Danny Mongno picks up the pieces. Photo: Richard Davis

Fun in the sun on Tybee Island this fall. Here are a few pictures from the BCU Skills Symposium and Tybee Surf Jam.

Each October, Sea Kayak Georgia sponsors the BCU Skills Symposium on Tybee Island in Georgia. This year the symposium coincided with Savannah Canoe and Kayak’s Tybee Surf Jam. The combination of the two events brought out tons of paddlers, and the weather cooperated and served up great conditions for instruction and surf competition. Here are a few shots taken from the beach on Saturday. Thanks to Richard Davis for the images.

Capella at work in the Surf Jam.

Ben and Brian coaching in the surf.

Dale Williams putting the Venture Flex through its paces.

]]> http://www.bigwatersmallboat.com/2009/11/fun-on-tybee/feed/ http://www.bigwatersmallboat.com/2009/07/hittin-the-green-narrows/ http://www.bigwatersmallboat.com/2009/07/hittin-the-green-narrows/#comments Sat, 04 Jul 2009 20:31:28 +0000 Brian http://www.bigwatersmallboat.com/?p=1197

Dave the Wave making Sunshine look easy.

The guys from the shop got me out for some boatin’ on the Green Narrows today, and I am hooked.

Kevin coming off the launching pad on Gorilla.

The Green Narrows is one of those runs that people talk about. Back in Wisconsin, people usually talk about it in hushed tones…”the Green…you know, the one in the videos. The one with Gorilla and Sunshine. I hiked in and looked at it once”…stuff like that.

So, when Dave and Kevin offered to take me down, I was torn. On the one hand, I have been thinking about running the Green for years and here was a chance to do it with a crew than knew the river and would show me the safest lines. On the other, I was concerned that I might be maimed, torn limb-from-limb or otherwise drowned.

Man, am I glad I got out on the river. The Green Narrows is an amazing run, with plenty of stout Class IV and do-able Class V rapids Good portages around the truly heinous drops, too. I got lots of walking in, carrying around Chief, Gorilla and Sunshine. Along the way I snapped some pics of Kevin, Dave and Danny Mongo on the sterner stuff.

Uh, yeah, I didn't run that. Danny lines up the right side on Sunshine.

Of course, I didn’t cruise the thing by any means. I got left of my line at the bottom of Zwick’s and got in a primo swim, and I got hung up a few times down stream in some grungy rapids. One of these times I managed to get Danny out of his boat (to drag my carcass off a rock) and Dave stung by a nest of angry bees. All in a day’s work.

Sunshine right side.

So, there is lots of stuff to work on for sure. I feel really fortunate to have gotten my introduction from Dave, Kevin and Danny, and I can’t wait to get back on the river. Maybe I’ll even get my Wisconsin friends to come down for a run.

Rope swing, BABY!

Did I mention the rope swing? Every river should have a rope swing.

]]> http://www.bigwatersmallboat.com/2009/07/hittin-the-green-narrows/feed/ http://www.bigwatersmallboat.com/2009/06/bad-bad-leroy-brown/ http://www.bigwatersmallboat.com/2009/06/bad-bad-leroy-brown/#comments Wed, 03 Jun 2009 03:16:21 +0000 Brian http://www.bigwatersmallboat.com/?p=1185

Ready for action. Nice call on the camo, Dinver.

Coming soon to the Northeast: Bad, Bad Leroy Brown.I rolled into town a couple of days ago to begin my new job with Pyranha US, and it has been nonstop action ever since. Today the sign guys showed up to decal my new ride: Leroy Brown the tan van.

Leroy and I will be leaving Asheville this thursday for a four-week road trip to the Northeast. I am looking forward to meeting dealers and sampling some paddling along the way. Stay tuned for more updates.