Church of the Active Blade

Barry Kennon's smooth River SUP Style demonstrates the beauty that comes from attention to form and awareness of hydrodynamics.

Review: Farm To (wet) Feet

Where the Merino Meets the River

Layering for cold water: Keen sandals, 
NRS Hydroskin neoprene socks,
Farm to Feet Blacksburg water socks

Whitewater SUP is all about the feet. The place where you and the board meet. If your feet are injured, sore, or otherwise malfunctioning - and mountain streams are full of foot hazards - your ability to SUP effectively is severely degraded. While sturdy river shoes are essential in most river environments I learned long ago the value of wearing socks to prevent bloody chaffing from the grit that gets into almost any river shoe or sandal. Guiding, fishing, and SUPing on rivers involves a surprising amount of walking in the riverbed stirring up sand and tiny rocks. A properly fitted no-show sock not only shields your foot from abrasive sand inside your shoe, it also reduces foot slippage, and fill gaps preventing most grit from entering the shoe at all. 

Whitewater SUP as Personal Expression

Ever since I made that video about whitewater SUP Style I keep seeing more and more examples of technique that shows more than just technical proficiency - not to mention great camera work and better editing. There's a spirit of play and improvisation that emerges when the foundation skills are well-honed.

Near the end of this exquisite reel by a French adventure journalist and videographer in Japan you will see a nimble member of Team Old Guy using his board to play with the river's currents with the grace and confidence of a dancer. There is a joyfulness in his movement that I only see in whitewater SUP paddlers. The rest of this shoot features truly fantastic scenery and inspired paddling.

Watching from above as one paddler carves an intricate line through a boulder garden rapid left me smiling in recognition - that's how I play with my own familiar creeks and rock gardens. From a standing vantage the river reveals so much more than is available from a kneeling or sitting position. Seeing what others around the world are discovering about whitewater SUP is too freakin' fun and exciting.

Project Ww'SUP: River Dancing Basics

Whitewater SUP Not Pretty? 

Photo credit: Dale Briggs Footage

Two recent articles in national media (CNN and SUPtheMag.com) have described whitewater SUP as awkward and clumsy ... but impressive. The fact is that there are actually plenty of awesome paddlers out there - not just the pros - who are consistently demonstrating the sublime beauty of Dancing on Whitewater Rivers. 

This little video is my first contribution to a growing body of knowledge on stand-up paddling moving water not just with safety and basic competence - but with STYLE. The venue for this demonstration is a little class 2 section of the Mayo River on the North Carolina/Virginia border - a wonderful place to work on fundamentals that you can take to class 3 and harder water.

Choosing Your First Paddleboard

Where to Start?

If I had a nickle every time I was asked this question ...

"Hey Dale long time no see. Forgive me for contacting you out of the blue for advice but I figured you wouldn't mind too much. I'm strongly considering getting [my wife] a paddle board for Christmas. She's mostly just interested in paddling around the lake. I was wondering if you had any words of wisdom?"

With so many options out there in the paddleboard market it can be daunting for a beginner to know where to start. Plastic, inflatable or glass/epoxy? Longer or shorter? Narrow or wide? Displacement or planing? Full deck or partial? Big box, boutique, or online retailer?

Project WWSUP: Blade Down, Body Up

Staying Upright in Rapids: Blade in the Water!

That paddle is not doing any good.

One of the principals that all whitewater canoe paddlers - those on their knees with single-bladed paddles - must learn is the value of keeping the paddle blade in the water as much as possible. With each plateau in a paddler's development - as water difficulty intensifies and boat stability decreases - it seems like the "blade down" principle must be learned again and again.
As I've explored whitewater SUP this principal has been slow to take hold in my habits. Too often I catch myself "air-bracing" or using the paddle as a balance pole. I can confidently report that air bracing and paddle waving in general are ineffective on dynamic currents, waves and hydraulics. At best the "air brace" offers a dramatic flourish to your ensuing plunge.

My SUP Transition Began in a Canoe

A couple years before I acquiesced and got my first SUP I was all about the romantic tradition and grace of canoes...

Cruising the Hemlock section of the Dan River in 2011.

As a transitional activity I can't emphasize how important this was to my development as a river navigator. The experience of stepping onto a river SUP a year after this video was shot was amazing. Almost the same thing - but without the shin-busting gunnels and thwarts.