so 1980′s
Published March 26, 2008 | 
Are you ready for a new sensation
A new sensation
Right now
Gonna take you on a new sensation
A new sensation
– INXS
I don’t know why it took me so long to happen across an interesting letter by John Dowd in the spring edition of Adventure Kayak. John was lamenting how the paddle press may be setting unrealistic goals for paddlers by making “rolling” a priority and tying it to a report that many people who take sea kayak instruction do not continue to paddle. Interesting discussion.
The first thing that came to my mind was this, “How many people who try any new sport stick with it?” Maybe the whole argument is based on a false premise. But for fun, let’s assume it really is an issue that too many people who take sea kayaking classes don’t paddle again. Ok, why? Is it because as John suggests that they just don’t like the idea of rolling or those strange whitewater skills that are crossing over? Well, maybe that was the case in the 80s but I don’t think that’s true today and here’s why; Recreational Kayaking.
Back in the day, if you wanted to get into kayaking on your local lake, you took “sea kayaking” classes. Chances are your instructor was an old sea dog type who took fundamentals and “rolling” as religion. If you were interested in dawdling around the local lake, it’s no real surprise you’d be scared off. You’d be hard pressed to find another option. The sport was still “sea-centric”. It’s just not that way any longer.
Recreational boats are in fact the final solution to the problems early promoters of the sport in America were trying to overcome. These days we have all the “wide cockpit, beamier boats” we could want. Recreational paddling is booming. Paddlers can (and do) run to the local sport store buy an inexpensive stable kayak and zoom out to the local lake. Rolling and advance skills never enter into it. Heck, we’re lucky if they take a class at all.
If we do get them to a class, shops are in a better position to point new paddlers to a class more fitting to their goals and it’s not surprising that recreational kayak classes are becoming very popular. Because we have the option these days, when a paddler takes an intro to “sea kayaking” class they have already made a decision to learn or at least try more advanced skills. They have set their mind to more challenging conditions when they arrive. Now you may scare them away from open water paddling, but there is no reason they would stop paddling all together. If they enjoy being on the water, they may just turn to rec boating. In a sense in could be argued that recreational kayaking has done a lot to return “sea” kayaking to its roots. Sea kayaking no longer needs to be all things to all people. Paddlers who want to poke around the local pond don’t need to buy a 17 footer, don’t need to wet exit and don’t need to learn to roll. Rec boats have solved those issues.
So let me come back to the idea that many people who take sea kayaking classes don’t continue paddling. (which is the assertion here). If a paddler does not continue to paddle after a class there are really 3 or 4 reasons. First, their experience in the class was poor. Blame the instructor, the weather or whatever. They don’t have access to equipment or funds to buy equipment, OR they just don’t like it all that much. Hard to tell. But regardless, they should not be scared away from paddling in general. Not if they are aware of the options.
Now we could get off on the next tirade about whether sea kayakers need to learn to roll, but we can save that for another day. . .
Cetus by P&H
Published March 25, 2008 | So, if you’ve not been prowling YouTube regulary you may not have noticed that Sea Kayaker Magazine has been posting these little info spots. Here’s one for the P&H Cetus. I chose this one since the new plastic version under the name of “Scorpio” becomes available this month. Oh, and here’s a link to Sea Kayaker’s Youtube Channel. Now I wonder if the new Scorpio is named after the evil Hank Scorpio from The Simpsons? What’s worse, does that make them Denver Broncos fans?
Let’s all sing, shall we
Scorpio!
He’ll sting you with his dreams of power and wealth!
Beware of Scorpio!
His twisted twin obsessions are his plot to rule the world
And his employees’ health!
He’ll welcome you into his lair
Like the nobleman welcomes his guest!
With free dental care and a stock plan that helps you invest!
But beware of his generous pensions
Plus three weeks paid vacation each year!
And on Fridays the lunchroom serves hot dogs and burgers and beers!
He loves German beer!
Phillip Maas Siggelkow
Published March 25, 2008 | Phillip Maas Siggelkow, 65, died unexpectedly Sunday March 16.
He was born Sept.1, 1942 in Janesville, Wis. to Harvey Siggelkow and Hilda (Maas) Siggelkow. He was the founder and co-owner (with Linda Michiels Siggelkow) of Blackhawk Outfitters and Canoe, where he left a permanent mark of innovative canoe design and construction. His most memorable voyage was the groundbreaking trip, paddling a solo canoe on Alaska’s Noatak River. A true renaissance man, Phillip spent his entire life reading, learning and applying new skills. His life-long project was expanding his knowledge of woodworking and the study of American life, furniture and collectibles of the late 19th century through the early 20th century. Like people of the era, he spent his time crafting his home to represent the history of the period.
He is survived by a daughter, Sara L. Siggelkow of Baraboo; Linda Michiels of Madison; a sister, Linda (Donn) Vance of Cordova, Tenn.; an aunt, Louise Kidder of Edgerton; and other family members.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Funeral: Respecting Phillip’s wishes, there will be no funeral service. A remembrance gathering will be held Sunday, March 30, from 1 :30 to 3:30 at his daughter’s home in Baraboo.
Memorials: In lieu of other expressions of sympathy, a memorial is being established in Phillip’s name.
Further information can be obtained from Cress Funeral Services (608) 238-3434.
In the words of Frank Lloyd Wright, his favorite project was “the next one”.
Congrats Babs!
Published March 24, 2008 | 
The big news of the day by any measure comes from New Zealand where Barbro Lindman completed her circumnavigation of the south island. Take a moment if you can to run on over to her website and congratulate her on a truly amazing feat. As I’ve said many times, there is no way to really comprehend what a journey like this means to the person who does it. One thing it does do though, is act as a reminder that you can do anything you set your mind to. As often as we hear that phrase it takes on a completely different meaning when we experience it. Congratulations!
Poll: Do you pay attention?
Published March 24, 2008 |
Sea kayaker Magazine sent out an email asking how they could promote products better. How about a readers poll?
No Flowers
Published March 24, 2008 |
Schrödinger’s cat
Published March 23, 2008 | 
And there’s nothing short a’ dying
That’s half as lonesome as the sound
Of the sleeping city sidewalk
And Sunday morning coming down.
– Johnny Cash
So, I was reading about Schrödinger’s cat this morning. Well, what else would one do on a Sunday morning? Erwin Schrödinger was a physicist and I’m not really sure if he ever actually had a cat. Schrödinger’s cat is basically a simple illustration of superposition in quantum theory. Without diving into it too deeply the idea was to put a cat in a box and cause it to be killed. The observer could not prove the cat was killed however, and could only assume that actions believed to have occurred, suggest that it should be killed. Applying quantum law to this little event you could suggest that the cat is both dead and alive, something described as the “observer’s paradox”. Obviously quantum theory and life as we know it has some striking differences. Metaphorically Schrödinger’s cat is used outside of physics to describe an idea that observation effects the outcome or you may say that by observing a fact, you make it so. Confused?
Well Mahatma Gandhi expressed something similar when he said, “Be the change you want to see in the world”. Kayak instructors could see this even more simply by saying, “look where you want to go and that’s where you’ll go”. It’s really quite amazing when you set the idea into practice. Just paddle along doing nothing to change the direction of your kayak, but look at a particular target and you will discover that for some strange reason you’ll probably go there. Life is a lot like that really. Certainly there can be turbulence and currents that can get you off course. Sometimes you do need to make adjustments to resist outside force. Yet most of the time keeping your eye on the prize, as it were is the single most important factor to achieving it.
Yeah, nothing too special to share today. Just an idea that’s been floating around my head. You could call it a thought about life, or if you like, a simple lesson in boat control.
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