Something Wicked This Way Comes
Published June 15, 2011 | 
Those of you who’ve been following along know that I’m into rolling and have shopped around for a composite version of a kayak roller’s dream boat. There are not many ultra low-volume composite rolling kayaks out there to choose from. Of the ones that are available, none are all that easy to test paddle here in the Great Lakes region. There’s just two shops, one in Canada and one in Michigan that deal with low-volume composite rolling kayaks. It’s too bad really because there is a large and growing contingent of traditional rollers in our part of the country. I can’t help but wonder why most of the focus always seems to be on the coasts when there is so much potential for kayak rolling here in the Midwest. We need to change that.. Continue reading
Having Been Restrung
Published May 26, 2011 | 
If you’ve been following along in earlier posts as I worked on putting leather lines on the skinboat, you’ve not seen the finished product. Here it is. Now I need to get back to work. Only one workday left before I head out to Michigan by way of Chicago for the West Michigan Coastal Kayaker’s Symposium. You know what the hardest part of preparing for a symposium is? Well, deciding what kayak to take of course! More on that later… IF i find the time. 
Ropes & Knots
Published May 17, 2011 | 
Putting deck lines on a skin boat near the cockpit is a pretty simple process. Putting the lines in near the bow and stern are a bit more complicated, especially if you don’t have any clue what you are doing. Only a weird, stretchy alien could get up that far inside the kayak to tie things off. It seems you have no option but to tie the ends together on the outside. In the end I think I may have worked it out. I’m a little concerned that the knots won’t hold very well until the rope ages a bit, but even now they don’t seem to be going anywhere. All-in-all, I do have to say that the kayak is looking pretty sharp. I can certainly see where I am going with it. Continue reading
Sidetracked In Black
Published May 17, 2011 | 
And if the night runs over / And if the day won’t last
And if your way should falter / Along this stony pass
It’s just a moment
This time will pass – u2
Today was the day I was going to tell you all about properly wearing and testing dry gear… but then I got distracted. I had my skin boat out anyway, (The one that’s for sale actually) so I decided to get all the new leather deck lines installed. That was a good idea, (I’d been putting it off since last spring.) but then I got distracted. I realized that I still needed to give the canvas another coat of paint. Having originally been painted white, a bit of missing black paint shows right through. Thankfully it only takes a can of black exterior paint and brush to give it a quick retouch whenever I like. Continue reading
Posted in Kayaks, My Paddling, My Weird Life, Paddle Gear, Paddling, Quixotica, Traditional PaddlingSomething To Look Forward To…
Published May 12, 2011 | 
You don’t have to be into traditional rolling to appreciate this… (But it helps!) The amazingly beautiful Black Pearl design by Björn Thomasson has been something of a dream boat among home builders and Greenland rollers for some time. The Black Pearl is low slung, reactive, fast and a dream to roll. Did I mention that its beautiful as well? It’s no wonder why there is a lot of excitement in the traditional sea kayaking community right now about the new SeaBird Designs versions of the Black Pearl which are just now beginning to hit US dealers. Continue reading
Spin Cycles
Published May 5, 2011 | 
I will shape myself into your pocket
Invisible
Do what you want
Do what you want
- radiohead
I’d learned what I do know of traditional rolling from the cockpit of my old blue NDK Explorer. Later I moved on to a Valley Anas Acuta. Step by step I was progressing. There came a point though, when I felt I wasn’t getting any further. I’m not sure if it was the volume of the kayak or just me hitting a wall. I stopped. I walked away with most of layback rolls in place up to elbow rolls.. and just starting to work on forward rolls beyond a storm roll & reverse sweep. At the time I was really feeling like the volume of the kayak was beginning to raise its ugly head. That can real, or it can be a psychological limit. Sometimes when you feel something, it doesn’t matter if it’s true or not. It becomes true simply because you feel it to be so. Continue reading
Little Black Number
Published December 3, 2010 | 
For a guy, the equivalent of the “little black number” is the tight black T… Well, if you’ve got the bod for it! I’m big into black Ts too.. (Not the tight kind). Right now my favorite is one that was sent to me by my friends at Body, Boat, Blade International. The best part is what you don’t see. One the back it says, “Throwing Stones At Sacred Cows”. Now that’s my kind of coaching! Thanks guys! If you’d like one of these fancy black numbers you’ll have to stop by their shop on in Washington State.. or call ph: 1.360.376.5388 or email: info@bodyboatblade.com. They are not available online.. (Cha, ya, I know! What’s up with that!? LOL!)
I, on the other hand am totally into the online thing. Over in my Skillet Creek world I’ve opened a little Cafe Press shop and have been selling some cool Hiking & Skiing trail marker clothing & other bits and bobs. I’m surprised how well that’s gone. You can check those out here. Speaking of little black numbers, I’ve got a strange black T made to repel the literate bears in your woods with the phases, “No, Bear.” and “Go Away Bear!” on the front. So why not take a T or mug along on your next trip to Kodiak island? Just in case… No promises..
So there’s my Christmas shopping shill for the year. It not only allows me to pay for an occasional four dollar cup of coffee from the local “fair-trade artwork and gift basket” filled coffee shop, but it also gives me another day to work on my post all about BC bindings. It’s not easy out there in the cold, cruel world of skiing.
What?…. Snow Storm? Tonight? What the F—————- ******* (We now take you back to your regularly scheduled program.. Are you sitting comfortably?)
Posted in advertising, Random Thoughts, Traditional Paddling, Web Stuff | 
body boat blade, No Bear, skillet creek
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