Swim Safety for USAT Triathlon National Championships

For the third year in a row Milwaukee hosted the USAT Age Group National Championship triathlon this past weekend. And for each of those years I served as kayak captain for about 30 volunteers who brought their kayaks and stand-up paddleboards to help more than 5,000 athletes make it safely […]

Kayaking is a Great Equalizer

When some people hear the word “kayaking” they think about daredevils plunging over humungous waterfalls or three-week expeditions in the Aleutian Islands. In reality, kayaking is what you make of it. You can go for a leisurely paddle in a small lake or you can take on “big” water, and […]

Plum Island Open for Business

Today Mary and I paddled the Death’s Door crossing from the northernmost mainland of Wisconsin’s Door County to Plum Island. There we viewed restoration work on the Plum Island lifesaving station, which began operations April 1, 1896, serving the Portes des Morts Passage (more commonly called “Death’s Door”) at the […]

Gozo: A wonderland of sea caves

Ever heard of Gozo? Me neither until recently. Most Americans have never heard it, let alone been there. At least that’s the conclusion I reach based on conversations with friends and Gozitans. Yes, that’s what they’re called. The first I heard of Gozo, a nine-mile long island that’s one of […]

Rome’s Tiber River: Is it “safe”?

During a recent visit to Rome, Mary and I needed a break from sightseeing at the popular tourist attractions. To escape the madding crowd we strolled to the historic Tiber River. As I gazed at the scene, I thought about the history this river witnessed through the years. According to […]

Review of “Anyone Can Kayak – River Running” DVD

Last week I received a copy of the newest DVD – “River Running” – produced by the father-son team of Greg and Tim Parker at AnybodyCanKayak.com from Verona, Wis. They previously teamed up to produce other instructional DVDs including Basic Playboating (2009), Rolling (2010) and Advanced Hole Tricks (2011). The […]