river-rippers.net :: news blog

Butterfly Effect @ Hood River

2009-06-30T08:44:41+02:00

Butterfly Effect @ Hood River

BASF Chemieunfall am Rhein

2009-06-22T20:50:08+02:00

BASF Chemieunfall am Rhein

In den frühen Morgenstunden des 22. Juni sind nach Angaben der BASF SE über das Kühlwassersystem der BASF SE ca. zehn Tonnen Hydroxypivalinsäureneopentylglykolester in den Rhein gelangt.

Der Stoff ist schwach wassergefährdend und biologisch leicht abbaubar. Mit einer Gefährdung von Mensch und Wassertieren ist bei der angegebenen Menge nicht zu rechnen.

Das Umweltministerium hat vorsorglich eine Rheininformation nach dem Internationalen Warn- und Alarmplan Rhein an die Rheinanlieger abgegeben. Es wurden Wasserproben genommen und das Umweltministerium wird den Vorfall weiter beobachten.

Die Surfer des Surfclub Mittelrhein e.V. haben in den letzten Monaten bereits desöfteren einen merkwürdig riechenden Film auf dem Rhein zwischen Mainz und Oestrich-Winkel bemerkt, der stundenlang mit der Strömung trieb.

Es musste sich jedesmal um eine größere Menge einer chemischen Substanz gehandelt haben. Offensichtliches Merkmal dieser Substanz war, dass die Oberfächenspannung des Wasser verändert war, und Luftbewegungen nicht mehr erkennbar waren.

Schillernde Farben wie bei Öl oder Diesel waren aber nicht vorhanden. Der Geruch war Chlor-ähnlich, aber um eine Chlorverbindung handelte es sich wahrscheinlich nicht. Auf den ersten Blick war die Substanz kaum wahrnehmbar.

Die Wasserschutzpolizei in Rüdesheim wurde informiert, konnte aber nichts feststellen.

source: Ministerium für Umwelt, Forsten und Verbraucherschutz / Surfclub Mittelrhein
Abbildung beispielhaft.

Artikel zum Rhein Windsurfverbot

2009-06-02T19:35:32+02:00

Artikel zum Rhein Windsurfverbot

In der aktuellen Ausgabe des Kulturmagazin "VivArt" erschien ein Artikel zum Thema Windsurfverbot auf dem Rhein mit dem Titel "Verbote verbieten!":

Das Surfen auf dem Rhein ist verboten, Ballspielen im Park ebenfalls.
Da Ersteres nachweislich noch nicht zu Unfällen geführt hat und das Zweite
keinen der anderen Nutzer der Wiese stört, fragen sich die vom Verbot Betroffenen:
Muss das sein? Verbote sind – zu Ende gedacht – eine Einschränkung der menschlichen Freiheit. Doch wie viel Freiheit bleibt, wenn vieles verboten ist, und
wozu führt das Ganze? Denkverbot? Verbotsverbot? Verbotsverbot!

Der vollständige Artikel (PDF Format) steht hier zur Ansicht.

source & copyright: vivart.de

Anmerkung:
Das Verbot bezieht sich auch einen Teilabschnitt des Rheins nach einer Verordnung vom 01.04.2007:
"das Verbot des Segelsurfens auf dem Rhein zwischen Geisenheim, Rhein Kilometer 524 und Rhens, Rhein Kilometer 582, wurde erstmals mit der Siebenundzwanzigsten Verordnung zur vorübergehenden Abweichung von der Rheinschifffahrtspolizeiverordnung ( 27.RheinSchPVAbweichV) in den § 9.07 Nr. 2 der Rheinschifffahrtspolizeiverordnung - Beschränkungen der Schifffahrt - aufgenommen und ist am 01.04.2007 für die Dauer von drei Jahren in Kraft getreten. Zuwiderhandlungen gegen diese Bestimmung können als Ordnungswidrigkeit geahndet werden. "

ripper of the month :: May 09

2009-05-01T10:33:40+02:00

Ripper of the month - May 09

In our ripper of the month section we are introducing members of our river windsurfing community. This time it's Daniel O'Sullivan from Vancouver/Canada, a dedicated windsurfer & kitesurfer who loves to rip the Squamish River spit and the Gorge.

In an interview he tells a bit about his passion for the sport and how he got into it.
"I've been doing water sports for many, many years. I started out windsurfing on the St. Lawrence River in Quebec. Then I figured out that if I wanted to really windsurf, I needed wind. So I headed west to the Gorge, then to Maui, and eventually ended up in Vancouver."

Windsurfing Magazine article on river windsurfing

2009-03-27T10:07:54+02:00

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Windsurfing Magazine article on river windsurfing

The US Windsurfing Magazine just published a nice river windsurfing related story in the latest April issue. Contributing writer Ian Berger who sails the Hudson River/NY interviewed river windsurfers from around the globe:

Frank Bingel from Germany who sails under castles on the historic Rhine River.
Manuel Grafenauer from Austria rips the Danube River under a brigde in downtown Vienna
Arnie Cleveland from Wisconsin who sails amazing downwind cruises the St. Croix
Tony Vogt from Louisiana who, like a man with no fear, braves the rough waters of the Mississippi.
Vincent Barre from Jacksonville, Florida who sails the gentle and beautiful St. Johns
Mike Baker who rips his way across the Columbia River Gorge

source www.windsurfingmag.com

Donation for new Rooster Rock/Gorge webcam

2009-03-27T09:04:56+02:00

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Donate for new Rooster Rock/Gorge webcam

A new Gorge webcam at Rooster Rock is about to get online and requires your support.
Bob Greenberg from Portland initiated a volunteer driven project with the goal to install a webcam at the local Rooster Rock ranger station. The project will be funded entirely by private donations from the local windsurfing and kiteboarding community.
The funding goal is $1415 to purchase a state of the art outdoor webcam.
If you would like to support the project please proceed to the PayPal donation:

For more details please visit the webcam home: www.pdxgreen.com/RoosterCam.aspx
source: GORGEwindsurfer yahoo group

photo contest 2008 - and the winners are...

2009-02-02T10:25:21+02:00

The first river-rippers.net photo contest just ended.
Thanks to all participants and voters !
And the winners are....

1. place with 34.4% of all votes goes to Laurent Bironneau/France for his winning shot from the Rhône River.
Copyright photo: funboard.rhone.over-blog.com

2. place 33.3% of all votes goes to Yoann for another shot from the Rhône River.
Please allow the following comment: it is NOT cool to cruise in front of barges, so never try to do something like seen on the photo bellow !!! Keep your distance instead to all kind of vessel.
Copyright photo: yoann69

3. place with 16.9% of all votes goes to Felix Hauft from Austria for his shot from Danube River taken from a bridge in downtown Vienna.
Copyright photo: Ewald Hauft

Winners please get in touch with us for receiving your prices ;)

ripper of the month :: January 09

2009-01-08T19:35:19+02:00

Ripper of the month - January 09

In our ripper of the month section we are introducing Bryan Metcal-Perez, 22 years old from Hood River / Oregon who's a young and talented ripper from the Columbia River Gorge.

In an interview he tells a bit about his passion for freestyle windsurfing and his local Playground, the Gorge:

"There are many places to sail in the gorge my favorites are The Hatch and The Wall. Few places have glassy freestyle water and swell at the same spot which makes these windsurfing beaches very unique. I feel it is these conditions which has allowed my freestyle to progress rapidly ..."

photo contest 2008 - vote your favorite shot

2009-01-01T12:00:16+02:00

10 river rippers from 7 different rivers added their stunning river windsurfing shots to the
photo contest gallery.
Until january 31st. 2009 you may vote your favorite shot.
Entrants of the three most voted photos will be announced on February 1st.

Online Surveys & Market Research

prices

1. place

Tricktionary 2 book
- the ultimate windsurfing bible
A comprehensive windsurfing training book of 292 pages devided into 9 chapters, which show beginners how to start, intermediates how to improve and experts what to train. Choose the tricktionary in English, German or French (1st. edition).
tricktionary online review

2. place

2 GB Surfboard USB Stick
a fancy gadget to carry your data

Short Board Design
w/ Rubberized texture
Neck strap attachment on USB Drive
USB 2.0 High Speed Interface (USB 1.1 Compatible)

3. place

The Windsurfing Movie
One of the best windsurfing action movies ever!

DVD (62 Minutes)
Award winning sound track
Format: NTSC
Languages: English

official rules

Entrants may enter the contest by submitting one picture until
Dec. 31. 2008 .
From January 1. until January 31. 2009 the river-rippers community will vote for the best three shots.
Each voter may cast only one vote for one photo.
Entrants of the three most voted photos will receive prices.
Winners will be announced on February 1st. 2009
Copyright of the image remains the property of the contestant.
By entering this contest, entrants are giving permission for their photographs to be displayed on river-rippers.net for the purposes of online voting related to the submissions and/or for display of winning entries, promotion and/or reporting of the contest. Additional permission will be sought from entrant before their images would be used in any medium other than river-rippers.net
Entrant acknowledges that they have sufficient permission of any recognizable persons appearing in the photograph to be able to grant to river-rippers.net the right to publish their photographic submission online, and hereby grant to river rippers Network such right.
Entrant assure they are amateur photographers.

new river guide: Hudson River/USA

2008-12-21T12:21:42+02:00

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new river guide: Hudson River/USA

Thanks to Ian Berger who send us a river windsurfing guide to the Hudson River /USA.
The Hudson is a 315-mile (507 km) river that flows from north to south through eastern New York State and forms the border between New York City and New Jersey at its mouth before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean.
The Iroquois name for the Hudson River is “Mu-He-Kan-Ne-Tuk”, which means, “The River That Flows Both Ways.”
Please check the complete river guide here