Justine’s Blog

“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.

2 weeks ago, John Domoney and I tried to climb up Wales’ highest mountain via the Trinity Gully on the North Face, a lovely looking grade 1/2 winter route. We were both very excited by the adventure up Snowdon but due to an unexpected white out, a bitter cold wind and the fact that we both forgot a map and compass, we decided against it! Instead we battled up the miners track feeling like we were in an Alpine blizzard.

So I was very pleased to get a text from John yesterday saying he had the day off on Friday and did I fancy having another go. Today the carpark was bathed in sunshine and balmy. As we got higher, the cold started to bite and clouds appeared, but they couldn’t stick. They blew in and out for the rest of the day; one minute hiding the sun and everything around us, the next minute revealing a brilliant blue sky and beautiful snowy peaks.  

We climbed the gully, enjoying the company of 2 lads we met on the approach, had lunch on the top with the seagulls, and came back down. I was back at my desk by 3pm, getting on with my work… well, I will be when i stop writing this!

Life is good!

I recorded the route live on the Sanoodi website, although I forgot to start recording until we put our crampons on at the base of the gully, sorry! See the track here.