So, last week I got this pretty card from Gail at Living Adventure near Bayfield, Wisconsin. I say Gail, because she’s the one who takes off all winter to suffer the heat of the Yucatan while leaving her poor husband Grant to shovel snow and answer the bi-monthly winter phone call. No, I’m just making that up. Maybe he gets to go along once in awhile. In the summer Living Adventures is charged with organizing the Inland Sea Symposium in Bayfield meanwhile offering some fantastic guided tours of the Apostle islands. (Hey, their guides do the cooking. . .) Then each year about the first of January it’s off to the Yucatan with a variety of vacation packages designed to help you get your head together while surrounded by warm tropical breezes. Yeah, life is tough all over! Each package offers plenty of opportunities to paddle as you would guess. But they leave you plenty of time to swim, explore, or just lay around on the beach while muching fresh fruit and sipping hibiscus tea.

This year Living Adventure is offering a Mayan exploration trip which will give you the chance to explore some of the magnificent archaeological sites on the Yucatan and include a side trip to the "cenotes", which are beautiful underground fresh water pools that were once sacred to the Mayan people. They will also be offering an "Art/Adventure Series". So for those times when you’re out of your kayak you can explore your more artistic side through a variety of workshops. Both American and local artists with be on hand to share ideas and techniques. - More Details

Finally got my norsaq rolls starting to work regulary on my “off” side. Something to celebrate for sure. On the other hand after 4 hours of constant rolling practice yesterday my old hide is feeling over taxed. It’s begging me to lay around the house all day and watch TV. . . . or maybe do something slightly more energetic and go to the mall.

I suppose it’s a good time for a preface. Gordon Brown is one of the most well respected and knowledgeable Sea kayaking coaches in the world. This is why when Gordon speaks, the sea kayak world listens. (Gordon, if you’re reading this, how’d you like that build up!??)

As most of us know by now GB started a bit of a fire in the traditional kayaking world during a recent podcast interview with Simon Willis by saying in reference to his new book, “Sea Kayak”:

So this is my tow bag. Certainly NOT brand new, it’s an old pink North Water. (yep it was red once). I used to have a carabineer on it but after some discussion with a coach much more experienced than I, I changed it out for a smaller clip. In fact this came in really handy once when I towed a rowboat full of teenage girls into shore after they had partially sunk their boat. A carabineer would not have fit in the metal clip on the row boat. However since then I had another kayaking Super-being explain how he saw a clip shake loose and lose a kayak in a double tow. He prefers carabineers. Go Figure. Thus the phrase, “Do what works for you”.

I was told recently KW was like the People Magazine of kayaking. I’m not sure that’s a complement. Steve Martin once referred to “People” as “Screw-Up-Your-Life Magazine”. Oh Well, I better start spreading some gossip then. . . So here it is. . .

Rumor has it that Freya Hoffmeister is now working with Rockpool kayaks on the development of two new Greenlandic style fiberglass kayaks! Can you imagine something strangely like her Waterfield Qaanaaq SS with a funky Rockpool paint job?? The rumored new kayaks will be take aparts, so easily shipped to the US. . That means all of us poor saps who could not get our hands on a Waterfield will have another choice! So now if you cold just top it off with Freya’s own signature model Reed Tuiliks . . . Hmmm. Now I wonder how my own top secret half-tuilik sketches will fit into all this??