And as the sparrow sings
Dawn chorus for
Someone else to hear
The thinker sits alone growing older
– d. bowie

So this is what it looks like at 5am, no, 6am here in Madison, Wisconsin.  You are looking across the street from our motel at the Alliant Energy Center where in just a few hours Canoecopia will be opening it’s doors for the last day of the 2010 show. Reports are that visitor numbers have nearly doubled this year over last which made for a lot of warm fuzzy feelings in among the regulars.

And this just in from the rumors department… It seems the owner of Boreal Shores Kayaks in Bayfield ran amok over the winter and bashed out a wall of his shop… (I’m sure Chris will like me describing it that way.   Now everywhere he goes people will be talking about him… “There goes Chris,” they’ll say, “Running Amok.”)   Of course the truth is that I just got all long winded in telling you he’s done some remodeling and you should check it out if you get up his way.

Last night Justine Curgenven introduced her new DVD with a 1 hour compilation that gave the audience a good feel for everything contained in the 3 hour full version of “This Is Canoeing”.  Of course as she said, you need to buy a copy to see it all.  From what I was able to see last night it looks great.  It’s certainly Justine giving canoeing the “This is the Sea” treatment with a lot of added refinement that comes from the experience of her years of experience filming in the wild and on the water.

And by the way who knew  ACA kayak coach extraordinaire, John Browning would dance all night long?

So for today I hit the show floor, then hit the water.  I’m going to run over to the P&H booth and see if I can get my fat behind into a Cetus low volume.  Remember folks, don’t let anyone tell you a kayak is wrong for you.  Try it, and figure it out yourself.  With that in mind, if I can get in the little thing I might spend some pool time with one and let you know how it rolls.

And speaking of rolls.. This afternoon I’ll be in the pool with Steve Scherrer.  I think there was some paperwork telling me all the technical details about how to get my boat in there, where to dress and all that but of course I didn’t read anything.. so I need to go figure all that out. Which means less time to actually worry that I’ll blow something.  I’m sure I will.

Busy day at Canoecopia.  I’ll have more pictures for you tomorrow.  Foolishly I took all today’s event photos in a format I can’t open on my laptop!  (You can bet I’ve taken care of that now.) Well, with the couple hours I have available until the premiere of Justine Curgenven’s DVD, ” This is Canoeing“  I thought I’d take a moment to ask you to ponder this… Read the rest of this entry »

I saw her bus come down a little subway street
She played a gypsy song with a 3/4 beat
And when I heard her voice
She gave me vertigo
– fastball

Time to head out to the “big city” and join the party! It’s almost 6 am and I’ve wrapped up what bits of work I still needed to get done before we head off to Madison for the big show.  We’ll be exploring the show floor most of the day today (and sneaking off to the bike show next door).  I have to take back that bit about not needing anything.. other than a kayak.. I also need to find some new paddling shoes since mine seem to have disappeared.  Always something…    Oh, and if you’re wondering why Wenonah got the big feature pic today even though I don’t even own a canoe… I have no idea.. things were just going that way.

One day I fell under her spell
She showed me both heaven and hell
She made it shine, she made it rain
Now she’s gone, gone, gone, gone
Gone just like a train

Now wait.. no there’s more..
KayakQuixotica Declares today
“Wenonah Canoe” Love Day!

(I mean, come’on only 8 followers on their new twitter??  Let’s show ‘em some love

Pewitt’s Nest – Baraboo, Wisconsin.

Now here’s the thing.  Spring is coming on here in Wisconsin in a mad rush.  I should of course have my heart all a-flutter about spending the next 2 days at Canoecopia, the world’s largest paddle-sports expo. Yet, what I find myself thinking is that I’m going to spend most of my time indoors pining for the rain, the trails, and the rivers outdoors.  What the hell is wrong with me eh? Read the rest of this entry »

Reposted from The Skillet Creek Journal - Outdoor lovers from all over the mid-west will be gathering in Madison, Wisconsin this weekend, March 12 – 14, 2010, for Canoecopia, the world’s largest paddle sports expo. Hosted by Rutabaga of Madison, Canoecopia features hundreds of vendors from the outdoor industry and 3 days of presentations by some of the world’s foremost paddling experts and instructors. In addition, many outfitters and guides from around the country will be on hand to promote their 2010 trips from Great Lakes excursions to full-on world class expeditions. Did we mention the sales, promotions & discounts? Read the rest of this entry »

Before the day I met you, life was so unkind
But you’re the key to my peace of mind
– carol king

You know how it is of course.  Time keeps sliding past while your busy with other pursuits.  Well, sometimes you’ve got to focus. Canoecopia, the largest paddlesports show in the country kicks off in 9 days and I need to be there. In addition to my regular duties, I, along with Steve Scherrer am giving a rolling demo on Sunday afternoon.  Now, the thing is.. I always get pinned as the “Greenland” guy here in this part of the state.  That’s not really my thing though.  I love rolling. But I’m not all that talented.  I’ve spent years learning to roll primarily because I was never a good swimmer.  Read the rest of this entry »

It’s hard for me to practice anything.  On the other hand, if I can find a way to play.. then I’ll practice all day.  Take rolling for instance.  If you look at the picture above you’ll see me rolling my kayak at the local pool (btw they now charge me $5 additional dollars for my kayak claiming a sudden surge in the popularity of pool paddling!).  Now if you look a bit closer you’ll see that the blade is actually detached from the paddle shaft.  Rolling is OK, but rolling with a jumble of broken paddle bits is much more fun.

We’re about a week out from Canoecopia.. Maybe I’ll get a chance to talk to you a bit more about rolling soon…