Purchase the DVD from one of our retail partners, or HERE, or at the Girls At Play web store.

It was a pleasure to work with Anna again on a new video project.  Two years ago we worked on Whitewater Kayaking with Anna Levesque, the most recent in a series of fantastic instructional DVDs from Anna.  This go-round I got to reconnect with an old friend, Joe Taft, who I used to know a while back through the kayaking community.  Joe was/is a talented paddler and now full-time yoga instructor, based in Asheville NC.  Mary Frances Hansford, who works with Anna at Girls At Play, was also great to work with on this project.  You can see her work in the graphic design of the box cover and DVD menus.  All three of these individuals are good at what they do to say the least.

Our video shoot occurred in the Fall of 2010 near some familiar river banks in the North Carolina mountains, while the remainder happened on the beautiful South Carolina shore.  Each outing was well spent and brought us a product that we’re all proud of.  We hope paddlers and those interested in yoga will enjoy what we have created.  (See the box cover and the DVD preview below.)

Thanks, Spencer Cooke - Effort Inc

Anna takes in the sunrise as does my camera, just before a morning yoga session.

YOGA FOR KAYAKING with Anna Levesque & Joe Taft

Musically, I can’t seem to get away from my roots.  Loud, melodic, and energetic music has dominated my stereo for years.  It seems that Gainesville has, and is still producing some of the most talented bands in the world to fit this category.  Young Livers are exactly what I am talking about.   “The New Drop Era” and “Of Misery and Toil” are both great albums and contain the same enthusiasm that has made me a fan.  Check Young Livers out here for free, its more than worth the listen.

Young Livers are Gainesville rock

http://www.myspace.com/younglivers

http://www.noidearecords.com

~Hunter

www.rapidtransitmusic.com

Tonight I saw two bands I’ve been wanting to see for a while, one I’ve never heard of and another I thought no longer played shows.  Less Than Jake headlined at The Orange Peel in Asheville NC, preceded by three quality opening acts.  The show was well worth the fifteen bucks, even though my too-old-for-a-punk-show ass even left a little early.

The Riot Before from Richmond Virginia were the first act and my most anticipated. I listen to these guys at least a few times weekly and really enjoyed seeing them on stage. Their show was short as the opening act, but tight and powerful. Playing live, their lyrics and sound came through sincere and deep, as they do on the albums, but they were able to pull off a witty demeanor with some quick comments between songs. It's always hard to break the ice as an opening band, but they were able to loosen the crowd up without any awkward tension.

The Riot Before drummer nailing some quick beats. Drummers are always impressive to photograph as you'll most definitely get some sweet drumstick trails with the right shutter speed.

Off With Their Heads. These guys were kind of like their Myspace page says, "Comedy / Lyrical / Minimalist." I'm not sure what the minimal part refers to though, maybe their devotion to a very signature sound? They definitely stick to their guns as far as that is concerned, unlike some bands who wonder into various genres. The lead singer (left) had some pretty funny comments between nearly every song, or sometimes just a sarcastic yelp. I found it to come off as a confident sign of the band's stage presence. They are hardcore and they have their act together, which is great to watch. And, they covered a Pegboy song which I enjoyed.

Off With Their Heads Drummer. I couldn't help but notice that this guy had a very distinct drumming style. See how he looks kind of tired, almost asleep? He looked that way the entire time. I seriously thought the dude was gonna fall over, all the while he pounded out some of the sickest songs ever. Off With Their Head's songs come at you like a freight train, and no less than 1/4 of the sound is coming from this guy who barely moves. He must use the force.

The Supervillains I had never heard or heard of. I know they hate this but I'm going to say it anyway. They are a punk-ska, Sublime sounding band that sings a lot about weed and drinking and getting laid. That part of them wasn't my cup of tea exactly. However, I can't be too critical because I have enjoyed similar bands in the past. Don't get me wrong, these guys were really really good. I guess if I had to put it in a few words, I like the sound a whole lot, but not necessarily the content. Visually they are very exciting to watch. Before they come onto stage you are drawn by the fact that the drum set is assembled right up front. The lead singer is the same guy who keeps the beat, and he was super snappy and vocally talented as well. Further driven by sax and keys these guys have a very fun sound that goes all over the map, but it does so in a deliberate manner. In some ways they reminded me of a great band I used to see sometimes called Swank. They really hooked me with a pepped up cover of Billy Joel's "movin' out." Clever choice and maybe better than the original.

With a build of anticipation, constructed by a prettied up stage and more produced look, Less Than Jake came out and did their thing. The place pretty much exploded when they started. You could tell they've played all these songs a million times. They appeared to be having fun, and I hope that was an accurate read. Their between-song jabber got some laughs as well, and they did the rock-n-roll thing pretty well, licking instruments, jumping all over the stage, and behind the head guitar playing. I guess after a while, when you're that good, you have to do different things on stage to keep from getting bored. As far as I could tell it was most of their popular 1990's material, but there were a couple songs I didn't recognize. The young age of most of the crowd surprised me at how good of a job the band has done at keeping an audience over the years. I bought a tape of theirs in 1993 which seems way too long ago. I even overheard some guys talking about "their old stuff." Recently I've been listening to The Coffee Project which is a spin off group of one of the band members. Definitely reminiscent of Less Than Jake and a good listen in my opinion. Check it out at Paper and Plastick!

Hyped crowd at the Orange Peel.

Important links:
The Riot Before
Off With Their Heads
The Supervillains
Less Than Jake
The Coffee Project
No Idea Records
Paper and Plastick

Locals Only DVD Pre-orders Available Now!  $19.95 gets you the DVD, a Rapid Magazine e-Subscription, and a chance to win a Wave Sport boat of your choice!
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Canadian customers use this buy button.

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USA and International use this buy button.

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I’m pleased to announce that Locals Only is now available for pre-order through Rapid Transit Video. Pre-orders will close on April 15th and everyone who purchase’s a copy before that time will be entered into a draw for a free Wave Sport boat of choice including the all new Project X! The winner will then be announced on April 25th. Huge thanks to Wave Sport for there support with this project and offering a boat for this draw!

The Wave Sport Project X

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Every copy of Locals Only will also come with a free digital subscription to Rapid Magazine. Purchasers will be able to log onto the Rapid Magazine website and enjoy Rapid Media’s quality whitewater magazine quarterly for a year without creating the waste that goes along with a hard copy edition.  As a long time subscriber I’m very excited to be able to offer this to all Locals Only viewers! I’d like to extend my thanks to Scott MacGregor from Rapid for all of his help with this project.

Also included with Locals Only will be a discount card to Aquabatics Kayak shop in Calgary, Alberta, good for 10% off any purchase and 50% off shipping within Canada. Simon Coward of Aquabatics was the first supporter to commit to this project and has been extremely accommodating, many thanks to Simon!

Regards,
Kelsey Thompson

Pertinent Links:
Locals Only
Wave Sport
Rapid Magazine
Aquabatics

DVD Preview (Actual DVD available April 15th)

Scenes from Locals Only

Mikkel St. Jean Duncan drops the falls on the Upper Sutherland and British Columbia

Dru Lyall works a sawmill to build his home at Skookumchuck Narrows

Bryan Kirk goes aerial at the New River Dries in West Virginia

This is a story about teamwork, it’s about reaching deep inside yourself and finding that extra drive you didn’t know you had.  This story is about tandem canoe racing.

I’m from the 70′s, and as a fetus in my Mother’s belly, I knew I would one day have to continue the legacy my father began as an OC2 racer.  I’m a bow man.  My father was a bow man, I’m one, my son will be, and so on and so forth.  It is our destiny, kind of like how Lieutenant Dan declared his family legacy and destiny in that scene of Forest Gump where he gets his legs blown off in Vietnam.  So my life is basically the same as Lieutenant Dan’s, except way more dangerous and thrilling, and more in the front of a canoe on the Saluda River for an hour one Saturday.

The story begins with this camera sitting on the dashboard, about to capture images of an unsuspecting car passenger.

See how he got into the car - butt first - that's where the whole day went wrong. Lead with your head, not your butt.

Hey everybody it's Chris Gallaway, my OC2 partner! We're basically brothers now that we've raced OC2 together.

I like him so much I'd even share whatever's in that paper bag with him.

NO CHRIS DON'T EAT THAT!

Yeah, tastes bad huh?

Seems like a nice day for canoeing.

Hey, we are magically in the water at the 2001 Iceman Championships on the Saluda River. My, the weather has improved down here. (Viewers, please note that the race began about a second later and that we were facing upstream, toward all the other racers who were in kayaks. All because Chris Grammants needed help turning on his fancy camera.)

Wait, is anyone else paddling very hard? Where are all those other racers?

Oh, there they all go. Everyone, we'll be over here emptying this canoe if you need our help with the race.

Good thing we didn't put any of those cumbersome airbags in this thing.

We're way better on flat water. It's awesome how we switch hands every couple minutes. That's how the pros do it.

Why does it look like we're back at the top of the rapid? Sorry, I couldn't see anything for the last five minutes with my head shoved up into the canoe. Let's try not to flip again when we go through the rapid. You know, down here where we're about to flip again? Let's try not to do that.

Swimming in January is fun. This is the part of the story where you have to swim at the end of the Iceman Championship and arrive onshore with all your gear - the test of any true OC2ist.

Gallaway, you can be my wingman anytime. 15th place shall be considered a victory this year, but don't even think we aren't training every day of the year in preparation for the Iceman 2012. I've already got my squat thrusts down and everything. Stop looking at us like that Wing! I see you back there!

What are you laughing at Gramamantans? And who left their oatmeal on the ground?

Silently an artist has expressed the day's events and the true feeling we leave this year's Iceman with. Next year...

There is a circle of posts surrounding this year’s event at the links below .  Just click any one of them and find more fun stuff about the 2011 Iceman Championships and Millrace Massacre.

Thanks, Spencer Cooke – Effort Inc.

Iceman at IR
Iceman at Shred Ready
Iceman at Astral
Iceman at Rapid Transit
Iceman at Effort.tv

Nearly everyone who lives in and around Asheville is familiar with the River Arts District that is located in the old industrial block along the banks of the French Broad River, a quarter mile below the city center. In Asheville’s recent history this has been a marginalized strip of land, given to industrial exploits and used for legalized dumping. In the last few decades, however, there has been an influx of artists and creative types who found cheap rents and an encouraging community in the buildings that have been abandoned by industry. At the same time, organizations like River Link have pushed to revitalize the banks of the French Broad and to incorporate the river more fully into the life of our city as a place to spend time and recreate. Simply put, there’s a lot of cool stuff happening down along the French Broad, and it inspired me to tell a few stories of the individuals who live and work along the river.

Using Hillman Curtis’s Artist Series (hillmancurtis.com) as my model, I proceeded to build relationships with several artists in the River District and to work on short profiles that attempt to capture their personalities, their stories, and their artistic vision. I hope to compile at least seven profiles that represent a survey of the different media being worked in throughout the District, from glass blowing to ceramics to dance to found-objects sculpture. This collection of short video stories will be incorporated into a larger project that I’m working on about the French Broad River as a whole (more on that soon).

I’ve really enjoyed the challenges this work has presented. It’s been rewarding to meet and get to know new people along the river, and I’m hopeful that I’ll be able to continue this work throughout the coming year and produce several new installments for the series.

Thanks for taking a look; I hope you enjoy the video:

-Gallaway

Some photos I took during filming:

Holy Bible Study Batman!!! Greenland is Melting is soooo good. Excuse my nasty language, I meant these guys are sooooo amazing. It made me think, recently I saw The Avett Brothers, who were truly amazing themselves. I consider the Avett’s a folk, post-punk, bluegrass band, very enjoyable for kids of many ages.  Greenland is Melting is quite the similar genre, and I have to say, if you like the Avetts you will for sure like this folk-punk-trio. It is not conceivable that you would not like them, so just go ahead and believe me.

All this info made available to you by ThePunkSite.com and DyingScene.com.  Keep checking back at these sites because Greenland is Melting is releasing the new album “Folk Songs From Florida: Volume 1,” for free via Paper+Plastick Records in just a week or so.

The band is doing a southeastern tour in January, see the dates at bottom.

Tour dates:
Friday           January 21    Durham, NC             Motorco Music Hall
Saturday       January 22    Durham, NC             Motorco Music Hall
Sunday         January 23    Greensboro, NC        The Green Bean w/ Jason Kutchma
Monday         January 24    Knoxville, TN            Preservation Pub w/ Jason Kutchma
Tuesday        January 25    Chattanooga, TN       JJ’s Bohemia w/ Jason Kutchma
Wednesday   January 26    Athens, GA              Go Bar w/ Jason Kutchma
Thursday       January 27    Charlotte, NC            The Milestone w/ Jason Kutchma
Friday           January 28    Winston-Salem, NC   The Garage w/ Jason Kutchma
Saturday       January 29    Charlottesville, VA     Tea Bazaar w/ Jason Kutchma
Sunday         January 30    Richmond, VA           House Show w/ Jason Kutchma
Monday        January 31     Greenville, NC           TBA w/ Jason Kutchma
Tuesday        February 01   Atlanta, GA              Wonderroot
Wednesday   February 02   Birmingham, AL        The Nick
Thursday       February 03   Pasagoula, MS         Celtic
Friday           February 04   Baton Rouge, LA       TBA
Saturday       February 05   Tallahassee, FL         The Farside
Thursday       February 10   Orlando, FL               Backbooth
Wednesday   February 23   Columbia, CA           New Brookland Tavern w/ Tim Barry
Thursday       February 24   Ybor City, FL            Orpheum w/ Tim Barry
Friday           February 25   Winter Park, FL         McRaney’s Tavern w/ Tim Barry
Saturday       February 26   Gainesville, FL           The Atlantic w/ Tim Barry

Coming soon at RapidTransitMusic.com is a review of Defiance Ohio‘s newest album “Midwestern Minutes.” I’ve been putting in some serious man-ear hours listening to this album over and over and I’m gonna give them a good review so hard that they won’t even know what happened.

Thanks,
Spencer Cooke, Effort Inc

“Extreme Whitewater Kayaker” and award winning filmmaker, Chris Gallaway, paddled over a guy who was “pinned underneath rocks” during this year’s Green Narrows Race.  I hope they got the rocks off of that guy.  Where did the rocks fall from that this paddler was pinned underneath?  From the heavens?  Did aliens put them there?  Hear the story directly from the man himself in this exclusive interview with Asheville’s Citizen Times.

If your'e pinned underneath rocks, look out for this guy.

If you find yourself roaming the mid-Atlantic December 4th, you should stop in Richmond, VA to watch some locally made kayaking videos.  The show begins at the Camel, Saturday night, just after 6:00 pm.  This annual event brings out a healthy crowd with stories of whitewater adventures from across the globe and presented on a big screen for all to enjoy.  Come join the festivities, there will be plenty of Rapid Transit swag up for grabs!

~Hunter

Greetings boaters, surfers, skaters, bikers and nature lovers alike.  It’s not everyday that someone gives you a two-days-before-Thanksgiving present, and you may thank ThePunkSite.com and a load of very lovely bands and labels for this one.

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE:

It's Like Bringing A Fork To A Gunfight (front cover)

ThePunkSite.com Presents:

It’s Like Bringing A Fork To A Gunfight

Today, ThePunkSite.com released a free, thirty-five song digital compilation through their Facebook Page (http://www.facebook.com/thepunksite?v=app_4949752878) called It’s Like Bringing A Fork To A Gunfight. You can download it in two different formats (a 128kbps version and another where most of the songs are 320kpbs for all those audiophiles out there) by simply “Liking” ThePunksite.com on Facebook. Liking the site will not only enable you download the compilation for free but will also help keep you up to date with what’s been happening in the punk world.

For It’s Like Bringing A Fork To A Gunfight. ThePunkSite.com teamed up with Paper + Plastick Records, Warbird Entertainment, Union Label Group, No Idea Records (and Southern Lovin’ PR), Sailor’s Grave Records, Kind of Like Records and a few unsigned bands to offer a varied and eclectic mix of bands from all spectrums of the punk rock genre (although, no emo).

There’s some of the best pop-punk of the year courtesy of Mixtapes, The Dopamines, The Arrivals, The Gamits and more. Post-hardcore makes an appearance through The Holy Mountain, Todos Caeran and Fiya along with some melodic hardcore from Make Do And Mend, Protagonist, and Rust Belt Lights. Psychobilly is present through The Brains and The Creepshow while folk punk is in full force thanks to Defiance, Ohio and Audio/Rocketry. Of course, there’s some straight out punk like Harbor 81, Hollowpoints, The Dreadnoughts, and Burning Streets too. Suffice to say, it’s a good mix.

On top of different styles, there are a total of four different countries represented on the compilation: United States, Canada, Germany and Sweden. Alongside many of the American bands, the compilation has total of eight Canadian acts (The Dreadnoughts, Audio/Rocketry, The Brains, The Sainte Catherines, Feast or Famine, Todos Caeran, Carpenter, and The Creepshow), Small Town Riot comes all the way from Hamburg, Germany and Tommy Gustafsson & The Idiots along with Subwaste both come from Sweden – Strängnäs and Orebro respectively.

The full track listing can be seen below.

The compilation can be downloaded here: http://www.facebook.com/thepunksite?v=app_4949752878 right now.

It’s Like Bringing A Fork To A Gunfight Track Listing

1. Mixtapes – I Was A Teenage Poltergeist
2. Small Town Riot – Backstreet Story
3. Defiance, Ohio – Dissimilarity Index
4. Tommy Gustafsson & The Idiots – Bring The Rope
5. Let Me Run – Corey’s Song
6. The Dreadnoughts – Cider Road
7. Kings of Nuthin’ – Old Habits
8. Down and Away – Downtown
9. The Measure [SA] – Timburkulosis
10. Audio/Rocketry -Hallelujah Halifax!
11. The Gamits – Falling Apart
12. VRGNS – Hide and Seek
13. Protagonist – Light the Fuse
14. Rust Belt Lights – Forty-Five
15. The Brains – Screaming
16. Subwaste – Final Blackout
17. Captain, We’re Sinking – Crushed by Milwaukee’s Best
18. The Sainte Catherines – We Used To Be In Love
19. Feast or Famine – Locked Doors
20. Burning Streets – Throwing Rocks
21. Make Do and Mend – Transparent Seas
22. Harbour 81 – Queen of Hearts
23. Restorations – Title Track
24. Shores – Robin
25. Todos Caeran – Questions
26. The Holy Mountain – Here Is No Exit
27. Carpenter – Mean Things
28. The Dopamines – My Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Night Vision Goggles
29. Fiya – King
30. Direct Hit! – Werewolf Shame
31. American Werewolves – Coffin Brothers
32. The Creepshow – They All Fall Down
33. The Hollowpoints – God Save Anna Nicole
34. Guns on the Run – Her Blood Means War
35. The Arrivals – Simple Pleasures in America

It's Like Bringing A Fork To A Gunfight (back cover)

I thought about calling it a highlight reel, but we really didn’t even capture all the best rides or moves.  It’s more like a light reel, which makes no sense at all.  Regardless, we were at the 2010 National Championships of Surf Kayaking and we shot some video.  There are actually a couple pretty cool shots of good wave rides in there.  Here it is.

Thank you,
Spencer Cooke, Effort Inc

Credits:

Soundtrack by Leatherface, courtesy No Idea Records and Southern Lovin PR

Leatherface - The Stormy Petrel

Video footage provided by Deadman, Effort, and Interference
Photography provided by Carlisle Landell, Kathy Lawlery, Caroline Janganant and Spencer Cooke

Racing is not my strong suit. I’ll say that right out of the gate. When I’ve participated in whitewater races in the past, I have historically lost focus, messed up logistics, or otherwise sabotaged my chances of performing well. I almost always leave a race thinking of one or two (or more) points in the race where a different decision or mindset could have made a huge difference. I like to think that I have not yet reached my potential in racing, that my best races are still within me, but at some point you have to trust the evidence–maybe I’m not a naturally good racer.

But I’m drawn to compete again and again, and I think it’s largely because of the challenge involved. I like how competition demands focus. It places you, mind and body, in situations that require all you’ve got to give. I came into the fall season this year looking forward to the race circuit that I usually participate in (Russell Fork Baddlun, Lord of the Fork, and Green Race). As usual, I did not put as much time into training as I’d planned, but I did manage to fit in more preparation than in previous years–more road biking, long boating, stress-management, etc. Also, I’d worked it out to borrow a Stinger from Liquid Logic specifically for the Baddlun Race. I thought I had a pretty good change of placing top three in that event this year if I had my best race (if, if, if).

Warming up in the Russell Fork Gorge.

Joey Jarrell and I drove up to the Russell Fork the weekend before the race, and from the first moment I took a forward stroke in the Stinger I was in love with that boat. I am not sponsored in any way by Liquid Logic; so you can take my opinion for what it is: truly unbiased. This is an awesome boat! Pulling forward strokes, I felt the boat come right up to speed under me and track smoothly through the eddy. It little resistance as the bow cleaved the water ahead of me, and the boat tracked smoothly forward without veering. On our three runs through the Gorge that first weekend I found the Stinger to be easy to maneuver and a delight to paddle. I remember an irresistible grin spreading across my face as I carried speed into Tower rapid and spanned that long boat off the boof. Later, running the right side of El Horrendo, I melted the ledge and took all twelve feet of Stinger for a mystery move. The only complaint I could find all weekend was that you could sometimes feel the extra length in back banging around behind you on dry ledges, but it was a small issue given the fun (and speed!) provided.

Joey and I practiced the bike and paddle legs of the Baddlun coarse that weekend and endlessly talked over our strategy for the upcoming race. A week later we found ourselves back at the Ratliff Hole parking lot lining up shoulder-to-shoulder with twenty other bikers for the start of the race. I’d been hydrating all morning, had carbed up and lubed my road bike, and I felt ready to go. We were cramped there at the starting line, hardly room to breath as we all clipped in and quieted our minds. It is one of my favorite moments when I line up at the start of these grass-roots style races: It all comes down to a bunch of friends standing side by side, quieting their nerves and catching their breath. One guy with a stop watch gives the thirty second warning, the ten second, and then we’re counting down to zero. Go!I stood up on the bike and cranked up near the front of the pack. I had three or four bikes ahead of me as we came into the bottle-neck exit from the parking lot and turned up the first brutal hill leaving Ratliff Hole. Our tight cluster of bikes moved like a school of fish, conforming as a single unit as we entered the tight right-hand turn. Then, before I could fully grasp what was happening, Delaney Albright swept out to the left in front of me, leaving the formation. I would later learn that Gareth had thrown his chain ahead of us and Delaney was swerving to miss him, but at the moment all I knew was that my front tire was about four inches off of Delaney’s back tire–I could not adjust quickly enough. Delaney’s rear while swept my front wheel off the pavement, and I was down on the ground within the first twenty seconds of the race.I jumped up and got out of the way of the sixteen racers trying to get around me, thankfully avoiding causing any other wrecks. Joey had to un-clip to avoid hitting me, but he was soon back in the saddle and climbing the hill. I waited for everyone to get past and then climbed back on my bike. My chain was off. I dismounted and re-set the chain, and then I had to walk back to flatter ground before I could get on the bike again. By the time I started the climb the pack was out of sight. When I was panting half-way up the hill, I could see the main body of riders making the turn onto the level gorge road above. The leaders were long gone, but Joey called down encouragement, “C’mon, Chris. Catch us!”I was off the bike for maybe forty-five seconds to a minute, but in bike races such a delay is compounded the fact that you’re suddenly pedaling alone, unable to cooperate and gain efficiency with other riders. The good news was that my fall off the bike had given me a surge of adrenaline that propelled me forward. Once I topped out the hill and re-gained my breath I was riding a wave of anger up the gorge road. I caught the main body of riders in the first descent, and I made it up even with Joey at the bottom of the first hill. After that the spacing between racers became much broader, and I started focusing on catching one rider at a time.I caught up with Taylor on the long hill–he was toughly grunting it out on an old road bike frame that probably weighed double what the rest of us were riding. As I passed Taylor I could see two more racers far ahead of me, and I slowly closed the gap on them for the remainder of the ride. I came even with the first rider at the top of the second long hill and discovered it was Delaney. I knew even then that it probably wasn’t his fault that I wrecked, but I couldn’t help feeling some vindictive pleasure as I made the pass and left him on the downhill. The last rider I could see ahead of me turned out to be Gareth. I caught him as we began the final down-hill towards the river, and we were able to work together on the descent into the gorge to increase our speed and efficiency. We caught Charles as we came even with the river, and the three of us peddled into the transition just as Brian Menzes was making the change ahead of us. It looked to me like I’d made it back up into third or fourth position, though I remember wondering where on earth Jay Ditty was.

We all dumped our bikes and began scrambling into boats. I was feeling very winded; so I focused on making a deliberate transition and not wasting time with foibles. As I put on the river, it was clear I’d lost a lot of time: the other three racers were already a hundred yards down river in a pretty tight group.Throughout the paddle leg I was able to catch occasional glimpses of the other three ahead of me, but it was soon evident that I’d spent my wad on the bike. My arms felt limp from the outset, and I made up my mind to paddle smoothly rather than to sprint and risk a mistake. I was thankful to be in the Stinger which was easy to paddle and did a lot of the work for me. Going slow and steady paid off, and I caught up with Brian Menzes at the end of the river leg. We started running up the steep, rough logging road with maybe forty yards between us.I had nothing left to give as I scrambled up the trail. Within the first quarter mile I gave up trying to hang with Brian and just walked, intermittently jogging for spurts. I hoped that I had enough of a gap on the racers behind me to hold them off, but about halfway into the run Delaney came cruising up beside me, looking very fresh. I made a half-hearted attempt to fend him off, but there was no way. He loped past me easily, and I struggled forward in his wake. On the downhills I had searing cramps in my sides. Most of the time I felt like I couldn’t breathe if I was jogging. I was constantly looking back for the next racer behind me. I thought to myself: this is really fun.I finally caught a second wind as I came back to the river gorge, and I was able to jog up to Ratliff Hole, dive into the cold river, and back stroke into sixth position on the finish beach. The rest of the racers rolled in close on my heals, and we all spent the warm afternoon recovering on the beach, talking and drinking beers. Jay Ditty won the whole deal (and that only using one blade on the river and choosing to portage around Fist–crazy!).I could kick myself for the mistakes I made in that race, but at the end of the day it’s not all about what a bad-ass athlete you are. These events are fun for me because they’re a test. They expose my weaknesses, and they punish me into being a stronger human being. Most importantly, the races are an opportunity to enjoy great fellowship with a fantastic group of people.

The racers (most of them). That's 1st, 3rd, and 2nd on the bottom row (Jay Ditty, Charles King, and Brian Menzes (Gareth is obviously jealous of Brian).

Three weeks after struggling through the Baddlun I would return to the Russell Fork to put up another disappointing performance in the Lord of the Fork Race. Who knows, maybe I’ll never get to enjoy the perfect race that I envision. If I don’t, at least I feel that I’m still getting better and getting stronger, bit by bit. I look ahead to this year’s Green Race with the usual mixture of fear and excitement, and I’m going to try like hell to have a clean race. If I don’t, I know that sixty or so good friends will have my back out there and will make the day a worthwhile experience. It always is.My prediction for this year’s Green Race: Team Liquid Logic will be a force to be reckoned with. I think that the Stinger presents less of an advantage over the Green Boat on the Narrows course than in a long format race, but that design is fast on any water, and Liquid Logic is bringing out the big guns this year. Mike Dawson ran away with the Lord of the Fork Race, and that after only one trip down the river. He’ll have had several weeks of paddling on the Green under his belt when it comes time to race next Saturday. Will the title of Green Race champion stay local, or is this the year we see the event taken by an international talent? It’ll be a fun day regardless. I’m looking forward to seeing you all out there and to getting good and scared on the river together. Here’s a quick video that I shot at this year’s Lord of the Fork Race to whet your appetite.

Have good lines out there this year,

Chris Gallaway

It’s been three years since we put The Green Race Movie out on DVD.  Chris Gallaway had a few noteworthy comments and we updated the really amazing, one-page website. Go to TheGreenRaceMovie.com where you can find out everything you didn’t want to know about The Green Race Movie… and less.

Chris Gallaway runs Sunshine, a famous, Class V rapid on the Green River Narrows

If you have lots of a free time visit Rapid Transit on Facebook. Maybe we'll post something worth your time. Probably not though.

Felipe is always talking about something being steezie, but I have no idea what that word means. Anyway, we made a bunch of videos since the website has been down. Hopefully the site doesn’t get sick again.

Music by Bridge and Tunnel, courtesy No Idea Records and Southern Lovin’ PR

This session Felipe and I skated near Asheville NC. Soundtrack courtesy Assholeparade from the Fest 7 compilation album, courtesy No Idea Records and Southern Lovin’ PR

Same place, but with Troy from Ashevillain. Music by No Friends, courtesy No Idea Records and Southern Lovin’ PR

Felipe made all these and you can see his quirky shooting and editing style, definitely a cool perspective. He always chooses some wacky soundtrack that makes me laugh. My sides are splitting right now because of the music in this next one…

He also got this new $20 pov cam that’s pretty sweet for $20. Here was a test shoot on his bike.

Later,
Spencer
Effort Inc

Do you like music?  Bikes?  Whitewater?  Best Friends?  Then you have to make the trek to Richmond, VA for Best Friends Day!  Every year in August, people travel from across the country (and the world) to enjoy friendship and music.  Best Friends Day will include 4 days/nights of music and partying along with lots of biking and for you kayakers, whitewater.  Check it out

BEST FRIENDS DAY

A few of the bands you can plan on seeing are Andrew W.K., Propagandhi, Municipal Waste, and the Dopamines… but it doesn’t stop there.  The list goes on and on.  Best Friends Day is very wild, unique, and one of the coolest events around!

While in town, bring your boat.  The James River in Richmond offers some great playboating year round.  While the river may be a bit low in August, there will still be water out there.  The locals are friendly and will be happy to show you the low water lines that are fun.  Here’s a couple of pics from the concrete gorge in downtown

- Hunter
RapidTransitMusic.com

I’d like to exude the energy that these guys, Dear Landlord, project off their newest album Dream Homes. Drop your energy drink and listen to Dear Landlord…it’ll do the trick.  Here’s a little footy from a cool song “I Live in Hell” that was filmed on their latest tour in the UK.  Wish I could have been there, looks like fun

Dear Landlord – I Live In Hell – Live at The Fighting Cocks, Kingston, UK – 14/05/10 from Everything Sucks TV on Vimeo.

Seriously give these guys a listen.  You will enjoy it!

http://www.myspace.com/insubordinationfest

http://vimeo.com/user1006392

http://vimeo.com/11841086

http://www.myspace.com/letslynchthedearlandlord

http://www.noidearecords.com

http://www.punknews.org/bands/dearlandlord

http://www.punknews.orghttp://jsgainesville.tumblr.com/

- Hunter
RapidTransitMusic.com

If you don’t keep up with local music coming out of Richmond, VA…you need to.  The Riot Before is another great example of this city pumping out some great bands.  These guys know how to write the type of songs that stick in your head all day.  Rebellion, The Riot Before’s newest  album, rocks…check ‘em out!  And why your at it, you may as well check out the record before this called Fists Burried in Pockets. Here’s a little footy for your listening pleasure

- Hunter
RapidTransitMusic.com

Handy links to learn more about The Riot Before:

http://www.myspace.com/theriotbefore

http://paperandplastick.com

http://www.harvestofhopefest.com

http://www.radfestnc.com/

Felipe has been sharing some carving and sliding skills with me as of late.  We’ve been wearing our SR Standards on the hills.  I took a board to the face last week and decided the Full-Face would be a good idea.  We shot some video one recent afternoon:

Felipe drifts into a nice hairpin

- Spencer Cooke, Effort Inc.

Links of potential interest:
Longboard Asheville Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=58529685737

Music Courtesy Southern Lovin PR: Dirty Tactics
http://www.punknews.org/bands/dirtytactics
http://www.myspace.com/dirtytactics
http://www.myspace.com/say10records
http://www.southernlovin.com/family/dirty-tactics

With the upcoming Pixies tour in mind I was reminiscing of those middle and high school days when I first discovered “alternative” (as it was referred to then) music.  My first introduction into this vein of music was through skateboarding.  In 1986 my mom bought me a video called the Vision Pro Skate Escape.  This VHS showed a pro skateboarding competition, which featured The Red Hot Chili Peppers, who were playing on the deck of the half-pipe after the contest.  Soon after, I got my first Chili Peppers tape, Uplift Mofo Party Plan, and that was the beginning of a part of my life that I would not trade for anything.  Well, not too far down the line the Pixies surfaced (not onto the scene, but for me) in a fascinating world of incredible music.  This would have been around 1991 and I picked up the album Doolittle.  Like many bands that I enjoy, I soon collected all or most of the group’s discography.  The Pixies would have to go down as one of the most nostalgic sounds ever for my friends and I.

Nostalgia doing it's best, our posse in '93. No doubt, we (or at least I) had eaten too much sugar.

Fast forward 20 years, we still love the sounds of the Pixies and are going to see the band play in September when they come to Asheville NC.  The band is featuring Doolittle on this tour as a 20th anniversary celebration of the album’s release.  As a matter of fact, if you go over to http://www.pixiesmusic.com/ they are offering a free download of some live songs.

As I was thinking about the upcoming show, and more importantly, the fact that I’m going to see it with my wife and two best friends, I remembered hearing a cover of a Pixies song in the recent past.  Oh wait, it was by my best friend’s band, The Oatmeal Conspiracy, and I happened to have recorded it, so here it is… Bird Dream of the Olympus Mons, originally from the Pixies album, Tompe Le Monde, recorded at Clementine Cafe in Harrisonburg, VA.

- Spencer Cooke, Effort Inc

Links of potential interest:
http://www.ticketmaster.com/Pixies-tickets/artist/906179
http://www.pixiesmusic.com/
http://theoatmealconspiracy.com/

Last winter I got a backstage pass to an Oatmeal Conspiracy practice session.  Once I got past the swarm of raging women who were trying to beat the doors down I was able to get my camera out and shoot a little.  It’s pretty cool to hear the song writing process and pieces of what could be a real song one day.  Maybe one of the jingles in the video will be their next hit.  Check out this Indie Rock Jazz Group at http://theoatmealconspiracy.com

The golden fingers of Chad Johnson

http://theoatmealconspiracy.com/

I traveled three regions in NC today…from the mountains, across the piedmont, to the tidewater, and back.  Visiting eight cities and spending almost 16 hours riding in a box truck.  In high hopes of seeing a variety of cultures and the beauty in this state, I once again found myself in the same looking neighborhoods, passing by the normal dozen fast food joints laden at every rest stop, and starring at the back end of the same couple of car manufactures dominating our roadways.  There is no time to seek out unique local spots while at work on the road.  That’s why I enjoy listening to bands like Leatherface and their new album The Stormy Petrel. I can’t exactly pinpoint how to describe their music other than by saying its in their own realm of rock’n'roll.  If you enjoy Hot Water Music, then you will get into Leatherface.  The singer  has a great knack for finding catchy harmonies and the guitars feed very well off of each other.  The music flows and I enjoyed the feeling of something new on these otherwise monotonous roadways.  The freedom to find yourself and to be original is still alive in music, and I think The Stormy Petrel by Leatherface does just that.

- Hunter
RapidTransitMusic.com

Here’s some links to check out more about Leatherface:

http://www.punknews.org/bands/leatherface

http://www.leatherface.biz/

http://www.noidearecords.com

http://www.byorecords.com/

http://www.harvestofhopefest.com

Cruising the interstates in rush hour traffic, I heard the music of Dirty Tactics for the first time.   Their new album, It Is What It Is, caught my attention right off the back with catchy indy riffs mixed with classic punk rock sounds.  The thick traffic caught a back seat to my evening drive as I intently listened to Dirty Tactic’s interesting lyrics, wishing that I already memorized them so I could chant along.  After finishing It Is What It Is, I quickly took a second listen to the song “Baltimore.” The driving bass line at the beginning of this song really stuck with me for the remainder of the night.  “Baltimore” is definitely going to make it on the soundtrack of my summer.  This three piece band from Philly really cranks out some unique sound on this album and I bet they are awesome live.  Before I knew it, I pulled up to my house, ending my normally stressful drive and leaving me feeling energetic and ready to start the night.

- Hunter
RapidTransitMusic.com

Check out Dirty tactics at:

http://www.punknews.org/bands/dirtytactics

http://www.myspace.com/dirtytactics

http://www.myspace.com/say10records