Posted by derrick on
April 30, 2007
Splash - I’m under your power
Splash - I could go for hours
Splash - You could devour me
And I’d only want you more
- prince
Happy Monday! Well, of course you’re going to get another day of me playing with my new kayak!! Nothing better than new toys right? If you’d like to see my "Trak" photo set just go to
Here. I’ll post pictures of the new baby in that gallery as time goes on.
So many of you know I keep two blogs. One here and one at Yahoo360.com. I’ve been noticing an interesting difference in the two communities. Here on blogger we have a more "serious" paradigm. Certainly we’re not "Journalists" but blogger lends itself to that sort of presentation. Which is great. Someone commented recently that they check the blog here each day to see what’s up in the Kayak world. I really think that’s wonderful. Of course it’s because so many great paddlers share their news with me. Without their kindness and taking the time to email me all about what’s up, we’d never have this nice opportunity to keep up with everyone. So you can bet as I run around to symposiums this year I’ll be thanking a lot of people for sharing their kayaking lives with us.
Posted by derrick on
April 29, 2007
We all came out to montreuxOn the lake geneva shoreline
To make records with a mobile
We didnt have much time
Frank zappa and the mothers
Were at the best place around
But some stupid with a flare gun
Burned the place to the ground
Smoke on the water, fire in the sky
They burned down the gambling house
It died with an awful sound
Funky claude was running in and out
Pulling kids out the ground
When it all was over
We had to find another place
But swiss time was running out
It seemed that we would lose the race
Smoke on the water, fire in the sky
Posted by derrick on
April 28, 2007
The UPS guy came to the door and asked me to sign. . Then he went back to his truck and came back with a big box. Well, big if you did’nt know there was a KAYAK in it. Knowing that it seemed quite small. Yep, today I got my new
TRAK thanks to Janna and the gang at Trak Kayaks! So of course I set about doing what they asked me to do. . play!!
So my first thought was to not read the instructions! I mean, does anybody read the instructions?? LOL! So I pulled everthing out of the very fancy black, sliver and orange bag and laid it all out in the yard. I un-folded the outer skin then opened the plastic that contained the two frames. Given that I do sort of know kayaks I could tell easily which was the front and back. Putting each end together was quite simple and obvious. Everything is connected similarly to tent poles with a heavy duty bungie running through the tubes. So you just slid them together and snapped them into the supports. Again it was very obvious where they all went. Within seconds you could see the frame of the boat. Putting the frame together took me a bout 2 or 3 minutes considering I was just figuring it out as I went.
Posted by derrick on
April 27, 2007
It’s the terror of knowing
What the world is about
Watching some good friends
Screaming ‘Let me out’
- bowieI woke up this morning at realized. . . "OH MY GOD I’M GOING TO WALES!!!" Suddenly it was time to take an anxiety pill! Ok, so like I had said before I had not really thought much of it. I mean sure, I talked to Janna at Trak about my new folding kayak a bit. I’ve talked a little to Justine Curgenven and Axel Schoevers about what to do when I get there. Of course I want to find Simon again. I’ve missed him quite a bit. . (In a big MANLY SORT OF WAY OF COURSE. . ) And I’m looking foreword to seeing Rowland although truth be told he’s one of the last great BCU coaches that scares me. I know I’ll do everything backwards if he’s around LOL! Then I talked to Mike at Rockpool about my dream 3 peice. Not ready yet, but he said I can borrow a Rockpool for the symposium. Good thing I want to be snuggly and safe!! I can’t thank Mike enough for what he’s doing for me! But still, it seemed like "play". Like something not really real.
Then for some reason this morning It hit me. 5 days! Oh my God!!! Now the thing is, you guys have followed along long enough to know I am NOT the worlds greatest kayaker. I live in Wisconsin for God’s sake. Sure it’s fun to watch all those big wipeouts on Justine’s videos but it’s a whole other deal to contemplate going out in Penrhyn Mawr? You’ve got to be freaking kidding me!??? (you notice that "Mawr" contains the world "MAW" don’t you!!) For some reason I keep thinking . . . I do NOT want to swim there! Hell, I don’t even want to roll. . but I fear it will happen. . . Often. Many of you have not seen the original Nigel Dennis promo video that was the precursor for "This Is The Sea". In that one Justine goes out into the races for what must have been one of the first times. . You can hear it in her voice. . I think if Justine was nervous???? Yikes, I’ll be needing a new drysuit
Posted by derrick on
April 26, 2007
Gotta break it loose
Gonna keep em movin wild
Gonna keep a swingin baby
Im a real wild child
- iggy pop
By now I bet most of you know that our friend Keirron from the Isle of Man will be joining Jeff Norville to attempt to circumnavigate Vancouver Island in a
NDK Triton double kayak in just a couple weeks. I waited posting on this trip until is was close so we all would have their adventure fresh in our minds when they take off. Keirron tells me that he will be flying out on the May 7th. The start date will be around the 10th, but of course they will have to be a bit flexible.
Keirron Tastagh is a level 4 BCU Sea Coach (brat) and owns Adventurous Experiences on the Isle of Man. Jeff Norville is an L4 Paddler (that’s more like it!!) and an ACA instuctor in Portland Or.
Posted by derrick on
April 25, 2007
Today I don’t need a replacement
I’ll tell them what the smile on my face meant
My heart going boom boom boom
"Hey" I said "You can keep my things,
they’ve come to take me home."
-gabriel
Ok, let’s take a day away from paddling and go for a walk in the rain. Parfrey’s Glen is one of Wisconsin’s little gems. In 1956 it was designated the very first natural area in the state. Today’s podcast runs about 9 minutes. . so it will be a perfect background while you take a nap!
Posted by derrick on
April 24, 2007
The sun fell behind the trees just as we got back to the car. Another day passed.
