I first heard the call of this 8,000-year-old Grease Trail in 1999 while reading The Great Bear Rainforest by Ian and Karen MacAllister in my dingy Vancouver basement apartment. Earlier that year I turned 29, quit my job as a high school teacher in Ontario and drove out west to complete my Adventure Tourism Diploma
I just wanted to post up this really great blog by the Mustang Survival, the company I work with for PFD’s, Drybags, Paddling Clothing and Drysuits and more. This article gives some great information on one of the most common questions I get for those coming into the sport of standup paddleboarding here in Canada,
My First Flight into the Great Bear Rainforest I will never forget the first time I saw the sun shining on Princess Royal Island, the fourth largest island on the B.C coast and deep in the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest. This island holds some of the last remaining coastal temperate rainforest in the
HAZARD TO MARINERS Ever since I moved to the coast from my home in Northern Ontario twenty years ago and first laid eyes on a chart of the west coast of Vancouver Island, I have looked at the jutting headland and fabled, treacherous waters of Cape Scott and wondered what it would be like
Norm Hann Expeditions and our Howe Sound Tours and Coffee Runs are excited to be featured in Vancouver Suns Top 10 Thrills in the Sea to Sky Corridor. To experience Howe Sound and our standup paddleboarding experiences visit our Paddle Squamish Page on our website.
This past spring my partner Jen and I were looking at a John Kimantis’s Sea to Sky Marine Trail map and a smaller inset map on the foldout showed the route of the larger Salish Sea Marine trail from Vancouver to Victoria. Jen, born and raised on Vancouver Island announced, “We should do that.” I
Norm Hann Expeditions and our standup paddleboarding programs are excited to be featured in Hello BC’s list of 12 Unique Experiences along the Sea to Sky Corridor. If you are interested in one of our tours and exploring Howe Sound sign up for one of our Paddle Squamish paddling programs. See here for the full
I was excited to be a part of a live Facebook discussion with Reta Boychuk of Badfish SUP and Kim Kenyon of Born to Board. We sat down for an hour to chat about multi day paddling trips, gear, physical and mental training and more. Reach out with any other questions you may have on
I was excited and honoured to sit down with Todd Howard, owner of Pacific Rim College in Victoria, B.C. for his inaugural Salish Wolf Podcast. The inspiration for Todd’s podcast is from a wolf named Takaya who gained global fame for living alone for nearly a decade on a tiny archipelago in the Salish Sea.
One of the questions I get asked the most is, “What type of clothing system do you wear in spring and fall for standup paddleboarding?” I have put this youtube video together to go over a clothing system that you can use when the probability of going in the water is low. If you thought
Product Overview from the Sunova Site: SUNOVA CREEK The CREEK received its name from our good friend Mr. Rick Weeks aka SUPTHECREEK. Over the last 4 years Rick has become somewhat of our master tester and approver of our SUP surf SUP range. With his intensive knowledge of all other SUPs on the market and his
Paddler Magazine asked Bruce Kirkby to write a 600 word piece for a column they have called Still, using one image from our North Coast Great Trail Trip, and the story behind it. The image they chose was of me paddling towards this incredible river valley that branches off the Ecstall River. Our trip took
“Explore with a Norm Hann designed Sunova Expedition Touring Board.” I have been proud to work on this Expedition touring board in collaboration with Sunova Surfboards and designer Marcus Tardrew. I think we have created a special expedition board This board has built to explore coastlines, lakes and rivers. It is a stable and efficient
I am excited to be heading back down to Belize again for our 6th year running paddleboarding trips with Island Expeditions. Last year was our first year paddling out at Glovers Atoll. This trip is a little bit different than our Coral Islands Trip. The highlights for me are: Paddling on an atoll, one of
We are excited to release our Blackfish Paddles short film called Howe Sound produced by Kelsey Thompson of Lee Visuals. I have been working with Blackfish Paddles for the last three years and using their paddles for all of my standup paddleboarding expeditions, tours and races. Blackfish owner, David Smart is located right here in
A big thanks here to guest reviewer Neil Gilson from Bearfoot Performance Paddle for this short and sweet review of the Sunova Skate. We are looking forward to heading out to Canmore to work with Neil for our SOAR River Camp June 19th. If your in the area and looking for some high level flatwater
Remote Wilderness Paddling Adventure on Vancouver Island This past summer a friend of mine, Neil Callaghan, reached out about an incredible new lodge he had started working at as the activity co-ordinator. Neil and I go back a long way in the sup world as he sold me my first paddleboard from his Second Wave
Old School Feel with All Around New School Performance There has been some incredible paddle surfing conditions on our coast this past fall and I have been spending a lot of time surfing the Sunova Steeze. After years of dropping down in size and volume with my boards it has been refreshing getting back on
This winter will be my fifth season running standup paddleboarding trips in Belize with Island Expeditions and it has been an incredible paddling and cultural experience. I feel fortunate that my life’s passion and purpose has provided me the opportunity to show clients from around the world this immersive tropical experience. My goal is to
Overview This is a paddle that has a design deep in story, history and coastal legend and is a partnership between Norm Hann Expeditions and Blackfish Paddles. These paddles can only be purchased through Norm Hann Expeditions and showcases the incredible artwork of Cash Bo Smith and Roy Henry Vickers in combination with industry leading
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