Author: Justine

  • “This is the Roll” reviews

    A few more reviews are appearing on “This is the Roll” DVD.…. most comments I’ve seen have been on Facebook which is a very easy way to leave feedback. This has all been really positive – many people are impressed with how thoroughly we have covered the roll, as well as the pace & the filming.

    One comment simply said, “Your Rolling DVD is the best ever. Clear and concise“. Another said, “It’s entertaining as well as extremely clear and informative.”

    Simon Willis – creator of sea kayak podcasts & the filmmaker behind the “Sea kayak with Gordon Brown” DVDs – has written a review as detailed as “This is the Roll”. You can read it here. It’s the most comprehensive review I’ve read so far so if you want to know more about the DVD from an outside perspective then please take a look.

    A shorter, positive review from Denmark can be read here in English – or here in Swedish.

    In separate news, David Johnston, an kayaker and blogger from Canada recently interviewed me for a series on him website called “I want your outdoor job”, asking me about the business side of making paddling films. You can read the interview here.

    Other filmmakers have also been busy. Nick & Matt at Kayak Essentials – makers of the popular ‘Sea Kayak Essentials’ DVD – have just introduced digital downloads of the individual chapters of that DVD. If you prefer your movies instantly delivered to your computer then check out this page on their website. There are short previews of all the chapters so you can try before you buy. And if you prefer to buy the whole DVD then we sell it in the Cackle TV store – click here for our US / Canada/ Japan store. Click here for UK/ Europe/ Australasia store. Don’t forget we have special offers – if you buy more than 1 DVD you can save money…. Or check out our inspirational digital download films.

  • Cliff top Paddling

    Today felt like a Summer’s day on Anglesey! I’m still recovering from my bike accident and paddling would hurt my ribs so I went for a walk along the beautiful Anglesey cliffs with Tara & Mark while Barry tried out the Valley Gemini SP (their new sporty short kayak with lots of rocker).

    Although I would have liked to be out on the water enjoying the salt spray and the waves, I had a good time seeing the sea from a different perspective – watching the tide flow past the rocks, smelling the coconut-odour of the bright yellow gorse bushes & spotting a curious seal watching Barry suspiciously as he surfed the waves at Penrhyn Mawr. Barry got some good rides in the playful Gemini which he says surfs very well.

     

    I’m hoping I’ll be out there ON the sea before too long! The ribs are feeling better every day.

     

     

     

  • First feedback

    The first feedback on “This is the Roll” is appearing on blogs, Facebook and in my ‘inbox’!

    Here is what people are saying about the new DVD.

    So happy , So happy, So happy. An awesome DVD showed up in my mailbox yesterday. Have been trying to watch between customers. So far it is the most descriptive tutorial i have seen. So to put it simply…it rocks!!!!! Or is that “rolls”

    Wonderful job on the new video. Maybe this will finally help me get that blasted storm roll. Thanks! ;-)
    “What a fantastic DVD ! I thought it was going to be good but it has surpassed my expectations. I hope I don’t look too silly now sitting in my kayak in the garden with the DVD playing on my laptop. Well Done !”
    “Just received and had initial viewing of ‘This is the Roll’ DVD …love it,entertaining informative and just makes you want to practice :-)”
    “Brilliant Justine – it is excellent! I like the pace and the way it is organised and the clear and detailed explanations from Turner. It looks great – love the titles”.
    “Got the DVD today and had a go at the first chapter this evening. Already have loads of ideas to look for during the next exercises. Spoken instructions are nice & clear, even for us non-english folks. The editing with highlights & arrows makes it even more obvious. Learning it this way would surely lead to less frustration, compared to the “sweep, hipflick and PULL” instructions I had in the pool”.
    If you’ve got a copy then please let us know what you think.
    If you’ve not got a copy and want one then you can order from our webstore – or from your local paddling shop.

  • DVDs are here!

    It’s here! “This is the Roll” DVDs finally arrived in Wales yesterday – and the North American DVDs arrived in Colorado at the fulfilment house. Hundreds of DVDs are now on their way to individuals and shops around the world and will soon be being popped into DVD players for the first time. I’m nervously excited about getting feedback on the DVD – Cheri, Turner & I put a huge amount of effort into making it and we really hope people enjoy it & that it helps people to roll, or improve their rolling.

    You can buy the DVD from my website, or you’ll find it in many shops in the next few days. If your local shop doesn’t stock it yet then please ask them to get in touch with us!

    In separate news, I am recovering from a punctured lung, after falling hard off my mountain bike 10 days ago. I didn’t realise how much I’d hurt myself and drove up to the Great Glen Paddle Festival in Scotland & back, before realising my ribs still hurt and I was constantly out of breath. While at the Festival I taught a session on filmmaking and helped make this film!

    I drove straight to Bangor A & E on my way back where I was admitted immediately and kept in for 4 days. I’m really grateful to the hospital staff and to my friends for looking after me during a tough time. Barry in particular has been fantastic, putting many things on hold so he could make sure I was OK.