscles in the gym.

I just got home about 5 hours ago. I hurried to unpack the car, ran Porter at the dog park, and then gathered up my gear and headed to the river. While I was gone the Truckee flooded and reached flows of nearly 20,000 cfs. I would have loved to see that! Tonight it was running around 3000 cfs and there was a wave/hole at the bottom that was in my opinion, world class.

Surely the river bead has changed a bit and it will be interesting to see how things look when the water recedes. Hopefully that won’t happen anytime soon though.

The whole West Coast is going off, but the way things look right now, there is no reason to leave Reno. So for at least the next few days I will be spending the majority of my day surfing on the Truckee. And after that, who knows. All I know is that I will be on the river every day until I leave for Uganda on the 13th. And I will be throwing down!

Posted by AdventureGrrl at 03:52 PM | Comments (0)

December 16, 2005

Kayaking Before the Holidays

Since my last update a lot has happened. The Truckee came up to 1800cfs which made for some really fun kayaking for a few days. Macy and I met a couple of times after he got off work, and also one day at peak flow during his lunch break. On that particular day the river was awesome but was also hands down the coldest water I have ever been on. If it wasn't moving I am sure that it would have been frozen.

We paddled for almost an hour when I started to notice my neck really getting stiff. I told Macy in the eddy that it was bummer that the two places on your body that you just can't really protect from the cold are your face and the back of your neck and then paddled into the hole for another ride. Well, during that ride I did a loop and halfway around I felt everything from my skull to between my shoulder blades strain. Not good.

I took the next day off and did nothing, and then on the second day I just went for a long walk with Lisa and the dog to just loosen everything up. One the third day I was able to do a little bit of stretching, and since then I have been doing flat water workouts every day. Can you say "EJ's Strokes and Concepts"? All my other workouts, as far as running and gym time are now back to normal. The last few days I really feel like I could get back to normal on the river, but I am really trying to be good and give it a little extra time just in case. The last thing that I want to do is re-injure myself before going to Africa.

On Friday, Lisa and I are heading up to Ontario, Canada to spend Christmas with her family. And yes, I am actually looking forward to that.

I am also looking forward to getting back here and working out double time so that I am all fit and ready for Africa. I will be.

So until next time, I hope you are enjoying the river as much as I am missing it.

Posted by AdventureGrrl at 10:29 AM | Comments (0)

November 30, 2005

Hearing Bells

The Reno-Tahoe Blog will occasionally feature entries from athletes sponsored by Reno-Tahoe, America's Adventure Place. Jay Kincaid, professional kayaker, has been paddling over half of his lifetime, and is back to blog about his life as a professional kayaker living in Reno, NV. As 2003 Freestyle Kayaking World Champion, 2001 U.S. National Champion and three-time U.S. Point Series Champion, Jay is the most proud of the many first descents he's done on rivers and waterfalls in his native Oregon and in California.

Big news since my last update. Lisa and I are engaged! We are both really excited as are our familys.

Other then that, the weather has changed to almost winter weather. The mountain has been hit by some snow, but we are going to need a bit more if we want to be on the slopes anytime soon. The good news is that the lower elevation creeks and rivers on the west slope of the Sierra came up a bit, and with more rain on the way they may be good later in the week. The south Yuba is just what I need! I am not getting my hopes up to soon, though.

The Truckee river has turned cold. It isn't very far up river that there is ice on the water and that pretty much makes it time for the gloves. Macy and I are still paddling a bunch together after he gets of work, and after all of the abuse that I have given him he finally broke down and asked me how he can get an All Star. It almost brought a tear to my eye. It was like watching a little puppy open his eyes for the first time. Priceless!

Seriously though, we have been having lots of low water fun. I went out the other day and shot video of a move that Macy taught me called the Woo - Woo.

I also got video of and Orbit to Woo-Woo, and an Orbit to Tricky Woo. These are the kinds of moves that Macy and I use while playing HORSE, and the goal is to get them dialed in so that we can do them in lots of different holes.

So, until the next update, you can look for me on the river.

Posted by AdventureGrrl at 11:21 AM | Comments (0)

November 21, 2005

Waiting on the Weather

Every day I check the weather forecast, and every day it seems to be the same. Clear skies, 55 degree days, and cold nights. It is nice Fall weather, but as you know, not good weather for either snow or high water.

I have been having a lot of fun outside though, regardless of the nice weather. Kayaking in the evenings with Macy has been tons of fun. Everyday we are trying new moves and competing against each other in games of "pig" or "horse".

Yesterday while playing a game of Pig I got a P for not being able to do a move. (Actually not being able to not do a move) The move Macy did was this; establish a side surf, take your paddle out of the water, and then flush without flipping over, bracing, or using your paddle at all. Not really a move at all, but I couldn't do it. I was depressed for about 4 seconds!

I have been spending time in the gym, as I seem to do every year around this time. It has been fun to lift weights again. It really doesn't take long to get strong again. Of all the things that you can do athletically, gaining strength seems to be the easiest. I am still running 3 or 4 days a week but that has taken a back seat to the workout that my legs get chasing game birds all over the Nevada mountains.

I finally busted out my cold weather gear the other day. You know, the skull cap, thick fleece, dry pants, and gloves. It is still a little early for the gloves, but the other warm gear has made my time on the water much more enjoyable.

I didn't paddle today, and that doesn't happen very often. You know, that water may be low and the weather may be cold, but my day just doesn't feel right without spending some time in my boat. And oh what a boat the All Star is!

Posted by AdventureGrrl at 04:01 PM | Comments (0)

November 07, 2005

Getting Back on that "HORSE"

The Reno-Tahoe Blog will occasionally feature entries from athletes sponsored by Reno-Tahoe, America's Adventure Place. Jay Kincaid, professional kayaker, has been paddling over half of his lifetime, and is back to blog about his life as a professional kayaker living in Reno, NV. As 2003 Freestyle Kayaking World Champion, 2001 U.S. National Champion and three-time U.S. Point Series Champion, Jay is the most proud of the many first descents he's done on rivers and waterfalls in his native Oregon and in California.

Well, the weather around Reno has definitely changed. For the majority of the Fall we have had warm weather and lots of sunshine. Yesterday winter arrived and I am already missing the warmer temperatures. Along with the cold weather came low water. Not very good planning on somebody's part, if you ask me. The good news is that we should still have a lot more water through out the winter then we did last year, and I have Macy Burnham to paddle with. Macy and I have been paddling a lot together in the last few months as he now lives in town. ( I grew up paddling with Macy in Eugene. ) Macy is always game for paddling after work, even when it is dark and cold.

So, we have been competing against each other by playing lots of games of "HORSE", or what ever other degrading word that we can think for each other at the time. Over the last couple of years I really haven't had anyone to paddle with during the winter that could push me. Macy is more then happy to do that, and I am more then happy to try to give him a beat down in return.

I have been spending most of my time paddling at the Truckee River Whitewater Park, and even though the water is low I still know that I am learning new things.

Posted by AdventureGrrl at 04:50 PM | Comments (0)

October 13, 2005

Jay Kincaid On Kayaking and More

The Reno-Tahoe Blog will occasionally feature entries from athletes sponsored by Reno-Tahoe, America's Adventure Place. Jay Kincaid, professional kayaker, has been paddling over half of his lifetime, and is back to blog about his life as a professional kayaker living in Reno, NV. As 2003 Freestyle Kayaking World Champion, 2001 U.S. National Champion and three-time U.S. Point Series Champion, Jay is the most proud of the many first descents he's done on rivers and waterfalls in his native Oregon and in California.

It has been hard to match the great time that I had on the Gauley a week ago. I had a session on the Sout Fork of the American River the other day though that was at least as fun as any in the last couple of months. First threat was at around 1400 which makes for a really top notch hole. You ever see a fat boy fly? Huge air loops, air back loops, tricky woos, back loops linked into tricky woos, clean cartwheels, blunts, and just flat getting nasty. Man, I love this game, and it is a whole lot more fun in the boat called Super Star!

Lucky for all of us Reno folk, we seem to have a bunch more water this year then last. This means that as soon as the canals are shut down we should have close to 500cfs here in town. Not bad. Lately though, and until that happens, I have been spending lots of time up at Floriston playing at all my little play spots. Not so top notch, but a lot better then nothing.

I got back from a short trip to Colorado yesterday. I am working with the McLaughlin Design Group and we are working hard to get a white water park built in Eagle. So, the day was spent meeting with some town officials and examining some potential job sites. This is a project that I am very excited about and am optimistic that will turn out to be on of Colorado's best.

Today I am getting all of camping and hunting gear packed up because tomorrow morning I am off on a two week long bird hunting trip.
These trips are something I really love, but it is always a bit weird for me because as much as I love it, it kills me to not be on the river. I can be having the time of my life doing something other then kayaking, but I am always thinking about kayaking.

So, in two weeks I will be back in my boat and hopefully seeing a bunch of you on the water.

Jay Kincaid

Posted by AdventureGrrl at 02:50 PM | Comments (0)

May 03, 2005

16 Days and Counting

I have spent the last week doing what I often do -- I went kayaking, everyday. That makes 16 days straight right now, and counting. Those are the kind of numbers that make me a happy person.

Last weekend I helped a friend named Jesse Murphy out with a clinic for Red Bull. We took a bunch of people out on the water that had never kayaked before and gave them the crash course. It was a good time for everyone and seeing everyone have so much fun was refreshing for me.

Now I am thinking about the Reno River Festival. Just within the last couple of days I started paddling at a level that I haven’t been familiar with in quite some time. And that is a good thing.

Posted by Jay Kincaid at 09:37 AM | Comments (0)

April 25, 2005

I'll Start Over Tomorrow

Friday I drove over to the South Fork of the American for the American River Festival. I showed up at the freestyle competition site to find that it was a wave instead of the hole that it was going to be for the competition. That was no problem though as it looked like a fun wave, so I went out for a session.

After about an hour of paddling I loaded up my gear and drove down to the River Store. They were having a big party for the event complete with a food, a movie premier and a pool clinic/demonstration, courtesy of myself.

After eating some great food and visiting with friends that I hadn’t seen in a while it was into the pool for me. I spent maybe 30 minutes going over different moves, explaining how I do them, giving tips, taking requests, and answering questions. It was a really great night and thanks to the River Store for that.

The next morning was the freestyle competition. I was up early as I always am on competition day. I went straight to the river and started practicing.

I felt good in the hole and spent maybe 45 minutes total on the water before calling it good. Later in the morning Steven Wright and myself helped get things organized with a competitors meeting and a judges meeting. We then started the judging off making sure that everything was running according to plan, and it was.

Next it was competition time for me. My first ride in the hole was pretty much what I expected. I stuck most all of the moves that I wanted and probably had one of the highest scoring rides of the day. My second ride was completely terrible. From the second that I entered the hole nothing seemed to work and it seemed like time sped past me until my ride was over. I ended up 6th place which is the worst finish that I have had at any event in almost five years. This is not a position that I am used to and to be honest I am still trying to figure out what that means.

I believe that I will be more prepared in every aspect for my next competition. It isn’t time for me to panic after one placing that isn’t up to my standard, but it is time to get back to training hard on the water. After the competition was over everyone headed to a party in Coloma. I stayed out for a while and had a great time with old friends but called it a fairly early night as I didn’t really have anything to celebrate.

Sunday morning it was back down to the river to meet up with the forty people that had showed up for the Lotus Designs clinic. There was a women’s clinic headed up by Lisa Beckstead and then there was a guy’s clinic headed up by my self with help from Taylor Robertson and Macy Burnham. The clinic turned out to be a great time for everyone and after words we all went back to the River Store for pizza, drinks, and a raffle, courtesy of Lotus designs.

All in all it was a great weekend. I am glad to be home but am ready to get started on the river again tomorrow.

Posted by Jay Kincaid at 09:50 AM | Comments (0)

April 18, 2005

Home Sweet Home

Back from Mexico.

First thing this morning Lisa and I picked up my dog from the kennel.
Everything is good now in my world because I have my dog back. Later in the day I went kayaking in the Truckee River Whitewater Park. My neck felt great for the first time in months and it was alot of fun getting my balance and timing back. Now it is time to really get serious again as my first event of the season is this comming weekend.

I'll be ready!

Posted by Jay Kincaid at 08:57 AM | Comments (0)

April 05, 2005

On Vacation

I am leaving for Mexico in a day so this will be my last post for two weeks, maybe. If I was to send you an update though it may go a little like this; I woke up today and went for a run on the beach, finished my morning workout, then spent the rest of my day sipping on a cocktail in the warm sun. Yes, I think it would probably be just like that.

By the time I get back to Reno I hope for warm weather and high water. See you soon.

Posted by Jay Kincaid at 09:12 AM | Comments (0)

March 30, 2005

A Reason To Wake Up

Entry by Jay Kincaid:

My good friend Macy Burnham is staying with me for a few days. Today we went over to the North Yuba to play at a little secret play spot. It turned out to be a great flow and we both about killed ourselves trying to one up each other for a couple of hours. In the end we both had great sessions and had a hard time staying awake on the drive home. It was an awesome day, maybe being the most fun that I have had in a long time. These are the days that I get up in the morning for.

Posted by AdventureGrrl at 04:49 PM | Comments (0)

March 23, 2005

Flood Dreaming

Today was an excellent day. I met up with Scott Lindgren and Dave Garringer this morning for a high water run on the Chamberlain Falls section of the North Fork of the American. It had been almost ten years since I had been on that piece of river and I was excited to return especially due to the high water.

When I left Reno the river was running around 3000 cfs, but on the drive over the mountain it was pouring down rain like I haven’t seen in years. By the time we put on the river we guessed the flow to be between 4 and 5 thousand. As some of you know, judging the flow of flooded steam beds can be very hard to do. All we knew is that is was high and we were ready for some good play boating and river running. It turned out to be just what we hoped for with lots of play spots and some big fun rapids between.

I actually got tired at one of the play spots which was very exciting for me as it has been a while since I have paddle that hard. So, after we got off the river Scott quickly checked the flow and found that the flow was actually 5 to 8 thousand and rising quickly while we played.

Five minutes ago I just checked the flow again and it is now even higher. I can’t help but let my mind wonder as thinking about how the river would be different at even higher flows is very exciting to me. One of my favorite things in the world is being on a river at flood, but depending on the place it can quickly change to be your worst nightmare. Maybe that is part of the appeal?

Posted by AdventureGrrl at 09:43 AM | Comments (0)

March 16, 2005

Blistering

I looked at my fingers last night while watching a little TV before bed and they were actually blistered. This can mean only one of two things.

Either I have been kayaking a ton, or I am frail.

I’m going to believe that it because of how much I have kayaking lately.

It looks like some cooler weather is heading this way so it's time to bust out the thick fleece again. It's good news, though, as all it really means is more water for us this summer.

Posted by Jay Kincaid at 12:02 PM | Comments (0)

The Jay Kincaid Blog Is Back!

Jay Kincaid has been paddling over half of his lifetime, and is back to blog about his life as a professional kayaker. As 2003 Freestyle Kayaking World Champion, 2001 U.S. National Champion and three-time U.S. Point Series Champion, Jay is the most proud of the many first descents he's done on rivers and waterfalls in his native Oregon and in California. When asked about his goals in kayaking, Jay said, "I want to simply be the absolute best that I can be. I feel that I was given a gift for kayaking, and in the end I want to know that I gave it my all never cheating myself or the sport."

The last 15 months have sure been crazy for me. I spent a lot of time in 2004 injured with one thing or another. I had torn cartilage in my ribs, strained muscles in my neck, tendonitis in my hand, tendonitis in my knee, and far too many random pains. In the last few years I have really tried to focus on the little things in my training to ensure that I don’t have times like this, so it is beyond me why I haven’t felt healthy in so long. Very frustrating but just bad luck I hope. So, I am saying it now. My goal for 2005 is to stay injury free. Athletically, not all was bad in the last year though. Somehow I managed to win 6 of the 7 freestyle events that I entered, and got some amazing “free time” kayaking in as well.

The 2005 World Championships were this January. I spent six weeks before the event not paddling due to a neck injury which certainly wasn’t ideal. Then maybe the hardest personal hit of my career came when I finished 3rd and was not able to defend my title. Do I believe that it was because of injuries? No, not really. I believed that I was still paddling well enough to beat anyone, and I put myself in a good position to win, but somehow I just didn’t get it done when I really needed to. I have spent countless hours trying to figure out what happened and in the end I could come up with nothing positive, so I’ve let it go... Now it is all behind me. I have refocused on my training and am ready to get back to the same old me. I do know one thing with out question. I would put my money on me every time in that very same position.

Now, I am hanging out in Reno. The weather is amazing, the river is up, and life is good. I have a great girlfriend, a great dog, a house that is slowly coming along, awesome friends, my family, and life is good. I have been getting back in good shape, which is very important to me, and becoming a better kayaker, which has been a constant goal for almost 15 years now.

Locally it is really good to see the paddling community coming out of hibernation. I am starting to see those familiar faces on the water again and that is more fun for me then most people know.

All I have to say is that if you haven’t yet been out enjoying the higher water and the warm weather then you should really think about treating yourself better.

Posted by Jay Kincaid at 11:57 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack