Archive for November, 2005

Heaven grows on Licorice tree
With the seeds of curiosity
he laughed and he cackled
as he crossed the map – j. finn

My intent was to call this post the ‘Attack of the 50ft Santa”, but then last night I checked the mail and found a package from Riptides & Rapids. Now I could hope Jim was going to send me a really nice Christmas card, but I’d be dreaming again. What he did send me was Justine’s new video, THIS IS THE SEA TWO. I imagine you’d think I’d seen it already but no, I have to wait too! I get no special treatment, wait no that’s not quite true, I think I take more abuse!!! I’m sure my review would be about as objective as George Bush saying the war is going well, but hey this is MY blog and I don’t have to be objective. Do I?Long before I had ever been to a BCU symposium or met a few of these great folks, I ordered my copy of ‘This Is The Sea’ after hearing a friend of a friend of a friend tell me about this really cool video. When it came in the mail, I was really excited. It was, like Christmas. I had to watch it right then. I was amazed! It was all just “Wow!”, and “These guys are incredible!!” I started it over and watched it again. Then that evening. . . . and the next day. . .

Probably for the first time since I was 12 and listening to Queen did I see people I wanted to emulate! In our world, that’s rare indeed. I can remember watching bits and pieces over and over again. Then I’d run out to the local lake and try to match maneuvers and nail skills. I can still remember how impressed I was to see Shawna Franklin resting her open hand on a low brace like she was leaning distractedly on a bookshelf, or watching Nigel Foster moving his sea boat around like a ballerina taking advantage of every whim of the water flowing around him. I had to do that!! Now even the setting sun and freaking cold water didn’t shorten my personal practice sessions. Every time I go over and get really frustrated I can hear Ginnie Callahan saying something to the effect of, “if your not going over, your not pushing it, you’re not really trying”. So, I roll up and do it again. That’s when a word like “inspirational” becomes something real and not just another stupid marketing phrase. This Is The Sea was certainly a window into the worlds of a bunch of great sea kayakers. If only for a few moments you felt like you were hanging out with friends.

As you can imagine I come at This Is The Sea II from a different angle today, yet a lot of the same feelings roam around my head. This time I was taken aback by the imagery and the quiet intensity of skill. It’s a bit shocking to see some of the guys in Wales as they sit almost motionless on insanely fast tidal currents. Boat control is portioned out in little adjustments and subtle twists of the blade. Amazing! Watching Brian Smith of Body, Boat, Blade, rolling in that white nightmare at “Skooks” tidal rapid makes my teeth hurt. Ah, but at the same time, I’m saying I MUST go do that. I have to go there.

It was great to see everyone from our trip to the Manitous this spring. Doug, Keith, Belinda, Andy, Rich, Alun, Ken and the rest. I was so nervous being out (and out-classed) with these great paddlers I couldn’t hardly talk for 3 days! It’s very weird to see it on DVD. Very surreal. Friends have emailed me on and off to ask “hey, are you in it?????”. I really didn’t have a clue and if truth be told, I’m not always comfortable with photos of me. Most of the time I look like the worlds biggest dork. For what it’s worth, yes I’m hiding out in a shot here or there. I look fine by the fire, and like a fool in that stupid hat. But I’ve burned the hat last evening with little fanfare. No “stupid hat wearer I” from now forward.

I wanted to mention the little “Hadas” dance too. . . but I just. . . don’t. . . know. . .what. . .to say!! I’m guessing she’s not doing the dance right this moment. South Georgia just does not seem like a dancing kind of place.

There may or may not be nudity. You’ll have to wait until the very end. Did I say “end”?For me the real treasure of This Is The Sea II is the Tasmania Story. If you’ve missed it; Justine Curgeven, Trys Morris, & Gemma Rowlings were the first all-female expedition to cercumnavigate Tasmania. Completing the 1350km expediton in just over 36 days. It’s not often that we get such a raw look into Expedition paddling. I often see expedition documentaries and find myself wondering what’s going on when the camera’s off. I feel like I’m missing the “real” stuff. Justine was very honest in her presentation and shared a bit more than you may expect! There were plenty of moments where you could think, “I do NOT want to do that!” She also showed both good and bad choices along the way. I felt like we see the line where a decision between going back or going forward was drawn. The battle with the head is at least as tough as the battle with the elements. I thought that came across well.

In the end I am just as inspired now as ever. The world is a beautiful place and life is short. We’ve got to get out there. Thanks for the reminder Justine!

-d

MORE!Oh, by the way there are two songs by the band “Tom” on the Tasmania video. If you want the full songs on MP3 you can download them free RIGHT HERE.

Still Photos from the Lake Michigan Section are Here. Just look for “Manitou Islands MI” Gallery.

There are also a ton of still photos at CackleTV.com. Galleries from Tasmania, Newfoundland, Lake Michigan, Lofoten and others. The Galleries Are Here.

. . . the moon gazed on my midnight labours,
while, with unrelaxed and breathless eagerness,
I pursued nature to her hiding-places. – Mary ShellyCongratulations to RS for getting his boat from bone to skin. The gallery is up as well, just click here and go to the top gallery.

The gang in South Georgia are doing well. To Keep current you need to go to Jeff Allen’s website. It looks like the Templar site (and email alert) is having problems keeping up. Thanks to Josh for keeping us privy to that. Everybody looks so nice in black by the way!

I think I have most of the website updated now. Little fiddly bits here and there. At some point I’m going to share with you some of the numbers and stats for kayakwisconsin.net. It’s pretty interesting. Can you guess what photo in all the galleries was the most viewed over the last year? I’d bet you’d be surprised. We’ll come back to that. I’m also working on upcoming posts about “Towing” and of course my 2005 Christmas list with some neat little ideas I’ve found around the web. That’s going to have to wait, today let’s all just bask in the warm glowing, warming glow of Dick’s boat!!!

Otherwise all is well in our little corner of the earth. The snow that came down in such a rush last week, melted away on Saturday to leave us with nothing but cold barren earth. Yesterday under clouds and 35 degree weather I took my Piranha out to roll amongst the little bits of ice that are now floating free on Devil’s Lake. I’m still shocked by how easily the little boat rolls. You can see by the picture I’ve nothing even close to a horizontal blade going on. I can just sort of put the paddle out there somewhere and just roll up. However, to be fair that’s about 50% boat and 50% experience. After you spend enough time rolling you find that the paddle becomes less and less important. Especially if you take time to learn traditional rolling. As you bring more focus into rolling the boat up with you’re body, you become much less dependant on the blade itself. That’s the only reason I can get away with such seemingly sloppy technique. So if you’re just learning don’t use this picture as a guide. Listen to your coach. Nice sweep, blade angle, and all that!

Thing about rolling in winter is, I always feel so brave as I drop over into the cold water, and so stupid when I come up. . .

-d

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.

At any given moment
We could crash or be drowned,
Hitting the ground, oh my!
Here on who,
The tiniest Planet in the sky
- “Here on Who”

What a cold snowy day we had yesterday. As I drove to Spring Green for a photo shoot I passed along the many sloughs and hidden channels of the Wisconsin river that escort county highway C into town. I keep thinking to myself I have to get out there and explore! The lack of any decent landings means either seal launching from the side of the road or traipsing through some swamp to get to an open channel. Yet, it has to be done. I’ve driven past that river many times in the last couple years, it tasks me.Thinking about a vacation to the UK this winter? Well, now’s a good time. The National Mountaineering Centre in Penrith is serving a wonderful supper on December 9th. You can expect Thai green curry chicken or sweat and sour Mediterranean veg served with rice and potatoes. The real judge of the meal will be if they use real Thai green eggplants or cop out and use peas. What a great meal for around $11/6.50GBP! (not including airfare & auto rental) Oh, and I almost forgot, if you want to chuck in a little more cash I hear Justine Curgenven will be speaking. (bar opens at 6)

Speaking of JC, Christmas is coming early for a lot of kayakers now that the new copies of This is The Sea 2 are in the mail in Europe and being packed up by “poor Jim the kayak elf” (sorry Jim it just sounded too good) here in the US, we are assured such sweet anticipation is quickly coming to an end. In celebration of this event remember to leave Santa and his reindeer a little treat. Forgo the cookies, rumor has it Santa is fond of Mushrooms!

I have a lot of kayaking friends who are of the “weekend & warm days” sort. So when I start rambling on about wind and waves they tend to glaze over with looks of “You know you’re crazy don’t you?!” looks swirling around their faces. Well……….Yes, actually….. I do know I’m crazy, but what’s that have to do with kayaking?. So I end up always trying to show that outside of our little home here in central Wisconsin there are a bunch of us “crazies” out there. (I probably shouldn’t say that or they’ll have the Wickersham brothers on us in no time. “WE ARE HERE!, WE ARE HERE!, WE ARE HERE!!!!!!”.) The concept is that if you can find a bunch of others doing it, it can’t be crazy. . Or maybe it’s something to do with that bit about “If he jumped of a cliff would you do that too??” . Either way, here’s a nice post from one of the crazies who went through BCU 5* training at the NorCal Symposium last month.

Well, I think that’s it then. Isn’t it cool how we can zip from Wisconsin to England back to Wisconsin and out to California in just a few paragraphs? The internet is just so flippin’ fantastic! Oh and by the way if you’re really feeling bad that you can’t get to England for that Curry Chicken here’s a recipe http://www.recipesource.com/ethnic/asia/thai/01/rec0191.html.

- d

Welcome Back Bonnie!

Winter time winds blue and freezin’
Comin’ from northern storms in the sea
Love has been lost, is that the reason?
Trying desperately to be freeCome with me dance, my dear
Winter’s so cold this year
And you are so warm – j. morrison

The first snow of the year started off as heavy rains ripping the last leaves of autumn from the trees. As we walked along the wooded path the sky closed in around us. The clouds became heavier until they seemed to sink to the earth under their own weight. The sun made way. Darkness came quickly and the air grew thick and cold. Soon all we could see were the glistening tracks of raindrops flickering in the flashlight lens. We marched on in the darkness. Our boots crashed down on miniature lakes causing casualty and flood along their tiny shores.

Most subtly at first a few rain drops began to seek their own paths. Changing speeds and direction, swirling and dancing in the Eveready spotlight. In time, not to be left out, others joined in. Only the brave & disenchanted at first. The ones who didn’t much mind what others would think. In time small gatherings of defectors donned white coats and held angular symbols aloft in the light as they danced. They sang in voices too small to hear. Even as their numbers grew, their defiance was drowned out by the march of the linear crowd. But as we walked along others soon fell out of line entranced by this new way of being. A flood gate was beginning to open. With each footfall change was inevitable. By the time we reached the car the dancers and spinners were in the majority. A revolution was won. Society had changed and now the crazies were in power. Winter had come.

-d

Here is the latest Operation South Georgia Update From Hadas:”Hello all, just a brief up date on the South Georgia kayakers. Monday, November 14, 2005 We departed Stanley, Falkland Islands yesterday in very strong southwesterly winds, giving a good sailing angle for the course to South Georgia. In the 24 hours we have made over 220 nautical miles, and at this point we expect to first see SG on the morning of the 17th if all going well.

Overall, here on day 2 the whole team have really started developing their sea legs and enjoy the spectacular ride through the southern ocean, bird life has been superb, and yesterday we had a pod of whales follow us for 20 minutes; this was quite spectacular as the sea state was running around the 14 to 16 meter range.”

- thank you to Josh for keeping us up-to-date.

http://www.seakayak.co.il/