News

June-July 2005

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.
To download a pdf copy of the magazine click here: > DOWNLOAD

For the past six years, Diane Coussens has played a key role at WaveLength. She’s been the voice and face of the magazine to many in the industry. Now she’s moving on to new ventures and we thank her for her dedication. Although she’s no longer on staff, Diane remains a close associate and friend, and we expect she will help out from time to time.

TAPS’ West Coast Sea Kayak Symposium, to be held this year Sept. 9-11, is the largest and oldest sea kayak symposium in North America. It brings together the finest kayak manufacturers, speakers, and instructors in one place. With 1400 ft. of sandy beach for product demos, a large retail area, indoor and outdoor classes, and on-water kayak instruction, it’s great for both beginner and veteran paddlers. The Symposium is held at Fort Worden State Park in Port Townsend, Washington. New this year is on-line registration, allowing attendees and exhibitors to receive instant confirmation of their registration. See www.wcsks.org.

Ocean River Sports of Victoria, BC has opened a new store in Market Square, 564 Johnson St., where Ocean River Sports started in business over 20 years ago. The ‘Outlet Store’, will sell name brand outdoor clothing at greatly discounted prices—40 to 50% off most products. The new store is geared up to sell volumes of outdoor clothing, in partnership with Patagonia, Sierra Designs, Arc’teryx as well as other outdoor clothing manufacturers. Nothing will change in the main Ocean River Sports store at 1824 Store St.

Diana Mumford is now WaveLength’s Assistant Editor. She brings many years of publishing experience to the job. Diana, her husband Ron and son David, live on Gabriola Island. They paddle from their waterfront home and from their newly acquired mothership. You can reach her weekdays at 250-247-8858 from 9 am to 2 pm.

Confluence Holdings Corp. announced in May that a purchase agreement has been signed under which it will acquire the watersports division of WaterMark Paddlesports Inc., including WaterMark’s paddlesports brands. Confluence and WaterMark include the most recognized brands in the industry and together will form the premier paddlesports company in the world. The Confluence family includes Mad River Canoe, Wilderness Systems, Wave Sport, WindRider and Voyageur. WaterMark includes Dagger, Perception, Mainstream, Harmony, AT Paddles, Yakima and Rhode Gear. Confluence and Watermark were created by mergers in 1998. They will continue to operate as autonomous business units for the remainder of the 2005 selling season.

A rendezvous for sailing canoes and kayaks will take place June 25, 2005 at Porteau Cove Provincial Park which is located approximately 30 minutes north of Vancouver, BC. Camping is available. There will also be some commercial outfits demonstrating their craft. Other beach launchable sail and paddle craft are welcome. jhartk@shaw.ca, 604-855-7734.

WaveLength Editor Alan Wilson was awarded a Lifetime Achievement award at the 7th annual Vancouver Island Paddlefest in May. Alan was paddled to the beach in a First Nations canoe for the opening ceremony and presented by Jackie Dennis-Orr with a ceremonial paddle and a framed Inuit tapestry. The paddlers, Frank Brown and his family, gave an honorary dance at the ceremony. Bud Bell of Sealegs Kayaking served as master of ceremonies, and words were offered by federal, provincial and municipal representatives.

The Saskatchewan Centennial Canoe Quest will be held from June 18 to July 5, 2005. 31 teams from Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba and Scotland will travel the historic Churchill River system route in 25 ft. voyageur canoes, from the western border of Saskatchewan across 1018 km of lakes, rivers and land. This unaided wilderness canoe stage race and pageant will include celebrations in 13 northern host communities. See www.saskatchewancentennialcanoequest.info.

Deep Cove Canoe & Kayak Centre has opened a new warehouse retail outlet in North Vancouver, BC—The Kayak Shop—3000 square feet of retail space conveniently located two minutes from the north end of the Second Narrows Bridge. Kayaks available: Necky, Current Design, Atlantis, Seaward and Formula; PFDs: Salus and Extrasport; paddles: Aquabound and SET Wing Blades. Daily: 604-987-2202.

After becoming the first man to solo-kayak around all the inhabited islands of the UK and Ireland, kayak-cop Sean Morley capped the achievement by winning the Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Race during the Easter weekend. The 39-year-old from St. Erth in Cornwall beat off tough competition to win the single kayak event, with a finishing time of 16 hours, 36 minutes and 18 seconds. The four-day, 125-mile race finishes opposite the Houses of Parliament beneath Westminster Bridge. There are 76 locks that competitors have to portage (i.e. run carrying the kayak) and it is described as one of the toughest endurance events of its kind. Sean is already planning his next project, a first circumnavigation of South Georgia and is currently seeking sponsorship for that trip. More info and photos at www.expeditionkayak.co.uk.

Also on hand at the Paddlefest was the non- profit Trade Association of Paddlesports’ (TAPS) newly hired Executive Director, Paul German. Paul has been involved in ocean kayaking and canoeing in the industry for over 15 years. He’s also a talented photographer who has supplied several cover images for WaveLength. Paul is based in BC so he will be better able to integrate the Canadian paddlesports market into the Association’s mandate. He can be reached at the new head office of TAPS at 604-980–3980. TAPS represents manufacturers, retailers, outfitters, instructional centers, publications, and others throughout the paddlesports industry, including canoeing, kayak touring, whitewater kayaking and rafting.

Kayak for Assistive Technology is a fundraiser to raise awareness of assistive technology and to establish a fund to provide computer-based assistive technology for individuals with disabilities. Barbara Welsford, Coordinator of the Assistive Technology Centre in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, and her dog Katy, will kayak around Mahone Bay harbour on August 13. Barbara has recently been diagnosed with cancer for the second time in her life. When she was 19 she was diagnosed with bone cancer resulting in amputation of her right leg. Now she has been diagnosed with breast cancer, thyroid cancer, in situ malignant melanoma and a heart condition brought on by the chemotherapy she received as a young woman. The Assistive Technology Centre Society has been in existence for 14 years and is a registered charity organization (#890315849 RR 0001 1023142). For info: barbara.welsford@nscc.ca, 902-543-6329.

Driving to Telegraph Cove on northern Vancouver Island, BC will be more pleasant this summer because the remaining stretch of gravel road will be paved. 70,000 people visit Telegraph Cove marine facilities, accommodations, campgrounds, restaurants and stores every year. The cove is also home to BC’s first whale watching company and a working whale and marine mammal museum. [At press time we learned roadwork may not start till summer’s end.]

First prize in the 2005 Great Summer Kayak Raffle for the Georgia Strait Alliance is a Greenlander II Folbot double folding sea kayak plus paddles, spraydeck, skirts and more ($3,300 value). Second prize is a Sea Kayak Getaway at Coast Mountain Lodge (for two people, spring 2006) donated by Coast Mountain Expeditions ($1273 value). Third prize is a one night’s stay for two at Sooke Harbour House, breakfast included ($316 value). Raffle tickets are $6 each or 3 for $15. The draw runs from May 14 to Sept. 13. For tickets or more info call 250-753-3459 or visit www.GeorgiaStrait.org.

Mothership Adventures is expanding their territory this year to take in the Great Bear Rainforest and the Goose Islands on BC’s remote central coast. They will be visiting the estuaries of glacial-fed rivers where bears, wolves and eagles congregate to feed upon spawning salmon. And they will visit clusters of outer islands where sea otters, whales and dolphins can be seen. The weeklong trips offer kayaking of isolated coves and passageways. See www.mothershipadventures.com.

A new study confirms that BC fish farms are responsible for a dramatic increase in sea lice on wild salmon. Published in the respected Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, the study shows that the transmission of lice from farmed salmon to migrating wild salmon reached an intensity of 70 times greater than natural near the farm studied, and continued to exceed natural levels for 30 kilometers along the migration route. This amounts to a total contribution of lice from the farm that was 30,000 times higher than natural. Wild salmon advocates continue to press for the immediate removal of open net pens and a shift to more sustainable forms of fish farming. Closed systems would address most of the disease and pollution concerns posed by open net cages.

Albertson’s Inc., the third-largest food retailer in the United States, has warned BC salmon farmers they must clean up their act if they want to continue exporting to US consumers. In a letter to the main industry lobby group, Albertson’s warned that the industry must adopt technology to eliminate disease transfer to wild stocks and escapes from salmon farms. The letter lists five concerns, especially the use of open-net pens along the BC coast. Albertson’s suggests “adopting technology that eliminates disease transfer and farmed salmon escapes so that wildlife is not harmed as a result of salmon farming.” This would mean land-based ‘closed containment’ systems to prevent escapes and the transfer of sea lice to wild salmon, something the Coastal Alliance for Aquaculture Reform has been calling for. 90% of BC’s farmed salmon is sold in the US, so by choosing wild salmon, US consumers are turning the tide against fish farming. See www.farmedanddangerous.org.

Congratulations to Harbour Publishing and the authors of A Stain Upon the Sea: West Coast Salmon Farming, which won the Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize at the BC Book Awards in Vancouver in May. Authors include Alexandra Morton, Stephen Hume, Betty C. Keller, Rosella M. Leslie, Otto Langer and Don Staniford. www.harbourpublishing.com.

Congratulations also to WaveLength’s columnist Alex Matthews and to Rochelle Relyea who are to marry in mid-June.

The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Synthesis Report, released in March, reveals that approximately 60 percent of the ecosystem services that support life on Earth—such as fresh water, fisheries, air and water regulation, regional climates—are being degraded or used unsustainably. The Report was conducted by 1,300 experts from 95 countries. See www.millenniumassessment.org/en/index.aspx.