“Exploring the limits of human power” is as appropriate a phrase as any describing Greg Kolodziejzyk. And by “human power”, I mean “human insanity”. Greg is planning to pedal from Canada to Hawaii, over 3,000 miles.
Greg’s boat “WiTHiN” is a feat in itself, and there is a nice Picasa album of the development and build process here:
The design is loosely based on the modern kayak, but is barely recognizable as such, after being customized with a lot of fancy electronics and creature comforts. I haven’t yet found out the origin of the name WiTHiN, or the reason for its apparently random capitalization. I can only speculate that it is some sort of acronym. “Wise Thin Hiking Ninja”, perhaps.
In summary, these two kayakers ventured out into treacherous waters after being warned not to. On one hand, that’s how you live your life to the fullest. On the other hand, it’s how you become a burden on society. Should these guys be charged for their own rescue?
The cost of most land or water search and rescue in New Zealand tends to fall on taxpayers, with ACC often paying out.
In some cases, organisations send bills to people such as the two kayakers, who are now arguing that their rescue from the swollen Shotover River near Queenstown was not necessary.
There seems to be some kind of threshold of fault that decides whether or not we think they should be charged. If they were completely innocent we would rescue them for free, but we are not going to bail them out at our own expense if they were just being intentionally stupid. The reality is probably somewhere in between – so maybe they should be charged the partial rescue cost?
Another solution for future rescues would be to announce over a PA system from the helicopter, “We’ve decided that your perilous situation is a result of your own stupidity and/or recklessness. Would you like to purchase rescue services for $4,000?” Ok, just kidding. That’s terribly impractical. The best opportunity for sarcasm comes when the rescued kayakers claim the rescue was not necessary. Yes, you seemed to have everything under control with your broken finger and missing kayak.
But then again, I wasn’t there, so what do I know? And sometimes a little stupidity does pay off with some fabulous life experience. And sometimes it doesn’t…
Mr Smith said the bottom line was that “even stupid people deserve to be rescued”.
It’s very nice that Trak kayaks has their own Youtube channel, and it’s a great way for them to market their boats. I, for one, appreciate seeing how any folding kayak is assembled, although maybe I will look for one where the assembly is not sped up as it is in this video. Are we supposed to get some skewed view of how fast and easy it is to assemble? It’s not working on me, buddy!
In any case, the tight skin of the Trak T1600 will appeal to those of you (like me) who have OCD about that sort of thing. There is also a nice view of the “Keder Storage System” in use, which is the zipper-like closure behind the cockpit.
1. Go kayaking. OK, I’m just being stupid here, because I just said in the title that it was too cold for kayaking. But really, is it too cold for kayaking, or are you just a fat chicken? There are lots of kayakers who don’t get a silly thing like freezing cold weather get in the way. If you want to join them, just be sure to educate yourself on the dangers of hypothermia and get some proper exposure protection. Of course, there is nothing wrong with avoiding the cold if you’re not going to enjoy it…
2. Make plans. One of the best ways to lift your spirits when you’re down is to make some fun plans for later – something you can look forward to. Even if your plan is weeks or months in advance, making plans can easily distract you from your sad kayakless state. Remember that you can plan for tides years in advance. Plus, there is a lot of other research you can do when planning a kayaking trip.
3. Retail therapy. This is one of my favorites. In some cases, you may be able to find good deals from people who are selling gear or kayaks during the off-season. You’ll have better luck buying online than in stores, though, since most brick-and-mortar stores will have cleared out paddling gear in favor of winter sports. It is, however, kind of sad to not be able to play with your new toys. But having acquired some shiny new piece of gear, you may reconsider #1 above.
4. Live vicariously. Read about other kayakers’ experiences, or watch videos. You can get lots of ideas from other people about where to go kayaking, what kinds of gear to get, skills to develop, etc.
5. Switch hemispheres. There’s always somewhere in the world where it’s warm, and some places in the world are always warm. If you are really dying to go kayaking, you can take a trip (if you can afford it). It may also be a great opportunity to have a change of scenery and explore some more exotic locale in your kayak.
6. Get training. If you can’t bear the cold outside, you can still develop your skills by taking classes or signing up for some pool time. Kayaking classes (particularly basic ones) are often taught in pools, which are usually much warmer.
Heck yes, you can go kayaking anywhere – even Iowa, where the roads are so straight you can fall asleep while driving and still be in your lane an hour later. Not only that, but Iowa will show you beginning kayakers a good time for free.
Buccaneer Bay is actually a water park at Honey Creek Resort. This is good, considering the temperature is all of 5 degrees in Des Moines right now. FIVE DEGREES.
I just came across this crazy-ass article with pictures of a humpback whale feeding frenzy taken from way up close by some guy on a kayak. Now, I’m all in favor of feeding frenzies, especially when it involves me and some Korean BBQ (or Dungeness crab), but in very few of my feedings do I fear for my life. The most frightening possibilities, in my opinion, are:
1. Being plowed over by a whale.
2. Being overcome by whale breath.
3. Being permanently deafened by whale “song”.
As you might know, whale song is not really song, but can be more accurately described as “HOLY CRAP WHAT IS THAT NOISE I THINK I’M GOING DEAF”.
Be sure to read the head-scratching comments about humpback whales being animals or mammals (or something like that) and enlighten me if you know what the heck they’re talking about.
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