January... Free presentation Seattle. On January 27th 2011 at 7.30 pm. Nigel will give an illustrated talk about kayaking near the Hudson Strait in Arctic Canada at the Phinney Neighborhood Center, Seattle, followed by a book signing of "Stepping Stones of Ungava and Labrador"
February... Presentation at Port Townsend WA ; Feb. 2, "Stepping Stones of Ungava and Labrador" (sea kayaking slide presentation followed by book signing)
February... Presentation at Sequim WA Feb. 3, "Stepping Stones of Ungava and Labrador" (sea kayaking slide presentation followed by book signing)
February... Presentation at Portland Or. "From Sea to Sea; Crossing southern France by Canal and River from the Med to the Atlantic." Saturday 19th Feb. at Portland Kayak Company.
March... Presentation at Anacortis WA, Hole in the Wall Paddling Club, Slide presentation... "Crossing the southern France by canal and river from Med. to Atlantic". Wed 9th March 2011. At Padilla Bay Center Interpretive Center, Anacortis WA.
April... presentation Olympia Mountaineers, WA. "Around the World to Paddle", at the Olympia Center, 222 Columbia St. NW, rooms 101-102. 7pm 6th April.
Portland Kayak 2011 Courses with Nigel and Kristin
April 9 & 10. "Directional control", in Portland Or. June 18 & 19. "Control in Wind" in Columbia Gorge July 18 & 19. "Coastal Oregon Paddling" at Cascade Head. Oct. 15 & 16 "Control in Wind" in Columbia Gorge.
Contact Portland kayak for more details & booking. Phone 503-459-4050 or e-mail paddle@portlandkayak.com
at REI Seattle... Nigel gave his illustrated talk about Baffin Island and Labrador, Friday 12th November 01
Kayaking from sea to sea across France... September 2010...
Nigel and Kristin recently returned from kayaking a blue Point65 DoubleShot across France from the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean. They began at the port of Sete, and journeyed through the canal du Midi to Toulouse. (Building the canal du Midi began the same year as the Great Fire of London, 1666)
Their route then followed the Garonne lateral canal and Garonne River, passed Bordeaux to the Gironde estuary and finished at Royan.
Although a wonderful late summer journey in itself, Nigel and Kristin also took side hikes to explore historic towns, shopped at local market places and sampled local wines on the way.
A big "thanks!" to Richard Ohman for all his help with logistics!
Nigel is now ready with a new slide presentation...
Nigel and Kristin were teaching at Portland Oregon 12-13 June, and on the Oregon Coast 14th-15th June with Portland Kayak Company. Great people and great weather!
Image; Jim Geltz taking off on a wave! (photo by Kristin Nelson)
May 28-31, 2010...This year's "West Michigan Coastal Kayakers Association" 21st annual symposium met with some of the most perfect weather imaginable! Warm, sunny and with warm water to play in! And as a bonus a great party atmosphere and dance with the Betsy Bay Band! Betsy's gutsy vocals carried the songs well into the night! Check out Al Anderson of the band (and of Betsy Bay Kayaks) playing saxaphones on "The Fabulous Horndogs, Live at the National Cherry Festival", and on "Dog Tracks".) (fabuloushorndogs.com) They have a big band sound, and play some great New Orleans style rhythm and blues.
Nigel's second visit as guest presenter (his first was seven years ago) came with an unbelievable full orange moon after the night paddlers returned one evening .. and on the next evening, an "after-midnight" thunderstorm with horizontal rain that cut off the power till next day...
Another main speaker was Michael Gray who is releasing his new book "Hey I'd Eat This at Home!" on sale at his Uncommon Adventures web site. It's a new camping cookbook with over 100 fresh
recipes
from 30 years of his exploring the world; to be
enjoyed inside as well as out. Michael has been presenting cooking classes at symposia for years, and promising to write a book. Finally it's here!
Nigel's May 2010 visit to Sweden and Denmark... check out Richard's blog.
Fantastic sunset over Stockholm skyline... could it have been caused by the volcanic ash from Iceland's Eyafjallajokull volcano?
Nigel is back from the 20th annual East Coast Canoe and Kayak Festival, James Island Charleston South Carolina, which was a great event! Every year it seems to get better! In May he'll be teaching in a variety of locations in Sweden... more details to follow.
Kristin Nelson, who recently suffered a dislocated finger while sea kayaking in Baja (more news later) is constructing her new KriKri web site. www.planetkrikri.com is modeled in the style of her colorful blog www.planetkrikri.blogspot.com It will supplement krikristudio.com, featuring both her ceramic lines; Krikri and VIT.
Please check it out and give her feedback!
The Aqua-Adventures symposium at Mission Bay San Diego went smoothly with great weather, great people and some fun new songs around the evening fire pit! Our thanks to the clubs who provided excellent food!
Thanks to Jake Stachovak (right) for his amusing slide presentation about his 5,000-mile solo "Portage to Portage" kayak trip! Thanks also for retrieving my paddle... taken by the wave in the background of the picture below... and to Adam for his help after that incident!
There seems to be a tradition of something memorable (sometimes
sketchy!) happening at every Aqua-Adventures symposium... this year most of the wild events waited till staff training in Baja... and there are several tales to be told! (cover your eyes when you look at the image, left, by Paul Carine) Be sure to ask Jen about them at next year's event!
The Sweetwater Kayaks symposium was a great success, with great people,
easy access to the water, slide presentations in the "Banana Boat" next door and a
Saturday night live performance by Sisemore Band at nearby
"Dave's Aqua-lounge".
...and some of us visited the Weeki Watchee River to see manatees... click image for YouTube video!
Portland Kayaks (Oregon) moved again into a yet larger multi-room premises! (just down the road form the old store)
Here the front room is cleared for a Nigel Foster slide presentation (10th Feb 2010) on Ungava and Labrador... promotion for his new book "Stepping Stones of Ungava and Labrador".
Nigel and Kristin joined Russell Farrow for the opening of the new water-side location of Sweetwater Kayaks October 17th 2009!
Beside mangrove channels with open
saltwater pools that remain warm all year round, it's an excellent place
to watch manatees and see birds such as ospreys, roseate spoonbills
and egrets. sweetwaterkayaks.com
Meet us there for the 2010 Paddling Symposium from 24-28 February 2010! Something for everybody; demos and classes in kayaks, canoes, paddle-boards, and fishing from sit-on-top kayaks!
2009: Portland Kayak Company has increased its square
footage yet again!!! Now there's a great space for presentations and even more
room for Foster Kayaks!!! Come to nigel's next classes in Portland and
on the Oregon Coast with PRC...
Rain in Baja Mexico brings the desert into flower! Aqua-Adventures Jen Kleck treated us to a trip to Baja, April 09 after the SW Sea Kayaking Symposium at San Diego... and there's a short video clip of rock-hopping on YouTube.
Venice 2009 plans Nigel and Kristin will return in 2009 for the 2009 Vogalonga event in Venice, a wonderful opportunity to kayak alongside gondolas and other paddle-powered craft in the Venice lagoon among the islands and through the canals of Venice itself.
Following Vogalonga they will be offering a week of tours, classes culminating with the 2nd Italian Sea Kayaking Symposium and the 1st Blue Lagoon Kayak Marathon based at the Capalonga campground about an hour from Venice.
Capalonga campground has a fleet of composite kayaks for rental throughout the camping season, including the Point65 kayaks Nigel, Kristin, Jen and Giorgio used for 2008 Vogalonga.
The new Whisky16 from Point65 arrived in San Diego March 28th in time for us to take it for a spin between the rocks on Pacific Baja coast! The verdict? Brilliant! What a great rock-hopping boat! Stable, maneuverable and fun!
Portland Kayak Company, of Portland Oregon USA, has moved into a bigger better space!
(6320 SW Macadam, right next door to the old Macadam
location). Sharing a 10,000 square foot building with FMC Watersports, there is a ton of room inside and out, and easier access to the river.
They kicked things off
April 5-6 with Nigel Foster and Kristin Nelson in town to teach "Directional Control". As usual, the classes were completely booked, and enthusiasm was brimming. Portland Kayak Company were among the
first to paddle Nigel's newest kayak design, the Whisky16.
Mike McKoane writes "Nigel hit it right on
the head again with another phenomenal kayak - an incredibly maneuverable, fun
boat to paddle. Portland Kayak Company will be receiving the first north
American shipment of Whisky 16's in early May!" Portland Kayak
Companywww.portlandkayak.com
6320 SW Macadam Ave.
Portland, OR. 97239
phone (503) 459-4050
fax (503)
459-4051
New Kayaks!
2008... the long-awaited Point65 sea kayaks by Nigel; one single, one double! Here are the Whisky16, (shown above); a rough-water playboat, and the DoubleShot to play where the singles go! Click on the image to read an interview with Nigel about the two kayaks and for more general information on the designs. For more photos of the Whisky16, see the end of the Kayaks section.
Does this mean Nigel is moving production of all his designs toPoint65? No, he's 100% committed to his existing relationships with Seaward Kayaks (Legend, Silhouette, Shadow) and with Current Designs (Rumour).
Take a sideways look at kayaking stuff you might not be aware of... with Nigel's blog; "kayaking stuff"
...and join Nigel and the Sea Kayaking group at Playak.net, where kayakers meet, greet, chat and exchange news... it's the "my space to paddle!"
New Book;"Seattle" by Joel Rogers.
Seattle sea kayaking pioneer and author of the classic sea kayaking book "The Hidden Coast" has just released the most stunningly beautiful coffee-table book about Seattle! Dancing between
water and mountains, container ships and orcas, blues clubs and community pea-patches,
Joel Rogers has somehow distilled with his perceptive photography everything distinctively Seattle. Presented with such powerful
photography it would be easy to overlook the sensitive and thought-provoking essays; text worthy of reading aloud. Well presented by Graphic Arts
Center Publishing Co. this is another landmark book!
Nice work Joel! Author- Photographer, Joel
W. Rogers Available now!
Publisher: Graphic Arts Center
Pub Co
ISBN-10: 155868865X
ISBN-13: 9781558688650 In Hardback; Price only US $19.95
Nigel and Kristin offered a slide presentation about kayaking in the Faeroe Islands to the kayak club; WAKE at Bellingham, Tuesday 8th January 08.
Our Portland Kayak Company weekend of September 22/23 07 arrived with sunshine, a little mist and plenty of waves. Thanks to Mike and his team for organizing such a great w/e and venue! Ben (from Baja) and Kristin survey the beach.
Nigel was at the Nuremberg Paddlesports Trade Show "Kanumesse" in Germany on Thursday-Sunday 13th-16th September 07 with the Point65 team (as pictured). Thank you to all the dealers and distributors who took time to visit him there! 2009 25-26th September you can meet Nigel and Kristin at thePoint65 booth at Kanumesse.
In August 07 Kristin and Nigel visited the Stockholm archipelago to teach kayak skills among the rocks and waves, then toured part of Sweden's west coast with a group from Orust Kayaks. In early September 07 they led a tour and ran classes in the Danish islands with Nicus Nature. Join them on similar programs in 2008!
Nigel was at the Outdoor Retail Trade Show at Salt Lake City this August 2007. He'd like to say thanks to everyone who took time to visit him at the Point65 stand, or here, on the beach, for the demo days!
After a great July 07 weekend on the Washington coast with Seattle Mountaineers Club , Nigel has posted some captioned photos. Check out Cape Flattery!
May 2007... Stockholm's new Kayak Center, PampasKajak, was officially opened on 23rd May after a day program of free on-water demos and classes, and was followed by an expedition slide presentation by Nigel Foster. Click on PampasKajak for more...
PampasKajak sells Nigel's "Seaward-built" Nigel Foster sea kayak designs "Legend, Silhouette and Shadow" as well as his paddles, and you'll also find the complete range of Point65 kayaks here too. The center is on the water (literally) so it's really easy to test-paddle kayaks.
Nigel's 2007 teaching venues with Kristin include New Zealand, (Feb-March 07, see some photos and notes under "Trip Reports") Scotland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway.... along with many of his usual favorite places in North America. Check out the San Diego symposium at the end of March (Aqua-Adventures), Ocean River in BC in April, followed by Florida (Sweetwater Kayaks... they have a symposium in February too) and the Charleston paddle festival. You'll find more information about Nigel's appearances and instruction if you check "instruction and tours".
...did you know Nigel Foster is now working with the Swedish kayak and clothing company Point65? It's a new relationship, less than a year old, yet Nigel has already slipped into the Point65 team, in charge of Research and Development. "It's a young, energetic and innovative company and the people are really fun to be around" explained Nigel. Check out the "Products" section, and also www.point65.com
Nigel's smallest sea kayak to date, the Rumour, went into production in 2006 with Current Designs. Targeted as a speedy 16-foot day-boat/play-boat for the smaller paddler, Nigel has been seen tumbling around in the Pacific coast in one from time to time, despite his 6-feet height and 160 pound weight. You'll see him in the video "This is the Sea, volume 1" by Justine Curgenven, slipping through the crystal clear waters of Florida's spring-fed rivers in one, seeking out manatees and exotic birds. (More info. in the "kayaks" section)
Nigel's "Sports-Pro" paddleappeared alongside the popular "Hi-Pro" in 2006. The "Sports-Pro" has a smaller blade of similar contoured foam-core construction as the "Hi-Pro" and comes in two alternative lay-ups; the original carbon-fiber, with its natural graphite appearance, and in fiber-glass with foam-core in a distinctive yellow blade of pleasing light weight. ... Distributed now in North America by Seaward Kayaks, by Nicus Nature in Denmark, and by Point65 through the rest of the world.
Canal du Midi
Buying supplies at a 
Camping beside the canal
sunsets...
interesting history...
New Book; "Seattle" by Joel Rogers.
Nigel was at the Nuremberg Paddlesports Trade Show "Kanumesse" in Germany on Thursday-Sunday 13th-16th September 07 with the Point65 team (as pictured). Thank you to all the dealers and distributors who took time to visit him there! 2009 25-26th September you can meet Nigel and Kristin at thePoint65 booth at Kanumesse.
After a great July 07 weekend on the Washington coast with Seattle Mountaineers Club , Nigel has posted some captioned photos. Check out 
May 2007... Stockholm's new Kayak Center, PampasKajak, 
