The Year 2014!!!

As 2014 comes to a close, I am a little bit remiss about not keeping my blog regularly updated.  The primary reason is that I have been spending more time outside and less time on the computer.  The result has been many fine adventures and misadventures and a very happy me.

Tahoe Lounge Chair

Surf kayaking and mountain biking continue to feed my soul.  Of course life is even better with friends to share it with including 2 of my favorite guys - 

Tom Cat

Jeff and I camping in the Redwoods along the Eel River.

3 new dancing partners (boats) came into my life this year - It has been challenging and fun learning the nuances of each.  Of course my favorite place to dance is in the surf.

Jackson Kayak Karma RG

Jackson Kayak Star  Photo by David C. Smith

Surf Kayak

Most days, I am content at home on the Mendocino Coast - redwood forests, rock gardens and surfzones and my garden.

Nothing beats fresh veggies from the garden!

On occasion it is fun to take a jaunt off the coast and play elsewhere.  Trips this year included our Spring Run Off Trip to the Redwoods, Fall on the Lost Coast, Mountain Biking in Tahoe, and a Wintery White Thanksgiving with my family in Pennsylvania

The Abominable Snowman

And teaching at the Golden Gate Sea Kayak Symposium and Lumpy Waters.

Lumpy Waters Symposium in Pacific City, Oregon Photo by Jason Self

Of course, I am stoked to be back home and hoping to spend most of the winter on the Mendocino Coast - surfing, mt biking, and mushroom hunting.  Yes, we are having a bountiful mushroom season.

Feast from the Forest - Hedgehogs, Black Trumpets, Yellow Feet, and Golden Chanterelles

This is only a snapshot of the adventures of 2014.  Thanks to all of my family, friends, and students that have shared the adventures with me in 2014.  I am looking forward to many more in 2015.  I enjoy writing and sharing my experiences and promise to make an effort to get my blog on in 2015.

Shake IT!!!

For those who regularly follow my blog and have been wondering where my posts have been . . . they have been in my head.  I have some great material and am hoping for a rainy winter in Northern California for me to do a bit of writing (and whitewater boating).

Until then you might enjoy reading my latest post for Jackson Kayak about our trip to the Lost Coast using our Karma RG's.

And of course check out the video that I just finished editing of our whitewater of the sea ocean kayak rock gardening adventures on the Mendocino Coast (yes, that's me in the green/blue Karma RG getting worked at Nick's Nightmare and getting a nice wave as the credits roll).

Now Shake It and do your rain dance for Northern California!!!

Jive'n

"Sometimes you get to watch the entertainment . . . and sometimes you are the entertainment."

Sometimes it is both - especially when someone videos it.  This week I had an evening free and went through some of our ocean kayaking video footage.  I compiled a video of some play sessions that we have had over the past year - mostly rock gardening and surfing in our old school Necky Jive's.

Here's the video

Hope you are entertained.

Nick's Nightmare

"You've got a big boat - you gotta go for the big wave!"

I've been getting my new Jackson Kayak Karma RG out to play in the rock gardens of the Mendocino Coast.  A lot of my time is teaching and coaching so I get to work on dialing in my skills on small waves as I demonstrate techniques for paddling ocean rock gardens.  Small waves are fun and a great place to build skills and learn the nuances of a new boat but don't usually make for exciting stories and dramatic photos.

Styling it in the Karma RG

This weekend, we got a little play time in.  As I continued to work on style and finesse in the RG, Jeff kept urging me on - "You've got a big boat - you gotta go for a big wave!"  I found it at Nick's Nightmare.  Nick's is a dramatic pour-over.  In the ocean, a pour-over is a feature that involves a wave washing over a rock.  A simple way to think about it is riding a wave over a rock and then surfing or sliding down the other side.  SUPER FUN!!!

Jeff running Nick's Nightmare in his Jackson Zen 65.

Nick's Nightmare is a tricky spot with a lot of hydraulic activity on both sides .  The approach is straight at a rock with lots of swirling hydraulic currents in front of the rock.  Your instinct says that there is no way that you want to paddle straight at that.  Timing, positioning, and wave selection are critical.  Get it right and you get a spectacular ride.  But even with the best made plans, Nick's can be a nightmare.

Most nightmarish is the giant hydraulic at the bottom.  When you ride a sizable wave over Nick's, you feel on top of the world . . . that moment of bliss ends when you look down.  The water slides down deep into a gaping hole and reverses into a wall of whitewater.  Try as you might and no matter how big the boat - Nick's Nightmare swallows you up . . .  It does spit you out.  Sometimes you are lucky and the buoyancy of your boat rockets you out of the depths.

Sea kayak going subsurface at Nick's

Other times, the nightmare continues as Nick's sucks you back into the throngs of chaos and confusion and back over the other side.  I guess you could say you get double your money when you get to ride Nick's both ways on one wave.

We had some spectacular rides at Nick's this weekend including this one where I got double my money.

That moment of bliss on top of the wave . . .

Plunging in deep . . .

Subsurface in a 12' boat

Nick's spitting me out  . . .

Rolling up as I go back over the pour-over.

Jeff says, "Sometimes you get to watch the entertainment and sometimes you are the entertainment."  I know he was entertained . . . I hope you are too.