I’ve spent the last month playboating almost everyday and thoroughly enjoying my Willis PFD. After paddling at a variety of spots such as the Skookumchuck Narrows (big wave) and the Kananaskis River (Play run with small holes) here are my thoughts on the Willis, Astral’s latest Freestyle PFD.

Features:

I didn’t think it could get any better than the Newton (Astrals previous Freestyle PFD) then along came the Willis. The Willis comes standard with everything a paddler could ever want in a PFD. Contoured fit, upper and lower torso panels, knife tab, large pocket, side or over the head entry, easy shoulder strap adjustment, and it’s made with environmentally friendly materials.

The Willis was made with comfort and mobility in mind which is very apparent. The contoured foam stays high up the middle of you back and wraps around your torso making for greater rib and spine protection while maintaining mobility and increasing flotation. This is a nice feature for people who like to run rivers and stop for the occasional surf as the majority of Freestyle PFD’s have little protection. Separate foam panels for your upper and lower torso, as first seen in the Newton, allow more freedom than any PFD on the market. The rear foam panel also comes with an inner mesh back band that allows your body to move independently from the PFD’s rear panel. The foam lined shoulder straps make carrying a boat on your shoulder much more comfortable and add a little extra flotation.

Under the front panel you’ll find a pocket large enough to fit a full bottle of sun screen, some granola bars, paddle wax and whatever else you like to carry in your PFD. Its hidden location also ensures that you look stylish on the river no matter how full it is. On the front panel you’ll find a knife tab in an easy to reach location well away from your face.

Adjusting the Willis is very simple. The inner torso panel has three adjustment straps on each side to firmly secure it around your stomach and two front adjustment straps that double as a torso length and shoulder strap adjustor. One of the Willis’ nicest features is the buckles located on the right torso adjustment straps. If you prefer a side entry PFD undo the buckles when putting it on and taking it off or if you’d rather slide your PFD on and off over your head simply leave the buckles done up.

As with all Astral PFD’s the Willis is made to have as little environmental impact as possible incorporating features like PVC-Free Gaia foam.
Bottom Line:

After paddling with the Willis at multiple locations I can confidently say that it is the most comfortable play vest I have ever worn. It has excellent rage of motion, all the features I could ever desire, and it makes me look damn good…which isn’t easy to do! I have yet to have it ride up on me, even after multiply face surfs at Skookumchuck, and there are zero signs of wear. The independently moving front and back panels allow me to lean forward with greater ease than ever before by moving out of the way when I bend. With three sizes and two colors to choose from I’m sure there is a little fella named Willis out there for everyone.

Kelsey Thompson

Check out more of Kelsey’s adventures on his blog: Atlantic Kayaker

truck surfin, Slate River (photo: Atom Crawford)

So I know that the blog-o-sphere is loaded with posts from Colorado this year with the record snowpack and all. However, I couldn’t leave for this year’s OR show without sharing some images and memories from a recent trip back to my old stomping grounds. This trip back was particularly awesome because I was able to travel with my good pal Paul Bartholic. Paul and I have enjoyed many years of Colorado kayaking together since 01 and it was time for a little revival. We hit some kick ass venues for both kayak and leisure including OBJ, Red Rocks, Daisy Creek, The Almont Lounge, and of course the Arkansas River while visiting some good friends along the way.

Mex at OBJ (photo Atom Crawford)

We started off by stopping by CKS and the Arkansas River. The level was around 3,000 cfs and we hit no rocks in Chaffee County. This was a big change from the bone zone drought conditions that we have become accustomed to this summer in the South. We ran about 17 miles from the Numbers to BV in like 2 hours, that’s pretty fast with the high water. Also, we were able to enjoy some QT with our peeps from Salider and Buena Vista, what a sick crew out there!

Paul at the biggun (photo Chris Larsen)

Next up we blasted over to Crested Butte to meet with our boy Chris Larsen and enjoyed a few days of classic CB creeking. Also up in the mix was Mexico, our boy from back in Ashevegas. Mex is spending his summer running about the CO wilderness like a wild marmot. I think he’s gonna head back to fire up the Green Race this fall. We camped at the OBJ campground and drank many PBR (standard kayak elixer) to keep our spines in line after the abuse that OBJ dished out. After a few days of running about the alpine realms we loaded up the Rav4 (a pretty sweet shuttle rig actually) and went over to Red Rocks to witness the shitness. Of course I am referring to the Widespread Panic’s immensely sick show that they laid down on Sunday. We were glad to meet more of our crew from AVL like James, Sunny, Jon, and Allison. Check out this stream of the whole show if you think you can handle it: http://panicstream.com/streams/wsp/2008_06_29/player.html

PBR at Red Rocks (photo Bryan Owen)

The morning after the Panic we found ourselves waking in the back yard of Bob who lives somewhere near Red Rocks. Paul and I loaded up the Rav again in search of some boating. We hit the classic Rio Taylor near Almont Colorado, joined by CKS hommie Joe Carroll. Joe was my roommate for a while in Colorado and he is a great mellow dude and a solid paddler. If you ever need to ask about the rocker profile of a Prijon Gambler or maybe you’re inquiring about the recreational opportunities of the Ark Valley, give him a call at CKS.

OBJ almost bottom slide (photo Bryan Owen)

To finish it off we blasted back to the CB zone to enjoy even more OBJ action. This time we were joined by Kyle and Mike Hagadorn for a sweet day of creek boating. Also, check out some pics from professional photographer Michael Clark who happened to capture some other great shots of our crew: http://www.michaelclarkphoto.com/ohbejoyful_071208.html

salud-

Bryan

Bryan above OBJ waterfall, photo Atom Crawford

High sierra season is here and i have been out on a hucking bender. The thing i like about California is when your here and you want to do every run in the book, you really can’t stop. Back to back to back big runs! Its been super good here are just a few of the photos that have gone along with the summer. Hope you enjoy them.

photos: Jonathan Ramsay …paddler: Evan Garcia

p.s. Ian, back in MT, just grabbed the first descent of a 100-115 foot waterfall pretty much all vert fall as well, could have been the new world record but he swam at the bottom, he stuck a sick line but skirt blew off and had a bum hand roll. He reports on a big hit but pretty smooth for how big it really was. Im stoked for him.

later-

Evan

One of the main reasons for setting out on the One Mile One Month project was to paddle some of the amazing rivers and drops Norway has to offer and meet the people out there hitting them.

This past month we have been in the Telemark region of Norway. Telemark usually has quite a short season but this year due to the snow pack has been really long and with high flows. There are many amazing runs here but one in particular which is pretty much what OMOM is all about is called Home Run.

Home Run is a beautiful waterfall combination. This 1km section on the river Mår offers 5 drops of various difficulty and size that can be run in a whole range of different water levels.

Not only is Home run a paddlers paradise but the take out also offers great camping for kayakers and is very rarely free from a tent or van. This spring it´s been the home of 2 Kiwis, Josh Neilson and Sam Sutton, both who have enjoyed having this playground as there backyard.

1M1M Action, Paddler - Per Christian

Mark Burton on Home Run

A great start to the season and project, next stop Voss!

Mark Burton

After attending last years Lyons Outdoor Games I was excited to return this year for another great event. Last years event hosted the first ever South Saint Vrain creek race and was the biggest reason that I was keen to return to Lyons. I was thrilled to see the organisers had also put a lot of work into making the hole a lot better for the event. The quality hole and on top of a great creek race made for an A class event even though water levels were slightly lower than last year.

First up was the creek race. After spending the previous day on El Dorado canyon the South Saint Vrain seemed clean and cruisy, the front range of Colorado is definitely some of the mankiest stuff you’ll find anywhere. The race starts with some technical low volume boogie water which is one of the hardest parts to keep your speed through. At the half way point you get into the steeper section ending with the most difficult drop of the run. Racers were given two runs with only the fastest run counting.

Race results looked like this:

1. Tao Berman
2. Andrew Holcombe
3. Jason Beaks

Competing at Lyons can be very tiring physically as both the race and the rodeo are held on the same day. People that say freestyle hasn’t progressed in the last couple of years haven’t paid much attention to what’s happening on the pro circuit. The biggest changes have been in where and how big paddlers are able to throw their tricks. Even in an extremely small hole the audience witnessed the pros perform almost every hole move that has been created to date.

Freestyle Results looked like this:

1. Nick Troutman
2. Stephen Wright
3. Eric Jackson
Posted by: Kelsey Thompson

To View more images of/from Kelsey, visit his gallery: http://www.astralbuoyancy.com/photos/main.php?g2_itemId=1259

Here at Astral we often get questions about the different techniques involved in using a rescue jacket. The first thing that we tell folks is that the best way to learn about swiftwater rescue is to take a course and practice for yourself. There’s lots of good books and a few videos on the market, but nothing really can come close to the knowledge available from first hand experience. Taking a course provides a great opportunity to learn these techniques in a somewhat controlled setting so that you are ready for the real deal. This past weekend some of our staff and reps decided to brush up on their rescue skills with the help of Justin Padgett. Justin is the lead instructor at Landmark Learning in Cullowhee, NC and he designed this course specifically for Astral. It was a great opportunity to learn about the latest technique and curriculum developed by the American Canoe Association (ACA)…and we got to play with some new toys while we were at it.

Our course was held on the Tuckaseegee River near Dillsboro, NC. The water was warm, about 70 degrees or so, it felt really nice to swim around in the river. Above Yonton demonstrates a swiftwater entry as he swims a rope to the other shore. A good entry involves landing fairly flat with your arms in front of your face for protection. The impact of the entry is taken on the jacket’s front panel and a slightly arched back ensures that your PFD hits the water first.

Thanks to Philip we had some new Greenjacket samples to use for the day. This new design is great for swimming and offer incredible mobility because of the Foam Tectonic platform. Its important to note that when clipping a rope into a rescue PFD, Always use a locking carabiner so that it does not accidentally clip into the PFDs belt loop. Another important thing to consider is your knife. You should always carry a knife when working with ropes but make sure that it stays put on (or in) your PFD so you don’t loose it in the river. We learned that it is acceptable to carry a knife in the front pocket as long as it can be accessed quickly. The front pocket of the Greenjacket can be easily opened with one hand to easily retrieve a folding knife. I use one from Spydero that is sweet.

The course was specifically geared towards kayaking related rescue scenarios and all of us paddled our creek boats that day. One of the fastest and most effective rescue techniques that we practiced was the strong swimmer rescue (aka contact rescue, live bait rescue). This is one of the fastest and best ways to recover a victim form the river. Here Yonton (swimmer) and Philip (belay) rescue our good friend Rion Smith from the clutches of the Mighty Tuck. I could see this coming in extremely handy in many different creek boating scenarios, especially to recover an unconscious victim.

Overall the course was very informative and we were all extremely pleased with the rescue performance of the new Greenjacket (shown above). Astral highly recommends that all whitewater paddlers take a swiftwater rescue course. For paddlers in the Western North Carolina area we recommend taking a class with Landmark Learning, who teach in accordance with ACA curriculum. Here are a few links to help you find a swiftwater rescue course in your area:

Landmark Learning
American Canoe Association
Rescue 3 International

Also, check our Swiftwater Gallery for more images from the day.

boat safe,

Bryan Owen

This spring Astral has had some lovin’ in a few print publications. With the release of the new V-Eight, the world’s first breathable PFD, we had a spot in the June issue of Popular Science Magazine under the “What’s New” column. We really enjoyed thumbing through this mag and reading about all the new inventions. Check out the cover featuring the “Uno,” a 40 MPH electric Unicylcle!

(Click images below to view larger size)

Next up is this years Colorado Kayak Supply catalog where we collaborated to feature the new “State of the Art” ad. It features Tyler Curtis running a really nice waterfall on the Lower Rauma River in Norway. This one came our really beautiful thanks to the photography of Mariann Saether and the graphic design skills of CKS’ Heather Gorby.

Last up our friends from Canoe and Kayak’s Whitewater Magazine featured a trip report from this fall’s SWA trip to Ecuador. Thanks to Kate Stepan for writing a really good article about the trip and to Chris Menges for providing some great photography of Darcy and Bryan sporting their Aquavest 300’s on the Rio Jondachi.

Norway by now is well known for it´s attractive women, expensive beer and awesome steep rivers. Well this summer it will also be the setting for what we believe to be a never before attempted challenge. 2 Norwegians, Martin Vollen and per Christian Pedersen and 2 Brits, Mark Burton and Ed Cornfield will be aiming to paddle one mile in one month. Over a combined total of 31 days during this summer the team will paddle 5280 feet between the four of us. As a drop can only be counted once this means we all have to paddle on average of 42.5 feet of different vertical white water per day.

As well as a hell of a lot of driving to make sure we paddle enough distance each day it also means a lot of amazing rivers, drops and unknown runs, which will make for an incredible expedition.

The spring has arrived here in the south so the melt will soon be on it´s way and next month we will start our journey in legendary Telemark. The whole trip is being documented so we will keep you updated here with unique shots and clips and you can also follow us on our website: OneMileOneMonth.com

Enjoy your spring!

Me snakkes,

Mark

photo credits:

(top) Jordalselva: Tore Meirik

(bottom) Contrast wide: Nina Desmond

This past summer a group of West Asheville boaters took a trip to BC to go kayaking and run waterfalls. A group favorite during the trip was the Callaghan/Cheakamus double. The day consisted of waking up to a run on the Callaghan Creek, back to the Cheakamus parking lot for lunch, then up to the put-in for afternoon run(s) on the Cheakamus. This was the program for a few days before heading north to the Birkenhead River and Cayoosh Creek. There is still more footage from those runs that will be edited in the future. The footage in this video was shot by Jason Dillow, Jon Crain, and Gareth Tate & edited by Jon Crain. Hope you enjoy and don’t forget that all rivers in BC are currently under threat from private power production by some of the worlds largest corporations.

Also, Take a moment and learn about what is at stake and how it could affect your next kayaking trip to BC:

BC Creek Protection Society Homepage

Save Our Rivers Society

The Range Life - 49 Megawatts

Hope you enjoy,

Jon Crain

For Immediate Release

Asheville, NC

April 8th 2008

Astral Buoyancy Company begins shipment of the highly anticipated V-Eight, the world’s first breathable lifejacket. Developed for recreational and touring paddlers in warm climates, the V-Eight introduces Astral’s patent pending Airescape technology which eliminates excessive build up of body heat and perspiration. The principal components of Airescape include special contoured foam which reduces the body-to-PFD contact by 70% in combination with strategically placed vent ports which allow hot air to escape and fresh air to enter. The V-Eight also features a mesh back design making it ideal for paddling in boats with high seatbacks and facilitates airflow within the back panel, keeping your entire torso cool while paddling. “Airesecape represents a paradigm shift for the recreational PFD market.” says President and Lead Designer Philip Curry. “After 3 years of development, we are proud to bring the rec market a PFD that has a tangible performance superiority at a fair price.” The V-Eight is constructed with 100% PVC-Free Gaia and PE Foams to minimize its impact on the natural environment.

Look for the V-Eight at your local Astral dealer. MSRP $108.95
For a full product description CLICK HERE