Saying Goodbye

For the last 13 years she has been there for me.  Never one to judge.  Always there to cheer me up.  I’ll miss her!

FOR SALE!

I have my eyes on a new more advanced kayak and there is no room in my Garage for every boat so the Impex must go.  It is officially for sale.  It has been a great boat.  Especially great for camping as it has tons of room for all the camping gear.  Handles great and has served me well.  Let’s just hope that somebody out there wants a used Assateague.

I think I have a kayaking problem.

Allan Island

Finally made it out for my first paddle of 2009.  I’ve been going crazy wanting to get out.   Well yesterday I had a beautiful day with no plans so off I went.  We left from Washington Park in Anacortes and made our way to Allan and Burrows Islands.  This has become one of my favorite paddles.  A true taste of the San Juans with a variety of coastline and scenery all very close to home.  No ferries to deal with.  No big crossings.  The current yesterday was nearly non-existent so it really didn’t make much of a difference when we left.  We were on the water around 10am making for a leisurely start to the day.  We chose a figure 8 course around both islands so that we could see all of both islands.  Neither of us had gone all the way around Allan Island before.  A really nice treat.  The landscape is drastically different on the North side compared to the more exposed South side.  The South is much more rugged with some cool rugged rock formations.  If you have a few extra dollars you can have this island all to yourself.  It is currently for sale for $19,500,000.00 .  Bad news though is the yearly taxes are nearly $86,000 a year on this property.

We got really excited at one point thinking we had seen some whales.  We quickly rafted up and looked through my monocular only to learn that the whale was a big log.  We’ve seen Orcas in this area before and we are always on the lookout.  Hopefully a planned trip to San Juan Island this summer will show us some more again.

Whales off Burrows Island in 2007

We broke for lunch at the Cascade Marine Trail Site on Burrows.  There was no sun in this little cove so it was horribly cold the entire time.  I was thankful to have brought a thermos of hot water for some tea.  But better yet was using the hot water from the thermos to warm up my now frozen paddling gloves.

I’m sure I drove my friend nuts because all I could talk about was the kayak I am drooling over and hoping to get soon.  A Sterling Illusion.  A wonderful boat.  It handles like a dream and is incredibly well built.  I tested one out recently and really loved it.  A very lively boat probably not a good beginner boat.  But now that I have a few years paddling experience I am really excited about the performance it offers.  I was really surprised when I tested it how easy it was to roll and balance brace.  I could balance brace it easier than my SOF Greenland boat.   I’ll write more once I am able to finally get one.  Here are a couple of photos though of the boat that is consuming my thoughts right now.

Demo Illusion in Chuckanut Bay

Notice the beach covered in shells

An Illusion just being finished.

I love this paint scheme with the high rise white!

New Fear

I have often thought it would be really cool to paddle in Alaska.  Maybe a journey through the inside passage.  However I have a horrible fear of bears that keeps my desire to pack up for such a journey way in the back of my mind.  Well now I can never paddle anywhere there might be Giraffes now either after seeing the below educational film.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/42614/saturday-night-live-giraffes

2008 Has Been a Good Year

2008 is nearing the end.  I have had a great year filled with some great adventures.  I have seen some great places, accomplished great things, and spent some really good quality time with my friends.  Especially my best friend, M!

Eagle Float On the Skagit River

Camping On Mt. Baker in January (Brrr!)

Made Deception Pass My Personal Playground

Went For a Great Run at Red Rock

Went Camping on Cypress Island With M

Paddled In The Canadian Gulf Islands

Explored Sucia Island

Learned Some New Skills From Dubside

M Learns From Dubside

Ran Some Great Trail Runs With A Great Friend

Quality Time On The Water With My Dad

Circumnavigated Orcas Island.  An awesome trip, thanks Ed!

Made My Own SOF Greenland Qajaq. Thank you Cape Falcon Kayak

Ran On the Pacific Crest Trail On Mt. Hood, OR

Took A Lesson From A Master (Maligiaq Padilla)

Took Advantage Of a Great November Day

Burrows Island With J

Completed Another Deception Pass Dash (Crazy Rough!)

IRIDIUM LEVEL

Became a 4 Star Marathon Maniac

7 Marathons in one year

1 Ultra-Marathon 31.5 miles

4 Marathons in 4 Consecutive Weeks

Some of the greatest people are Kayakers.  Thanks to all of you, friends and strangers alike, that have shared the water with me this year.  I got some big plans already brewing for 2009.  Can’t wait.

Project Santa Claus

M and I made it out today to volunteer with Project Santa Claus.  Because of the snow we have been getting they were in desparate need of volunteers with 4X4 vehicles to deliver food and toys to some families in need.  My Dodge Ram came in handy.  We saw some really great kids.  So wonderful to hear their joyful laughs with the delivery of some toys.  Really makes me appreciate all that I have.  Feels good to give a little this time of year.

This program started in 1979 when deputies from the local Sheriff’s Office decided to do something to help some of the local families in need.   Starting with 10 families it now helps out about 300 families and over 1200 children.   People volunteer from all walks of life.  A pretty good program this time of year.

PROJECT SANTA CLAUS WEBSITE

An Important Christmas Card

Bellingham Boy Battling Brain Tumor Asks For Holiday Cards.

We send out so many Christmas cards because we feel we have to.  I wonder how many people really care that they got the card from us.  Sometimes the holiday feels holiday to me.  Well we are mailing off two cards today that I feel are truly important.  Please read the article in today’s Bellingham Herald about Kyle Roger. He is asking for holiday cards for himself and his brother Nicolas.  I hate seeing kids go through tough times.  Something as simple as a card can make him feel so much better.  Cards can be sent to Kyle and Nicolas at:

837 S. Hills Drive

Bellingham, WA 98229

Check out his blog for more info:

http://www.kyleroger.blogspot.com/

I know people read my little old posts from all over.  It would be pretty cool if he got some cards from some far away places he never heard of before.

So much for paddling this weekend

I just picked up a demo boat that the manufacturer was nice enough th lend me. I had all kinds of plans for testing it this weekend. But the weather is not cooperating. I did get out yesterday for a very short paddle on the lake with it and so far I love the boat. But more on that later.

My computer is also DOA so I am using an alternate, but I don’t have access to all my photos so no razzle dazzle for the visual senses. Sorry.

Check out the boat I’m looking at below. Anybody want to buy a used Impex Assateague?

http://www.sterlingskayak.com/IllusionSpecs.shtml

Forecast as of 9:00 am PST on December 13, 2008

Northern Inland Waters Including The San Juan Islands-
Today N wind 25 to 35 kt…with a few gusts to 45 kt this afternoon. Wind waves 4 to 6 ft. A chance of rain or snow showers.
Tonight NE wind 35 to 45 kt. Wind waves 6 to 8 ft. A chance of snow showers.
Sun NE wind 35 to 45 kt. Wind waves 6 to 8 ft. A chance of snow showers.
Sun Night NE wind 30 to 40 kt. Wind waves 5 to 7 ft.
Mon N wind 25 to 35 kt. Wind waves 4 to 6 ft.
Tue N wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. A chance of snow.
Wed S wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. A chance of snow.

2008 Deception Pass Dash (What a Beating!)

I arrived at the 2008 Deception Pass Dash early to assure a parking space. With over 130 racers registered and a parking lot that looked like it was going to max out at around 60 cars I knew it would be crowded. At about 7:30 am as I arrived at Bowman Bay the water was glassy calm. I thought to myself that this would be a great race on flat water. Boy was I wrong!

The horn was sounded at 10:00am to start the race and we were off. There were all kinds of boats. Surf skis, skin on frame Greenland kayaks, Baidarkas, outrigger canoes, and even one pedal craft.

As we headed out toward Deception Island the waves were already beating us up. The wind had picked up significantly. I learned later that numerous people capsized within the first mile and before even getting out of Bowman Bay. People were taking different approaches to get around Deception Island. Some were staying close to shore where the water appeared a little closer. Others were going wide. I chose the wide route. It was a a longer distance but allowed me to paddle into the waves longer before I turned to have the waves hit me broadside. Once we made the turn I was able to surf several waves toward the bridge. I have very little experience surfing and no experience surfing waves this big. It was fun and scary as hell all at the same time. I worked my way to the shore on the Fidalgo Island side. The water is usually much calmer along the shore. Today was different. These were the biggest waves I have ever seen in Deception Pass and I knew it was only the beginning. The current was just starting to build and was opposing the wind. As the current got stronger against the wind I knew we were looking for some really rough seas. I changed course to the middle of the pass where things were a bit calmer working my way to Pass Island.

I had my VHF on channel 77, the designated rescue channel for the race. I heard constant radio traffic. “we have a boat over” “there is another boat over” “we need a rescue boat” “we can’t get to the boat we need a power boat” (power boat responds) “they’re up against the rocks we can’t get to them we need the jet ski” This was unerving to listen to. I had brought a tow belt and was prepared to help anybody in need. However every capsized boat I came across was already being helped. My friend Ed wasn’t so lucky. He helped with at least three rescues. This put him too far behind the changing current and he was forced to end the race. He absolutely made the right choice though. People first the race is just for fun. Here he is below involved in one of the rescues.

Ed to the rescue

The photos don’t do justice to the rough water

As I got to Pass Island I was surprised to see that people weren’t all bunched up like last year. The eddy lines were also not as close to shore as usual. The water this year was really behaving different. I had brought a hydration pack strapped to my deck. This is usually really easy to drink from, but I was getting thrown around so much I didn’t dare let go of my paddle long enough to grab the drinking tube until I got to Pass Island. The eddy line on the east side of Pass Island was really easy to get across this year. Last year this gave a lot of people problems. Between Pass Island and Strawberry Island the water was flat calm. What a nice break! I was really looking forward to going with the current back to Canoe Pass. Unfortunately the wind was so strong coming at me that I didn’t get that free ride.

Cool new Epic for a pirate

As I came through Canoe Pass there were several people surfing the standing waves. I almost hit one of them as controlling turning amongst these waves was not that easy. I don’t know if these were people that were out for fun or people that had given up on the race.

I made my way back to Deception Island. I was thinking to myself that if there weren’t so many safety boats around I would quit! I was way beyond my comfort level. I estimated the waves at about six feet high. Now I’m thinking am I like a fisherman that catches a minnow and tells everybody it was a whale. Were these waves small and I was just imagining them bigger than they really are. Well reading through one of the yahoo kayak forums the estimates others gave ranged from 4 feet to 10 feet. The estimate from the Skagit County Sheriff boat was 8 foot waves. As I got closer to Deception Island these large waves were close together and coming from multiple directions. I couldn’t see other paddlers around me as they disappeared in the wave troughs. I heard a girl ahead of me scream out “oh FUCK!” I couldn’t see her when she said this but a moment later I was on top of a wave and could see a large breaking wave crash over her completely covering her in water. I knew it was going to hit me next. I was spending as much time bracing as I was paddling. A moment later I experienced something totally new. I was hit from the side by a large breaker. I brace hard but was covered in water. I thought I had capsized as there was water all over me. I was going to wait till I was no longer being thrown around before trying to roll up. Then the water cleared and I was still upright. Not sure how, but I’m not complaining.

I made it around the Deception Island and I wanted to quit. The waves were beating me up bad. At times my bow was pointing straight up at the sky. The only way to quit at this point was to finish the race. I was wondering how hard it would be to roll in such rough water. Luckily I didn’t have to find out.

I finished the race about 20 minutes faster than last year. And unlike last year wasn’t the last finisher. (Two other people finished behind me.)

Tom Sharp welcoming me at the finish line

I’m glad I did the race, but I don’t know that I would want to paddle in these kind of conditions again.

Some of the stats:

140 Registered Racers

126 Racers Started

94 Finishers (I was number 92)

32 People that started did not finish

One of the many different boats at the race

Here is a sample of some forum comments that other people left describing the race:

Biggest water of any race in the Northwest, ever? Even
though this course was only 5+ miles, almost 1/3rd of the field did
not finish the course because it was too wild.

I had a great race that called
on every skill and knowledge that I possess.

So much for the pre-race prediction of “Flat and Swirly” Sounds more
like “Phat and Squirrely”.

they saw 8 and 10 footers (from a Sheriff’s boat) before we were
all in.

Seriously, today was a “pucker factor” day for the paddlers.

On the boat is was a puke fest.

When we headed back out to the island after offloading, there were just 3 of us
on the boat, the two Skagit Co. Sheriff’s and myself. When we got back out
there, the skipper quietly said “shit” and worked to keep the boat pointed into
the waves. There were honest 8-footer out there. The skipper would holler out
“big one coming” to warn the two of us in the back… and that happened about
every tenth wave.

The DPD is a real game-changer in a paddler’s life.

Well, I thought Bowen made me a man… DPD crushed me.

All I can say is that I’m really whooped! Those were by far the
toughest conditions I’ve ever been in.

-Clearly the conditions today far exceeded anyones expectations and underscored the real potential danger of our chosen sport.

kayak-vs-wave-walls-eating-us-experience

Patrol boats reported 5′ breaking at that S end of DPI before the
last boater came though and we all came back through 6+’ cresting waves
from all directions half the way back into Bowman at about noon.

Deception Pass Dash

It will be a bit before I have the free time to write a report.  However a short tid bit about today’s race.  The water was rough!!!  Current was a non-issue this year compared to last year.  It was the waves that caused the real problem.  Today was the roughest water I have ever paddled in.  I finished though.  Good to see many other paddlers that I only get to see at such events.  Added bonus I didn’t come in last again.  Last year I was the last finisher.  Several people gave up and didn’t complete the course.  The same was true this year and I am anxious to see how many people were forced to head back.  I don’t blame any of them.  I too thought of giving up with the water as rough as it was.

I have a busy work week ahead, but hopefully I’ll find the time to post a better report soon.

Deception Pass Dash Weather

What will the weather be like?  Will mother nature be kind?  Things are looking better.

Current Marine Forecast at of 12/05 @2100

Sun

W wind 10 to 20 kt. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft.

Another Cool Website

Just came across a website that offers windspeed and other information displayed on a map.  Kind of cool.  Click on the image below for a better view or check out the link below.

http://windonthewater.com/

Deception Pass Pre-Dash

Not from yesterday, but this is what the day felt like.

Yesterday I hit the pass for a practice run for the upcoming Deception Pass Dash.  The weather forecast was not good. But we decided to give it a shot anyway.

NORTHERN INLAND WATERS INCLUDING THE SAN JUAN ISLANDS:

FRI…S WIND RISING TO 35 TO 45 KT.  WIND WAVES BUILDING TO 6 TO 8 FT.

The weather as we set off was not as bad as predicted, but still not the best.  I had decided to try using my Greenland paddle in this years race.  I thought that it would be easier through the wind as well.  I quickly switched back to my tried and true Werner Ikelos.  I found that the Greenland paddle worked great, but as I am not really used to it yet I keep reverting back to using it like it was a Euro paddle.  As long as I am thinking about my technique I do fine.  Once I get distracted by something else my technique gets sloppy.

As we worked our way to Deception Island the waves were rolling in.  They were coming directly at us so it wasn’t that big of a deal but we were rolling up and down on some fair size waves.  As we got to Deception Island it got a lot worse though.  The waves were coming at me from the side.  Every other stroke was more of a brace and I nearly capsized a few times.  The worse part was when I got caught up on some kelp.  I was being beat up by the waves while making very little progress forward.  I feared that I would capsize and wouldn’t be able to roll up because of all the kelp.  I was at the edge of my comfort level.  The wind was really building now.  Plus the roaring sounds of the Navy fighter jets was deafening.  Although I usually love the jets flying overhead today they were exceptionally loud.  We finally cleared Deception Island and the worse was over.

Making progress toward Pass Island the wind was directly in our faces.  We left 25 minutes prior to slack to mimic race day so the current wasn’t really an issue and we were making pretty good progress.  However the strong headwind was kind of defeating.  I little break from the wind at Pass Island.  As I paddled along the back eddies of Pass Island I remembered the bottle neck from last years race as this was where most people paused before the last push or their decision to give up.  Leaving earlier really helped get us from Pass to Strawberry Island.  Current although building was not nearly the factor it was last year.  However the headwind was now back in full effect.  My paddle felt so heavy.  My foam core ultra light top of the line Werner paddle felt like a log.

Time for the reward.  We rounded Strawberry Island easily and drifted most of the way back to Canoe Pass.  My paddle now felt weightless with the tail wind.  I brought my GPS and we coasted through Canoe Pass at 7.2 knots.  It wasn’t even max current yet. The water level was the highest I had ever seen there.  Beaches where I usually can pull out were completely gone.  The high water level caused the water to behave differently than normal with whirlpools in places I had never seen.

I decided to bail out on finishing the course.  I could see surf out by Deception Island now and wanted no part of that.  We hung out at Canoe Pass watching a few Bald Eagles playing in the wind.  I see these birds all the time, yet I am in awe every time I see one.  They are such huge majestic animals.

A great day at the Pass with some good challenges.  I hope the weather is a bit better for race day.  On this day we had sustained winds about 20 knots with gusts over 35 knots.

We finished the day with a good lunch at a real gem of a restaurant.  Flyers in Oak Harbor.  Flyers brews their own beer and has one numerous awards for their beer.  The food and atmosphere is great.

Beautiful November Day

Looking at Burrows Island and Rosario Straight from Burrows Pass

With the weather as good as it was I couldn’t resist getting out on the water.  I was going to go for a short paddle to Chuckanut Bay, but after waking up and seeing how nice it was decided on Burrows Island instead.  I love this paddle and have done it a few times now.  We left from Washington Park in Anacortes and did a nice leasurely paddle counter clockwise around the island.  Probably saw about ten other paddlers out and about also taking advantage of the outstanding conditions.

Hypothermia

COLD WATER BOOT CAMP

I was just sent this link about a cold water boot camp that was done in Canada.  Several subjects volunteered to take a swim in water that was 6 degrees celcius (about 43 degrees fahrenheit.)  By comparison I just checked and the water in Friday Harbor right now November 4th is 9.4 degrees C or 48.9 degrees F.  This website has a bunch of information on cold water facts and survival.  It is amazing how fast people become disoriented and lose their ability to function.  Check out some of the videos on the website under the page Boot Campers.

Cold water is something we have to deal with in the San Juans year round.  People have on numerous occasions questioned why I am wearing a drysuit in the middle of the summer.  The water here does not warm up much just because the air is warmer.

Good education!

Fram Replica Part 3

I had hoped to write this report up much sooner.  However life has a habit of getting in the way.  So I am trying to find the time now to continue on with a report on this great class I took.

Here are the earlier parts of the reports:

Fram Part 1

Fram Part 2

Day 4 we added the stringers to make the chines. Lashing down with the artificial sinew. Even though the lashing was a bit repetitive I found it strangely relaxing. We added bow and stern plates by cutting and chiseling away so that they would be recessed. Fortunately my hack job would soon be covered by skin and nobody would see the mistake I made by cutting the wrong way. Woops! Next up was the Masik. After it was cut I did a test fit on the grass. What a surprise my horribly long legs wouldn’t fit. We ended up cutting out parts of a couple of ribs and rounding out the Masik a bit more.

Tight fit.

Notice the cut out rib for foot room.

The cockpit was finished and nailed together using brass nails. I really like that Brian does the cockpits with a wood lip and not a rope lip. I just hate the way the rope lip looks on the boats I’ve seen. Plus it seems like the Tuilik or Spray skirt would make a tighter seal on the lip compared to the rope.

Coaming Lip

Rear deck boards were added being pegged and glued down. I forgot to glue one of the pegs. And now that I have paddled the boat this peg has come out so I may try to get a bit of glue in there somehow.

Really looking like a kayak now.

On the next day we added the forward deck boards that run fore and aft. These were recessed in by cutting and chiseling. Finally I felt like I did a bit of good wood work. Nice flush fit.

All the rough edges were sanded and rounded off with a block plane where needed. After plenty of sanding we stained the whole boat. Brian said the staining really isn’t that necessary, but it makes it look great. I agree. The nice rich color is nice. Working through lunch we were done by 2:30 for the day.

My boat freshly stained in front of a couple F-1s

Getting done for the day was perfect for me. Because I had waited too long to make my reservations at the State Park for camping I was stuck moving around since I couldn’t get the same campsite reserved for my entire stay. Since I got done early I was able to meet with the park rangers and get them to fix this so for the rest of my stay I had the same site. Much better then setting up and taking down every day. Then I was off to Cannon Beach to get M. She took the train to Portland then a bus to Cannon Beach. This worked out great. We didn’t have to worry about having more then one car with us and she was able to just kick back and relax on the way down.

The next day we skinned the boat. Here is the start of my only complaint about the school. The fabric we used was not what Brian normally uses. He gets his fabric from Skin Boat School in Anacortes, but they had run out of his normal choice and we were forced to use an alternative heavier weight nylon. In the end I was very unhappy with this skin. Totally not Brian’s fault. I don’t think he was happy with it either. It feels like dragon skin. A really rough texture. I hate how people quickly notice this too. Every other skin boat I have seen ( not that I have seen that many ) have a really smooth feel. All of Brian’s other boats do to. But none of the ones with this new skin came out smooth.

The skin went on okay and I did more sewing then I have done throughout my entire life. A bit hard on the fingers. I ended up having to tape my fingers because the thread was cutting into my skin. I was told I was pulling too hard, although I was thankful later as it made for a tighter skin. I was surprised when I found out that most of the sewing was done with dental floss. I was happy with the end result as the stitch was fairly straight. I’ve seen some other skin boats that look like Frankenstein and I didn’t want that.

All sewn up with a nearly straight stitch.

The cockpit was a total pain in the arse. I kept making small mistakes that required me to start over and over and over. I felt like such an idiot. All the errors were stupid little mistakes and easy to fix. I just wasn’t paying enough attention to what I was doing.

We finished the day by dying the boats. Brian and I were the only ones that chose to dye the boats. I chose a dark brown as did Brian. The others kept theirs white knowing that they were going to turn a yellowish color later.

Dyed to a nice shade of brown.

After class we all met at Brian’s for a barbecue and tour of his property. Brian is a real inspiration. He uses alternative energy for his home and lives as self sufficient as he can. He walks the line perfectly in telling others how they can do things in their lives to reduce their dependence on outside sources while at the same time not being preachy about it. The people in this class made the experience wonderful. All a great group of guys that were a real pleasure to hang out with. I was thankful for bit of extra time outside of class to get to know everybody a bit more.

Another Deception Pass Dash

I’ve just signed up for another Deception Pass Dash.  This year I will know a few more people participating than last year.  Hopefully I’ll finish a bit better this year than I did last year.  I definitely won’t tape my skeg shut again.  So now the question is which paddle to use.  I am very used to my Werner Ikelos, but I am really liking my Greenland paddle and am using it more and more.  Last year I had a basic Aqua Bound so no matter what my paddle situation will be improved.  Last year was a blast and I’m sure this year will be just as great.

The race was taken over by Outdoor Adventure Center.  The race will be on December 7th starting at Bowman Bay.  To register provide the following to

deceptionpassdash@gmail.com

• First and last name
• Home Town
• Boat make and model
• Sound Rowers classification
• Phone #
• Email
• T-shirt size (prior to November 28 only)

After the race my Impex Assateague will be for sale.  I have my eyes on a new boat.  But I am still trying to figure out how to make it happen and I must sell the Impex first to help me afford the new one.

More Maligiaq

I am posting a few videos from the class I took from Maligiaq.  Unfortunately my videos are filmed with a little point and shoot camera so the quality isn’t that great.

The walrus pull was pretty cool to see.  Maligiaq makes it look pretty easy, but everybody else that tried flipped over pretty quick.  I have enough trouble just bracing in the currents of Deception Pass.  I can’t imagine how difficult it would be to be pulled by a walrus.

Maligiaq stepped right up and performed this move twice like it was as easy as walking across the lawn.  He never even stopped chewing his beef jerky while spinning around the ropes.

Tom Sharp has a much better video from a different angle. Tom works with Dubside in creating the Dubside videos so obviously his is much better quality.  Here it is below.

This last video is for all those that think, “that doesn’t look to hard.”  People like Dubside and Maligiaq do make these skills look easy, but they use so much strength and flexibility.  I was really amazed at just how difficult the ropes were and how tired I was after just getting a small taste.

Lessons With Maligiaq

Maligiaq getting ready for the walrus pull

Earlier I posted a photo of Andrew’s (Dash Pt. Pirate) Qajaq in Deception Pass being paddled by Maligiaq Padilla. Sunday I had the huge honor of taking a class from Maligiaq Padilla. Maligiaq is a seven time Greenland Kayak Champion. The class brought courtesy of George Gronseth and the Kayak Academy was by far the most bang for the buck kayak class I have ever taken. It encompassed so much more than the typical Greenland rolling classes that are usually presented. I originally wasn’t going to take this class just because my summer has been incredibly busy. So busy that I can’t remember a weekend that I didn’t have plans. But how could I pass up an opportunity to learn from Maligiaq. You can’t get any more authentic than that. Other instructors that were there to help were George Gronseth, Dubside, and Tom Sharp. Any one of these other instructors would have made the class worth while and to have all of them there for a $125 class was amazing.

We started by running, (haven’t I done enough running this year). Dubside wanted us good and warm before we stretched. So after some running, jumping jacks and some other warm up exercises we were schooled in how unflexible we are in comparison to Dubside and Maligiac. The name Gumby comes to mind. We split up into two groups and began the lessons.

I went out with George and learned the basics of Greenland paddling. This was great because I am really just starting to use the Greenland paddle. I have dabbled with it a bit, but am still getting used to it. This gave me the opportunity to learn things right from the start and not develop bad habits. This was great because I was doing some things wrong. After a bit Maligiaq joined us and gave us some more help with the forward stroke. We slowly picked up our speed more and more trying to keep up until we were in an all out sprint. Maligiaq just took off. I swear it looked like he had the kayak up on a plane. He said it was the kayak not him. He was paddling Dubside’s Icecap. He is so strong and efficient absolutely amazing. He then analyzed each of us as we performed the forward stroke.

George on the ropes attempting Qajaasaarneq

During our lunch break we learned about rope gymnastics, harpoon throwing, and the walrus pull. Maligiaq and Dubside make the rope gymnastics look easy and smooth. I gave a couple of the moves a try and enjoyed a little success. I was able to perform the Qajaasaarneq “like rolling a kayak” and was awarded a T-shirt from Tom Sharp depicting the image of this maneuver. Those of us that could do this move were all given a shirt, maybe three or four of us. It is crazy how it uses so many different muscles.

We all got to try the harpoon with various levels of success

We all got a shot at throwing a harpoon using a Norsaq trying to hit or get close to a foam float in the water. I got within about a foot. Not bad. Had to stop while I was ahead though because I’m sure it was pure luck.

Next up was a demonstration of the walrus pull. Dubside, Maligiaq, George and one of the students all gave it a try. Any guess on who the only one that was able to succeed?

The rest of my day was spent working on rolling. Now you all may think I’m crazy for what my goal was. I wanted to work on just a basic offside roll. As I have stated before I had lost my offside roll and with my new SOF boat I have a huge fear of not being able to roll or wet exit. Tom Sharp and Dubside worked wonders giving me what turned out to be some very simple advise that worked great. I was able to roll several times on my offside. But in addition I also was able to balance brace, butterfly roll, and shotgun roll all on my offside. One of the highlights of the day was when Dubside took away my paddle and pulled out my Norsaq. I didn’t think I was ready. Dubside reassured me I was. I nailed it. Three in a row.

Unfortunately I had to stop early. Don’t know what happened, but I started to get dizzy. Too much rolling, water in the ear or just having my surf hood too tight, not sure. After a bit of a break I tried again, but by that time Maligiaq was out helping the other group with paddle strokes, so I never had the opportunity to roll with him. Dubside got me a Tuilik to try with the thought that it might help with my dizziness. Wow! It is like a secret weapon. The buoyancy it provides really helps roll and balance brace.

After class we all met up again in town at a local brew pub for a slideshow and DVD presentation. George talked about the training camp he participated in about 20 years ago in Greenland. Dubside showed clips from his latest DVD Modern Greenland Kayaking. All very informative and entertaining.

My reward for successfully performing Qajaasaarneq on the ropes

Very worthwhile day. I came out of it very tired and sore from working so hard. I learned a ton and think I am sold on giving up my Euro paddle for the Greenland stick. I think I have officially joined the Greenland Cult.

I took some videos that I will try to post in the next couple of days.

International Man of Mystery

Made my way to Deception Pass yesterday for what had to be the best day of weather ever in the Pass.  We could see Mt Baker in one direction and the Olypic Mountains in the other.  I was going to meet a small handful of paddlers and instead there ended up being somewhere around 20 paddlers.  I love this time of year.  The paddlers far out numbered the power boats.  It’s like regaining control of a playground from the school bully.

The day was a who’s who of the kayaking community.  Euro blades were in the minority (I was one of the few still using a euro).  I ran into a man that was one of the nicest outgoing people I ever met.  A real honor to meet such a person.   I should be seeing him again tomorrow and I’ll write more later.  Anywhere here is a photo of him in action.