Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step ~Martin Luther King~ Editors Note: In memory of Joe Giffune Most stories have a clear beginning, middle, and end. This structure has been driven into our minds as the way to go about life. I […]
Author: DBP
FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK- When I went looking for this month’s cover photo, what I had in mind was an image of some snowy stout whitewater being run by one of my friends. I said this to myself, and logged into Facebook. The first post in my feed included the shot DBP MAGAZINE ONLINE selected, […]
No doubt in my mind this was one of the most fun and educational weekends I’ve had in a long time as an adventurer and athlete. As many of you know I work with Uncle Lem’s Mountain Outfitters in West Knoxville to promote the paddle sports, and whitewater kayaking in particular. Since the shop carries exclusively Jackson brand boats […]
My name is Mike Toughill. On Facebook I’m known as Mike Joseph; friends have called me “Chicago” for years. I’m the Editor-and-Chief of DBP MAGAZINE ONLINE, an original member of the Dirt Bag Paddlers, and a die hard whitewater boater for life. I have many thing to be thankful for. One of my great […]
When I think of my favorite runs and some of the best days I have spent in a kayak, my mind always goes back to the times spent on those sketchy, steep runs that few paddlers ever venture to. Don’t get me wrong, paddling a long run with tons of great rapids has its place. […]
Recently we introduced our readers to the rafting memoir “PUSHING RUBBER DOWNSTREAM” by Adam Piggott. In the book he details the story of his life spent guiding rivers around the world, starting with his humble beginnings in Australia, to the wild whitewater of Canada, and on to the epic adventures of paddling the White Nile […]
In this season of thanksgiving, veteran river guide and Associate Editor Taz Riggs reflects on the many things he is thankful for in the business of commercial whitewater rafting. Part One. Yes, I am thankful for a lot of things. The river lifestyle that I adopted 35 years ago might very well have saved my […]
We are always growing the family here at Dirt Bag Paddlers. DBP delivers a global view with a local feel because our Admin team that posts on Facebook comes from all over the world and from every discipline of paddling. We are stoked to introduce our newest member, Leonard Makole of Zambia, in both his […]
As a kayaker, jokes about swimming are relentless. Swimming is a last resort when it all goes wrong, to pop your spray deck and bail out of the boat, like a downed fighter pilot. To swim means that the river got the better of you, that you weren’t good enough and had to admit defeat. […]
EDITOR’S NOTE: If you’ve been pushing rubber for years like some of us Dirtbags, you’ve probably Wallaced more times than you can count… But thankfully the raft guide lifestyle is alive and well, and each season countless rookies join the ranks to tackle The River, escort their blissfully unaware customers downstream, and copewith their inevitable […]