Malad Gorge Substantial Update

Malad Gorge, Idaho - Substantial from Substantial Media House on Vimeo.

Check out a little edit from our day out in Idaho! It was late season and the water in the Rockies was absolutely non-existant. We found out that the stout was a-flowing, so on we went. What we found was a sweet technical entry gorge off a pretty nasty 45-50 foot falls which some sketchy rocks in the free fall. Props to the late Charlie Beavers for the first go at it and Seth Stoner for re-opening the drop years later with the first clean line...Cheers boys! Enjoy the edit and get fired up for the upcoming Teaser and Episode BC!

Later E.G.  

Substantial Media House Episode #1

From the bowls of our dusty hard drives we finally bring you a legendary video containing some of the most brown and jah footage to be seen from Norway! Kick back and watch as we go from High Water Classics to First Descents! Norway is beyond an epic place to go kayak...it is a rugged mountainous land built from millions of years of mother nature doing her thing. It shows...I have never seen so many rivers and so much water in one place...the potential to go kayaking is unlimited and unbound! Only your guts and imagination can hold you back in a place like Norway. I am proud to bring you the first episode of our new whitewater web series "Hot Wet Scandinavian Pillaging".  

Substantial TV EP.1 "Hot WET Scandinavian Pillaging" from Substantial Media House on Vimeo.

Remember to share, link, like, post, tweet, #, brown, and church this video to everyone you know! Thanks for the on going support!

Later E.G.

Substantial Media House

The end of one ERA is the beginning of another! Fred and I produced and created 12 Episodes under the name Bomb Flow TV...as the biz progressed we knew the only way to really succeed in the whitewater world is to be your own boss. So here it is...Fred Norquist and I have started our new company...Substantial House House!

Check out our premiere video here:

Substantial Media House Premiere from Substantial Media House on Vimeo.

Stay tuned for our Web Series launching this week with our first Episode..."Hot Wet Scandinavian Pillaging" This amazing video covers the second half of our 5 week trip to Norway. It's due out in 2 days, this Wednesday. Join us on the fore front of whitewater media at Substantial's Facebook Page !

Later E.G.

Kayak Session Short Film Voting

This is the first time I have ever asked my readers and friends to help me out. Here is a link to vote for the 2012 Kayak Session Short Film of the Year Awards. VOTE HERE

I produced two films for this competition. The Royal Flush and The Best of Bomb Flow videos.

50% of the the voting is up to the public and 50% is up to a selected panel of judges.

-1st places wins $5,000
-2nd place win a Trip to Uganada
-3rd place wins $1000 dollars of Sweet Protection gear

Your time and vote is great appreciated!

Thanks,

E.G.

Viva La Agua Blanca!

Erik Johnson setting down the landing gear on Cascada Tomata. We had some fun on Tomata this season.

Get ready for some serious Mexico Updates! Just got back from 3.5 weeks in Vera Cruz, Mexico with hard-drives full of epic-ness. Along with that I'm proud to drop the release of My and Fred's new baby very soon. This will be sure to surpass BFTV and keep every one entertained and stoked for years to come!

Later E.G.

Devil's Washbowl Malad River, ID

This waterfall has taken me a long time to get to! I don't live that far from it...nor do I live that close haha! The Malad River Gorge lies between Twin Falls, ID and Boise, ID about 7 hours from home in Bozeman. There is a great old school movie called "Buck Fever" Made by Spencer Cooke and Jed Selby back in the day...it features amazing old school freestyle and tons of shit running in sketchy boats! The late Charlie Beavers stepped up and ran this drop in a Wave Sport Stubby...which was a half river runner half play boat at that time! He styles the entry and comes off the drop nicely...only to tail tap, go vertical, and piton his brains out on a ledge half way down the falls. It look pretty disgusting to say the least!

Watch his first descent line HERE AT 7:50!!!!!

I don't know how many years it took for Seth Stoner of Boise to step up for the 2nd D...but he ran it in 2009 at a much higher flow! This finally opened the gate to a big stout drop in that area of the country...other than this one there isn't much for runnable drops around there!

This spring I really had my sights set on going to run this beast and never could make it happen between Hood River and BC trips! I was surfing the world wide web a few days ago when I accidentally clicked my bookmark for the Malad River...and what did I see...400cfs!!!!!!!????? I quickly messaged the Boise boys and asked if this was for real and they said YEEEEHAWWWW!!!! With out much time to think our crew Johnson, Parker, Baby Bird, and Myself woke up at 5:30am and started the drive south to go get some Fall stoutness...

Upon arrival I suddenly realized that this drop was much stouter than I had anticipated! Meeting up with Seth Stoner, James Byrd, Davis Gove, & Russel Davies we had a stout and fired up crew ready to huck! Running in two crews to split numbers up we watched as the Idaho boys went first! The six stage entry gorge above the falls looked great and a ton of fun...the boys styled down to the last chance eddy as we watched...After 2 blown skirts, an ejection, and 2/3 people taking big hits to the bottom of their boats...I was much more nervous to run the drop! Still the line was good and we had driven all this way only for this drop...Myself, Baby Bird, and Parker laced up!

Our run went well with no swims or blown skirts...I did however jangle up on the entry and have to pull some quick ninja moves to correct above the lip...and Baby Bird took most the skin off a few fingers on the reconnecter! The bounce in the middle left small dents in our boats, but the hit wasn't too bad! All in all it was a great waterfall with a super good class V canyon leading into it! A total a win/win for September in the Rockies! This drop has some serious ID/MT mank factor to it...so any small errors could be "really" bad...i.e. hitting sharp rocks off a 50 footer...So this thing is the real biz! Enjoy a few frames snapped by Myself and Erik Johnson!

HDR shot of I-84 crossing above the Devil's Washbowl & Malad River Gorge.

The Idaho Boys (Seth, James, and Russel) dropping into the sick gorge above the stout! 

 

Seth Stoner taking his second lap off the stout! 

Myself taking a big stroke and spreading my wings off this roosting stout!

Here is a go pro freeze frame...love looking all the way down the canyon! Epic horizon line for sure!

Well folks I have a few more weeks of hanging out in Montana living the good life before I head to Vera Cruz Mexico and continue that good life! ;) We shot a ton of video this day at the Malad so look forward a a sick edit dropping in the next few weeks! 

Later E.G.

BFTV Episode 12 "Lost in Voss"

So for you all who have been waiting here is the first installment of our Norway episodes. This video features the paddling we did in and around the Voss area. Now I don't know a ton about Norway, but if I was a gambling man I'd have to say that Voss...is the best place to kayak in Norway!

This episode will take you from a random party night in this small Scandinavia town, to the crystal waters of the Brandset, the famous Double Drop of the Teigdal, Tyler and Ian's 70 footer on the Eksingdal, and many other massive Norwegian classics! So sit back in that chair, crack a beer, grab dem papelitos, and enjoy 39 min of White Water Boat Ridin'!

As soon as this video reaches 25,000 hits we are going to unleash part 2...so get to sharing!    

Bomb Flow TV Episode 12 "Lost in VOSS" from BombFlowTV on Vimeo.

Later E.G.

Nothing has changed...but everything is different.

There are certain events that take place in life which have a deeper and more profound impact on us. For some it maybe meeting a new mentor, moving to a new city, winning a championship, or graduating college. For me, as a crazed kayaker from a young age, there has been a pinnacle or milestone awaiting 1,700 miles north of my home in Montana.

As a young kid I watched the Triple Crown and Aerated to enter this canyon. As I grew into a teenager the ever so infamous LVM crew found their way up to Hi-way 37 to document this amazing river...The Stikine River lies eerily tranquil in the middle of nowhere British Columbia, where there is only a two lane road, a steel bridge, and a small yellow sign...

The first time I had the opportunity to paddle this section I was only 19 -> G.C.S.R. WRITEUP

As a young teenage paddler this descent was a massive accomplishment and definite milestone in my paddling career. It was kind of the turning point from where I became more than just another young hucker...back then I used to take a lot of heat on my blog for just sending stouts, out of control, not working, and the old monetary question..."how did you get your money?". Which I am still asked on a daily basis. And all I still have to say to all those people who ever questioned it is..."If you want it bad enough, trust me you'll find a way!"

Finally returning to the Northlands of deepest darkest British Columbia 4 years later...I was astounded at how surreal it felt to come back. There literally is only a road, a bridge, a sign, and a river...

This time around I was leading the group not following. It was a totally different vibe in there. I remembered most the rapids and sent quite a few huge horizons on memory from years prior.

"This place is soooooo bad ass!" I remember myself thinking that thought about a million times a day out there.

The canyon itself is a spectacle of the wicked power of water and what's beyond the canyon rim is the vast emptiness of the BC-AK borderlands. When you are tucked away in the canyon focusing on the whitewater and tasks at hand you sometimes forget that there is truly nothing out there. If you don't think about it all is well...but when you do the feeling of loneliness and true nature of the river seeps in to your soul.

I am vastly a better kayaker than I was when I first paddled the river in 2008. On my first trip I still only flipped two times, but that was enough. Once in a random rapid on day 1...(where benny got a savage beat down on this trip due to a last minute "leader" choice to go left, not right) and the other time was a terrifying roll during the hairy ferry at the bottom of Site Zed, not a fun place to be upside down! hahaha

This trip the level was very similar, a bit lower I think, and I just felt right in my kayak. My balance was spot on and I felt flexible and strong out there. I had a few very close calls, but I got my golden egg on the Stikine River...if you don't know what that means, I don't blame you, it's an old WCKA thing we did while running rivers! Everything clicked out there...We had a big and very young crew of kayakers out there (ages 23, 25, 20, 20, 21, 23, & 29) It was cool to be on the river with a fired up and solid group of people who truly enjoyed and understood what it meant to be in that canyon. Whitewater history was made on our descent as Ben Marr became the first person to run the entire river without a portage. On the float out we all decided that V-drive was our favorite rapid and everyone also stated that it was the greatest river trip of their lives...that my friends is a huge claim.

I really focused on understanding the river and remaining in the moment in while in one of the greatest most beautiful canyons on planet earth. It's hard to write words and state what goes through your mind out there after a successful descent, floating the 10-20 miles of flat water after the canyon opens up...but a man I have looked up to for a long time said it well...

"Nothing has changed, but everything is different." -Willie Kern

Here is out crew hanging at the Stewart Cassiar Hi-way sign!

The Put-in for the Grand Canyon of the Stikine.

Erik and Fred committing to the Wason's Hole gorge.

Erik and Fred looking at Site Zed...

Fred Bomb Flowing whilst in the Stikine.

Baby Bird getting very substantial.

Gorgeous place...looking up at Scissors and Wall II.

Myself and Benny dropping into Pass Fail.

A pass and a fail!

          

The boys dropping into "The Wall".

The Fat Chief!!!!!!

Camping under the stars on night 2. 

The crew stoked to be alive after Tanzilla Slot!

Reflecting during the float to the takeout after the canyon breaks up.

Can't wait to go back! 

 Later E.G.

Best of GoPro with EG

We have been using Go Pro cameras since 2008...we used to have to put 2 AAA batteries in the back, and they would die twice going down the LW...haha! The times they are a changin'!!!!! These little bad boys almost capture the same quality as my 7D nowadays! Cray I know...so I pretty much always have one on my head, boat, or paddle...because god knows who kayaks with out taking video or pictures right ;) So by golly I've captured some pretty unique moments over the years...and dropping right here...right now...on the most epic and awesome kayak website EVER...here is a highlight reel of just a few of dem-epicz!

 

 Thanks for the support y'all

 Later E.G.

Good Karmal Y'all

Here in Bozeman, MT there is a cool company called Good Karmal! They make amazing Caramel candy and wrap inspiring quotes around them to sell to the public. They decided to do a little picture quote on myself due to the fact that I live an out there kind of life. I mean spending more time in a sleeping bag than a bed...driving over 25,000 miles a summer, and traveling from Africa-Argentina isn't a "regular" life. So I'm stoked to show you guy this picture and quote done by the amazing team at Good Karmal!

Check them out at their website here GOOD KARMAL! 

Later E.G.

Putting the Bomb in the Flow...

Best of Bomb Flow (Short) - (Best Short Film of the Year Awards 2012 - Entry #48) from Kayak TV (Kayak Session Mag) on Vimeo.

This edit is actually 1/3 of a video we made called "The Best of Bomb Flow"...We have been kayaking a lot the past 2 years (and really the past 8 for that matter) But any-who...we made a hot short edit of some of our best shots from our BFTV days...With the Kayak Session short film comp coming to an end I decided we better toss something in there...ENJOY AND SHARE!!!!!!!!

Later E.G.

Rider of the Year III

It's that time of year again!!!!!!

For the past three years Tribe has put on a new school version of "The Big Gun Show", Rider of the Year! In this competition Tribe showcases the best drops, lines, competitors, freestylers, racers, crashes, edits, expeditions, and paddlers of the year.

There have been some mock competitions trying to mimic this style of showcasing whitewater to the world, but none hold a candle to the accuracy of ROTY. These days it seems like there is a twisted/bias view of what is going on in whitewater when you look at what's portrayed in Magazines and websites...

To the people who actually follow the kayaking world and have a passion for the sport, names like: Aniol Serrasolses, Ben Marr, Jared Seiler, Rush Sturges, Fred Norquist, Chris Korbulic, Ben Luck, Rafa Ortiz, Erik Johnson, Ben Stooksberry, and Ryan Lucas all ring a bell! Why? Because in reality they have accomplished and done more than any other paddlers on the Planet this season! To those that don't know/follow, that there, is just another list of "good" kayakers. That list of paddlers above all dedicate their lives to whitewater and go hard on the water more than anyone else!

Rider of the Year is put on and judged by the folks who know and applaud what is actually going down in the world of whitewater! If someone has gone bigger, harder, and been stylier than the rest of the pack, they will win ROTY! That's what I love about this project, TRUTH! Sit back, watch, share, link, and enjoy as Tribe drops some of the sickest video ever captured in our sport!

Follow along here ROTY SITE or on Facebook Here

Rider of the Year III Teaser



Here are the first few entries I sent in to ROTY:

Best Line Entry - EVAN GARCIA (USA) - Toketee Falls from Rider of the Year Awards on Vimeo.

Best Line Entry - EVAN GARCIA (USA) - Double Drop - Norway from Rider of the Year Awards on Vimeo.

Later E.G.

BFTV Episode 11 'Merica

Here is Episode 11...I know it has been since June 16th...Over a month between the last two videos, but we have been on the paddling mission hard as ever! We have 2 Norway Episodes coming up in less than a month! Enjoy!

 

 One thing all americans can agree on is the fact that we have some real awesome whitewater in this great country of ours! AMERICA. This episode starts in the PNW with the Little White Salmon race, and of course some real big american waterfalls. It then takes you to the heart of 'merica, Idaho for the North Fork Championships-North Fork Payette. Then Chuck Jones shows you how to get down on some real MONTUCKY rapids on Big TImber Creek, and Mesa Falls. It finishes up with the Ryan "babybird" Lucas update. This has some real big first descent canadian waterfall huckin, eh! It also includes the 1st d of the Untouchables rapid on fantasy falls, California!

Later E.G.

Telemark, Norway

Durning the our stay in Norway, rain was a huge factor in our lives. From camping, eating, driving, and of course kayaking. With high levels around the greater Sjoa area and frustration setting in due to running scary big water runs. We took a chance and drove 6 hours down south to the Telemark region of Norway. Arriving with a good crew and with Mathias Fossum’s local knowledge we hit 5 rivers in 3 days!

Here is our list of runs:

-Skoksoa
-Austbygd  (Middle & California section)
-Home Run on the Mar River
-Eisoa
-Dagali (Zambezi section)

My favorite river we paddled is a small creek called The Eisoa - pronounced (Aidsoa). This river boasted some of the stoutest drops I had the exotic-pleasure of running in the country. Starting off with a good clean 30 footer the river then greeted us with an entourage of cool slides leading to the lip on a 50 foot falls that had yet to be run. The drop looked doable, but it was a tall freefall turning 90degrees and reconnecting before hitting a small window between the wall and the good zone in the pool. A lot of people have looked at this drop and I'd heard from multiple sources that it was "good to go". We scouted for a while knowing it was sweet, but scared to pull the trigger...Until Gerd Serrasolses (Aniol's older brother) decided it was chill. Sticking the line, bagging the 1stD, and making it look clean...I went, followed immediately by Anton. Directly after this stout is an infamous drop..."Big Girl". It's a 40-foot falls, Heath Springs looking drop that lands amazingly close to the right wall. Then in the cauldron the water pillows up in a tight rowdy eddy and the river then funnels off a 20 foot slot falls. Very Royal Gorge-esque!!!!!! I like!!!! Once again Myself, Gerd, and Anton fired with nice lines and celebrated the running of another scary/great stout! The rest of the run was silky smooth granite-bedrock slides and boofs to the takeout bridge. This was a very "EG" style run...Big Drops & Really Steep = Epic!!!!!!

Telemark has Quebec like scenery with Minnesota/California style whitewater. Wide open river beds hold every thing from long slides, wide falls, tight slots, boulder gardens, stouts holes, and even some good old fashion mank!!!! The rivers we did were longer in general and held lots of different styles all packed into a small section. Which is sweet because you get the whole picture, not just a few pixels!

Telemark is the "Spring Time" zone for Norwegian creaking, normally flowing in May and Early June. However with all the rain we were drenched by, we were some luck sonsofbitches and got to do some TelemarkLOVE with warmer weather, warmer water, and good vibes in the middle of July! PraiseJAH!!!!! Check out some photos from our very short stay in this unique region. Definitely need to go back and check off a bunch more stuff someday....

 A very long exposer shot of our lake side camp...we learned later that the lake is 400m deep!

 Anton bombing the 3rd Descent of the 50 footer on the Eisoa! Very cool drop...its bigger than it looks in this pic.

 Sweden the man behind the camera running the perfect 30 footer on the Eisoa.

 Some Fossun on the Austbygd...we lapped the crap out of this drop. A fun entry rapid off a perfect 30 footer...Why Not?

Making sure that if the rock feel I would be safe...cool geography is kind of just the norm in Norway.

Gerd Serrseolses having a perfect line off Big Girl...I've known about this drop for a long time now and I was very intimidated by it in person.

A Go Pro freeze of myself on the reconnecter...super pumped that we stepped up to run this guy!!!!

Anton having a sick line off Big Girl!

This was a really cool drop...slide, boof, ferry, DROP! Love the combos...

Gerd scouting a massive Uganda hole on the Dagali's Zambezi Section.

Gerd routing first on another clean clean fallllllllssssssssss!

Mr. Papa Mathias showing us the way on the Skoksoa.

Papa getting twisted on the California section of the Austbygd.

Local paddler Morten running the perfect 30!

Sweden on the first 2 drop of the Homerun Combo.

Then you got 3 & 4 right downstream...super fun set of falls to park and huck.

The Skoksoa stout...it was a bit bumpy...probably a 40-45 footer! 

Sweden doing a brown down some granite that is as smooth as Dinkey creek itself!

Sweden running some nice slides in Telemark...you can see the Minnesota style here.

The tin-ish looking brown water of Telemark reminded me of the East Coast here in the US. 

This shot was taken at 11pm right when we took out on the Skoksoa! So sick to be able to put on a 6 mile class V run at 8pm and feel good about it.

Looking back on my trip to Norway sitting here in the dinning room of my parents house...I couldn't be more stoked! Having had the Norwegian dream for sometime now, I feel fortunate to say that I got to visit Telemark so late in the season. With out realizing how epic is was down there prior to my trip, it wasn't on our agenda...but after tasting the nectar of the goods...Telemark is a MUST when planning a trip to Norway. When I go back to Scandinavia...which I promise won't take me another 23 years ;) May-Aug will be my time frame...I'm doin' the whole season! Get ready for the Norway Teaser which will be coming right after Episode 11 drops in a few days!

Later E.G.

Voss Norway!

There are few places on earth that have caught my eye like the Scandinavian country of Norway. For years I have seen pictures and videos from this amazing country and couldn’t wait until it was my turn to go find myself in the Fjords and rivers of Norway. Basically I have said, “I’m going to Norway this year” for the past 5 years! Finally I made the move and bought a plane ticket to the city of Bergen on the West Coast.

Meeting up with Fred in Amsterdam our European odyssey began! Arriving in the land of whitewater and fjords we were greeted by a long train ride through countless tunnels and right past many of the rivers we would soon run. It took us a while to find the crew in the small village of Voss, but once we did...it was on!

We drove directly to the Brandset River. Greeted by amazing clear water and countless sick slides, holes, and drops this river really delivered a true intro to what we were going to find the next month! What cam next is a blur of amazing kayaking, meeting tons of people, partying all night in the Veko Extreme Week tent, and scaring ourselves daily on the local rivers.

My personal favorite river in the area has to be the Teigdal. It starts off a fairly low volume creek with technical gorged in waterfalls and slides of the tastiest variety...and as it continues down the valley gaining water, the Teigdal climaxes in a orgasmic blend of beauty and raw emotionless power at the Double Drop! A perfect 30 treat layer right off a 30-40 foot step-down church falls! Quite a sight to behold and an even better feeling deep inside the loins!

We were blessed to watch Aniol really push the limits of what is possible in a kayak here, day after day...with fearless motivation Aniol back freewheeled both tiers a few different times. On his last attempt, after already cleaning this moves 3 times prior, he got off line and landed hard on a rock shelf. After a few weeks of Norwegian doctors terribly diagnosing him...we finally found out he fractured his L5 vertebra. Aniol will be back on the charge before we know it! Pssssssssssss Cobra!

Here is the rundown of the days we paddled in Voss:

Day 1- Upper & Lower Brandset River
Day 2- Upper & Lower Brandset (high) + Teigdalselvi Double Drop
Day 3- Teigdalselvi
Day 4- Urdlandselvi
Day 5- Exsingdal 70 footer + Teigdal
Day 6- Jordalselvi
Day 7- Brandset race training
 Day 8- Brandset Race + Team Race
Day 9- Money Drop
Day 10- Double Drop High
Day 11- Day Off
Day 12- Teigdal (Aniol Hurt)
Day 13- Todo Urdland
Day 14- Lower Myrkdalselvi
Day 15- Tysselva + Leave Voss

Here are some photos that I took during my stay in Voss.

Aniol Back Freewheeling the first tier of the Double Drop.

Anton dropping into a high than recommended Lower Myrkdal

Benji Hjort at the top of the massive Tysselva Slide...we had some high water on this beast.

Myself on my first lap down the Double Drop...used the old trusty Jefe Grande for two days before my boat showed up!

Dr. Gnar operating a full cavity search on the Teigdal!

Mr. Dirty Gerd running a big volume slide on the Myrkdal.

This is my personal favorite shot I took. Sam Sutton having the line of the day on the Tysselva Slide!

POV booting the sh*t out of Double Drop!

Bomb Flow strap job!

This is the Nick Turner drop from Valhalla, he named it Lucas Falls after his late bro who passed away on the North Fork years ago...Urdlandselvi!  

Another beautiful Norwegian horizon line! 

Here are some photos that our Swedish friend Mikael took in Voss.

Eric Dugil going very fast in the pink boat and WINNING the Voss Race!

Dialing the lines in on the Brandset race course.

Race Day. Came in 4th place in a field of true racers...not bad for a so called park and hucker ;)

Josh Neilson showing us the lines...very scenic place!

Aniol on the ‘HIGH' day at Double Drop!

Myself launching a massive boof up top! 

Freddy Getting Freaky...look at how much water is going off this puppy. 

Aniol ran it 3 times that day...heavy flow!

High Fives!

COBRA STYLE

Dr. Gnar doing an autopsy...  

They put a sign there just for me!

Aniol on some juicy money drop!

Myself about to go deep in the money sauce!

Gerd getting tight on the first drop of the Urdland...

1st stage of the double...Urdland!

2nd Stage of the double...Urdland!

Anton second boof of the double set!

Gerd running Lucas Falls on the Urdland...right above the confluence with the Raundal.

Sweden doing some work on the Urdland!

Making our way down the Myrk!

This rapid is called Holy Diver!

Gerd Holy Diver!

Anton Holy Diver! Lower Myrk!

Mr. Basso...feeling the fear on the Myrkdal!!!!!!

So Voss is just one of those places...like Hood River, Pucon, Asheville, Etc...It’s got a ton of boating really close to a cool town. So its a win win for kayakers and extreme athletes alike! I feel in love with this place when the sun didn’t set and we were able to paddle 2-3-4 rivers a day! Its all time epicness and we only scratched the surface of what there is! Thanks to everyone who made our stay in Voss so epic. Mathias Fossum, Erik Martinson, Mark Basso, and the local community for putting up with our non-sense!

Later E.G.