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Biggest expeditions? Lindgren, Sturges, Jennings, Grace, Ammons et all:
Go ahead and suck it, because apparently the biggest expedition to date is underway right now...
Hi Clay,So sorry for the delay on this, but we have been in Africa since your request and as you would expect, we have been on the move chasing big river expeditions...This has been an amazing year with the addition of the Villain to the JK River running/ creek line up and that is saying a lot since I was absolutely in love with my Super Hero. In the spring of 2010, I received my first Villain and my first run in the boat was extremely telling of the attributes of the boat and my personal comfort and enthusiasm over the latest EJ/ DK design. My first run in my Villain was to make the first single day descent of the entire South Branch of the feather in just 5 hours with Chris Korbulic. Later Chris and I combined for a number of notable speed descents including back to back to back runs on Cali's North Kings , then an Upper Cherry Run, and another north Kings equalling 30 miles of hiking and 40miles of class 5 boating in just 4 days (with Chris going on to make a 5th day, completing the first one day descemt of the North Fork San Joaquin solo). Nearing the end of the world famous California season, we were ready to take the Villain's one of a kind speed and agility to the next level. In only five days time, Chris Korbulic and I made two descents of California's Middle Kings including the fastest descent ever made of the 30 mile long Middle Kings (including the 12 mile hike in) in just 15 hours, continuing on to be the first to boat all the way through another 12 miles of the Kings Canyon section completing the entire Middle Kings/ Kings Canyon expedition in only 17 hours. After that I took the Villain to two great races first on the Tobin stretch of the North Feather and then to the first annual South Feather extreme race finishing 2nd and 3rd respectively. This is a notable accomplishment for me; and a tribute to the speed and ability of the Villain, considering that I am certainly not known as a racer.Right now I am wrighting you from Kigali Rwanda where again I am teaming with Chris Korbulic for biggest expedition to date. In two days time we will follow our TL, South African Hendri Coetzee, on the first ever attempt to run the headwaters of the Congo river from Lake Kivu on the boarder of Rwanda and Congo (DRC) 1000 miles to Kisangani, Congo (DRC). Please follow and link to our progress at clearh2ofilms.com and the Outside Online Blog.Thank you to everyone at Jackson Kayak for comprising the best team and kayak company in the business! Of course big thanks to EJ and David Knight for continuing to innovate the boat designs in all aspects of the sport!
Thanks,
Ben Stookesberry
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