Pardon Me, Inspector!
Published March 4, 2011 | 
Spring! Spring! Spring! Well, no. But soon! For many paddlers stuck up here in the great white north, the anticipation of getting back on open water is palpable. We are just going crazy!! (Hardly noticeable in my case…) Now what really sucks, is when you finally get some open water and you run to your closet only to find the gasket on your drysuit has turned to goo over the winter!! Suddenly you’re on your knees, arms outstretched to the heavens shouting out your best B-Movie, ” NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”. Well, before that tragedy happens to you, I’d suggest you get to your closet now and start inspecting your gear right now! Continue reading
quietly slip away
Published February 21, 2011 | 
Oh, give me the beat, boys, and free my soul
I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away
– dobie grey
It’s that time of year again. It’s February, it’s cold and everything is frozen. Still the clouds are just dark enough and heavy enough to make you think that a spring rain has to be right around the corner. What’s worse is that the spring rain occasionally shows up…. for a time anyway. Then just when your hopes begin to get out from under the oppression of winter, you get another snowstorm. That’s where Canoecopia comes in.
Names Darling!
Published July 23, 2010 | 
Ziggy played for time, jiving us that we was voodoo
The kids was just crass. He was the nazz
With God given ass
He took it all too far, but boy could he play guitar
– bowie
So I got into this conversation the other day. The topic was “Names”. Do paddlers you read about in Sea Kayaker magazine inspire you to sign up for events or symposiums? Would you go any way? Maybe when you read that a certain paddler is going to coach it’s a great idea to attend to get instruction from the ‘masters’ so to speak. But what if the ‘Name’ is only there to present and preside? Should symposiums sort out the green M&Ms for the latest person to paddle across Boyizitbig Bay, or should they save the bowl for a couple great coaches instead? Continue reading
Dog & Butterfly
Published March 19, 2010 | 
See the dog and butterfly. Up in the
Air he like to fly.” Dog and butterfly
Below she had to try. She roll back down
To the warm soft ground laughing
She don’t know why
-Heart
Canoecopia saw about a 15% increase in visitors since last year. The estimate I saw was around 24,000 folks came to shop. Nice. Sunday afternoon after the place started to quiet down, Steve Scherrer and I had a relaxing rolling demo over in the Clarion Hotel’s pool. It was a good time. Steve has a special skill in explaining and demonstrating the physics of how a boat moves in the water. I on the other hand find my path to kayak rolling in the Metaphysical. Together we do a good job covering all the bases.
I finally got around to posting a gallery of 2010 Canoecopia pics on Flickr.. There’s also a “Best of” from 2005-2009 gallery as well.
Shoes
Published March 15, 2010 | 
She said you’ve taken me for granted
Because I please you
Wearing these diamonds,
– paul simon
It’s Monday. It’s the day after Canoecopia. Justine Curgenven is down in Chicago paddling Lake Michigan’s Gold Coast, Darren Bush, owner of Rutabaga, benevolent ruler of all things Canoecopia, is also off for a well deserved paddle. I on the other hand, like so many other attendees have get back at the millstone to pay for my 3 days of irresponsibility and personal spending. What to say? Well, do you know one of those people who just keeps talking and talking, mixing sentences without spaces and never taking a moment to breathe? I could be that guy… Continue reading
Dawn Chorus
Published March 14, 2010 | 
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.”) Continue reading
Posted in Events & Symposia, Learn To Roll, Paddling | 
canoecopia, justine curgenven, steve scherrerCanoecopia This Weekend
Published March 8, 2010 | 
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? Continue reading
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