Bellyaking Upper Gauley – The Maiden Voyage

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What’s the Biggest Thing You’ve Done on That?

There’s an unwritten expectation in every ‘extreme’ outdoor sport: size matters. People want to know what the biggest, baddest, gnarliest thing you’ve done. Not how well or how graceful you’ve done average things, but what is the biggest thing you’ve survived? Do you even Class V, bro?

Even the Squirrels are Scared

The Upper Gauley River, in West ‘by god’ Virginia, has long been the bedrock class V run of every aspiring kayaker. It’s a big, powerful river with multiple places that can kill you dead if you get off line. More nervous shits have been taken at the put in of this iconic run than possibly any other run in the world. It’s not that technical by Southeastern standards, as the lines have a pretty wide margin of error measured in feet, not inches. But the real danger are the undercut rocks, and the long intense rapids. This run had been causing me anxiety since I first decided to run it in a bellyak in 2012, but didn’t actually run it til 2016. I had kayaked the Upper Gauley as a teenager and I remember the anticipation of paddling it was much worse than the actual run. But this was different. I was paddling a boat that I was only attached to by gravity, with nothing but my hands to propel me. I was remembering stories of my Uncle Allen clawing off his fingernails trying to get out from an undercut, tales of kids dying in siphon suck sieves and hydraulics so big squirrels were getting torn out of trees. Thinking about how bad it would be for the brand if I screwed up and lost my boat, I was putting a lot of pressure on myself.

Self Preservation vs. Cajones

Friday morning of Gauley Fest, 2016, I woke up sweaty in my minivan to a blue sky day with highs in the 70s. I hemmed. I hawed. My “high sense of self preservation” was in overdrive. I knew deep down my skill level was far greater than the size of my balls and none of my friends doubted my ability to get down the run gracefully. I just doubted myself. Eli Helbert, one of the best OC1 paddlers in the world, told me to basically get in the car and let’s go, I could follow him down the river. So I went.

View from the bellyak of Canoe Guru, Eli Helbert

The Canoe Guru, Eli Helbert…none better to follow in the world.

Nervous Shits and a Fleece Lined Wetsuit

The put-in was clogged with rafters, kayakers, long lines at the porta-potties, and throngs of people congregated together in various states of undress, pounding light beer and chain-smoking. If these people could make it, even in a raft, I was good to go. I found a porta-potty willing to take some abuse, put on my NRS Radiant fleece lined wetsuit (my favorite piece of gear) and got in the water, away from the crowds.

Nothing But Plastic Between Us

As soon as I get on my bellyak and pushed away from shore, my anticipation anxiety is replaced with a feeling of being completely comfortable and relaxed. Maybe it’s because I designed the bellyak and know it like the back of my hand. Or because I’ve spent thousands of hours training for this moment. Or maybe it’s because the unencumbered swimming motion of a bellyak is more natural than ‘sitting’ in a kayak. Whatever it was, I was grateful to be in the water and get downstream, with nothing between the river and me but a hollow piece of plastic.

A SUP, Canoe, Kayak and bellyak on the Upper Gauley

A SUP a canoe, a kayak and a bellyak set off on the Upper Gauley…

Game On

The run was awesome. After a few pucker factor moments in the first big rapid, Insignificant, I was good to go. We had an odd crew: Spencer Lacy on SUP, Eli in his Canoe, me in my bellyak, and a handful of kayakers. I ran everything except for what I didn’t. I didn’t run Iron Ring. Wasn’t feeling it. Don’t care. I always listen to my gut. I took the adventure race line on far river left instead. Someone else can get the first D on Iron Ring. You’re welcome!

Eli Helbert showing me on my bellyak the way down the river

“Come this way”

View from the bellyak of Eli Helbert running the second half of the Insignificant rapid

Second Half of Insignificant

 

Legend in My Own Mind

The feeling of getting past the big rapids on a run is like waking up the day after exams are over and knowing you passed. Equal parts relief and exhilaration. In the Guinness Book of World Records for things that tens of people care about, I was the first to prone whitewater paddle the Upper Gauley. The same day a nine year old successfully kayaked the Upper Gauley and another guy did it in a drift boat he built himself. But I was the first to do it on a boat I designed for a sport I invented.

 

Bellyak’s Features Athletes of the Month; Luciano Menezes and Jess Rustine

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Lucy and Jess
Luciano Menezes
Luciano was born and raised in Salvador, Brazil where he grew up on the beach. He learned to swim at a young age to help overcome asthma and became a natural water lover. As the story goes, Luciano got turned onto surfing in his teens where he learned how to overcome many of the fears that come with water and its forces.
When Luciano heard about the Bellyak Progression Clinic he said, “I was really excited about the idea because I missed having fun in the water, and Bellyak was the closest to surf I could find since moving to Asheville. My previous experience with surf definitely helped a lot, but I still had and will have to overcome fear. Nature is very powerful and I respect it a lot.”
Luciano was certainly a natural from day one in the way he worked with the water rather than trying to work against it, which most newbie paddlers tend to do. Once we found a helmet that would fit over his massive dreadlocks, we took Luciano from class II whitewater to successfully running the Ocoee in just 6 weeks time. And dare I say he “styled it.”
The most pivotal growth occurred on the Pigeon River Gorge in Tennessee, which Luciano took 5 laps on before moving on. Beginning by taking the easy lines down and progressing to catching every eddie and surfing the big wave at the bottom of Double Reactionary. He was ready to step it up and that he did.
Bellyak is excited to announce Luciano as one of our athletes of the month and equally as excited to follow him in his future Bellyak endeavors.
“I like the idea of continuing to learn and teaching other people what it’s like to have the same fun as I had. Bellyak is a new concept which I’m sure we will see more and more people join in and learning this new way of surfing the rivers.”
     Luciano Menezes
 Luciano
Jess Rustine
Jess Rustine is a light-hearted gal with a creative soul and now a graduate from Bellyak Progression Clinic! Jess only smiles when she is on the river and she proved that attitude is everything. She may have been the least likely candidate to become Bellyak’s V.I.P. of the month since her previous water experience only involved floating down a river on a raft with beer in one hand and sunscreen in the other. When others were fearful and timid, Jess looked only at the lines she wanted to run and pictured success in her mind with a big smile on her face. As most of us know it can be easy to focus on the places we do not want to be on the river and that is where we usually end up, but Jess never once focused on the negative.
“After attending eight classes I was on a class III+ whitewater river and crushing it! I say that not to brag, but to show how fast it is to get a feel for the Bellyak and how comfortable you can become on a river that intense so soon. I’d never imagined myself on a river such as the Ocoee after my first couple classes. This brings me to my third love of Bellyak (and most surprising to myself), the THRILL! I absolutely love hitting big water and get a kick out of flying over wave trains. It felt amazing to be so close to the water having to use my arms as a guide and body to steer, the Bellyak really helps you connect to the water.”
       Jess Rustine
Jess is now in the frequent Bellyaker club and looks forward to continuing to refine her skills and learning more about whitewater. She plans to become an Instructor in the future so keep an eye out for her!
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No Rapids Necessary…Frequency Fun on Flatwater

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That Actually Looks Fun!

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We hear that all the time…and we understand. New concepts are hard to grasp, generally resisted and often ridiculed. I know…I’ve experienced it first hand. When I first launched Bellyak in late 2012 I thought that the world would embrace my new idea for the self evident truth of it’s own awesomeness. I thought that I’d be rich by now and not driving a 10 year old minivan with over 200,000 miles. All the advice I got early on was that it takes time…give it five years…everything will cost twice as much and take three times as long. But I was fired up and passionate, and thought I could do it quicker. At that time the world was rapidly getting into SUP, and kayaking was still grabbing the headlines and the imaginations of the masses.

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hey…that actually looks fun!

Kayaking is cool. It’s where I came from. It’s amazing what people are able to do. And, at the same time, sprayskirts are archaic, and probably the biggest reason more people don’t get into paddlesports. We didn’t set out to replace kayaking, or create something better, or do something for the sake of being different, or create something for people “who can’t kayak.” We created the Bellyak. It stands on it’s own. You can’t compare it to anything, because there is nothing like it. It’s like swimming, but enhanced. It’s like kayaking, in that you are in your own boat and can carve, surf and catch eddies. To feel the water with your hands, to see the currents at face level, to feel the currents along your entire body as opposed to your butt or just your feet…there is nothing like it in the world.

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That’s right!

We like to think of ourselves as disruptors…disrupting the way paddlesports has always been done not for the sake of disruption, but purely in the pursuit of fun. That’s it. If it wasn’t fun, exhilarating and engaging, I would have never taken the time to refine my ideas and take the risk of putting it out there.  We’ve been around long enough, and trained enough people, to know that most everyone who tries it has a 180 degree shift in perception between what they think it is…and what it actually is. We’ve seen people with no whitewater skill crush Class III within minutes…we’ve seen Class V kayakers get worked on Class II in the Bellyak.  The learning curve is quick, but there is a curve. It comes down to humility…working with and not against the water. Will you join us? It actually IS fun:)

Freedom on the River

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Team Bellyak Profile: William Blakely

I’m a seventeen year old adaptive athlete who uses a wheelchair. Paddling a bellyak has changed my life by giving me freedom from my wheelchair for a few hours and enabling me to get on the river and paddle with my mom and friends.

Background:

I was born with cerebral palsy. Paddling a regular kayak is difficult for me because of the metal plates in my hips, and the spasticity in my leg muscles and paddling a bellyak makes it so much easier. After enjoying demoing the bellyak provided by founder Adam Masters, I decided that I wanted one. Well, Mom got me my own bellyak for Christmas last year. I’ve already taken it on the Cartecay and the metro hooch, and loved it.

If I got the opportunity, I would like to take lessons from Adam on how to control my bellyak better, and anything else that Adam could teach me would be helpful for future trips down the river.

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To read more of William’s writing, check him out at: https://yoocanfind.com/Story/1097/world-cerebal-palsy-day-2017#!

Bellyak Announces 2016 Clinics

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Want to learn the language of whitewater in a fun and supportive environment with some of the worlds best Bellyakers? Adam Masters and Jamie MacLeod will be teaching a Quickstart Demos, One Day Intro to Whitewater and our Bellyak Progression Clinics.

Rupert

Quickstart Demos:

These will be held once a week in Asheville on the French Broad River…we’ll be announcing our locations via our Facebook Page each week. These are a quick and easy way to hop on a bellyak and test out our models to see which one is right for you…we’ll provide the boat and the gear and let you hop on and check it out! These are free to the public…just drop us a line and let us know you’re coming!

 

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Intro to Whitewater:

This class is for someone new to whitewater who wants to learn the ins and outs of moving water.

What you will learn:

-How to mount

– forward stroke and turning strokes

-water reading: understanding currents and features

-remounting

These courses will be taught on the Tuckaseegee River in Dillsboro NC, dates to be announced early May. Please contact us for pricing and availability!

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Bellyak Progression Clinic:

Want to do more than just try it once? Want to get better, to learn skills to take others out on the river? Then the Bellyak Progression Clinic is for you! This eight week course will take you from zero to bellyak hero….we will be using the Tuckaseegee, French Broad, Nantahala, Pigeon and Ocoee Rivers…beginning with the Intro to Whitewater skills then progressing each week in skills and fun to get you certified to be a Bellyak Instructor. You are guaranteed to have fun, and upon completion will be eligible to be a Bellyak Ambassador (more details coming very soon!)

Jamie

Please, contact us today to find out more. We will be releasing the full course schedule, pricing and curriculum very soon!

How Bellyaks are Made

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A kayak and a surfboard walked into a bar….and some months later a Bellyak was born.  That’s how they were originally made. How are they reproduced?   They are made the same way almost all kayaks are made, by rotational molding. The methods and best practices of roto-molding kayaks were pioneered by Bill Masters of Perception Kayaks. Bill sold Perception in 1998, and some of the key players at Perception went on to form Liquid Logic Kayaks.  Adam Masters (founder of Bellyak and son of Bill) came up with his concept of ‘lay on top kayaking’ and formed Bellyak. For the first few years Bellyaks were rotomolded in Canton GA, but now Bellyak, Inc. is proud to partner with BIG Adventures based out of Fletcher NC as their molder. BIG Adventures molds for Liquid Logic and Native Kayaks, and are some of the best rotomolders in the business! This means you get the world class quality and durability Liquid Logic boats are known for known for combined with Bellyak’s innovative designs! Bellyaks are now entirely designed and made local to Asheville NC, following the legacy of quality and innovation started by Perception Kayaks.

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Bellyaks cooling alongside a Braaap and a Mullet…keepin it local!

We will be using the same bombproof resin that Liquid Logic boats are known for along new colors!

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New Bellyaks are shipping now!

Accessible for All: Bellyaking with Paralysis

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Kyle Morgan is a C5-6 quadriplegic due to an automobile accident in 2010. Pre-injury he was an outgoing young man seeking a career in the U.S Army. After one night of celebrating, his life was torn into pieces.

“The most challenging part about dealing with paralysis isn’t that you can’t walk anymore, it’s not being able to do any of the things I used too,” Kyle said. “I was always outdoors and involved in sports, after my accident I thought all those days were over.”

Moving On

After two years of being bound to a fully power assisted wheelchair Kyle had had enough. He moved from a small town in Western North Carolina to the state’s capital: Raleigh, NC. He began physical therapy and pushed himself daily. He graduated to a power assisted manual chair and didn’t stop there. He began playing Murder Ball (Wheelchair Rugby), but due to the cost of the sports equipment and travel expense he had to put it on hold. That set back didn’t stop him though. He came across a new sport called Bellyaking and reached out to the CEO Adam Masters.

“When I saw the Bellyak I knew I could use it,” Kyle said. “I always loved swimming pre-injury but afterwards being a quadriplegic I felt as if swimming was a thing of the past.”

A Partnership is Formed

Adam liked Kyle’s attitude so much he lent him a Bellyak to try out.

“The moment I got on the Bellyak and was pushed into the water I felt comfortable and actually very safe.” Kyle said, “Due to the Bellyak having a low center of gravity the boats are incredibly stable. I was unaware of the workout I was getting until after about 30 minutes when I got into my chair I couldn’t push myself back to my van. It was by far the best workout I’ve ever had.”

The Best Bits

The best part about the Bellyak stepping into the adaptive sports community is it’s cost efficient. Sports such as Handcycling, Murder Ball and wheelchair basketball cost around $3,000 to start. A Bellyak – complete with paddle gloves and a rear skeg (fin) – is $695 out the door. On top of it being new to the world of adaptive sports, Adam Masters is making minor adjustments to make it more comfortable for those with skin issues. These boats are ready to use right off of the shelf.

Kyle’s new motto: “I may not have 100 percent, but I use 100 percent of what I have.”

Kyle Morgan is on Team Bellyak as an adaptive athlete and an active ambassador to help the differently-abled get on the water. Kyle is also “Chief Motivator.”

See Kyle’s story on video here.

Just add water! Pure Fun

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You don’t need a river or a wave to have fun on a bellyak. Like to swim and be in the water? Then the bellyak will enhance your aquatic experience by helping you become one with the water. Are you a resort owner looking to add another activity for your guests? Do you have an adventure center that is looking for something that is new, easy to do yet challenging?

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Perfect for kids of all ages, guaranteed to make you smile!

Stackable!

 

 

 

Don't you want to be this happy?

Don’t you want to be this happy?

LaurenSurf

Lightweight and Portable, easy to take to wherever the water is!

As always, Designed and Made in the USA for the World!

As always, Designed and Made in the USA for the World!

Cold Weather Bellyaking: How to Stay Warm in the River

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A little bit cold

A little bit cold

Winter time doesn’t exactly conjure up sunny images of days on the water floating lazily with your friends. In fact, it never does. But if you’ve been bit by the prone kayaking bug, waiting on warmer temps isn’t reasonable. Here are some pointers to get the most out of your wintertime bellyaking exploits:

You will be in the water, so dress to swim.

A drysuit is a substantial investment but the most valuable piece of gear you can own. Not only will it keep your layers completely dry, it will block the wind and eliminate evaporative heat loss. We recommend the Immersion Research Arch Rival, which has the best combination of features and value of any suit around. Under your drysuit, a fleece union suit is ideal, as the one piece design will not restrict your movements or create any seams that would be uncomfortable to lay on.

Remember Your Feet

Around here at Team Bellyak we are big fans of Astral Footwear. The Brewer and the Rassler are both ideal shoes for prone kayaking fun. Lightweight, quick draining and superior grip on all surfaces make them the ideal watersports shoe. They work very well with a drysuit too.

The Astral Rassler

The Astral Rassler

Now to your Hands and your Head

A warm fleece or neoprene hood under your helmet will help significantly to keep the rest of your body warm. The our bellyak Gloves will keep your hands fairly warm, and for extra cool temperatures a pair of thin wool gloves worn inside the webbed gloves will assist you maintaining dexterity and comfort while paddling in cold water.

Neoprene Gloves will help keep hands warm

Neoprene Gloves will help keep hands warm

Other Alternatives

A wetsuit/drytop combination is a good choice if you don’t have a drysuit. Remember, you are essentially swimming the river so take into consideration the combined water and air temp and dress warmer than you think.

Drytop/Wetsuit Combo

Drytop/Wetsuit Combo

Layers Layers Layers

Weather can change in a heart beat, and cold water shock is a very real possibility. Always bring layers with stored in a Drybag to keep them, well, dry, so you can put them on in a moments notice and warm up.

Remember, you’re dressing for the water temperature – not the air temperature, so be smart and you will have the most fun!