[Paddlewise] Maligiaq Wins Again!

Sorry, it's taken me so long...

For the 1999 Kayak Challenge to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation: 

Maliqiaq told me he had placed second.  His plaque reads:  First Place - Male 
Open Category - 5 Mile - Closed Ocean Kayak.

Since he was racing in a Futura - surely that doesn't qualify as a "Closed 
Ocean Kayak."  or am I completely cuckooo?  Does the "closed" part refer to 
something not-related to a cockpit boat as compared to a sit-on-top??

There were other confusions and wrong plaques handed out, so I hope someone 
can straighten this out for me.

48 participants and plenty of spectators in the glorious Biscayne Bay setting 
.

His rolling demonstration was wonderful.  Fortunately there was a pool - but 
he must have been roasting in his neoprene tuiliq.  Jeff Bingham did a 
wonderful job of "narrating."  He managed to convey his knowledge of the 
rolls with conversational quips.  Things like, "And if you feel the need for 
some exercise you can always do push-ups on top of your boat."  Not verbatim, 
but that sort of comment.  Even Maliqiaq said he was impressed with Jeff's 
efforts.

Afterward this cute blonde in a black bikini was trying out M's boat.  M was 
giving her some tips and she was balancing and leaning and then I saw her 
beginning a roll.  I commented, "How can you roll without a skirt?"  To which 
I was told, "Well, it's a low volume boat."  The second time she tried she 
sank the boat!  

While this was going on the PBS film crew were taping someone giving a 
"Kayaking 101" demonstration.  The documentary, to be hosted by Hunter Reno, 
is basically about her love of kayaking and how/where it's done in South 
Florida.  A local paddler did have his Sony video camera with him and I will 
contact him later.

M went back to Fort Lauderdale with Chuck who was planning a cookout for that 
evening.  Still haven't heard what they did yesterday (Sunday), but Chuck 
indicated that M could hang out at the shop with them.  I suspect M did some 
catching up on his sleep.  He was quite exhausted after the long train ride 
and rush to the airport.

The train arrived in Orlando at 7P (instead of 3:20P!) and they were supposed 
to be at the airport at 8P.  They tried to grab dinner, but after 40 minutes 
waiting, gave up and headed out.  As they were riding the escalator, M had a 
freak accident.  Apparently he was holding the tube containing his two 
paddles upright.  Somehow it made contact with the ceiling and one of the 
escalator steps (I think) and the tube AND PADDLES snapped.  

Fortunately, Greg Stamer had a break-apart Greendland paddle and that is what 
M used.  He raced in a Futura with a borrowed paddle, neither of which he had 
tried before.  He was also very tired.  It's amazing what you can do when 
you're 17, isn't it!   Why, I even remember how easy it was to stay awake 
past midnight!!  

Thanks to Chuck Davis for his OUTSTANDING SUPPORT FROM THE OUTSET.  Also to 
Paddlewise's Mad Poodle (Scott Baxter) who brought the boat down from 
Orlando, Kirk Olsen who paid for M's registration fee, and Luke Hoffman who 
is sending a pledge.  I also received a pledge/check from a Sierra Club 
friend: Bea Stella.  Thanks, Bea.

My dear friend (to whom I will be eternally grateful) the feisty* ELAINE 
HARMON has agreed to take Maliqiaq to Orlando tomorrow.  I will, of course, 
contribute to the travel expenses.  I've nearly run out of vacation days so 
this is a tremendous help.  Thanks, Elaine.

Sandy Kramer

the "feisty" comment is an inside joke:  I just gave Elaine a card that says 
something like it's good that we're getting older because the world needs 
more feisty women like us!
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