How to Roll a Kayak

by Erik Olsen on

Of all the things a paddler must know (other than your basic forward stroke…and how to watch out for boats…and how not to get hit by a killer whale), the roll is probably the most important. Of course, I’m talking more about river kayaking than touring, although knowing how to roll a touring kayak can certainly come in handy. The roll is a rough move. I learned how to do the Eskimo roll in a pool in college, and then took to the nearby rivers and improved my technique. Though I do have to say I soon immigrated away from river kayaking and into touring and never really had a good, solid roll.

But if I were to get back into it, and if you’re interested in learning how to roll, or at least reading a site that provides some tips that you might employ when you next get into a boat, you should check out this very well-done HOW-TO and video on rolling.  The article is written by Kent Ford, the creator of the infamous Kayak Roll video.

The New Hawaiian Park You Proly Won’t Ever See

by Erik Olsen on

We celebrated the Bush Administration’s recent effort to make a fine addition to the nation’s national natural heritage. They created the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands National Monument...which I’ve since learned is likely to be called something else entirely…and that’s a good thing. But as I mentioned in the piece, one of the things about this new area that seems to escape the notice of those who celebrate the addition is that most of us will never even come close to this place.  As this piece makes clear, unlike Mount Rushmore or the Statue of Liberty, the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands “will never be a place visitors can see by just packing the kids into the car for a week”. It seems even the Hawaiians themselves are unclear how much access they will have.

The main reason is that the islands are so remote, and spread out…across 1,400 miles of the Pacific to be exact. In fact, there have been no public flights at the region’s sole airport, on Midway Atoll, since 2002. I wonder if that will change. It’s an odd concept, having this place preserved ,which is something everyone can agree on, and yet having it be so unreachable. And on the one hand, it would be great to start up a tourism system to allow people to see it ,but on the other a shame that we would expose a place now celebrated for its natural pristine beauty to the ravages of tourism. What to do?

Manhattan Paddle Pix

by Erik Olsen on

It was a lovely day here in Manhattan and so I figured I’d take advantage of it and get out to do some paddling. I ran into Eric Stiller of Manhattan Kayak Company on the way out. He was leading a big tour of folks up to the 79th Street Boat Basin.

Lots of boats on the water today, including three massive cruise ships docked at Pier 88 (I think that’s the number). One of them, this Norwegian Cruise liner packed with people, pulled out just as I paddled by.


 

The waterfront up in the 50s is filled with these awful Trump buildings. A huge eyesore IMHO.

 

A little self-portrait shot in the middle of the Hudson River.

 
Altogether a good day on the water.

GADLING’S TAKE FIVE: Week of June 11

by Adrienne Wilson on

Let’s keep this short and sweet. The week is over and it’s time to round up some our five favorites you may have missed, so here they are:

5. Armenia Dispatches List:
For those of you who have been with us for a while you probably noticed how the categories disappeared and reappeared after some site maintenance and in the midst of the shuffle some really cool posts got buried underneath the rubble. Luckily Erik managed to retrieve all the dispatches done while visiting Armenia last year. If you didn’t catch them before then be sure to check them out now. Erik tunes us into the sounds of Bambir, the power of chess and the tales of a fine road trip through the region.

4. Future Tourist Sites that Hope to Remain Hidden:
Neil ponders an interesting subject found in the Los Angeles Times – how to keep future tourists away from sites that contain chemical agents and radioactivity. Apparently a Waste Isolation Plant in New Mexico is facing the challenge of how to warn people of the future that the artifacts found beneath the surface are dangerous, deadly and should not be touched. But how? Something to think about…

3. Indian City, USA:
We never blog enough about Native American travel sites and cool destinations to visit out in lands like Oklahoma. Agree? Well I had the chance to visit Indian City, USA in Anadarko, Oklahoma recently and if you’re in the area or planning to be you may wish to check out my blurb on the area. It’s just about the only thing out there to check out.

2. The Trib on Great Hikes:
Wish there were more people out there doing rather than just saying they’re going to do or telling you what’s really cool to do though they’ve never stepped foot on the land to begin with? Yeah – me too. Thankfully Erik points out a piece done by a guy who is the real deal on providing the 411 on great hikes around the country. If you’re looking for the best in hikes for the summer give this article a glance.

1. Paddle Stuff:
Summer is right around the corner and what could be better than man paddling through the sparkling crystal blue waters of some lake with the cool, light summer breeze brushing across his face? The answer is absolutely nothing. Okay, I’m sure somethings, but not most. If you’re looking to  become a paddle fanatic or tighten up your skills be sure to look at this small Paddle Stuff guide form Erik. It’s basically a list of links, but some fine ones in getting geared up and prepared to hit the water.

Paddle Stuff

by Erik Olsen on

We like to call attention to general concepts every so often, and right now I’m in a big-time paddle mindset. So I thought I’d just point out a couple of links to folks who might be interested in getting into the paddle game, so to speak.

If you’ve never paddled before, but are looking for a place to get started online, go check out REI’s online paddling section. You’ll find scads of interesting and useful tips and, of course, a cornucopia of gear and other things to buy from boats, to spray skirts to, dry bags and so on.

I’m a big fan of REI, but also admit that their East coast cousin,  EMS, also does a fine job and you can find some great gear on their site as well.