PHOTOS

#5 – This was my first drone photo while on the water. Unlike drones today, that are getting smaller than a phone, this monster required a 50 liter drybag and most of my front hatch (and 2 other 10 liter bags for the controller and batteries). Nothing smart about it, no return to home, minimal gps. If anything happened, it would try to land where it was… not the best for water shots. I remember on a trip to Maine, I had my low volume Isel and chose to give up a lot of my gear to fit the drone instead. (Video in profile) and I ended up losing some of the footage (long story). @fgeyfman and @kayakeandoando were always willing to come out with me for testing of new equipment. I miss those calmer weekends before kid schedules came. One quick note on drones, please always be conscious of other people and wildlife if you choose to fly. If you see wildlife you might disrupt, please opt not to fly and find another time or place. #paddlingmixtape #optoutside #paddleforever #mypaddlestory

kayak_hipster
November 8, 2019
PHOTOS

#4 – When we had our kid years ago, I looked for a project where I could spend a couple of hours here and there over the course of a winter in my basement. Little did I know that my first venture into traditional paddling would bring me to meet an amazing community of paddlers eager to share their skills and help each other out. On my first summer after building this skin on frame I made it to two Qajaq USA events, and then have tried to make it to as many as possible each year. If you get the chance, I highly recommend any of the traditional paddling events around the country, and there’s many around the world as well. #paddlingmixtape #optoutside #qajaq #hrgf #paddleforever #mypaddlestory

kayak_hipster
November 7, 2019
PHOTOS

Link to video in my profile! For #3, years ago I spent a week of training down in South Carolina. One of the programs was on incident management, and we were so honored to get to run some simulations with the USCG. We had a rescue team take us through a full rescue swimmer deployment while we were rafted up, and we each in turn got the chance to talk directly to the helicopter and help them maneuver to find us.Later in the day we also ran some simulations with a small boat as well. They were so inspiring, and we were so thankful that they were able to take the time to work with us. You can see clips from the entire day in the video posted on my profile. #paddlingmixtape #mypaddlingstory #justaddwater #optoutside #paddleforever #uscg

kayak_hipster
October 30, 2019
PHOTOS

For #2, paddling the Sumidero Canyon in Chiapas, Mexico along with @theseakayaker @navegandosin and @kayak_queretaro. The magnitude of the walls was stunning, and the company couldn’t have been better. As we sat chatting around the fire, even though we had technically just met in person a day before, it felt like hanging out with old friends. This was my first trip to explore other paddlers’ backyards, and it was fantastic to see how much we all have in common — love and respect for the outdoors, a need to explore new places, and the amazing ability to see places you can only reach in a kayak. I’d like to invite anyone that wants to share their own 10 photos/moments to do so, just like @adam_constantine did for me. #paddlingmixtape #optoutside #paddleforever #mypaddleadventure #mexico #justaddwater

kayak_hipster
October 16, 2019
PHOTOS

I was nominated by @adam_constantine to share 10 important moments / photos in my paddling history, I will do my best to share some fun stories over the next couple of days. I think this should be my first for sure. When I began paddling, I took to the web to find interesting destinations for paddling world wide. Right away, photos taken by @tfbergen and @kristoffervan stood out as they shared their adventures exploring Norwegian location. The second photo in this series was one of my main motivations for reaching out to paddlers around the world to try to visit their local playgrounds. Fast forward a couple of years, and I found myself exploring Lofoten with @kristoffervan ‘s group, and all of a sudden towards the end of the trip I found myself looking at @tfbergen’s photo in Reine. It blew me away, especially since I had this same photo from his calendar on my desk at work for a couple of months leading up to the trip — but didn’t realize we’d be visiting this spot. It was surreal to be in person at the location that had been inspiration for so long. #paddlingmixtape #norway #lofoten #mypaddlingstory #justaddwater #optoutside #paddleforever

kayak_hipster
October 15, 2019
PHOTOS

And just like that our time in Ontario came and went. I had been looking forward to these few days for so long, hoping to disconnect from work for a bit, and was overwhelmed with the positivity and general stoke of the group. Everyone looking to learn from one another, share stories around the fire, and make plans for the future. Thank you all for an awesome time. Can’t wait for the next one. #paddlingmixtape #justaddwater #zerofun #mypaddlestory #kayakontario #optoutside #explore #ontario @nrsweb @nimbus_paddles

kayak_hipster
October 9, 2019