Fat Paddler

Horrific car accidents, the Bali bombing, too many sausages ... Sean Smith survived them all. This is one man's story of his journey back to health and fitness and recapturing his passion for life....

On 31 October 2011 James Castrission and Justin Jones set out to achieve 'one of the last great polar adventures' - an unsupported return journey from the edge of the Antarctic continent to the South Pole. This is a quest that has been attempted by many experienced polar explorers before them...and all have failed. This book details everything - the preparation, the setbacks, the outset, the highs and the lows - all in brutally honest detail. This expedition is the modern-day equivalent of the exploits of Scott, Amundsen and Shackleton and Castrission and Jones man-hauled a pulk (with 200kg of provisions each), utilising prevailing winds with kites when possible. Why do this? Through realising a childhood dream and committing themselves to a groundbreaking expedition, these two intrepid blokes hope to inspire others to overcome fear and pursue their own adventures and dreams.

A guide to sea kayaking in surf and along rocky coastlines in extreme weather conditions. Anecdotes and photographs of spectacular situations are included.

A new volume in the Handbook of Sports Medicine and Science series from the International Olympic Committee, this volume Canoeing provides an accessible and comprehensive summary of the topic. Provides a concise, authoritative overview of the science, medicine and psycho-social aspects of canoeing Offers guidance on medical aspects unique to the training and coaching of canoe athletes The only book on this subject endorsed by the Medical Commission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Canoe Federation (ICF) Written and edited by global thought leaders in sports medicine

29 STORIES THAT ILLUSTRATE WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN SAFETY IS LEFT ON SHORE Sea Kayaker's Deep Trouble was a bestselling warning to kayakers: Do not let ignorance or arrogance get you hurt or even killed. Thousands heeded Deep Trouble's tales of tragedy; but even with the benefits of evolving technology and more safety options, kayakers still fall prey to human error. To renew the cautious attitude of seasoned paddlers and to instill safe practices in kayaking newbies, Sea Kayaker's More Deep Trouble presents more stories of kayaking trials, rescues, and tragedy. In these 29 stories collected from Sea Kayaker magazine, survivors and witnesses tell of their experiences with the dangers and risks of kayaking. You will feel the cold rush of water when paddlers fall in, the panic they feel when they do not know how to rescue themselves, and the anxiousness of loved ones waiting to hear any news. You will learn how whale watching could cost you your life, how life-saving electronics are only as good as the batteries you have in them, and how a float plan can initiate a timely search and rescue. End-of-story Lessons Learned summaries suggest what to do if you find yourself in similar unfortunate situations. Read these tales, understand the lessons learned in these incidents, and respect the advice given as you take your next kayaking adventure. This tome of danger and survival may ultimately save your life.

Ross McIntyre and his wife Jean spent 40 years together paddling the great wilderness rivers of North America. Paddle Beads is Ross's inspirational and moving memoir of those trips and the resultant lifetime journey they took together. For those whose hands have not yet grown a paddle callus, McIntyre offers a glimpse of what to expect as a canoe paddle becomes a real companion. For those with miles of water behind and more to come, these pieces will vividly bring back the sensation as the bow rises on a wave or as the canoe leans into a turn. And for those who are content to sit comfortably at the fireside and dream about the way things should be, Paddle Beads will take your imagination on a lasting journey. ---------------- "Paddle Beads is a deeply sensitive, introspective view of how wild places and the magic of canoes shape the human spirit. Masterfully written and rich with life lessons, the author's passion for adventure and his respect for humanity shine through on every page. I simply couldn't put this book down!" Cliff Jacobson

In 1789, Alexander Mackenzie travelled the 1,125 miles of the immense river in Canada that now bears his name, in search of the fabled Northwest Passage. In 2016, the acclaimed memoirist Brian Castner retraced Mackenzie's route by canoe in a grueling journey—in search of Mackenzie's Passage 200 years later. Disappointment River is a dual historical narrative and travel memoir that at once transports readers back to the heroic age of North American exploration and places them in a still rugged but increasingly fragile Arctic wilderness in the process of profound alteration by the dual forces of energy extraction and climate change. Fourteen years before Lewis and Clark, Mackenzie set off to cross the continent of North America with a team of voyageurs and Chipewyan guides. In this book, Brian Castner not only retells the story of Mackenzie's epic voyages in vivid prose, he personally retraces his travels in an 1,125-mile canoe voyage down the river that bears his name, battling exhaustion, exposure, mosquitoes, white water rapids and the threat of bears. He transports readers to a world rarely glimpsed in the media, of tar sands, thawing permafrost, remote indigenous villages and, at the end, a wide open Arctic Ocean that has the potential of becoming a far-northern Mississippi of barges and pipelines and oil money.