Chile, here I come!!

Futalefu, photo Paul Villecourt

This winter, I will not be in France, I'll be in Chile!!!

I've my flight on Wednesday 18th and I'll be back on January 31st 2010.
2 months and a half just for paddle in the kayaking paradize, and we will be on summer over there!! :-D

Over there, I join Mariann Seather and many friends, Chile looks like the place to be in the World between October and February, especially in Pucòn and on the Futa.
We'll go big!!!!!!


Tyler Curtis on the Futalefu, photo Paul Villecourt

The program:
2 or 3 weeks in Pucòn depends on the water levels, 3 weeks or more on the Futa, probably some days on the Baker and the rivers around, maybe few days in Argentina, for the rest of the times all depend on the water levels and what the freinds do...

The trip looks pretty nice!!
I'll upload some photos for sure, just to annoy you!! ;-)

Eric Deguil - 2nd at the Green Narrows Race (USA)

Eric on the long boat race.

Well, It's done!!
Our french Pink Helmet goes big again!!!
On November Saturday 7th, Eric competed at the famous Green Narrows Race (USA) and he ended 2nd overall "IronMan" again for his 2nd time at the event!!
He finished 2nd in "Short Boat" race and 3rd in "Long Boat" race.

So, I think He'll be back on November 2010 to defend his bib #2 and pick up in the time the bib #1 of the legendary and talented Andrew Holcombe (USA)
I'll try to come with you Eric, next year!!

Results:
Note: the first column is the bib numbers, the second the places.

Bib Place Name Class Boat Time

Mens Longboat K1
4 1 Andrew Holcombe Long K1 Dagger Green Boat (11'9") 04:18
3 2 Isaac Levinson Long K1 Liquidlogic Stinger (12'5") 04:25
2 3 Eric Deguil Long K1 Liquidlogic Stinger (12'5") 04:29
16 4 Eric Hurd Long K1 Liquidlogic Stinger (12'5") 04:35
1 5 Chris Gragtmans Long K1 Dagger Green Boat (11'9") 04:35
10 6 Fergus Coffey Long K1 Liquidlogic Stinger (12'5") 04:37
8 7 Pablo McCandless Long K1 Dagger Green Boat (11'9") 04:39
11 8 Jason Beakes Long K1 Dagger Green Boat (11'9") 04:40
17 9 Rob Tompkins Long K1 Dagger Green Boat (11'9") 04:43
9 10 Dustin Marquart Long K1 Dagger Green Boat (11'9") 04:46

Womens Longboat K1
50 1 Adriene Levknecht Long K1W Liquidlogic Remix 100 (11'9") 04:59
51 2 Shannon Carrol Long K1W Dagger Green Boat (11'9") 05:32
49 3 Laura Farrell Long K1W Dagger Green Boat (11'9") 05:41
52 4 Christine Boush Long K1W Pyranha Mountain 300 (9'10") 07:41

Longboat Handpaddle K1
47 1 Keith Sprinkle Long K1 HP Liquidlogic Stinger (12'5") 05:18
64 2 Bill Clipper Long K1 HP Dagger Green Boat (11'9") 05:26
55 3 Adam Secrest Long K1 HP Dagger Green Boat (11'9") 05:44
84 4 Kirk Williams Long K1 HP Prijon Tornado (11'5") 05:56
75 5 Josh Wall Long K1 HP Dagger Green Boat (11'9") 06:30

Longboat C1
45 1 Scott McCluskey Long C1 Dagger Cascade (11'0") 04:58
76 2 Bradley McMillan Long C1 Dagger Green Boat (11'9") 05:40

Longboat OC1
141 1 Wes Gentry Long OC1 Esquif Detonator (10'0") 41:19

Mens Shortboat K1
4 1 Andrew Holcombe Short K1 Dagger Nomad 8.5 (8'6") 04:43
2 2 Eric Deguil Short K1 Pyranha Karnali L (8'5") 04:47
3 3 Isaac Levinson Short K1 Liquidlogic Remix 59 (8'5") 04:53
1 4 Chris Gragtmans Short K1 Dagger Nomad 8.5 (8'6") 04:57
77 5 Clay Wright Short K1 Jackson Super Hero (8'6") 05:00
32 6 Jakub NÄmec Short K1 Wave Sport Habitat 80 (8'4") 05:02
13 7 Chan Jones Short K1 Pyranha Burn L (8'4") 05:08
82 8 Dane Jackson Short K1 Jackson Super Hero (Classic) (8'6") 05:10
79 9 Nik Haase Short K1 Liquidlogic Jefe Grande (8'6") 05:11
35 10 Nicholas Troutman Short K1 Jackson Super Hero (8'6") 05:14

Womens Shortboat K1
50 1 Adriene Levknecht Short K1W Liquidlogic Remix 59 (8'5") 05:14
51 2 Shannon Carrol Short K1W Pyranha Karnali M (8'4") 06:00
101 3 Rachel Curtis Short K1W Liquidlogic Remix 79 (8'11") 06:38

Shortboat C1
45 1 Scott McCluskey Short C1 Pyranha Karnali M (8'4") 05:11
104 2 Jeffrey Larimer Short C1 Pyranha Karnali L (8'5") 05:30
44 3 Will Lyons Short C1 Liquidlogic Jefe (8'2") 05:48

Shortboat Handpaddle
139 1 Michael Metzger Short K1 HP Dagger Nomad 8.5 (8'6") 17:20

Mens Ironman
4 1 Andrew Holcombe 09:01
2 2 Eric Deguil 09:16
3 3 Isaac Levinson 09:18

Womens Iron(wo)man
50 1 Adriene Levknecht 10:13
51 2 Shannon Carrol 11:32

You go big Eric, enjoy your 2nd (next year will be the good one!!) and Andrew, respect!!!! ;-)

Check out the Eric's blog: www.outdoor-attitude.over-blog.com

Pau - Slalom races

The last weekend I was in Pau for 2 slalom races.
On saturday it was an easy race especially for the kids on the "warming up course" and on sunday the race took place on the official slalom course.

I did 2 races so so, it's sure I didn't paddle anough these last times and it feels on the chrono... Ouuuutch!!


Eric Deguil, not really woken up...

Val...


Val, in the course Sunday


Val and Mel


Mel


Val

Many thanks to the roommates for the place in the flat and see you soon in Pau!!
Thanks also to Pierre Mahé for the photos => www.pimaphoto.blogspot.com

Back to trainings...

All looks like super slow since the adidas sickline event...
No water in our rivers, not many slalom races, well it's a little the best period to do something else than kayaking!!

Last weekend, I was in Saint Pierre de Boeuf for 2 slalom races.
400 paddlers were present pour these 2 races...
Always good to come on theses slalom races and was good to paddle a bit in slalom boat... I nearly forgot how well slalom boat goes fast!! ;-)




Photo: Mick Flasher.

At home, no water in the course and not really keen to paddle on flat water every days..
Well, lot of mountain biking sessions are planed before training hard with my kayak when the rains will come!!


Val


Gautier, my young brother


Val kicked this gap


Gautier kicked it also!!

This weekend Gautier and I were in Millau for the Catalunya freestyle kayak championship.
Yes that's true, our Spanish buddies come in France to organize their races!!
Little shitty hole, but a great opportunity to paddle with friends and have great times!!


Gerd Sarrasolses, 2nd K1 men


Mat Dumoulin, 1st K1 men i the prototype Guigui-prod... huuuuush, I didn't tell you anything!!


Gautier Grollemund


Val

Oops I forgot something...
I met the doctor for my hand last week, I'll finally keep the titanium plate in my left hand on the second metacarpus for life.
So, I don't need an other operation, a second rehabilitation and... no time out!!
All good... What a super I'm right now with titanium hand!! ;-)


The first radiography just after break, end of January 2009.
Sure you see where it was broken??

My hand the next morning after operation at the hospital... end of January 2009.

My hand last week... better no??

Well, right now, lot of projects are planning, this year could be very nice!!!! :-)
I hope to travel and paddle white water very soon, I'm missing white water kayaking!!!

See you soon on the water

Gautier Grollemund - New MTB video

Check out the new DownHill mountain biking video of Gautier, my young brother, there're some new awesome effects... and it's just the first ones!!

Enjoy!!

www.gautiergrollemund.com

Adidas Sickline 2009

This year the adidas Sickline was THE place to be, the event looked like awesome and full of surprises, so we were there really motivated.

After a great training week with all the frenchies in a cool atmosphere we were ready and fine to compet these Worlds!!

All start with the qualifs on Friday... on the slalom course in Oetz, class II...

Ok, was more simple for the oganisation but not really fun for the kayakers.
Well, strong paddlers took the first spots and the others closed the rest.
The first 45th can compet for the finals, on saturday.

Mat Dumoulin fired up directly after the qualifs... Same for Stefun Pion and others...
Are we talking about extrem kayak??


Michele Ramazza in front of the objectif of David Arnaud, preparing the TV show for the finals on Saturday.


Val and David...


For the Finals steps, this year there was a new system of "head to head"... Again more fun for the crowd than for the paddlers...
I was really unlucky for the quarter finals, so I competed against Andrew Holcombe, one of the best american paddler and winner of the famous Green Narrow Race.
With a great time to go in finals, Andrew kicked my ass and I was fired up in quarter final...

The others frenchies go all in semi final.


Val quarter final


Yann Neime fired up in semi final by Jakub Nemek.

Ralf Schaberg goes in finale

Eric Deguil, winner of the qualifs, wan all his "head to head" and poped up his spraydeck in final and he could be on the podium easy but unlucky he ended 9th...


Fabrice Poueyto, "lucy loozer" of the finals took it easy in the Hot Seat with Miss Tyrol... Easy Fafa!!


Jakobus 3rd, Alexander 1st and Mike 2nd... Nice podium this year after these great finals!!



The 3 guys in front of the crowd!!

Well, now let's go for the party, we've to enjoy all that!!


Party!!


All kayakers celebrating the victory of Alexander Grimm


Val, Olaf, Eric and Ciaran


Casper and Severin

The results:
http://www.adidas-sickline.com/index.php?id=106

The videos:
http://freecaster.tv/kayak/1009273/adidas-sickline-2009-presented-by-tirol-replay

Well, I ended 26th with the feeling to not finish my race, like something missed...
The global atmosphere of the event was so so, especially with the qualifs on class II and all go with, and all that for 100 euros... Was better last year for the same price...

Now I've to see some doctors soon to pull the plate in my hand out, yeah I've always this f*%king plate in my hand.
I hope to be ready soon and paddle again!!
More news about that in the next days...

Thanks to all guys I saw again or met in Oetz and we had really great times!! ;-)

Photos:
Jens Klatt
Manu Arnu
Pierre Mahé

Adidas Sickline 2009 - trainings

I'm already in Austria in the valley of Ötztal where take place the Adidas Sickline World Championship of Extrem Kayak the next week.

I enjoy this week to paddle around the different rivers of the valley before more concentrate myself on the Worlds... It will be awesome for sure!!!

The paddlers are cominf here progressively... the rest of the french crew is coming on Sunday.

Some photos of the week:

Simon Hirter at the end of the stressing and hard gorges of the Heiligkreuz section (upper Ötz).

Val on the Middle Ötz

Alex Thomas Keller on the Middle Ötz

Val in one of the holes of the Middle Ötz


Susanne Spoelmink and Alex Thomas Keller just after the Wellerbruke


Val training in the Wellerbruke


Val in the Wellerbruke


The last drop of the Wellerbruke

I keep you updated about the sequence of the Worlds...
For the moment... Trainings!!