July 2 – 7, 2017 … my first time at Week of Rivers near Bryson City, North Carolina. This annual event is hosted by the Carolina Canoe Club. I’ve heard stories from my Wisconsin paddling friends about this event, so this year I decided to give it a try. It […]
Tag: kayaking
TRR Takes On Pennsylvania’s Whitewater
I had the privilege of attending the national leadership conference for Team River Runner these past three days in Western Pennsylvania, specifically Uniontown and Ohiopyle. TRR veterans and volunteers from across the country gathered to grow and get stronger. Strengthening our leadership and outreach skills. Strengthening our commitment to work […]
Camper Quest Part 4: Hello, TRAK Kayaks
I’m doing it. I’m joining one of the world’s oldest professions. No, not THAT one. The profession I’m talking about is called piloting. I’m pleased to announce I have been selected as a Pilot for TRAK Kayaks. “Pilot” is the moniker given to TRAK’s hand-picked product ambassadors. TRAK describes the […]
Kayak Deaths in Door County
I’m saddened to report that my post last Thursday about drownings in the Great Lakes became eerily prescient just one day later. Two young men lost their lives last Friday while kayaking on Lake Michigan near Cave Point Park in Wisconsin’s Door County, where I often paddle. The following day […]
Drowning. It’s Not Just for Stupid People
My recent attendance at a water safety conference stirred up a memory I don’t think about often but it’s always in the back of my mind. It was the time I nearly drowned. Looking back, I can see that the incident had a long-lasting influence on my life. Before I […]
Best Surfing Waves of the Year. So Far.
Peter and I enjoyed great waves at Port Washington’s South Beach yesterday with some nice long surfs. I’ve never seen waves so nicely spaced at PW South Beach. Surf boarders came from all over to enjoy the day. At one point I counted 17 of them on the water in […]
Camper Quest Part 2: Rent Before You Buy
Last week I introduced here the topic of our Camper Quest — our search to find the perfect (or at least acceptable) solution to expand our kayaking world via the RV lifestyle. I’ve been doing a ton of research on the topic because RV’s ain’t cheap. Before we fork over […]
Camper Quest Part 1: Expanding Our Kayaking World with an RV
My wife and I have been kayakers for about 12 years. Over the years, as we paddled rivers, Great Lakes and oceans, I expanded my knowledge and love of kayaking and today I share it with others as an instructor and volunteer. These days Lake Michigan is literally in our […]
It’s Cold and Getting Colder on the River
It’s cold and it’s getting colder It’s gray and white and winter all around And oh I must be getting older All this snow is trying to get me down* The air was 31F. Water was 37F. The river level was 10″. Time to go boating. Xensr map and motion […]
Motion Tracking for Kayakers Too: Xensr Air
For the past 10 months I’ve been using a sports motion-tracking device called the Xensr Air 3D GPS (pronounced “sensor”), the product of a Green Bay, WI-based company. As company founder David Troup once told me, “In order to make it unforgettable, we made it unpronounceable.” The Air is touted […]