$$$$$$$$Las Vegas$$$$$$$$

Las Vegas what can i say? crazy massive flash money!

 This place realy is out in the middle of the desert but the moment u drove off the freeway you have no idea where u are, cos u could be any where in the world the amount of different thing there

We wanted to make our mark on the strip straight away so with the biggest heap of brown american muscle we checked in to the 5 star Bellagio Hotel and parked it smack bang in the middle for about 30minutes

Our style was true Las Vegas with our $7 hats and $20 jakets and a couple of pretty girls we hit town.

In true style of course, champagne and a 40foot long limo!!

Our ride!

WOW bright lights everywhere! the veiw from the top of the Palms

Then the drive shaft fell off! sort of

So we pulled into the super target about half way for LA to Las Vegas and broke out the hammer and had to change the UJ on the drove shaft that was falling apart and in about 20 mins we got back on the road

Driving takes alot out of u on those 30mile straights across the desert

We spent another night camped out in the desert but it dose provided a good place to take sick night shots.

Hollywood!!!!!

God Bless America?

This flag had to be about 5 or 6 metres long. We are standing on Venice Beach peir which i think is the spot that the old Venice Beach board walk was which is where the dog town and z boys thing started

How about that for a bit of arty photography

Now we got up to Hollywood after being at the beach. We drove down Santa Monica Blvd and found this lovely lady standing on the red carpet outside a ice cream shop, dont ask me why but she was. Her names Sophie Turner (we think) and is an ozzy super model. Now im selling this photo for 10 grand to any magazines who are interested, seeing as we spoke to a few photographers who take photos like this for a living

I came across this young lady on Hollywood Blvd, i think she is a kiwi super model!

Rach and I in the Hollywood hills

Diriving To Vail

So we left the colder weather that cali had been putting on for us and headed south down the coast towards LA in search of hot weather and the Hollywood strip.

Along the way Rach has bought a new 7D Canon camera, this was my 1st photo taken on it of sum beautiful girl I found on the side of the road.

Now as for this 1 I think he belongs to the same family as the mammals below

The coast is covered in huge colonies of seals which are very loud and always keen to pose for a photo

We camped out at the beach 1 night and had a good paddle in the surf the next morning at Cayucas Beach.

Over nighter

After leaving the feather river we headed back south to Yosemite national park to paddle the Merced river.  Its an amazing part of the counrty with towering granite rock faces and deep valleys full of cool white water. We got on the river at about luch time and headed off, it was a new experience trying to paddle a boat with so much gear in it. A few of the boys really making things look hard spending alot of time upside down.

 

This Photo is thanks to Candace who walked way down into the river bed on the south branch of the feather.

 

Hot weather cold water and beautiful senery, what more could you want!

Sam getting down in front of 1 very cool slide that had a massive hole in the bottom

We set up a very cool camp sit but it was pretty cold and had a few spits of ran so we had to snugle together under the tarp to keep warm and dry

Nate Gracia styling 1 of the sweetest moves on day 2

We decided to get a hotel room to let lose for a night and get out of sleeping in the van

The long drive south

After the trip to Hood river we started to head south with Evan to check out a pretty burly water fall Koosah falls, Evan fired it off and styled it. Us kiwi boys opted out as we pretty much sux at water falls and Evan is the god and he was scared!! So then drove down to the south branch of the Feather river,

The veiw of Mt Hood was just amazing on the drive with the beautiful sunny day, still with alot of snow around and the sun making all the river very cold

We camped out at the put in to the Fearther and set up a little fire. I spent alot of the time walking around looking for bears, snakes, couger or what ever wildlife that might be around but I didnt see any thing which might be a good thing.

Sam boofing one of the many sweet little 20 footer drops, this run was just 1 of those perfect days boating warm weather sick river good group of the boys.

Ryan on another sweet boof to boof

Day 2 was the lower section of the south branch, with a 1 1/2 hour walk in and the ran setting in half way through the walk made for 1 of the crazyest days boating

The classics

Well yesterday was just one sweet day doing the classic runs around hood river. We stayed in a very nice hotel that had a swimming pool and hot tube an hour out of Portland which was great to just relax after a few big hits on the body the last few days, then got up and headed to the put in of the Little white salmon. Sam was feeling alot beter and was stoked to be coming boating. After that meet up with EG and LJ and headed for the White salmon. 

Our sweet van looking good

The crew for the days boating Sam, LJ, Mike, EG, Rodrigo Me, Ryan

EG boofing big brother, it was a pretty high flow and i made a little trip into the cave but it was super chill and just paddled out

Our cheerleading team looking good in front of the fire.

Sam pluging BZ falls this thing has a 50/50 hole in the bottom u eather make it or swim he made it through i didnt! I pluged it but came up on the wrong side of the river and went back in so decided to make like a salmon and swin my ass out of there! It was pretty funny and in true Sam style yelling "SWIM YOU F#$KING PUSSY" the whole time. All good an i was happy as Ryan had just brought new bootys that i could drink my beer from!

We have just been hanging out in Hood river for the day letting the bodys recover a bit and the girls go shopping. This afternoon we are driving back south, bound for Cali with Evan and Candice to check out a few more water falls .

Looking for water falls

Today is Ryans birthday so we sat down on the net this morning and had a good look for big water falls that might be going off. As there is 73 water falls up the Columbia river gorge there was alot to look at, we found a few sweet ones so set off to check them out. 

This is Bridal Veil falls, the bottom drop is sweet to go but we wanted to check out a few other better drops and the top will be ago at higher water but a massive hit at the bottom, i think we will be back here one day

Rach and me

Sam getting up close and personal as im checking out the line on money drop as its been named which is on Rock creek, the heart rate was pretty high as Todd Wells broke his back here about 5 weeks earlier.

 This has to be the sickest place in the world! Staring down the tube from the lip of a good 55footer.

I had a beautiful line an pluged it perfect which i was stoked on as theres a big shute leading up to the lip which gives you heaps of speed.

 Ryan ready for impact, he had a pretty sweet line but did manage to break his 2nd paddle in as many days. Happy birthday bro!!!!!

Ryan and I stoked on the run, another 2 kiwis learning to fly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Lauder bros drifting video

With a lot of spare time between paddling ive been making a few videos of me and my brother drifting
check it out Lauder bros drifting video

Eagle creek vid

hey heres a little video i made of the eagle creek run, check it out
click here Eagle creek video

Day 2 usa

A bum sleeping and a cop working, just another day in America

Last nigth we set up our massive bed in the back of the van, consisting of 2 queen size blow up beds and about 8 sleeping bags all 5 of us climbed in sam, kat 1 side me, rach the other and ryan between the 2 boys to protect the girls. After a good nights sleep we got woken by the ranger telling us theres no over night camping and why didnt we have any plates on our van, he was cool about it all and enjoyed our story and a check of my licence left us to keep sleeping.

With sam still having a pretty sore eye myself, ryan, ian and tyler did a run of the little white salmon, the water was super cold as i think most of its snow melt. Tyler had a new under water camera housing so he was out of his boat swimming around with it, so keep an eye out for his shots.

Me coming off the lip at spirit, i gave it a little to much on the boof an landed a bit flat but the free fall feels super sick

Ryan lucus running spirit having a good line but this is the last time you'll see his paddle cos he broke it on the landing. Another sick day in Hood river

USA WE ARE HERE

Well i dont know how to explain the 1st 3 days in the usa, just amazing, day 1 pick up da rental car from da air port drive down to the geto in san jose and pick up our sweet van

I gotto take 4 strokes in my new mystic then stright over punch bowl falls, this is about 500meters above metlako falls

Hang out in san fran for day 2 then i drove all night the get to hood river met up with Tyler bradt and Ian who pointed us in the direction of metlako falls. Id have to say me and ryan had the best day kayaking of our lives running metlako falls 80 foot of pure fun, sam my think it was sweet in a few days but hes got a bit of a sore head after he punched him self in the face on landing the beast, me and ryan had sick lines, so check it out

ryan droping it, full style







me 2 3rds down u can c my paddle but im in the water fall, what a sick day wasnt that big of a hit








our sick v8 dodge ram van in san fran

Rarotonga

For my brother Matts 21st the family went to rarotonga for a week of fun in the sun it was an amazing week filled with skids on our sweet rental GN125 and drinking cocktails by the beach.

The weather wasnt the best with alot of rain but it was still hot an made things more fun for riding the bikes around

One morning rach wanted to do a lap of the island and i think we had a cock tail at nearly every resort on the island,

I ran over the cross island track witn the hope of finding a water fall or sumthing able to kayak after all the ran but the catchment just isnt big enough for any chance of enough water.

my sweet rental rig

me, tammie, rach, beky,mum, matt