Someone wrote to one of the listservers: > Ralph perhaps you are dealing with the symptom and not the root cause. > Have you considered approaching the magazine and thanking them for their > donation, and bringing to their attention that their employees are not > practicing the good "outdoorsmanship" that their magazine always > recommends? That is a good recommendation. Unfortunately the magazine actually is heavy on graphics and imaginative layouts and impressionistic writing with no great detail of technique, gear or issues in any particular lifestyle sport. I have not looked at it in a while but it did things like orange text on yellow background that's hard to read etc. because, I guess, the art director thought it looked unconventional or something (I may have the colors wrong but you get the drift). Maybe it has gotten better. Perhaps someone should talk to them. My own direct experience with them is that last year I volunteered to lead them on a special trip to the Statue of Liberty during the week which is a time of heavy workday ferry traffic. The group went wild on the water and paddled all over the place in their excitement. They simply could not be contained although I stressed the need to stay together before we started off because of the nature of boat traffic. I could not keep them at what I felt was a safe level of grouping and got real worried about what could happen. I simply could not "control" them even thought their boss was along and I kept asking her to help; and I do know how to keep groups together, having lead probably a few hundred trips. I found myself constantly blowing my whistle and screaming for them to watch out for this or that. I practically threw up my arms during it akin to that guy I mentioned in the original posting who lent them some lights and finally on watching them decided to leave them. I didn't abandoned them but I swore to myself never to paddle with them again. It was a nightmare. Mention the name of the publication around the Boathouse and eyes roll...everyone seems to have a story to tell. Perhaps it's not nice to wash dirty linen in public but it is a point of frustration for many of us. The whole thing reminds me of when back in 1993 I interviewed Dr. Hannes Lindemann who crossed the Atlantic in 1956 in a double Klepper alone. While it certainly was a risky proposition, he was very experienced at open water small boating and could weigh the risks against his own level of preparation. Somewhere along in the interview I asked how he saw seakayaking today. He used the question to focus on the issue of required skills. While he was happy to see a resurgence in the sport he felt many kayakers venture out unprepared. "I think people want to do things with a bang. They go too fast, rah rah. They are suicidal." Regarding his own perilous voyage, he said "It is alright to attempt things when you have the experience." I think there's a general excitement/hoopala about sea kayaking and it is drawing people who just aren't prepared to pay their dues and work up to things. Sea kayaking looks easy, and it is, but there are so many nuances, so many hidden dangers. You got to go at it slow and contain enthusiasm. It can be a lifetime endeavor, so take it slow as Lindemann seems to be suggesting. But I digress... ralph diaz -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024 Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com "Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag." ----------------------------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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