Rock Island Dec. 21, 2007

First time back to the Rock since I'd left Tennessee in the Spring. Had a great time hanging out with some of the good old boys from the shop. I can't wait to come back to work down here in Feb. after my trip to Equador. I fly out Jan. 2 and fly back on the 29th, so I'm super excited for that to happen. Anyways, enjoy the video....



Check it out here



Live from TN,

John McConvile
Justin Owen

Glade/Manns Creek, WV Friday Dec. 14

Manns Creek is one of the most full on creeks I've ever done. Its steep, continues, and has amazing 5 to 10 foot boofs all the way down till the very end. I had did the first mile once before but had never expected it to get even more intense downstream.


You start your day off at Babcock State Park with a cool slide into a waterfall right next to this old windmill.

Started out the day with Pete, Brad, Eric, Sam, and myself with the level reading 3". Here's Pete Iscaro running Pillagers Plunder.




Looking back upstream from the footbridge at the end of the first mile.



Off ramp wasn't to bad... Just don't get pushed to far right into that shelf and hit your ribs.




Here Sam shows us one way to get under a downed tree on Manns.

Manns creek dumps right into the start of the Lower New on river right. From there we paddled down the New to Keeney's Creek to where we had parked. In the End it was yet again another epic day for me in WV. I'm looking forward to the next...




John McConville

Gauley at 11,500cfs Tuesday Dec. 11

Since i got some steep creekin on Mill the day before it was time get get back in the play boat. The Gauley had spiked 4 times the normal 3,200cfs release level and hit at about 12,000cfs over the night. So Steven, EJ, Dane and I headed out to the Gauley river to get our surf on. What we found was like a playboaters dream.







This is the big rock you usually step down from to get to the rivers edge.




Remember that high energy hole just after Iron Ring? Well today it was about a 12 foot wave.






The only eddy's we could find to wait for a ride were in the trees.

Canyon Doors was full of perfect waves just waiting to be surfed. I will never forget the way that river made me feel. All that power just waiting to explode. Holes that would have no problem eating an in tire house and waves that give you that feeling that brings you back for more.


Live from WV, John McConville

Mill Creek WV monday Dec. 10

Monday started off like any other day in my life, wake up, check gages, and go boating. Little did i know i would end up doing 4 laps on Mill Creek. Just another one of those epic days in WV.



Here's Mill Creek Falls just one of the of the great waterfalls on this river.

Powder House was the rapid that made me most nerves. There was this nasty crack in the wall (bottom left) that you didn't want to get stuck in. Peyton Love, Justin Burd, and Matt Smink took off after there first run. So on they way back to the put in I saw EJ, Dane, Steven, Bryan Kirk, and Kelsey Thompson at the falls. I quick unloaded my boat and hucked that falls again to do another run with that group.





The steep stuff starts right after the falls.





Here's EJ running Headless Horseman.

Dry Line Falls was another really fun waterfall that you would drive as far left as you could with out drying up and then boof on the right.














Mill Creek dumps right into the New River in Hawkes Nest Lake. All in all, is was a great day with only one scary incident at F@#k Up Falls but everything worked out. This run is in my top 5 for best rivers I've ever run and can't wait to come back.


Live from WV, John McConville

Lower Meadow 900cfs

Met up with a group of about 8 people to run the Lower Meadow the other day. This was my 3rd time running this river and the first time I ran every rapid, including the legendary "Coming Home Sweet Jesus".
This is whats left of the die hard boaters in Fayetteville right now, everyone left after Gauley. The good old local boys and girls.



Its funny, everyone leaves and it starts to rain and the locals and I enjoy the amazing boating.















It was a beautiful day in WV, about 60 degrees out and about 20 degree's cooler down by the river. The fog consumed us as we entered Brink of Disaster.















Looking back up stream you can see Coming Home Sweet Jesus, a rapid i thought I'd never run but after seeing Bryan Kirk and Justin Burd run it I new I could and styled it with ease.

I followed Justin and Bryan through this cool cave that took you right out in this hole that you had to go through. Fun stuff


All in all, just another epic day in WV. Here I am running the last big rapid call Double Undercut.




Live from WV, John McConville

Winter Wounder Land

Woke up the other morning with this hair brain idea to go boating



found my self loading my stuff up and heading north up there in them hills



where i met up with Jack Ditty and the infamous JB. Both amazing boaters and people.



We put on the Big Sandy in the freezing cold with a mission to have fun






And did just that.




Big Splat is one of the best quality drops I've ever run and would recommend it to anyone for a whitewater fix.
Spent the night in Morgantown at Jacks and woke up the next morning to head even more north. Thanks again for the great hospitality Jack.

It had snowed overnight and into the next day. By the time we got to the Top Yough there was about 6 inches on the ground.

Jack said "If you haven't seen the first slide we should probably take a quick look" so we got out to scout. Neither of us really wanted to get out of our boats because how cold it was.



WOW!!! what a great way to start off a great day!!!




With views like this its hard not to love this river.


This was the first time I had paddled in the snow and loved every moment of it. Well, back to Fayetteville for now... Next week i head to TN to get my beat down on in Rock Island. I've been waiting all year to head back. I miss that hole.


Live from WV, John McConville

Midwest Freestyle Championships Aug 18, 2007

The Wausau comp was the 2nd freestyle comp I'd ever been in, the first being one year earlier at the same place. The Midwest Freestyle comp of 2006 was where i started my kayaking. I had learned how to roll the week prior to the comp and didn't know any paddlers so thought that would be the best place to meet the people involved in the sport, and i was right. I entered the comp with only 2 days river experience, a rented boat and paddle from the Bear Paw, the expectation to have fun and meet as many paddlers as possible. I even was able to put 3 points on the board for holding a front surf for 3 sec. Oh yeah!! This year my best score was around 140. Going back to Wi for this comp was something i had been looking forward to since the day after the comp in 2006. Since i moved out of the state i don't get to see my Wi paddling friends very often. So, this meant alot to me to see everyone again. This was also the first time my parents got to really see me in action. All in all, my time back in Wi was great and i look forward to doing it again next year.


Also, a HUGE thanks to Ted Bratton for taking photos at the comp and all the other events up there at Wausau. I think i can safely say that everyone enjoys the photos taken by Ted. Thanks so much and all pictures are copyrighted by Ted Bratton, no other use or copying permitted without written permission.

K-1 Freestyle Men's Expert

Joerg Steinbach....1
Ben Peters..........2
John McConville....3
Craig Esposito.....4
David Lemke.......5









Going Huge without a paddle. A paddle is like a crutch, take it away and you learn to walk
























See more pictures by Ted Bratton http://tbratton.smugmug.com/

Another Day in WV

West Virginia is an amazing place! Plain and simple, if your into the outdoors this is the place to be. Everyone is here because they want to be, and the people are just as amazing as the place they live. Each day i've spent in WV has been another day in paradise.














Long Point is the most beautiful overlook i've ever seen. With the New River Gorge right there and the bridge that crosses.







Class 5+ gnar gnar Wolf Creek







Another highlight of long point is the river trib that comes into Fayette Station... Wolf Creek ... The river people of WV are one of a kind, you just have to meet them.







Pete Iscaro





John Cornwall Julie Wingard and Me(John)





Peyton Love