The Boof of Destiny is my favorite line on the river, but it can be sketchy. Next time I run the boof, I will go more to the right and avoid boofing into the eddy.
Mauricio Martinez Laresgoiti
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| Dragons Tounge From Below |
Showing posts with label Boof of Destiny. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Boof of Destiny. Show all posts
Wednesday, 23 July 2014
Lapping Boof of Destiny
A couple of weeks ago me and my buddy Max ran the Boof of Destiny on Dragons Tongue for the first time. I really liked that line and I wanted to run it again. Yesterday, we went on the middle channel and the level was around 5 1/2, it was a good level for the boof. Before lunch, I tried to do it two times but I kept missing the line. I tried to cut across from river right to river left and hit the boof. It did not work and I had to try another way. After lunch I decided to scout so that I could style the line. Instead of cutting across, I decided to line myself up with the curler that goes into the hole and be just to the right of it. I was flirting with disaster by being close to that curler. I did two runs in which I styled the line and was able to cross the line to river left. I wanted to do it again for the third time but it did not go that smoothly. I boofed into the eddy between the hole at the Boof of Destiny and the hole at ST chute. I began to get pulled into the holes. There was no place where the eddy was calm. I could not paddle to any side, so I decided to surf the Boof of Destiny Hole and get out. I got into the hole and flipped, missed a couple of rolls and then I was out.
The Boof of Destiny is my favorite line on the river, but it can be sketchy. Next time I run the boof, I will go more to the right and avoid boofing into the eddy.
Mauricio Martinez Laresgoiti
The Boof of Destiny is my favorite line on the river, but it can be sketchy. Next time I run the boof, I will go more to the right and avoid boofing into the eddy.
Mauricio Martinez Laresgoiti
Friday, 18 July 2014
The Middle Channel of the Ottawa River
For those of you that are unaware, the Ottawa River Rocher Fendu section consists of two white water channels that kayakers as well as rafters run. The Main Channel, which is where most of the water flows meaning higher volume rapids, larger holes and waves, deeper and faster moving water. There is also the Middle Channel which is much lower volume with much shallower and generally shorter rapids. Although the Middle Channel may seem less interesting, It is still a fantastic place to challenge yourself and practice some skills. Some of these reasons include:
1. There still are large rapids.
The Middle Channel consists of one of the largest and most difficult rapids on the Ottawa River called Garvin's. This rapid contains three main lines that may challenge you all in different ways. ST Chute is the river left most channel which is a small chute with a giant hole at the bottom. Although the hole is very flushy, making it through upright is always a challenge. The other middle section is called dragons tongue, which within itself has two lines, the main tongue with a small drop at the end and also the Boof of Destiny. This line has always been the result of lots of carnage and people getting worked. The river right most line is called Elevator Shaft, which at the current level is completely dried up but at higher water is a fun rock slide.
2. There are plenty of spots to play.
The Middle Channel consists of many play spots with virtually no line up the majority of the time. The holes, although shallower and smaller are a difficult place to practice skills, The kayaker must be in complete control of their boat as flushing is very easy. Although this may not seem very appealing, it helps improve a kayakers ability to understand and be aware of what is around them or risk flushing off of the wave or out of the hole. These holes are also deep enough to do every trick imaginable without risk of anything down stream and the eddies are also fairly large so it is rarely a challenge to catch them even if you miss one or two rolls.
3. There are still opportunities to get worked and challenge yourself.
When a group of us went down the Middle Channel on Tuesday, some of us decided to try to do a boof off the side of a rapid called Butterfly. Virtually everyone followed our instructor Kalob Grady through a line that we thought was the line we were supposed to run, however he was trying a new line and ended up getting worked. Not knowing what the actual line was, all of us followed him and got a good beatdown.
Although many people opt to run the Main Channel as they feel it may be more of a challenge, The Middle Channel is always a fantastic option to improve your skills and have a fun day. It is always how you make of the day and how you use your time to become the best that you can be with what is given to you. It is also always a fantastic idea to try and challenge yourself in new holes and new waves so you learn how to read the water and not just understand the one play spot you spend all of your time in.
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| Map of the Rocher Fendu Section |
1. There still are large rapids.
The Middle Channel consists of one of the largest and most difficult rapids on the Ottawa River called Garvin's. This rapid contains three main lines that may challenge you all in different ways. ST Chute is the river left most channel which is a small chute with a giant hole at the bottom. Although the hole is very flushy, making it through upright is always a challenge. The other middle section is called dragons tongue, which within itself has two lines, the main tongue with a small drop at the end and also the Boof of Destiny. This line has always been the result of lots of carnage and people getting worked. The river right most line is called Elevator Shaft, which at the current level is completely dried up but at higher water is a fun rock slide.
2. There are plenty of spots to play.
The Middle Channel consists of many play spots with virtually no line up the majority of the time. The holes, although shallower and smaller are a difficult place to practice skills, The kayaker must be in complete control of their boat as flushing is very easy. Although this may not seem very appealing, it helps improve a kayakers ability to understand and be aware of what is around them or risk flushing off of the wave or out of the hole. These holes are also deep enough to do every trick imaginable without risk of anything down stream and the eddies are also fairly large so it is rarely a challenge to catch them even if you miss one or two rolls.
3. There are still opportunities to get worked and challenge yourself.
When a group of us went down the Middle Channel on Tuesday, some of us decided to try to do a boof off the side of a rapid called Butterfly. Virtually everyone followed our instructor Kalob Grady through a line that we thought was the line we were supposed to run, however he was trying a new line and ended up getting worked. Not knowing what the actual line was, all of us followed him and got a good beatdown.
Although many people opt to run the Main Channel as they feel it may be more of a challenge, The Middle Channel is always a fantastic option to improve your skills and have a fun day. It is always how you make of the day and how you use your time to become the best that you can be with what is given to you. It is also always a fantastic idea to try and challenge yourself in new holes and new waves so you learn how to read the water and not just understand the one play spot you spend all of your time in.
Wednesday, 2 July 2014
Boof Of Destiny
Boof of Destiny
Dragons Tongue on the Middle Channel has always been my favorite rapid on the Ottawa River. It looks like a very intimidating rapid but its actually not that hard. The normal line has always been my line of choice until yesterday. The boof of destiny is a boof on the left side of dragons tongue. It doesn't look bad but a past keener got stuck behind the curtain of water for about 40 seconds. I have scouted that line many times, but the fact about getting stuck behind the curtain has always stopped me from running that line. Yesterday, I went for three runs down the normal line and felt confident that I could hit the right line at the boof of destiny. Me and Max decided to give it a go. We both had very good lines and made it down safely.
The boof of destiny has now become my favorite line down dragons tongue. After four years of scouting that line I finally decided to give it a go and it went smoothly. Today is race day and I hope we can race down Dragons Tongue. Not a boatercross race but we can time our runs through different lines and it could be very fun.
Mauricio Martinez Laresgoiti
Dragons Tongue on the Middle Channel has always been my favorite rapid on the Ottawa River. It looks like a very intimidating rapid but its actually not that hard. The normal line has always been my line of choice until yesterday. The boof of destiny is a boof on the left side of dragons tongue. It doesn't look bad but a past keener got stuck behind the curtain of water for about 40 seconds. I have scouted that line many times, but the fact about getting stuck behind the curtain has always stopped me from running that line. Yesterday, I went for three runs down the normal line and felt confident that I could hit the right line at the boof of destiny. Me and Max decided to give it a go. We both had very good lines and made it down safely.
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| Flying Off the Boof of Destiny. Photo Stephen Wright |
The boof of destiny has now become my favorite line down dragons tongue. After four years of scouting that line I finally decided to give it a go and it went smoothly. Today is race day and I hope we can race down Dragons Tongue. Not a boatercross race but we can time our runs through different lines and it could be very fun.
Mauricio Martinez Laresgoiti
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