Katya Palladina was given this skin-on-frame kayak by Phoxx Ekcs after he completed his expedition along the north coast of Vancouver Island in 2011. After 7 years of regular use, it's time to replace the skin and do some minor... Continue reading

I first heard about the Northwest Detention Center during an interview we filmed with Jeannie Darnielle, Washington State Senator for the 27th District. She mentioned the existence of a for-profit prison on the Tacoma Tideflats, an industrial area which includes the Port of Tacoma. Darnielle mentioned that construction of residential buildings on the Tideflats is prohibited, with the exception of the prison.The reason is because the Tideflats is made of artificial fill, at risk for liquefaction during a major earthquake, and is also in the direct path of lahar (destructive mudflows) that could occur in event that Mt. Rainier erupts. Continue reading

Redline, the grassroots Tacoma organization behind the outrageously successful campaign to stop construction of the largest methanol refinery in the world, has a new campaign against Puget Sound Energy’s proposed Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) production plant which will occupy the space at the entrance to the Hylebos Waterway off of Commencement Bay. The facility will convert natural gas to LNG and store it in a tank nearly as tall as the Tacoma Dome. Continue reading

The people of Tacoma continue to clean the remnants of an industrial past while wishing for a clean, safe, and sustainable future. This Christmas I want to share a special Christmas carol sung by my good friend Ricardo at the "No Fracked Gas in the Port of Tacoma" rally held in on the steps of the Puget Sound Energy offices in Tacoma, December 22, 2016. Continue reading

Dancing with Hope Trailer from Andrew Elizaga on Vimeo. I am very happy to present the trailer for our new documentary, Dancing with Hope. We expect to be completing this short film and submitting it to film festivals this summer.... Continue reading

The proposed $3.4 billion methanol plant in Tacoma is a hot topic right now. If built, it would be the biggest thing to happen to Tacoma in years. In any case, this is a pivotal moment for the city. The... Continue reading

JF Marleau: Surf's Up in Pedder Bay?! from Andrew Elizaga on Vimeo. Sea kayaking instructor and guide JF Marleau talks about teaching surfing and demonstrates stern rudder and carving on waves in Pedder Bay at the 2015 Pacific Paddling Symposium.... Continue reading

Ginni Callahan: An Introduction to Kayak Sailing from Andrew Elizaga on Vimeo. Kayak coach, entrepreneur, and writer Ginni Callahan founded and co-owns Columbia River Kayaking, and Sea Kayak Baja Mexico. With Mark Whitaker, she imports Flat Earth Kayak Sails and... Continue reading

James Manke: This one weird trick will improve your Greenland rolls! from Andrew Elizaga on Vimeo. Greenland-style paddling instructor James Manke is the founder of the website All Things Qajaq. He teaches at sea kayaking symposiums and events throughout the... Continue reading

Jaime Sharp: Encounters with Polar Bears from Andrew Elizaga on Vimeo. Explorer/adventure photographer Jaime Sharp is in arctic Norway right now, attempting the first successful circumnavigation of the Svalbard archipelago by sea kayak with a team of two other kayakers,... Continue reading

Freya is going to Greenland from Andrew Elizaga and Katya Palladina on Vimeo. We caught up with outdoor action photographer Freya Fennwood at the South Sound Traditional Inuit Kayak Symposium (SSTIKS) this past weekend while she was training for her... Continue reading

HIGHLIGHT REEL: Pacific Paddling Symposium 2015 from Andrew Elizaga on Vimeo. Katya and I were invited to be the official videographers for this year's Pacific Paddling Symposium, which was held at Pearson College on Vancouver Island right outside Victoria on... Continue reading

World Environment Day Luminary Flotilla Concert from Andrew Elizaga on Vimeo. Katya and I paddled to concert on the water last night, which was held as part of the ongoing protest against the Port of Seattle hosting Royal Dutch Shell's... Continue reading

Race Rocks from Andrew Elizaga on Vimeo. Continue reading

Pautik Camp, Quadra Island from Andrew Elizaga on Vimeo. Gerhardt Raven of Ravenwoods Paddles and Qajaqs hosted a small gathering of traditional kayaking enthusiasts at Rebecca Spit on Quadra Island last weekend. It was loosely structured and there was no... Continue reading

Meet the Kayaktivists from Andrew Elizaga on Vimeo. Protesters for environmental and social justice causes are often described as hippies, anarchists, pot heads, hipsters, and unemployed losers dependent on government assistance. Alternatively, they are labelled as idealistic, privileged college kids,... Continue reading

Sterling shows off a seamless Reflection from Andrew Elizaga on Vimeo. Sterling Donalson of Sterling Kayaks showed us an absolutely amazing kayak that was a special order for a customer in Ontario. In addition to an extremely light weight layup,... Continue reading

Sterling Donalson of Sterlings Kayaks unveiled the new Progression at the North Sound Sea Kayak Association meeting in Everett on April 2nd. The release of the Progression marks the successful return of his business from a fire that completely devastated... Continue reading

Deception Pass Dash 2014 from Andrew Elizaga on Vimeo. I registered for the Deception Pass Dash as a racer, but just before the race I decided that I would rather not participate but instead watch from shore and record it... Continue reading

Happy Holidays from Katya and Andrew! from Andrew Elizaga on Vimeo. Katya and I came up with this idea for a video Christmas card. The idea is simple but it took a few days to shoot at three different locations.... Continue reading

Encounters with the Sasquatch from Andrew Elizaga on Vimeo. In the summer of 2013, Native Watchman Tom Sewid described to us some of the signs of the sasquatch, or what he liked to call the Bukwus. For instance, if you... Continue reading

A Day in the Broughton Archipelago from Andrew Elizaga on Vimeo. Continue reading

Watch it now on Vimeo! Katya and I premiered our short documentary, “A Hospital in the Pines” at the Alpen Club in Vancouver, BC this past Saturday. The event was a fundraiser for the Canadian nonprofit organization GO-MED, to help... Continue reading

It doesn't matter what kind of craft you paddle -- sea kayak, canoe, white water kayak, SUP, or inflatable pool toy -- together, we all float! Individually, well... then you are really on your own out here and have to... Continue reading

Katya and I hiked from our camp in Boat Bay to Eagle Eye, the whale observation station along Johnstone Strait, just across from the Robson Bight Ecological Reserve. Abundant salmon and a gradually sloping soft pebble beach make Robson Bight... Continue reading