This Weekend: Telluride MountainFilm on Tour

Telluride MountainFilm on Tour
2 Day Event: Fri/Sat Jan. 21 & 22
Charles H. Morris Center, Savannah, GA

A few films of interest in the line-up..

Friday, Jan. 21 7:00pm
Film: "Eastern Rises" - Featuring special guests Ben Knight, Travis Rummel, and Georgia's own, Frank Smethurst.

"The Kamchatka peninsula in the Russian Far East may as well be at the end of the earth. Its enormous, wild landscape is threaded with rivers, swimming with massive mouse-eating trout and swarming with bugs and bears. In other words, this place is the Holy Grail for truly obsessed, halfway insane fly fishermen. Felt Soul’s Ben Knight and Travis Rummel last brought Mountainfilm audiences the story of Alaskan salmon at risk in Red Gold, and this film reunites the filmmakers with Frank Smethurst (the star of their short Running Down the Man) as he and other anglers head to Kamchatka during the summer of 2008. In this gorgeous film, fishing is poetry; Bigfoot lurks in the fog; and fishermen risk life and limb in decommissioned Cold War helicopters to explore rivers that have never been fished before."

Film: "Fish Out of Water"

"Most fly fishermen say that being out on the water is therapeutic in some ways. The good people of Sun Valley Adaptive Sports would certainly agree: They use the experience to help veterans of the Iraq War who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and fly fishing seems to be a highly effective treatment. In an almost timeless environment of natural beauty, far from the intrusions of counselors, clinics and medication schedules—not to mention IEDs and snipers—the soldiers make real progress toward coping. As one of them puts it, “You made me feel normal again.” Just as succinctly, Fish Out of Water manages to hook both the horror of war and the hope of healing."

Saturday, Jan. 22
Film: Expedition Kayak Film: "Hotel Charley"
Featuring special guests Jesse Coombs and Darin McQuoid

"For the past year, in addition to partnering with some of the world’s best guides, Eddie Bauer and First Ascent have joined forces with some of the world’s most inspirational adventurers. Meet Jesse Coombs, Darin McQuoid and Ben Stookesberry, expedition kayakers, seeking first descents around the world. Travel with them in their new film, Hotel Charley Vol. 5, which documents their pursuit of never before paddled waterfalls in three countries."

Event Details:
Ticket Prices: $10 Adult / $5 Child and Student
Online ticket address: http://www.halfmoonoutfitters.com
Box Office Address: Charles H. Morris Center - 10 E. Broad St., Savannah
Phone: 912.443.3277

www.mountainfilm.org

Paddle to Fitness Sessions with Ben Lawry

This year we are offering several kayak fitness instructional sessions, with
Ben Lawry as our fitness coach. They will cover forward stroke techniques and how to integrate kayaking into a structured progressional fitness plan.
Classes will be mostly on water with some complimentary dry land exercises.
Fast race, fitness boats can be supplied if required.

Wednesday April 20 & 27 'Forward to Fitness' 5:30 - 7:30. Cost $100
Sat/Sun August 13 & 14 'Fitness and Beyond' 9:00 - 12:00. Cost $150



Sign up now - as space is limited!

Rainbow Gathering for Paddlers - May 14/15- Little Tybee Island

Word has just come through to us of a new paddle event on the East Coast.
The Southeast Paddlers Weekend 2011
There is no fee or registration.
There are no formal class structures.
There is no official 'point of contact'.
What there is...is a desire to get fellow paddlers together, share stories, tips, techniques and skills in a beautiful natural setting by the ocean.
The only rules are : Be responsible for yourselves and practice low impact camping.
We think it sounds like a great time.
As we receive more information from our sources at large we will post it on our blog.
Here is what we have received so far...

Come spend an informal weekend boating and camping. Join others in the paddling community that share your interest for the sport and our wild coast. The location has great camping, good surf potential, good fishing and open or protected water access.



Where:Little Tybee Island, GA (31o58’ 13.69” N, 80o51’ 54.07” W)
When:May 14-15, 2011
Who:All are welcome (novice–expert, kids, families, clubs, guides, outfitters, instructors, manufacturers)
Cost and Registration:None

Paddlers :
-should be prepared for the conditions
and are expected to be responsible for themselves
-should be respectful of this wilderness location and
practice low impact camping techniques

Surf is Up - Peace Talks Off.

Naom from Israel was in Savannah last year.
He stopped by our store and picked up an RTM Super Slide....easily done when the Slide weighs less than 20lbs. With no skirt or pfd required, we recommend the Slide if you travel a lot on overseas surfing holidays....something we have all aspired to do more of this year !
Naom just sent us this picture of his local break outside of Tel Aviv.
Wow, moma how about that ?.
Obviously, there is too much 'talk' of peace and not enough surfing for peace.

We currently have the RTM Super Slide on sale for $895.
Check it out here

Plattsburgh Uni Gets Lesson on GA Coast

It was the coldest week in the dead of winter, but for myself, a faculty member, and 8 students from State University of New York-Plattsburgh, these last 7 days have been a great experience.

Top BCU coach Steve Maynard called me up a while back asking for some local guide knowledge and assistance for his Expedition Studies class which was heading for Tybee and the GA coast. I was glad he did.
For me, working with youth in outdoor programs has long been a favourite aspect of being a guide.
When those students are very well equipped and under the expert tutelage and guidance of someone such as Mr Maynard, you know the standard of programming and learning will be as good as it gets.
I had touched down from India the week prior, and into Spring-like conditions.
Five days later the Plattsburgh crew were blown south by 40' temps and north winds gusting to 30. "Here we go", I thought.
The weather remained the same way for the duration of their visit.
The program for the week was to build skills, build experience, learn about the coast, and broaden horizons.
We achieved these goals thru 4 nights of camping in two different sites, an introduction to short boat surf kayaking, and a day of hiking with coastal authority Mike Robinson.


We did rescues and towing, group management and leadership through surf, boat control in wind and waves, marsh navigation skills, tandem sit on top surfing, and paddling a wave ski without capsizing. We snuck up on fresh water ponds, observed pelican behaviour, saw large flocks of great blues herons, witnessed young bald eagles sparing, tumbling over head, and had dolphin escorts when moral flagged. Around a fire on starry beaches, we shared stories of our lives. The sun rose up on glorious mornings and shone in crystal clear blue skies. We saw no other soul save for a solitary crabber. And all the while the north wind blew, our tents rattled and the temperature dropped. We barely noticed the rain, our exteriors already drenched from salty seas.
We had ice on our tents and frozen cliff bars. Fingers and faces turned red hot, numb from wind burn. Gear failed, skegs jammed and bodies shivered. Along with the tide, moral ebbed and flowed. The lessons came one after another, no introduction needed.
New friendships were made and old friendships were strengthened.
This was learning.
This was Expedition Studies and the classroom was the GA coast, in the dead of winter.

Steve and the Gang getting tight.

Mountain Film Fest in Sav -Jan 21/22

Mountainfilm on Tour in Savannah,
a nonprofit film festival designed to educate and inspire audiences about critical issues, will take place at the Charles H. Morris Center, located at 10 E. Broad St., on January 21 and January 22, 2011.
The films will feature themes of adventure, mountaineering, remarkable personalities, cultures worth exploring, environments worth preserving and conversations worth sustaining.
The two-day film festival will kick-off with an opening reception January 21 at 6:00 p.m. featuring complimentary food from local vendors, including wine and beer for purchase. Former Savannah resident Justin Clifton, director of Mountainfilm on Tour, will moderate the film introductions and presentations as well as question and answer sessions.
A complete list of films will be announced in January.
In its original format, Mountainfilm is a four-day film festival extravaganza held each year in Telluride, Colo. and the gondola-linked town of Mountain Village, Colo. For more than 30 years, Mountainfilm has attracted filmmakers, photographers, conservationists, mountaineers and explorers from around the world to support the communal motto: “Celebrating Indomitable Spirit.”

For additional information, please call Kara Hooper at 912.695.7881.

Happy Holidays Y'all !

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy new year.
Come drop by Savannah's newest paddling store in 2011.

Ganges Kayak Trip Featured in Galactic Chronicles

A celebration of life, death and paddling on the third side of the world.
The planets were truly aligned for the dynamic paddling duo, Mr & Mrs Law of Savannah Canoe and Kayak, when they headed to India on unofficial kayak business.
"We sailed through a barrage of obstacles to get our two man collapsible kayak to the other side of the world".
The destination was a 220 mile section on River Ganges where it flows across the Gangetic plane. The river is the most polluted waterway in the world and the section from Kanpur to Varanassi is the most polluted part of the Ganga.
It is also the most holy.
The couple spent a month in the sub continent. The first week was for cultural acclimation and river scouting in the foothills of the Himalayas.
Week two and three was spent on the river, while the last week was for shopping.
Of course, the best part was the kayaking.
"We were surrounded by death and filth in the most densely populated part of planet earth. It was fascinating and just what we needed".
Aside from some very heavy metal pollutants, there is an abundance untreated human sewage and dead bodies. In terms of water quality, this river is as nasty as it gets.
"There is no doubt we were very fortunate on the whole trip with not so much as a loose stool or missed connection. It was as if the Lord God Shiva himself layed waste to the foes, demons, and bacterial evil spirits against adventure travellers", said lead guide, Mr Nigel Law.

Here are a few slides from the trip.
There will be a video, photos and more stories coming soon.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/savannahcanoeandkayak/sets/72157625512030367/show/Om hari Ganga !

Victory for Sharks in US Waters

Letter from Beth Lowell - Federal Policy Director,
OCEANA


We’ve had a major victory to protect our oceans.

After years of hard work, I’m happy to announce that the Senate just passed the Shark Conservation Act, which will end shark finning in US waters.

Shark fin soup is an expensive dish that drives the shark finning trade, but the role sharks play in marine ecosystems is priceless. By improving shark conservation, the US is improving overall ocean health.

Each year, commercial fishing kills more than 100 million sharks worldwide – including tens of millions for just their fins. The requirement to land sharks whole, as well as a new prohibition on the transfer of fins at sea, will help end shark finning by U.S. fishing vessels.

The House still has to pass the Shark Conservation Act before it becomes law, but I didn’t want to wait to share this exciting news – your love of the oceans and sharks has helped protect these magnificent creatures for generations to come.

Thank you once again and be sure to spread the good news!

For the oceans,
Beth Lowell
Federal Policy Director

Music and Movies

From Brian Jolly at Halfmoon.
'On the 2nd of December the Jepson Center will be showing a series of short films brought to you by those kids at the Savannah Riverkeepers, Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival and Half-Moon.
There will be live music from the local artist Stewart Marshall of Junkyard Angels/ Stewart & Winfield at the reception starting at 5:30pm with the movies to follow at 6:30pm (program attached).

There will be raffles, drinks, food and a good time waiting thanks to Cha-Bella and MoonRiver. Tickets are $10 and it looks like there will be seating for 200 plus, so I wanted to make sure you knew about this so we can try and sell it out! This is where I need your help. Please pass this on to anyone you might think would be interested. We’ll have tickets on sale at Half-Moon Outfitters and at the Jepson during the reception. I can easily put them on hold if you’re interested for will-call.
I just know that this is a great price for a good time.'
Thanks Brian, we will pass it on.