| Ultimate SUP clinics video...

Here is a little edit of the SUP weekend in Ottawa, i bought a new GoPro hero 3+ to keep some footage but as usual i forgot to use it on a constant basis, at least i did get some moments from the 1st clinic. But then the mount sticker got loose so i couldn't film during the Introduction to River Surfing class, this is due to the pad texture on the Starboard Stream, next time i'll get a proper surf mount.

Ultimate SUP Clinics from BARONTiERi on Vimeo.

In fact i realize now i had an helmet's mount :-) 

| Ultimate SUP clinics...

I just came back from an incrediblemazing trip to Ottawa's awesome river. The Canada's first Ultimate SUP Challenge is happening this WE hosted by Owl Rafting with some of the best whitewater stand up paddlers on the planet. I left work around 6:00 pm yesterday and drove straight to the camp (which is amazing btw) hoping to enjoy a good night of sleep before what should be a busy day in the water.

nice fire pit at the camp and the van with the roof extended...

Unfortunately that night was really cold (~12ºC) and i wasn't prepared at all so it was pretty miserable to be honest, at least it was great to stay in the van with an open roof for the 1st time since i bought it. The breakfast was filling enough and the view on the river is absolutely breathtaking.

Although the staff didn't really know what was really happening on the SUP side (they are specialized in rafting) and i apparently missed an email from the organizers with all the useful instructions so i ended up following the instructors on their way to the Pushbutton rapids and arrived on site way early, the class i subscribed to would normally start at 11:00 am but the overall schedule slipped out a bit. There is no way i could miss the two clinics offered today, best excuse for a well deserved day-off :)

behind me is Johno Fosters, Starboard rep, ready to surf...

Jonah, Badfish rep enjoying the class...

Dan Gavere is probably the most recognizable name in white water SUP today and he was giving the Introduction to whitewater class. Arriving early was a good opportunity to see the 1st group jumping in the closest (intimidating) eddy and starting to experience the trouble of navigating through chaotic currents, raging foam, rocks and big waves. It's always impressive to see pros at work (true for all sports and domains) because everything they do seem so easy and natural compare to us, mere mortals!
We've learned the foundations of paddling in a river, and how to make efficient use of bow draw strokes, ferry across the stream and do eddy turns in and out. It was great to try, fall, fall again and eventually manage to play in the current, everything that seem impossible or too scary at first became progressively more accessible.  We all enjoyed the class, Dan gave us plenty of information without excess so we could focus on applying the basic techniques step-by-step, and he doesn't care about the clock, what a great job. In the end we were all smiles but also dead tired.
Now it's all about training and the Lachine rapids will be a good playground where i can repeat those fundamentals and get back into shape.

John from Distressed Mullet...

exhausted crew...

The following clinic was about to start as they were waiting for me to catch my breath. I had 5mn to drink a little, eat a cereal bar and realize that i have to go back in the water without any strength left.
Mike T rides for Badfish, he is an amazing SUP surfer who travel the continent with his dog in a large RV and a trailer full of boards. He gave the Introduction to river surfing class, seriously i was completely toasted at this point, but the excitement took over.
Another great moment of learning and practising new techniques, we've all tried hard to surf the Pushbutton wave but it was too small to stay on it (although Mike and Dan did it). I could use the bow draw efficiently to get on the wave many times which felt good, the girls on our team did really well, they seemed to enjoy the class tremendously.

I wish i had the energy to try the big wave on a River Surfer 8' board but my body just shut down, too tired to survive the crazy wave train behind so i choked. And you know, walking over the aggressive slippery rocks with all your equipment and a wet board is enough to make you think twice about the priorities ^_^

Returning home was very loOong and boring, especially after such a beautiful and exhausting day, this trip was totally worth it and i can't wait to meet these guys again, everyone was so helpful and friendly. It's difficult to explain how much i've learned and appreciated the exchange of information and knowledge with all these people, it's a great community and a fantastic sport!
Thank you Harmony, Dan, the staff and all the volunteers for the organization of this amazing event.

Merci,

T.

| Tikit au revoir!..

I finally decided to sell the Tikit to a colleague, it was sad to let it go but i wasn't using it since the arrival of the Silk. Sebastien is now the happy owner of this remarkable Bike Friday and i wish him the best. Have fun my friend :)

A tall guy with a large smile on a small bike...

| SUP rack...

Finally i found some time this afternoon to install a pair of Seattle Sports storage cradles that I bought a few weeks ago at MEC. They will be very useful to keep the inflatable out of reach from the cats, they were starting to enjoy scratching the foam too much. The main advantage is that i could now keep the boards inflated until they absolutely need to be rolled in for a trip. The good thing is that hey are not too expensive, feel solid and are pretty straightforward to install (the cradles come in a box with a simple assembly instruction form and some hardware.

bye bye cat claws!!!

In the meantime, i have put my beloved Sub Vector up for sale. That said, 3 boards are too much in such a small apartment and we only want to keep the inflatable ones. It has a lot of minor scratches due to life on a river but overall it is in really good shape. (update SOLD!)

thanks for the great time Sub Vector!

| Astro Stream...

En attendant un test plus serieux, voici une preview de mon nouveau SUP gonflable Starboard Astro Stream, je l'ai achete en Janvier dernier mais je n'ai pas eu l'occasion de l'essayer avant. C'est vraiment un bel ensemble, de grande qualite, avec tout ce qu'il faut pour s'amuser...  et qui vient dans un sac relativement compact.

cat approved!

Suite au gonflage qui m'a bien essoufle (~10mn), j'ai pris la board et je suis alle l'essayer dans le fleuve juste a cote. J'ai pris le pari de ne pas emmener mon drysuit, il faisait presque 30°C a l'exterieur et l'eau est encore un peu froide, mais apres quelques manoeuvres et un equilibre encore un peu douteux, je n'ai pas eu d'autre choix que d'y gouter :) 

Evidemment c'est un SUP de riviere, specifiquement concu par Dan Gavere pour descendre les rapides, et avec ses 3 micro-ailerons, elle n'est pas tres efficace pour la ballade en eau calme mais ce fut, malgre tout, une belle apres-midi avec une planche qui promet de belles aventures!

ben oui mais elle track mal sur des eaux calmes!

| Cat luv...

Yesterday i went to Maude's cattery to pick up our second cat Dim Sum, it's always sad to take a kitten away from its family and he didn't seem to like the ride in a cage. What a beautiful yet strange creature, he's super calm and despite being slightly older than Banh Mi, he looks so clumsy and tiny, she is is definitely larger and tougher. 

Who's that thing?

We were quite anxious about the introduction in his new home with such an energetic resident already in place. But it went surprisingly well... she was super excited/nervous and wanted to play while he was exploring this entire new territory, so we had to separate them in multiple occasions :-)

funny hair patches behind the ears!

the wrinkled explorer  <3

It took a day for her to get used to having a new friend that look like a tasty dumpling, she was obviously a tad jealous but now they're getting along really nicely! SooOo cute together!

| DIY litter box...

Now that we have the 1st cat home, i've decided to build a top entry litter box because it looks like a good solution after checking out the other alternatives out there. The advantage is that it keeps most of the litter inside (and also the odors) while giving some privacy to the occupant. There are a few brands making that sort of box but they are quite expensive when you can find a lot of DIY projects online.

I bought a cheap clear Rubbermaid storage box and a small rug at Rona, Nhu already had a heat gun so it was very easy to make. BTW, we are very happy with the all-natural World's best cat litter, it's amazing!

Now let's see how it works and if Banh Mi likes it :)