Author: Justine

 I’m in a kind of daze from 3 busy days at Canoecopia, the biggest canoe & kayak trade show in North America with around 20,000 people usually coming through the doors, excited about the start of the paddling season, wanting to spend hard earned cash on new goodies and to listen to a range of inspirational and instructional speakers. Saturday was madly hectic – good for business I’m sure, and good for catching up with people. Of course, I kept forgetting to get my camera out so here are a couple of photos from about 30mins before it closed, & some of the Kokatat crew 30 mins after it closed! I’m pretty tired so won’t write much now – I’ll just say I enjoyed seeing friends again, meeting new people & listening to some of the other speakers at the show. It’s an amazing gathering of talented and interesting people. Thanks to Darren Bush & his family for hosting me and thanks to everyone who came to one of my presentations, and/ or bought a DVD. There was a big pile of “This is Canoeing” DVDs on Friday and there weren’t many left in the pile at the end of Sunday so that’s also a great thing.

I’m staying with the Bloyd-Peskhins near Chicago again tonight ( thanks to Tom Bamonte for the lift back), and we’re going paddling on Lake Michigan tomorrow, before my 5.30pm international flight! Nothing like packing it all in!! Should be fun.

“This is Canoeing” is coming to a place near you …. if you live near Madison in Wisconsin, Llanberis, Queensferry or London anyway.

Today I’m putting together last minute preparations for my presentation about ‘behind the scenes of “This Canoeing”‘ at the huge trade show that is Canoecopia, which takes place in Madison this weekend. I fly to Chicago tomorrow and will stay with the lovely Boyd Peshkin family  overnight, before we all head up to Canoecopia on Friday morning. 

On Friday & Saturday I’m giving a presentation about my circumnavigation of the South island of New Zealand by seakayak. On Saturday night I’ll present the premiere of ‘This is Canoeing’ at the High Noon Saloon, the same place I launched ‘This is the Sea 3″ three years ago. It’s a lively bar and there is a DJ afterwards.

For those people who would rather snuggle up in bed with a cup of coccoa on Saturday night, there’s another chance to see clips from the film on Sunday when I am giving 2 presentations about the making of “This is Canoeing” (fortunately the first one is at 11.30 am so I shouldn’t be too bleery eyed!). I’ll show slightly different footage from on Saturday night, but there will be some overlap, and I’ll talk a bit about what filming kit and tricks I used to get the shots.

I’ll be at Canoecopia all weekend, no doubt rushing around with my laptop to the various venues, catching up with friends, seeing what new gear is available and mingling so if you want to ask me anything then you should be able to find me! One of the sponsors of “This is Canoeing”, Kokatat are also one of the sponsors of Canoecopia, and I’ll be at their stand a couple of times to sign copies of “This is Canoeing”, or the “This is the Sea” DVDs, all of which will be available for sale at Canoecopia with their regular discount.

I fly home on Monday, hopefully after a nice paddle with the Boyd Peshkins. Then on Thursday 18th March, Barry & I will be at Surflines, our local kayak shop in Llanberis to present an hour of footage from “This is Canoeing”. Nick Cunliffe & Matt Giblin will also be there presenting an extract from their new instructional DVD, Kayak Essentials.  

On Tuesday 23rd March, I’ll be present a showing of “This is Canoeing” DVD at Let’s Go Outdoor Adventure Centre at the National Waterways Museum, South Pier Road, Ellesmere Port. Doors open 7.30pm, film showing 8pm.

On Thursday 25th March, I’m venturing to the big city for my first ever talk in London! The event will be held at Brookbank London and I’ll have more details next week.

You can keep up to date with any events that I’m attending on the Events page on my website.

I’ve been impatiently waiting to see reviews of “This is Canoeing” start to appear on the internet. While the DVD isn’t ‘out’ until Friday, I sent review copies to magazines and websites and sent copies to the people featured in the DVD. These reviews have started to appear. Here is a review from the current issue of “Canoe & Kayak UK” magazine.

There is an on-line review on the British website forum, ‘Song of the Paddle’ here, and the same review on the UK rivers guidebook here ( I’ve included links to both of them in case you want to read any comments).

Simon Willis’ has written a review on his website here, and I’ve had lots of emails from people in the DVD saying that they enjoyed their advance copies. I’m always nervous about what the people in the films will think as it’s hard to really capture someone in a way that they like. Carolyn Peterson, one of the stars of the Canoe slalom film sent me this email.

“Thanks so much for the videos.  I just got the video yesterday and had so much fun watching it.  It is great!!!!  I loved how there was so many folks in it on the open canoe nationals segment.   It was an awesome collection of great memories of the event for all to have and to show to their friends.  I hope this will convince some of my local friends to come one time.  It is hard to put how much fun it is is words or through just pictures.  This video is a superb expression of the high spirit of the competition, no matter what your skill level is, and all the comradeire that surrounds the competitors and the event.   We all canoe at Nationals for the fun of it . . . and while it is loaded with challenges and some upsets, none walk away empty handed as tons of new friendships emerge and develop when canoers from all across the continent get together at this once a year reunion!  This video puts into words what I never could will make you want to get in a canoe:)

Cheers,
Carolyn Peterson “

I will be at Canoecopia in Wisconsin, USA this coming weekend to launch the DVD and attend a premiere of the film on Saturday night. I’ll also be giving presentations about the making of the DVD, and my seakayaking expedition around the South island of New Zealand.

… I’ve been doing my best not to be dull recently and have enjoying the fine weather of the  last week. I’ve been mixing my days between work and pleasure. It’s weeks like this where I really appreciate living in North Wales and being so close to fantastic playgrounds for many different disciplines. On Friday I drove 20 minutes to the mountains and climbed a snow gully. On Saturday and Sunday, we drove 40 minutes to the west coast of Anglesey and enjoyed seakayaking around the beautiful Stacks, with a play in the tidal race at Penrhyn Mawr. Today I had a bit of a longer drive, an hour an a quarter to go to the river Dee for some canoeing. I’m lucky enough to be a long term student for Jules Burnard, who is training to be a level 5 canoe coach. He’s giving free coaching to a group of us, in exchange for us being guineapigs for his assessment at the end of the year. It seems like a good deal to me!

If you have ordered a “This is Canoeing” DVD and wondering when you are going to get your hands on it, then don’t worry I haven’t been neglecting your needs. If you live in the US/ Canada/ Australia or Europe then your DVD has been posted. If you live in the UK, then it will be posted on Wednesday 2nd class. Hopefully everyone will get them on the release date of 12th March. Your local shop should have them in stock by Friday aswell.