Welcome to www.joeoblenis.com

July 22ndth, 2010 Update:

    Ticket is now booked to get to BC next month. Expecting to launch early in the third week of August. Going shopping this weekend for a Spot Messenger and a new VHF Marine Radio.

   Training has been, well, less that what I'd planned. Too much time spent working, filling orders for my custom paddles. Oh well, ready or not...time to go west and get the job done. 16 days of pain...and I can hardly wait!!! 

June 12th, 2010 Update:

   Good news and bad news. Good news is that orders for my custom built paddles have been far higher than expected and it has kept be busier than planned as I try to keep from falling too far behind. As of now, I'm only about 12 paddles behind rather than the 40+ that had been on order and keeping me busy.

   Bad news is that this has drastically limited my training time. I feel I have the fitness now to match my former record set in 2007 but need more training in order to have a real shot at reclaiming the record once again. Add to that an injury from a few days ago while out cycling and having a very stupid person suddenly open her door while parked on a very busy street, resulting in a head first crash into the door frame (hard enough to spring the door on her SUV to the point it would be going in to the bodyshop) and things are on hold for now for Vancouver Island.

   The next window of opportunity for me to head to BC is in early August, just after we host Helen Wilson from Arcata California for a weekend of Rolling Clinics and Greenland style paddling. I'll post the new date of departure as soon as I have it all set up. The expedition is still a go though and training resumes tomorrow, sore shoulders, neck etc or not).

PAST NEWS: 

    I am happy to announce that, once again, Kokatat is on board as a sponsor for my sea kayaking expedition this summer around Vancouver Island in an attempt to reclaim the speed record.

March 30th, 2010 Update:

Newest Sponsors to come on board....

Kayalu...

New and innovative company with a variety of camera mounts, deck mounted lights etc. I was so impressed with these after being approached in regards to being a sponsor for the Vancouver Island Expedition that I decided to bring in a few extras for those wishing to pick one up (several units already have been scooped up by other paddlers here and abroad) 

 Kayakpro/ Speedstroke kayak Ergometers

The Speedstroke kayak gym has been a HUGE asset during the winter months for training. Very smooth, very efficient and with a realistic feel, adjustable tension and computerized feedback and results. Priceless peice of equipment

Due to arrive on April 9th...a very fast sea kayak...the Kayakpro Marlin! 

 March 2, 2010:

Here is a recent artcile that went up on the Canoe & kayak Magazine's online site:

http://canoekayak.com/kayak/lapping-the-island/

This was just after I was interviewed regarding this Junes expedition to reclaim the record. Getting close now, just over three months to go!!

Watch for the June issue of Canoe & Kayak Magazine for a small piece on the expedition.  The magazine should be out a couple weeks before the start of the expedition (aiming to launch around the 15th of June).

 February 10th, Update:

   Well the new Speedstroke Kayak Gym arrived a few days ago and it is simply amazing! The stroke is very natural and smooth, there is adjustable tension, a computerized console for instant feedback on stroke rate, heart rate, power output in watts, calories burned, distance etc. 

Simply an amazing piece of equipment!  Anyone in the Thunder Bay region, or if passing through, contact me if you'd like to demo it. They are worth every penny if you want to improve your on water performance. 

Needless to say this will form a large part of my training for the Vancouver Island expedition this summer. 

Also due to arrive any day now is my new Garmin Forerunner 305, GPS enable heart rate monitor.

The goal of the expedition? Roughly 1150 kilometers in under 17 days! Included in this are tidal rapids with currents of up to 16 knots. Areas prone to high winds (last time I did this I encountered headwinds for 18 of the first 19 days), and the highly exposed, rugged west coast of the island with the full brunt of the Pacific rolling in...sound like fun? Sure does to me. Bring on the Pain!!!

The launch date is tentatively set for June 15th, depending on weather conditions. Ideally,  this would set me for completing the expedition and getting the speed record back on July 1st... Canada Day!

September 16th, 2009:

 2010 Vancouver Island Speed Record... June 15th is the tentative launch date for the circumnavigation to reclaim the speed record for circumnavigating the island by sea kayak. If all goes as planned, I'll be spending Canada Day next July 1st celebrating the new speed record. 

Throughout the coming months I'll keep updating this page with new information, training progress, equipment to be used and so forth. It's going to be fun....follow along ;)

POSTPONED until June 2010.

     Originally planning an early September launch to reclaim the speed record, I've had to make the decision to postpone the expedition until June 2010.  As some of you may or may not know, I recently made the plunge by quitting my "Day job" and concentrating on building up my paddle business. I'm building custom Greenland Paddles as well as canoe paddles, both straight shaft and bent shaft, and have been shipping paddles as far away as the U.K., California, Alaska etc. I'm now building a pair of paddles to send to a customer in South America as well so sales have certainly expeanded. In order to make this venture work, right now I need to concentrate on building paddles and getting them into peoples hands. 

    The expedtion around Vancouver Island will be a great way to promotoe the Greenland Paddles as well but it must now wait until next June.  The expedition is most certainly NOT cancelled, just postponed.

Cheers...Joe O' 

16 Days of PAIN!  

 OVERVIEW:

      Well here we go again. Back in 2007, I had set out to beat the old solo record for circumnavigating British Columbia's rugged and exposed Vancouver Island.  Mission accomplished. In 2008, British kayak sensation Sean Morley lowered the bar and set a new mark. Looks like it is time for me to head back to the West Coast and go for another lap around the Island!

      For this years expedition, I'll be paddling exclusively with my own Greenland  Paddles and will count on their superior perfomance in helping me log the distance required, day in and day out as I make my way around the island. The fact that these paddles are so much less fatigueing and thus much easier on the body are one of the key advantages of this style of paddle. In fact, not only will they help me on the water, they will also partialy finance the expedition this year. As some of you may know, I sell a few paddles here and there so will be taking a portion from every paddle I build and sell this season to put towards the expedition.