Pucon was definitely a hot spot for kayakers this year. With countless class 5 runs and clean waterfalls within half an hour of downtown Pucon its easy to understand why. I was fortunate enough to be in chile for 5 weeks this year and spent about 3 or so of those weeks based out of Pucon. Here are some photos from the waterfall paradise of Pucon.

Sam Fulbright

Team Bliss-Stick

Facing East last night was Crowned ""Best Environmental" Film at the International Reel Paddling Festival last night in Canada. The Reel Paddling Festival is the Premiere Festival for Kayak and Outdoors video. The festival is a World Tour Festival that will take place to the end of March. So if you are around one of the shows. Be sure to stop by and show some support. Again, thanks to Everyone Who made this film possible! This is now the start of really pushing Facing East and getting the proper funding to make a follow up film.

Reel Paddling FIlm Festival

Facing East

Sam Fulbright

Team Bliss-Stick USA

So I was a little nervous getting on the Green today after not paddling it for a couple months and being in a boat that I have never paddled before. I just wasn't sure how it was going to handle, but about half way down it felt like I had paddled the Mystic forever. I love it! It is exactly what I need. I had my best line at Sunshine today in it. Its so smooth and fits like a glove. Thanks man, for your help. I am really happy about paddling a Bliss-Stick Mystic!

Trent Thibodeaux

I'll be attending a couple pool clinics in N. Adams, Mass. on February 20th and 27th. I'll have a Mystic, Smoothy, SCUD, and RAD 185. I hope to see a bunch of people there!

Northern Berkshire YMCA

Saturday, Feb 20 & 27th, from 3-5 pm

YMCA charges $10 to non-members, free entry to YMCA members. Bliss-Stick demos are free.

If you have any questions, please email me.

Jason LaSelva

Team Bliss-stick USA

jasonkayak©hotmail.com

We will be representing at the National Paddling Film Festival 2010, in Frankfort, Kentucky! We are proud to be a sponsor! WakaWai will give a Shred Ready Standard FULL FACE Helmet in the silent auction to raise funds for American Whitewater, Green River Access Fund and other organizations. Be sure to check out the website, NPFF, for more information on the event.

A great time is sure to be had!

Yo Michael,

So far chile has been really sick. We started off the trip paddling on the rio Maipo, just about 2 hours from santiago. We spent about a week there. The Maipo is fun big water with lots of good waves and big holes. After the maipo we headed south to the siete tazas on the rio claro. There is seven super clean drops in a sick basalt gorge. We spent about 3 days there and then headed out to Pucon. While in Pucon we ran the upper and lower Palguin, upper and lower Trancura, the Liacura, and the Maichin. The upper Palguin has some really fun drops on it. The third drop being a perfect 20 foot spout with potential for all kinds of waterfall tricks including freewheels and Hail Maries .

Today we are leaving pucon for the rio Fuy and then off to the Futalafeu. Here are some photos from the trip so far. All of them were taken my friend and student Conner Jackson.

Seth Steonner

Team Bliss-Stick USA

Jason LaSelva Team Bliss-Stick 2009 Wrap-up and 2010 Preview

Hey Michael,

2009 ended up to be one of the best years of paddling I’ve had in a long time, and 2010 is already shaping up to top it. This was my first year paddling for Bliss-Stick and I can’t say enough great things about the awesome people involved with Bliss-Stick designs and the completely kick-ass boats they make. Thanks to Greyson and Michael for your support and helping me paddle for an independent company that truly cares about the products they make and not just about the bottom-line.

This past year we saw record rains in the northeast and local creeks and playspots were in until July. It wasn’t a big year for competitions as I spent most of the year planning an epic creek/big water trip: The Bliss-Stick 20 Creeks in 20 Days Tour. I was hoping to get a chance to complete this tour in 2009, but a number of things didn’t line up as planned, which is sometimes how things work. I’m stubborn though, and will pull this off in the Spring of 2010!

Here is a brief summary of my 2010 paddling schedule…

Feb: Pool sessions in North Adams, Mass. Demos and clinics will be offered: all for free baby.

March: Hopefully things start to thaw by in March and I can start logging some river time. The wave in Hudson Falls is usually in by the middle of the month so I’ll be there training and playing and freezing the eyes out of my head. The New Haven Race is on!

April: The best month for big water Hudson gorge trips and all the creeks begin to flow consistently. The Wells River Rumble and New England Triple Crown are both at the end of the month and I’ll be attending and competing in both events. The once-a-year class V+ Hoosic release is also in April. I will be running a kids clinic and freestyle demo at the Saratoga Outdoor Expo.

May: The 20 Creeks in 20 Days tour is on!!! Lots of great waves and other playspots will be going off as well.

June: More creeking and more tree removal in the High Falls gorge of the Saranac.

July and August: Teaching kayak clinics for the Sacandaga Outdoor Center and sneaking off to the Mettawee for some sick warm water creeking. Trips to Montreal are a must.

September: The Fall creeking begins and it’s off to Canada where the levels are perfect in Quebec for the Lachine and the hundreds of epic creeks outside of Quebec City: truly some of the best whitewater in the world. I will also be at the Beaver River Festival on labor day weekend. I’m still bummed I missed Gualey Fest last year and I will not miss it this year.

October: Moosefest baby!!! Fall creeking in the Adirondacks is where I’ll be. This past Moosefest was my first time meeting Michael, Greyson, and Dan, and we had a blast bombing down the Bottom Moose hungover. That’s part of Moosefest and it was the best Moosefest to date! Thanks again to Mike and Greyson for making sure we had warm beds and dry gear.

I’ll be in between Canada and the Northeast for most of the season so please give me a shout if you’re around and want to try out a boat or just want to go boating. Here are some pics from 2009!

Cheers,

Jason LaSelva

Team Bliss-stick USA

So, I was blessed with a week in Mexico with Anna Levesque and Girls at Play in the middle of winter! A week filled with nothing but whitewater kayaking on beautiful rivers, mostly sunny days, warmth of the sunshine, laughing birds, singing donkey's, good food and great company with other women.

When I arrived late Saturday evening I was escorted (by a young lady by the name of Laura who is a fantastic person and paddler!) to a little village about 1.5 hours from Veracruz, Mexico. Jalcomolco is a vibrant place full of life and good energy. Not really the sleepy mexican village I envisioned, just better!! I was greeted with an amazing homemade meal fixed by "the Berta's", a pleasant glass of wine and a warm welcome from Anna. (it was so late all the others were already in bed). What a wonderful way to start a holiday! These warm welcoming meals greeted us all week, including some warm meals on the river. Now that is service!! :)

While day one and two were warm up days with some fun class 2-3 rapids it was still an awesome opportunity to work on rolls and basic river skills, as these skills are always important to practice no matter how much or how little you have progressed. Plus, it gave us a chance to get comfortable with our surroundings and get acclimated with the whitewater. Still loads of fun and a wake up call for my sleepy paddling muscles!!

Unfortunately, on day three 4 of the 7 crew of women got the one day bug that befalls many gringos in this beautiful country. But with a little flexibility and creativity the rest of us embarked on an afternoon play boating run. I consider this a special treat as we got play boating instructions from Anna, even if I am an embarrassment to the skill!! It was a tone of fun!! This section of the Antigua River was similar to a French Broad, sec. 9, for those of you south east boaters that are familiar with NC whitewater! Fun, friendly, sunny with a great play wave at the take out!

Day 4 two more of the crew joined us for the shuttle up to the Pescados section of the Antigua River. This was a great section of river, very much like the Nolichucky Gorge (another southeast reference). From here on out I am sporting the Bliss-Stick Mini-Mystic. It has been some time since I have consistently paddle any sort of boat (due to parenting and work). I absolutely love the Mini! It is super fast, responsive and loves to be on its edge.

Day 5, my birthday and the best paddling day by far! Don't get me wrong, the whole week was a blast but the Tomato sec of the Alseseca River was fantastic whitewater. A fun class 4 pool drop creek. Now, my heart was beating so fast I could almost see it coming out of my chest but with Anna, Mel and Laura's extremely tight river logistics the day was smooth, fun and full of drops! I would go back to Mexico to run this river it was so beautiful!!

Day 6 was another waterfall and a short run to the take out. The water was so unbelievably clear and beautiful.

I could go on and on about this amazing week. I didn't touch on the yoga, salsa dancing, sweat lodge or the world's funniest cake game the turns into a cake fight!! If you are a woman and you want an opportunity to treat yourself to an awesome whitewater vacation in another country, I highly recommend this trip!

Thank you Anna and Mel for your river leadership! You are both fantastic women! Laura, keep with what you are doing, your help was awesome! Kaylan, thank you for the photos! You all do a wonderful job.

My goal for the week was to find myself in my paddling again. Not only did I find my paddling, I also remembered that I do love paddling and that I love being a part of the community!

(All photos by Kaylan)

Greyson Briere

Bliss-Stick.US

Dear Michael and Bliss Stick USA!

This heroic-on-the-Hudson photo is a bit over-the-top, I know, and I told the photographer that as he snapped it, but when he replied, "what can I say, I'm still a dreamer," I found it hard to argue. Dreaming - and fair amount of training, plus learning to whitewater kayak - is what got me to where I find myself now: one day from the start of the Speight's Coast to Coast, a classic multisport race that features a 67km (42 mile) kayak stage, here on the South Island of New Zealand. I'm at an inn near the start, and it's pouring rain (the river was low, so it may help a bit there), and my race partner, also wife, Mary and I are re-org'ing all the gear and race fuels for what seems the 1000th time. She has arguably the hardest stage - a 33k/ 21 mile mountain run through a boulder-strewn watershed; next to some Class II fun in a bankless gorge, I'm glad I drew the paddling. But I wasn't always. I was anything but a natural at whitewater, and it wasn't really until I sat in the Bliss Stick Mystic, with its slightly boxier stern, that I broke through, finally, to where I enjoyed myself. So thanks for that. And wish us luck. I'd like to say we won't need it, but, well, probably we will.

- Brad Wieners, Editor, Men's Journal

 (Original Photos by Cal Crary)

The Rio Claro in Northern Chile is just simply amazing. The run is close to Santiago making it the perfect first day run for our Chile trip. Most know it for the famed 7 teacups, but upstream are some of the most amazing gorges and still more insanely perfect waterfalls to be run. We got the Claro in early January so the water was starting to get low, but we were able to do all the sections, 22 Saltos, Entre Saltos, and the Siete Tazas. There isn’t else much to say about the Claro other than it is beautiful and clean. I’ll let the photos do the rest of the talking.

Sam Fulbright

Team Bliss-Stick

Hey Michael and Greyson hope all is well.

I took a trip to the New River Dries a couple of weeks ago and had a amazing time shredding it up with friends. I got some cool shots with my camera(I only sent you the best one though) and so decided to update you guys on the happenings of Vaughn. Driving down to WV and paddling for a few days was exactly what I have been needing after sitting around in IN and not kayaking for months. The New River Dries in my opinion offer some of the best "big water" fun ever. If you you ever have a chance to get up to to WV and paddle the dries take it.

Take it easy!

Vaughn Corum

More to come soon about the Mystic being featured in the May edition of Mens Journal.

Stay tuned!