Sea Kayaker, Me?
Published November 20, 2005 | 
I don’t know about your brain-
but mine is really bossy
I come home from a day on the golf course
and I find all these messages
scribbled on wrinkled up scraps of paper
And they say thing like:
Why don’t you get a real job?
Or: You and what army?
Or: Get a horse.
And then I hear this voice
comin from the back of my head
Uh huh(Whoa-ho)
Yep! It’s my brain again – Laurie AndersonYou know, now that I’ve added blog “headlines” to my main homepage people are going think I’m really off my nut. All they’ll see is the title and a snippet of the “song lyric of the day” and never any of the actual content. I’d like to say you and I know better but. . .
Sea Kayaker, Me?
(or Watch who you call a Bushwalker, Mate!)
Sometimes you just never know where your going to go. You just head out into the fog and go until you hit something. Well, at least you get away with that online and I’m going to come back to that.
One of the constant topics of discussion I have with a few of my kayaking friends is how we define our particular take on the sport. Some of us like to be “Greenlanders”, others “White Water” guys, (or both in Alex’s case) others are “Sea Kayakers” and some just like to paddle. Generally we’re all happy with our labels but every so often someone will get an urge to dust them off and make comparisons often telling you why their label is better or your label is really, really boring, etc., and actually that’s pretty cool. It’s what makes conversations around the fire worth having. I used to get really peeved by those kind of petty battles, but mostly because I’ve a hard time checking my “ego” at the door. I get offended and just bail out. These days I just think of my 4 year old and how he often tries on various personas or keeps repeating the same sentence over and over again just to see how it sounds coming from his brain and becoming “solid” in the world for all to hear. I think of that, and realize that we have to have these discussions. It’s how we confirm our label not just to others, but to ourselves as well. We have to make sure our self image is “solid”.
Well, that all being said, I had one of those conversations recently and am always happy to say, “I’m a Sea Kayaker”, well, “Aspiring Sea Kayaker” anyway. Although I have no idea why I got into this sport, I do know why I stay in it.
I’m a “What’s around the next bend?” kinda person. In my boat there is always a “next bend”. I’ve always been motivated to keep working on my personal skills because I hate seeing something in the distance and not being able to reach it. I long for goals and doggedly pursue them like drug addictions. Sea Kayaking satisfies the drive to keep moving forward, exploring both the world around me and the crazy bits in my head as well. If you don’t keep moving, your dead. Sea Kayaking keeps me moving sometimes when everything else seems stagnant.Others find it a big, fat, waste of time to paddle 20 miles in a day just to get to a rock somewhere. They have no need to explore. Some are driven to self improvement and mastery of mind over body, over boat. A kayak is a tool then by which you achieve a communion of the body and mind. Pretty intense stuff, but from the outside it just looks like someone who just likes to sit and spin. On the other hand, I’d like to get a little communion going when it comes to some of those Greenland rolls!
Then there’s the adrenaline junkies who don’t want to ever be in a kayak if it’s not flying over a nice big drop or getting rolled up in a knarly surf. You could go on and on but the point as you know, is that we all kayak for a million different reasons.This brings me back to my launch in the fog. Last night I took a little time for some “free form surf”, something I rarely do since I’m on the computer all the time as it is. Anyway this little trip took me to Tasmania and the online home of Laurie Ford. Laurie is 65 years old and has that whole “guy in a beard” thing going on. His history according to his website includes the early development of a kayak rudder which he says was copied and mass produced by Valley and then by the world. Interesting. Laurie has no problem telling us what a real “Sea Kayaker” is and if you’re just a “bushwalker” in disguise. “Bushwalkers”, according to Laurie, think if things get tough or they get a little tired they can just stop and put the billy on the boil for a nice cup. Ouch, I DON’T wanna be a Bushwalker!
I’m going to spend a lot more time at Laurie’s website, I’ve a feeling I’ve just scratched the surface.
As I was putting my laptop away I started thinking about my discussions with friends about why I kayak and why they kayak and what it all means. I wondered if being in the Midwest condemns you to “Bushwalkerdom”. I’ll have to ask Laurie about that. I know one thing for sure; In the end the whole discussion of who’s particular breed of kayaking is best is really foolish. It always seems to overlook the fact that each person is driven by their own soul and just because you think it sucks doesn’t mean it actually does. Heck, after all the reading I did last night I don’t even know if I dare call myself a sea kayaker! But I’m moody that way, ask me again tomorrow. 
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2 Responses to Sea Kayaker, Me?
Excellent post Derrick. From the looks of his website, Laurie Ford is quite the character. From his definition, Bushwalkers are those who have no interest in skill development. Obviously you are on the other end of that spectrum so I don’t think you have any worry about being one.
As for what we classify ourselves, I still struggle with that all the time. All I know is that I hesitate to consider myself a sea kayaker and am even hesitant to consider myself a greenland style kayaker. Yes I paddle Lake Michigan and Lake Superior and am comfortable paddling them in fair conditions but I don’t have enough experience in severe conditions to really test my skills and I really don’t seek to put on miles which seems to be the hallmark of a sea kayaker. I think I don’t like defining myself in way that puts me in a self imposed box of sorts. I’m a relative newbie kayaker but breaking out my skills, I’m an ok whitewater paddler, a weak playboater, a weak kayak surfer, an ok kayak tourer, and a strong roller. I just call myself a kayaker these days and I leave the specific specialty up for grabs. I’m still searching for my personal kayaking identity and I hope I find it soon as having a split kayaking personality is getting pretty expensive!
Thanks Alex,
In the end I think most of us are mutts. If you continue in the sport you can’t help but do a little of this and a little of that along the way.
In reading Lauie’s stuff I was at first taken aback by his strong opinions, but as I dig in I’m finding a lot to think about.