The Gorge Downwind Championships has been an annual pilgrimage from its inception. It’s predecessor, the Wildside Relay, first introduced me to this downwind paradise, and I have enjoyed screaming upstream on the Columbia River in the shadow of snow capped volcanoes ever since. For 2017, the Gorge Downwind Championships would be my first “A” race […]
Author Archives: Chris Hipgrave
June
22
Outdoors Inc. Canoe & Kayak Race
posted by Chris Hipgrave
This article is reposted with the kind permission of its author, Elmore Holmes. You can read his original post, here. Thanks Elmore! The Outdoors, Inc., Canoe and Kayak Race is in the books for another year. This event has now happened 36 times, and I have participated myself 22 times. Today’s river level–13.5 feet on […]
April
27
RACE RECAP: CAROLINA CUP
posted by Chris Hipgrave
The promise of a competitive surfski field drew me to the Carolina Cup for the first time this year. Historically a huge SUP race, the 13 mile Graveyard race is quickly gaining a reputation as a fun ocean race that now had the attention of the surfski community. Surfski participation jumped from just 12 in […]
April
14
2017 Shark Bite Challenge & Paddlefest
posted by Chris Hipgrave
What does it take to run a massively successful paddling event with over 450 participants from all over the World, hundreds of spectators and dozens of vendors / sponsors? What does it take to bounce back to an even stronger event in the shadow of the US Coast Guard shutting down your event the year […]
March
30
REVIEW: EPIC KAYAKS V12(2G)
posted by Chris Hipgrave
I’ve been waiting on the second generation Epic Kayaks V12 for a long time. As an early adopter of the V14, I’ve loved the speed, clean lines and comfort of this speed demon, but as an inland paddler, I struggled with the stability on rough days out in the ocean. Basically, I would cross that […]
January
12
REVIEW: WERNER PADDLES IKELOS
posted by Chris Hipgrave
For my recent adventure to Antarctica, I needed to find a paddle I could both travel with and trust in this harsh environment. I needed a 4 piece paddle I could use every day to cover hundreds of kilometers; that suited my aggressive racing stroke (i.e., high angle and powerful blades); and one that would […]
January
05
Antarctic Peninsula – Update #3
posted by Chris Hipgrave
My Antarctic adventure has come to an end and what as adventure it’s been. Since returning to sea to cross the Drake Passage and return to the Antarctic Peninsula, the weather has been unbelievably nice. The wind has died and the sun has been high in the sky rapidly accelerating the growth of the sea […]
December
17
Antarctic Peninsula – Update #2
posted by Chris Hipgrave
Since my last update, we departed Puerto Williams, Chile and headed down the Beagle Channel and out across the Drake Passage to return to the Antarctic Peninsula. Things are warming up as the short summer takes effect. Penguins are raising their young chicks; the wiener Elephant Seals are growing fast and whales are becoming a […]
December
06
South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula
posted by Chris Hipgrave
After 2 weeks of exploring South Georgia and the Antarctic peninsula, we crossed the Drake Passage, made a pit stop at Cape Horn where the Pacific and Atlantic oceans meet, and then headed into Puerto Williams to resupply and change a few guides and guests. The past few weeks have been nothing short of incredible […]
November
18
Beginning the Antarctic Adventure
posted by Chris Hipgrave
In 1982, Argentina invaded a tiny, inhospitable island in the South Atlantic I’d never heard of. Soon there after, the British Task Force was dispatched to sail south and deal with the situation and as an impressionable teenager growing up in the UK, I spent the next 74 days glued to the TV as our […]
