Video: Big Wave Kayak Surfing In Canada

Every spring the winter run off swells the rivers in and around Quebec, creating some of the most amazing conditions for freestyle paddlers to surf some very big waves. This past spring, kayaker Tyler Fox took is video camera along to shoot the action, and as you'll see below, the results are nothing short of spectacular. The water really is huge and that allows these talented athletes to really show off their abilities.

After you're done picking up your jaw, head over to Canoe & Kayak where you can read an interview with Tyler, where he talks about the experience of being out on the water in these conditions, as well as the "biggest, most gnarly wave ever surfed."


Spring Fever - Big Wave edit from Tyler Fox from Tribe Alliance on Vimeo.

Video: Therapy On A Bike

Adventure Journal delivered up another fantastic video this morning, this time in the form of Suspension Therapy. This beautifully shot mountain bike video that will leave you longing for more days on the trail – which are becoming increasingly rarer here in the Northern Hemisphere, as the colder weather sets in. Even the music is hauntingly beautiful in this short film.

Apparently the video was shot as a promo for a new business, aptly named Suspension Therapy, which helps riders to properly tune their bikes. Not sure how the business is doing, but the video is an absolute success.


Suspension Therapy from nsmb.com on Vimeo.

Video: The Yukon Arctic Ultra Endurance Race

The Yukon Arctic Ultra is one of the toughest endurance races on the planet. The event takes place each year in Canada during the dead of winter and sends athletes on a 430-mile run along the Yukon Quest sled dog trail. To say it is cold would be an understatement and athletes need tobe self-sufficient while out on the trail.

A new documentary captures the spirit of the race very well, showing us why athletes push themselves to the limit in such a harsh environment, while also demonstrating why this just might be the toughest race on the planet. You can watch the entire video online, and I've embedded it below. It is a little more than an hour in length, so pop some popcorn and get comfortable.




The Yukon Arctic Ultra from Yukon Arctic Ultra on Vimeo.

Polar Bear Cam Brings Cuddly Carnivores Into Our Living Room

I'm a sucker for great wildlife videos, but even more so when they're actually streaming live. The video below is sent back to us from live cameras aboard a Tundra Buggy in Churchill, Manitoba. The buggy goes out each and every day looking for polar bears and other animal that wander the area. I was tipped off to this live cam by reader Alan Curr, who discovered it on National Geographic's site, who recommend watching it between 7:00 AM and 4:30 PM, or generally when the sun is up.

If you don't see any bears wandering around when the camera is running, be patient. They're bound to show up again. When I first logged in, there were two bears wrestling and chasing each other around. It was quite fun to watch, and I'm sure you'll be able to see similar activity.

The camera is brought to us by Explore.org, Polar Bears International, and Frontiers North.

RTNX Update: WildernessTraverse.com Wins!

While most of the teams are still out on the course, the winners of this year's Raid the North Extreme have been crowned, as Team WilernessTraverse.com came across the finish line early this morning, to claim the victory. Congratulations to the team, which consists of Captain Bob Miller, Jakob Van Dorp, Gordon Blythen, and Sarah Fairmaid, on the impressive win.

The rest of the podium has yet to be decided, although it does appear that Team Wild Rose has a firm grip on second place at the moment. They're on the final mountain bike stages, and will transition back on foot later in the day, as they make their way to the finish. Behind them, there seems to be a battle brewing between DART-nuun, Atmosphere MOMAR and Tecnu Extreme/StaphAseptic for third place, while the Team GearJunkie/YogaSlackers, the only other team on the full course, seem to be MIA from the leaderboard at the moment.

This year's RTNX is being run in the West Kootenay region of Canada's British Columbia. The 500+km (310 mile) race promised "real wilderness" to anyone who signed up, and it seems that most teams have gotten all of that and more. With only six teams still competing on the full course, and 15 others going unranked, it appears that the race has lived up to its billing. It also seems that the teams are having a great time and are enjoying the course, despite having poor weather conditions early in the week.

Good luck to the rest of the teams. Get home safe!

RTNX Update: WildernessTraverse.com In Command!

We're now several days into the Raid the North Extreme adventure race, which is taking place as we speak in the West Kootenay region of British Columbia. With more than four days of racing under their belts, the teams have already had to endure some tough challenges. In fact, the course is so tough that only six of the 30 teams racing have a chance at completing the full course.

As of this writing, Team WildernessTraverse.com seems to have a commanding lead, and are currently on foot and steaming towards the next Transition Area, where they'll climb on their mountain bikes for the last leg of the race. In second place, and chasing hard is Team Wild Rose, followed by DART-nuun in third. At this point, the only other three teams who have a hope of completing the full course are GearJunkie/Yogaslackers, Team Atmosphere MOMAR, and Tecnu Extreme/StaphAseptic. There are also 10 teams that are continuing unranked at the moment, most likely due to a team mate dropping out of the race.

The full course teams will cover more than 500km (310 miles) by the time the reach the finish line on Saturday. The race has been a tough combination of trekking, mountain biking, and paddling, with plenty of navigation mixed in as well. There is still a lot of  miles to cover, and with serious navigation involved, anyone can get lost, but at the moment, the trailing teams will be hard pressed to catch WildernessTraverse. They seem to be running a good, solid race with few mistakes, and as a result, they've built a comfortable lead. For now.

Stay tuned for results tomorrow or Saturday.

Raid The North Extreme Is Underway!

The Raid the North Extreme adventure race got underway yesterday with 30 teams setting off on a 500km (310 mile), six day race through the West Kootenay region of British Columbia. The coed teams of four will now trek, paddle, mountain bike, and navigate their way through the beautiful and demanding Canadian backcountry.

As I write this, the teams are roughly one day into the Raid, and as of now Team WildernessTraverse.com is in first place, having passed through Checkpoint 4 on the course as they continue on their mountain bikes. Behind them is Team Custom Cellular, although coming on quickly is Team GearJunkie/YogaSlackers. Each of the lead teams still have a ways to go on their  bikes before transitioning to the kayaks for the first time.

Race headquarters has a host of live feeds to help keep you updated on the race as it unfolds throughout the week. Not only is there a running Twitter feed, but you'll also find a live leader board and a course tracker to show you where the various stages begin and end, as well the current locations of all of the teams. It is a slick interface that gives fans of adventure racing the opportunity to follow the action as it unfolds, while also keeping them up to date on the current standings in the field.

Look for the fastest teams to start arriving at the finish line on Thursday or Friday of this week. It seems that at the moment, weather conditions are good and the course is a beautiful challenge for the athletes to enjoy. Stay tuned for updates as the race continues throughout the week.

Vancouver Island Speed Circumnavigation Attempt

Long distance paddler Colin Angus is attempting to break the speed record for a solo, circumnavigation around Vancouver Island. He's hoping to cover the 1150km (714.5 mile) journey in less than 16.5 days. He's now halfway through the attempt, and has passed the 600km mark and is now headed toward the finish line.

You can follow Colin's adventure on his website, AngusAdventures.com, where you'll find daily updates on his progress and a SPOT tracker feed of his current location. As of this writing, the SPOT doesn't seem to be tracking accurately, but hopefully that's just a temporary glitch.

Reading the updates on his progress, it doesn't seem like this has been an easy row for Colin thus far. Not only is he dealing with painful tendonitis in his arm, he has also had to contend with difficult headwinds and turbulent waters. He has also been forced to row further out to sea than you would think was necessary in order to avoid submerged reefs that can create massive waves – sometimes 50 feet high, that could potentially put a premature end to the expedition.

For Colin, and his wife Julie, a rowing challenge like this one is old hat. They once rowed from Scotland to Syria, covering more than 7000km (4350 miles) in the process. Back in 2004, this adventurous couple also set out on a human powered circumnavigation of the planet, covering the land on foot, bikes and skies, while rowing across the Bering Strait and the Atlantic Ocean. They completed that journey two years later, and have continued their pursuit of outdoor adventure ever since.

If everything goes as planned, and his tendonitis doesn't get any worse, Colin should complete his journey sometime early next week. He's setting a pace that should allow him to break the record, but weather and conditions on the water can still play a role. Stay tuned!

Thanks to Julie for sending me the tip on her husband's adventure!

Circumnavigating Ellesmere Island Update: Slow Going In Thick Ice

Adventurers Jon Turk and Erik Boomer continue their epic expedition to circumnavigate Ellesmere Island by kayak. The two men set out last month with the hopes of becoming the first team to accomplish that feat, and while they continue to make good progress, the remote Canadian island has lived up to its reputation for being one of the harshest and most challenging environments on the planet.

In late May, Jon and Erik reached the Eureka Weather Station after covering 338 nautical miles in just 23 days. At that point, they were on schedule and well situated to continue their journey. Now, a couple of weeks later, their experiencing the harsher conditions of the arctic, as the cold weather has kept the pack-ice from breaking up, and slowed their progress significantly. In fact, in their latest blog update, we're told that progress could slow to as little as 1/2 mile per day, thanks to the very thick and dense ice that refuses to break-up thus far this year.

The expedition has reached a critical point, as the two men have rounded the northwest corner of the island in what is considered the most treacherous leg of the journey. Because of the conditions there, and the fact that they expect progress to be slow, Jon and Erik are now carrying 50 days worth of food with them, just in case it is some time before they can restock their supplies. They're hoping that the warmer weather will arrive soon however, opening up the passages through the ice and speeding their progress.

Ellesmere is part of the the Queen Elizabeth Islands and is located in the Canadian territory of Nunavut. In order to successfully circumnavigate the island, Jon and Erik will need to cover 1485 miles, which is expected to take them roughly 100 days to complete.

Raid The North Extreme To Be Televised!

One of the top adventure races on the schedule for this summer is the Raid the North Extreme, which will take place from July 23rd-31st in the West Kootenay region of British Columbia. The event is a 500km long expedition length race with all the traditional adventure racing elements, namely coed teams of four trekking, mountain biking, paddling, and navigating their way through an amazing wilderness setting.

The organizers for the Raid have now announced that they have signed a deal to bring the race to television in both the U.S. and Canada. The race will be filmed while it is underway by an experience crew from NewEdge Entertainment, and is scheduled to air in Canada this December on Global TV. Additionally, another 60-100 PBS stations in the United States are also expected to broadcast the race in early 2012.

This is fantastic news for fans of adventure racing, who have often had a hard time finding the sport on any television stations, let alone ones that are so readily available. Television coverage has long been the holy grail of the sport, and it has often been a hard sell to the networks, so kudos to the RTNX team for being able to put this deal together. It is a major accomplishment, and I'm already anticipating watching the show.

I can't say too much at this point, but I do know that there is the possibility of more adventure racing coming to television in the semi-near future as well. The deals aren't done yet, but there are conversations being had which, if they come to fruition, will give the sport even more great exposure. *Fingers Crossed*

Circumnavigating Ellesmere Island

Ellesmere Island is one of the most remote places on Earth, located above the arctic circle, and falling into the chain of the Queen Elizabeth Islands in the  Canadian territory of Nunavut. It is a cold, icy, mountainous place that is seldom visited due to its rugged and challenging nature. It is also the site of a spring expedition in which Jon Turk and Erik Boomer will be attempting to circumnavigate the island by kayak.

The expedition officially got underway a few days back, with Jon and Erik setting out from Resolute Bay last Thursday, and taking a series of short flights on "puddle jumpers" to eventually reach their starting point. The weather forecast had been good for their first week out on the water, but according to Jon's blog,  which was updated two days ago, that has changed some. The blog posts reports heavy snow in the region, and that the duo were holed up in a small cabin at the time of their last check-in.

They also report that the paddling has been hard going through the ice fields that surround the island, but when they move in closer to shore, the fjords have been smooth as glass. They've encountered quite a few polar bear tracks as well and even spotted a mother bear with her cub. The creatures are fairly common on Ellesmere, and of course they would like to avoid them as much as possible.

The journey will cover 1485 miles (2390 km) and is expected to take upwards of 100 days to complete. At the moment, they're just 75 miles into the expedition, and despite the fact that it is spring there, they are experiencing bitterly cold, sub-zero temperatures. Even in the height of summer, the place never really gets all that warm, so this will be a long, slow, challenging journey to complete, to say the least.

To check out the official expedition website, click here and for blog updates click here. This should be another interesting expedition to follow as it unfolds.

Raid The North Extreme Joins AR World Series!

One of the major adventure races taking place in North America this year is, without a doubt, the Raid The North Extreme, which is scheduled to take place in the West Kootenays of Canada's British Columbia from July 23rd - 31st. Over the weekend, organizers of the race also announced that they are re-joining the AR World Series, making the RTNX the only qualifying event in North America this year. That means that teams competing in the 500+km (310+ mile) race will now be vying for an all expense paid entry to the AR World Championship to be held in Tasmania in November of this year.

This announcement marks the return of Raid The North Extreme to the AR World Series fold. The race was originally part of the series when it formed back in 2000 and it even served as the championship event in 2004. After that, the RTNX dropped out of the ARWS, but by returning both events are made that much better.

As of this writing, the RTNX is just two teams shy of its cap of 50, which means if you aren't already signed up to race, you will probably want to get your application in today. The news of the race now being a qualifier for the AR World Championship is sure to seal the deal for any teams that have been on the fence about competing. A chance to head to Tasmania in November sounds like a fantastic reward on top of the already great prizes for winning the event.

Kudos to the RTNX staff for joining the ARWS. This is yet another feather in their cap for an event that was already looking like it was going to be one of the best races of the year.

2011 North Pole Season Is Over Before It Starts

The 2011 North Pole Season is over, at least from the Canadian side of the planet. Continued bad weather in Resolute Bay has grounded all outbound traffic, leaving the teams preparing to head into the Arctic stranded at the starting line.

According to ExWeb, who posted their own story on the topic here, all the teams currently in Resolute Bay have decided to pull the plug on their expeditions this year. With the delays mounting, those teams were already watching the number of days to complete the arduous trek to the North Pole dwindle rapidly. Generally speaking, arctic explorers scheduled 60 days to make the journey, but heading into the weekend, that window had already shrunk to 51 days. The continued bad weather was forcing an even tighter schedule, so they've all decided to abandon their expeditions and head home.

A joint press release was sent out by Pat Falvey, Clare O’ Leary, Matthew Stowers, Jules Weekes and Michele Pontrandolfo announcing the decision, which had to be an incredibly tough one. But the schedule is dictated not only by the weather but by the fact that the Russian-operated return flight from the Pole has a hard date of April 26th set in stone. If you don't reach the Pole by then, good luck finding a way home.

Personally, I'm very disappointed in this news as well. I always enjoy following the teams as they head north, and the Arctic expeditions offer up some interesting challenges that the South Pole explorers never have to face. It simply won't be the same without the updates from the ice this spring, although the Catlin Arctic Survey Teams are moving ahead as planned, and there are likely to be a few others out on the ice in some capacity.

As I mentioned in my previous post on the 2011 North Pole season, global climate change is making this journey an increasingly difficult one to complete. I do believe that in another decade or so, it will no longer be possible to make the trek on foot, which makes the loss of this season all the more disheartening.

Better luck next year arctic explorers.

Paddling Dipper Creek In British Columbia

Looking for a fast, furious, and beautiful place for your next paddling expedition? Then look no further than Dipper Creek, British Columbia.  But beware, the river isn't for the faint of heart or the beginner, as you'll see in the beautifully shot video below. Paddlers will find a little of everything there, including deep gorges, waterfalls, challenging rapids, and more. Looks like a fantastic place to visit, either in your boat or on foot.

Thanks to Canoe & Kayak Magazine for sharing the video.


Dipper Creek, BC 2010 from Fred Norquist on Vimeo.

Kayaking From Vancouver to Alaska: No Experience Required

I came across this video earlier while perusing the Canoe & Kayak Magazine website. The short film chronicles a group of friends who set out to kayak from Vancouver to Alaska along the Inside Passage without any paddling experience at all. Over the five weeks they were on the water, they covered 500 miles and found plenty of great scenery and adventure along the way. Enjoy!



No Experience Required_Full HQ from StuntBeaver Productions on Vimeo.

Adventure Travel Company Accused Of Killing Over 100 Sled Dogs

An adventure travel company has come under scrutiny in British Columbia, Canada after a former worker filed a compensation claim for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. The employee says that the condition came about because he was ordered to shoot more than 100 sled dogs over a two day period last year.

According to this story from CTV News, Outdoor Adventure Whistler conducted a "horrific" culling of their sled dogs last April, killing more than 100 of the them and throwing them in a mass grave. The culling took place April 21-23 and in the original claim, the worker says that he helped kill 70 dogs. The article says that the company later corrected that number to 100.

The tales that the person filing the claim has to tell are certainly not easy ones to read, and dog lovers will especially want to take caution when reading the story. A follow-up article, found here, says that Royal Canadian Mounted Police have now joined the investigation into what actually happened, and they will now dig up the mass grave to further investigate the allegations.

The story says that Outdoor Adventure Whistler did not respond to inquiries about the incident, but indications are that with the economy still sluggish and the travel industry still recovering, the dogs were killed off following a particularly slow winter season last year. One Vancouver group has already called for a complete ban of dog sled tours following this report.

Reading this story earlier was a extremely tough for me. As an animal lover, I wouldn't want to see any creature treated this way. This is a glimpse of a darker side to adventure travel, and while I believe that this is probably an isolated incident, it doesn't make it any easier to read about. If the allegations prove to be true, I hope action is taken very swiftly against the people involved.

Thanks to Eric Chan for sharing this sad story.