WELCOME KAYAKERS ON ALPIN ACTION TEAM BLOG

OUR PHILOSOPHY IS TO SEARCH AND TEST THE BEST AND MOST DURABLE EQUIPMENT, THE GOAL IS TO DISCOVER, LEARN AND SHARE JOIN US AND SHARE YOUR OPINION, WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO ANSWER TO ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS. WE LOVE KAYAKING, AND WE ARE HERE TO COOPERATE WITH YOU TO SEARCH THE BEST SOLUTION FOR YOUR GEAR!

KAYAK IS FUN AND WE DON`T WANT TO MAKE THINGS TOO SERIOUS, BETWEEN QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WE WILL SHOW VIDEOS, PHOTOS, TEXTS AND UPDATES FROM ALL THE WORLD OF KAYAKING.


IL NOSTRO PROGETTO È DI RICERCARE E PROVARE I MIGLIORI E PIÙ RESISTENTI MATERIALI PER VOI, L'OBIETTIVO È DI SCOPRIRE, IMPARARE E CONDIVIDERE. VI INVITIAMO A CONDIVIDERE LE VOSTRE OPINIONI SUL BLOG, SIAMO A DISPOSIZIONE PER OGNI GENERE DI DOMANDA SU TECNICA E MATERIALI, QUALE KAYAK FA PER ME? QUALE MISURA È LA PIÙ INDICATA PER IL MIO PESO? AMIAMO IL KAYAK E SIAMO QUI PER CERCARE INSIEME LA SOLUZIONE MIGLIORE PER LA VOSTRA ATTREZZATURA!

IL KAYAK È DIVERTIMENTO, TRA UN TEST E L'ALTRO VI PROPORREMO FILMATI, FOTO ED ARTICOLI DA TUTTO IL MONDO DEL KAYAK.




Friday 15 February 2013

DOUBLE DIAMOND TEST (IT)


Questa pagaia della Werner ,modello Double Diamond, inizialmente progettata per il freestyle ,a mio avviso offre una doppia e giusta combinazione anche nel river runner .
Nel freestyle ,offre la giusta combinazione di potenza nella pagaiata e nel suo galleggiamento ,questo ultimo particolare dato dalle generose pale con il suo nucleo di schiuma all'interno delle stesse, contribuendo a creare una pagaia leggera, favorendone prestazioni eccellenti nell'acqua areata, ma anche se usata in torrente o su fiumi di volume la sua pagaiata è all'altezza delle sue rivali !
Le pale sono in kevlar/carbon  in combinazione con doppio strato di dynel, il tutto studiato e creato per sviluppare una maggiore reattività nella pagaiata e migliorarne la durata nel tempo, anche se sollecitata duramente dagli urti sia sulla pala che sui bordi della stessa . Questo modello di pagaia è disponibile sia con manico dritto che ergonomico .
Questa pagaia è l'espressione dell'esperienza acquisita dalla Werner in tutti questi anni ,in essa troviamo leggerezza  , resistenza , un punto di forza che ha sempre contraddistinto le pagaie Werner , rendendola leader nel suo settore.
Werner unisce l'esperienza di progettazione alla tecnologia più avanzata offrendo a noi canoisti pagaie ad alte prestazioni .



Un saluto Gigi Codinotti Team Hammer-crew  - Alpin Action
Have good paddling





SPECS
  • Performance Core blades are light and buoyant in aerated water
  • Enhances play boating moves and rolling
  • Down turned blades give immediate directional control in rudder and draw strokes.
  • Impact Resistant Kevlar(tm) and a double layer of Dynel(tm) edging adds durability
  • Available in straight or neutral bent; standard or small diameter
Surface Area
700 sq cm
Blade Length x Width
48 x 19.5cm
Weight for 197cm
Straight Shaft
1006g/35.5oz
Neutral Bent Shaft
1063g/37.5oz
Recommended Length
191-200cm
Available Lengths:
Straight Shaft
185-206cm
Neutral Bent Shaft
188-203cm

Sunday 10 February 2013

Chile and Argentina 2013 kayak trip




                                            Chile and Argentina adventures     



It seems that all the stories I’ve heard about South America are true: good food, even better wine and a large amount of world class rivers. Exactly what I was looking for in 2012 winter trip. Against a kayaker’s common sense, our trip started in a Buenos Aires, because we wanted to start with a taste of Argentinian temperament and a little bit of city partying. We were a nice colourful team of Fabian A. Bonano(ARG), Darin McQuoid(USA), Rok Sribar(USA-SLO), Igor Mlekuž (SLO) and I. In two days we managed to rent a car, pack everything inside and, completely over loaded, we headed towards Mendoza.

Central Argentina is mostly desert. If you drive to the west, the desert expands to the border with Chile and it hits the Andes mountain range where the rivers are draining to the west into Chile and east into Argentinian desert. For me paddling Diamante, Mendoza and Salado rivers was a new experience.  Rivers are cutting their way into a desolate landscape down from the snowed peaks into red stone gorges whit astonishing landscape. Just after the last river in Argentina, where we were supposed to get a car permit for Chile, we had a little misadventure. In a restaurant, were we had a dinner, Fabian swallowed an empanada and inside of it was a sharp bit of plastic that got stuck in his stomach. Fabian “got stuck” in a hospital for two days! Like that wasn’t enough, the rent a car company didn`t arrange the papers for Chile. It was drama. Rok mobilized his organisation skills and started to negotiate with our rent a car company. After a visit to the Mendoza rent a car office and some bad and good cop playing, Fabian and Rok managed to get a new car and a permit. Finally, we headed towards Chile…
We had a nice drive over the Cristo Redentor passage, close to Aconcagua peak. After a day of driving we got to the infamous Rio Claro in the national park 22 Tazas. Unfortunately we had very low water, but still a very unique experience of paddling in a breath taking volcanic gorge with crystal clear water. Next stop was Pucon, a well known kayaker’s paradise under the volcano Villarica, with lots of good steep creeks.  We paddled Rio Puesco , Trancura and Palguin (top to bottom).  After some good steep paddling we decided on doing Cochamo and Gol Gol and afterwards driving all the way down in the heart of Patagonia, to the Rio Baker. In the mean time our group expanded, Janez Cizman, Klemen Valentincic, Yoshihiro Takahashi and Bojan Rusjan with his girl Ana came to Pucon and joined our team. After a wild welcome party and a special Argentinian grill made by Fabian, we were ready to hit back the road towards Cochamo.
Cochamo is one of the rivers that you never forget. The valley itself is one of the most beautiful places that I have ever been to. I would compare it to Yosemite Valley, but without the crowd. It is a peaceful place in harmony with nature. The hike-in with horses is special and full of history: Back in the days the valley was used like a pass, because of its low altitude, to cross from Argentina to Chile. Cochamo river is a very steep combination of cataracts and bolder gardens, very technical and rewarding paddling. We did it in a continuous rhythm almost in one breath. I loved it!
Gol Gol with super high water followed. It was intense but I wouldn’t want it any different. We had fun with lots of sweating and laughing to our carnages. It is a top river with all the action that you need and lots of big waterfalls, technical drops and interesting rapids. A highlight are the small volcanic floating rocks that are everywhere, which is also the meaning of the words Gol Gol!
At the end of this adventure not everybody agreed to drive down to Rio Baker and just the original team + Yoshihiro Takahashi from Japan started a long way down to the Tierra del Fuego. We rented an extra car in Bariloche, drove through over 1000km of Argentinian desert, then turned west, crossed the Chilean border and did the amazing road on the south shore of the lake General Carrera. Beautiful! When we saw the lake Berthram, it wasn’t much left to get the Baker!
Rio Baker is the biggest river that I have paddled. The wilderness around that area is indescribable beautiful. A river of that volume is completely a story of its own. You need time to understand the way paddling works there. It is an amazing paddling experience, but you have to adapt to the rules: in big rapids you avoid the eddy lines, stay in the middle and don`t ever, ever swim. All the rest is fun! Half of the team fell in love with the place. They didn`t want to leave Rio Baker and decided to stay there a few extra there. I, Fabian and Igor decided to head for the Futaleufu. The road to Futa consisted of a drive all the way up on Chilenian side over 800+km of dirt road through Coyhaique, towards Chaiten. This is one of the most scenic roads that I have ever seen. It winds between glaciers, fjords and incredible forests with astonishing views!
Futaleufu was a highlight with a lot of action and fun for me. After a 10 hour drive, we went straight on the water and did the lower section. A perfect run! Next day an Inferno canyon followed with the amazing double flow, very juicy waves/holes and some anxiety moments but great paddling with some of the biggest rapids of my life. On the third day we did the whole empanada, top to bottom, 5 hours of action! It was simply memorable. It seems that Pacific ocean’s pushing all the rain clouds straight into the Andes mountain range and you can feel it. We were soaking wet when we headed out of the country, to El Bolson in Argentina. We had a day off in El Bolson and in the mean time Fabian made few calls to Argentineans and found out that there is a river 30 min from town of El Bolson and water levels were looking good.
Rio Azul is a nice steep creek. The only problem is that you hike more that you actually paddle. It is still a nice run and there is also a brewery on the finish! Of course the reason why we were in El Bolson was Rio Escondido or Rio Blanco, as it is called from locals.  But we got no chance of doing it, as the water was too high. Our second option was Rio Manso.
Rio Manso is a true big volume creek in a steep narrow gorge, with powerful rapids and the famous Alerces waterfall on the beginning. Very diverse paddling, consisting also of 6km paddle over the lake at the end, makes the run even more interesting and long. I really loved it, even if I almost peed in my pants on some of the rapids, because of its super big flaw. It was still a nice river that I would love to repeat. Some rapids are really hard to scout and you need to trust your feelings and keep on paddling hard.
Rest of the group came to El Bolson the day after, except for Yoshi, who flew from Coyhaique to Santiago and then home to Japan. 11000km of driving was behind us, we did some of the best world rivers, had good times with the crew and saw some of the most beautiful nature in the world, but we still had to drive all the way back to Buenos Aires  - and also have some more of that city party! Unfortunately our kayak adventure ended with Rio Manso and the cold winter was waiting for me at home!

Text :Andrej Bijuklic

                                    Photo courtesy by professional photographers
                           Rok Sibar (Auburn, CA) and Darin McQuoid (Davis, CA).

                                        Get a taste of Darin McQuoid photographer 
                                                             adventures  on:
                                                     www.darinmcquoid.com
         

Salvagente Peak Racer Pro (IT)


Salvagente Peak Racer Pro

Salvagente a piastra per slalom, discesa, freestyle e acqua piatta.
Tessuto esterno in nylon Ripstop e imbottitura galleggiante in schiuma ecologica Gaia,
con la possibilità di aumentare o diminuire il galleggiamento aprendo un comodo velcro.
Fascia rinfrangente anteriore e posteriore, spalline in neoprene e fettuccia regolabile, fettucce
regolabili ai fianchi.

In  acqua:  con i nuovi regolamentidell’ International Canoe Federation anche  le specialità agonistiche devono adottare dei salvagenti o meglio aiuti al galleggiamento che abbiano delle caratteristiche di sicurezza ben precise e certificate.  Peak con il modello Racer Pro è stata una delle prime ad aggiornarsi, questo a vantaggio della nostra sicurezza anche in percorsi che per quanto sicuri possono essere molto impegnativi.  A prima vista mi sembrava voluminoso per un salvagente da gara, ma poi dopo un paio di allenamenti la schiuma ha acquistato una forma più anatomica e meno ingombrante, ho voluto mantenere tutta l’imbottitura e non sfruttare la possibilità di modificarla per testarlo al completo. Il taglio è ottimo, indossato e regolate le fettucce non crea nessun intralcio ai movimenti, neppure in quelli più acrobatici tipici dello slalom.
Dunque ottima vestibilità e ottima sicurezza, adatto ai campioni per i percorsi difficili e acrobatici,
adatto ai principianti che hanno bisogno occasionalmente di un aiuto dall’allenatore/istruttore.
Buone pagaiate in sicurezza!!

Gio Mortin