Hang On
Published October 29, 2009 | 
Hang on, help is on its way,
I'll be there as fast as I can,
"Hang on", a tiny voice did say,
From somewhere deep inside the inner man.
- the little river band
So here it is direct from the American Canoe Association to you: “The following proposals were submitted, have been approved and all associated documentation on the website has been updated. . .” (Get ready for it….) “Removal of the Paddle-float Rescue from the Level 1: Introduction to Kayaking Instructor Criteria. This change was requested and approved due to the fact the Level 1: Introduction to Kayaking course is conducted in close proximity to shore where more basic rescue self-rescue techniques can be utilized and the type of paddlecraft that can be used in a Level 1: Introduction to Kayaking / QuickStart or SmartStart Kayaking courses may not be suitable for teaching this rescue.” Comments?
Lendal: Song For The Dumped
Published October 28, 2009 | 
I wish I hadn’t bought you dinner
right before you
dumped me on your front porch
– Ben Folds
Have you heard all the stories? The mill says Johnson Outdoors is looking to unload LENDAL. Didn’t they just buy them? The mill also suggests the most likely buyer could be Nigel Dennis of SeaKayakingUK or possibly EPIC. Hmmm. Now the thing is, LENDAL used to be a premiere brand. Holding a LENDAL in your hand was something akin to holding Excalibur. Then Johnson took over. Our friendly reps went away and QC went into the dumper as well. Yeah, they got it under control eventually but by then everything the brand had stood for in the eyes of sea kayakers never really came back. Now I can’t help wonder if LENDAL is about to be saved or on its way to getting tossed around like a _________ , ___________. (Creatively fill in the blanks.)
Unclear
Published October 27, 2009 | 
Up until this point I’ve chosen not to comment on the case of missing Wisconsin paddler, Doug Winter. It’s an interesting case which I’m sure will stir up discussion soon enough if it hasn’t already. As I’ve said many times, I don’t really keep up with what’s going on at Pnet anymore. Still, just like anyone else I can’t help but roll the news reports around in my head and ask questions. Questions I’m sure the police, family and friends have all asked. I’m sure there are some answers out there. Some known already by the authorities and some still waiting to be discovered. One thing I’m feeling is that what I’m reading so far just doesn’t quite feel right.
Goin’ native
Published October 26, 2009 | 
No kayaks in this story. We spent the weekend going native. Well, I didn’t shoot a deer or anything like that but I did go to the local apple orchard. It’s sort of classic rite of autumn to road trip through the local hills taking in the fall color, carving pumpkins, visiting an orchard, visiting a winery and hanging out at a local state park for a Halloween Hike. If you can do it all in one day, all the better!
Gordon Lives!!
Published October 20, 2009 | 
Well the dawn was coming, / Heard him ringing on my bell.
He said, “my names the teacher, / That is what I call myself.
– tull
Thumbs Up! I say that now because honestly I get really board reading long-winded reviews when all I needed was a gladiatorial thumbs up or thumbs down. So if you’re looking for the Circus Maximus version of my Sea Kayak with Gordon Brown review its, “Thumbs Up”. Gordon Lives!!
Posted in Coaching, Paddling, Reviews, Video | 
dvd, gordon brown, Reviews, sea kayak with gordon brownTechnology in the Land of The Snark
Published October 17, 2009 | 
As the people here grow colder / I turn to my computer / And spend my evenings with it / Like a friend.
I was loading a new programme / I had ordered from a magazine: / Are you lonely, are you lost? / This voice console is a must.
I press Execute.
– kate bush
I keep saying I’m going to get this review done, but then I find myself getting dragged away to do something else. That happens sometimes. It’s life. Sometimes I find myself simply thinking about so many other things that it’s hard to focus on the stuff I should be thinking about. That’s life too. In that regard I don’t think I’ve changed since elementary school. It seems my attention is often captured by something going on outside the window… Wait.. Did I use the word “I” again? It must be another case of rampant narcissism.. That’s life too as it happens.
The monkey sat on a pile of stone / And stared at the broken bone in his hand
Strains of a Viennese quartet rang out across the land / And the monkey looked up at the stars
And he thought to himself…
– r. waters
So how are YOU doing today? No, really. We spend so much time on these blogs telling stories, selling products, raising money or just shootin’ the breeze (as they say in these parts), that we rarely come down to earth. It’s funny too considering we’re all spun from a love of the outdoors. Well, I for one am just thankful the outdoors is out there. Without the outdoors we’d have to spend all our time dealing with what lies in wait, indoors. Yeah, sometimes the outdoors seems scary, but it’s indoors is where all the crazy sh*t happens. ( Can I use that word??)
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