http://www.kayakquixotica.com Tilting At Waves Sat, 04 Feb 2012 14:09:43 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= http://www.kayakquixotica.com/2011/10/14/the-devil-on-your-shoulder/ http://www.kayakquixotica.com/2011/10/14/the-devil-on-your-shoulder/#comments Fri, 14 Oct 2011 17:24:58 +0000 derrick http://www.kayakquixotica.com/?p=9049 We all know, paddling is an addiction, but to be fair, there are days. You wouldn't think it would ever seem like a challenge to paddle a couple miles in the morning, but it can be. Not because it's hard or because you're facing the rage of the wild seas or whatever, but because we're human. Just the simple act of dragging your hide outside and schlepping your kayak to the beach on a cold, windy morning can be a challenge to overcome. ]]> http://www.kayakquixotica.com/2011/10/14/the-devil-on-your-shoulder/feed/ 3 http://www.kayakquixotica.com/2011/08/29/imagine-your-are-alone/ http://www.kayakquixotica.com/2011/08/29/imagine-your-are-alone/#comments Mon, 29 Aug 2011 15:10:55 +0000 derrick http://www.kayakquixotica.com/?p=8867 Learn to know what you don't know. Then know it. In some ways our lives are way too simple. We get up, we eat, we drive the same route to work each day, we do a job we've done for a thousand years, then drive the same route home, eat and then veg in front of a television. Days pass. Weeks turn into months and months into years. There's nothing wrong with that exactly, but we often feel way too secure in what we think we know. Then suddenly, shockingly things can go very wrong.]]> http://www.kayakquixotica.com/2011/08/29/imagine-your-are-alone/feed/ 3 http://www.kayakquixotica.com/2011/07/25/sea-kayak-essentials-dvd/ http://www.kayakquixotica.com/2011/07/25/sea-kayak-essentials-dvd/#comments Mon, 25 Jul 2011 14:01:03 +0000 derrick http://www.kayakquixotica.com/?p=8556 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 [...]]]> http://www.kayakquixotica.com/2011/07/25/sea-kayak-essentials-dvd/feed/ 3 http://www.kayakquixotica.com/2011/07/22/sacred-cows-and-other-nonsense/ http://www.kayakquixotica.com/2011/07/22/sacred-cows-and-other-nonsense/#comments Fri, 22 Jul 2011 15:52:19 +0000 derrick http://www.kayakquixotica.com/?p=8538 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.]]> http://www.kayakquixotica.com/2011/07/22/sacred-cows-and-other-nonsense/feed/ 2 http://www.kayakquixotica.com/2011/07/20/up/ http://www.kayakquixotica.com/2011/07/20/up/#comments Wed, 20 Jul 2011 12:13:29 +0000 derrick http://www.kayakquixotica.com/?p=8525 Talking about rolling and body position can be a challenge on land. Inevitably we find ourselves standing there, reaching far over our heads to practice (or demonstrate) paddle placement on the surface of the water, sweeping the paddle, and recovering over the kayak. It doesn't work, mind you. In fact, the more you ingrain the reaching over your head movements on land, the more your student will be reaching toward the bottom of the lake once they get out in the water. Still, there is just something in our crazy brains that makes us want to always reach UP. ]]> http://www.kayakquixotica.com/2011/07/20/up/feed/ 0