Is Kayaking A Good Way to Lose Weight?
Published July 28, 2011 | 
These days it seems everyone is looking for a good way lose weight. As a kayak coach and dare I say, an advocate for the sport, it’s a bit of a no-brainer that I would tell you that kayaking is indeed a good way to lose weight.. After all, any exercise that supports physical fitness, burns calories and keeps you interested is on its surface, a good way to lose weight. But is it really? Here are some thoughts… Continue reading
Great Lakes Sea Kayak Symposium Gallery
Published July 27, 2011 | 
I’ve just uploaded my 2011 Great Lakes Sea Kayak Symposium Gallery. It includes pictures of loons…. and Ben Lawry… In case you missed it, you can also click here for another 70-some photos from the 2010 event as well. Each gallery is a mix of people, kayaks, nature & just stuff from around the Grand Marais & Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore region. Not enough? OK, here’s another gallery from the area including the Grand Sable Dunes.
- 2011 SLSKS Slideshow (opens in new window)
Body, Boat, New!
Published July 26, 2011 | 
Check it out! Our friends at Body Boat Blade International have a fancy new website. Looks Great! Don’t you wish you could update your own body, boat and blade as easily as you could update a website? Man, my old hide could sure use an update! My boat is not far behind! Sorry, I just went 3 inches sideways there.. (See? There’s the topic.. now look 3 inches to the south.. see me over there, waving??) Anyway, in addition to the new website, Shawna and Leon are off on another adventure as they head out to circumnavigate Vancouver Island. Why? Well, I love this bit, to “give Shawna an opportunity to do some artwork”. One of the best reasons for a paddling trip I’ve heard this year! You can read more about their trip right here.
Nothing At All
Published July 26, 2011 | 
After yesterday’s review of the new Sea Kayak Essentials DVD, I thought it was as good of a time as any to put in a reminder to make sure and spend plenty of time on the water doing nothing as well. Don’t practice, don’t exercise, don’t take pictures, nothing. Just play. That’s what I love about my old Perception Mirage.. it does nothing well, which means when I’m in it, I’m there for fun.. everything else is essentially impossible. We should all have a kayak like the Mirage! On the other hand, you do know what the real difference between a sea kayak, a white water boat and a rec kayak is at the end of the day, right? Nothing. Nothing at all.
Sea Kayak Essentials DVD
Published July 25, 2011 | 
The Sea Kayak Essentials instructional DVD with BCU level 5 coach Nick Cunliffe joins an ever growing list of paddling DVDs. If like me you simply can’t buy every DVD out there, you have to be choosy. I’d certainly recommend that beginner and intermediate paddlers put this one on their wish list. Coaches might find a few gems as well.
Let me start out by telling you up front that I see lots of videos and lots of coaching styles. To be honest, I sometimes get a bit blurry eyed when I sit down to watch another instrutional video. Sea Kayak Essentials by nature does walk a lot of the same paths you’ve come to expect in an instructional video. The DVD moves through a series of skill building chapters that eventually lead you into real world situations and rough water paddling. ( I received a PAL version, so I found myself moving through a series of DVD players until I found one that would play it. ) Here’s what you get; Continue reading
Something New From Superior Kayaks
Published July 22, 2011 | 
Another hot, low slung Greenland boat is entering the fray. This sharp vessel was presented at the Great Lakes Sea Kayaking Symposium in Grand Marais, MI., last weekend by Mark Rodgers of Superior Kayaks. His new East Greenland design is available as a kit or I’m sure he’d build you one as well. Kits includes a building manual, cut plywood panels, tooling, flush mounting wood hatch assemblies or Beckson hatches (your choice), decklines, shock cords, padeyes, molded fiberglass seat, backstrap, knee & hip padding, stainless steel hardware and footbraces and are listed at $799 regardless of model. The new East Greenland boat is mentioned on the website, but not yet included in the list of kits, so the price could vary. Continue reading
I think about a world to come
Where the books were found by the Golden ones
Written in pain, written in awe
By a puzzled man who questioned
What we were here for
- bowie
So, I was walking down the beach when from behind, a disembodied authoritative voice said, “What’s that supposed to mean?” In that split second before I responded I had to realize he was talking to me, then that he had read my shirt, then try to discern if the question was genuine or sarcastic. From the tone of voice I figured it was the second. I just turned, smiled and shrugged my shoulders. He then said something to the effect that it could say any sort of nonsense, like the old Steve Martin line, “My mama dogface banana patch.” Yeah, I figured he wouldn’t understand. Continue reading →