Re: [Paddlewise] Egos

Doug Lloyd wrote:

[Nail number 1:]
> [snip] Out on the edge, far from the confines of modern
> civilization, my ego is swallowed up in the grandeur of the ocean realm
> and the intense numinous reality that invades my existential being and
> signifies my insignificance as a tiny speck of humanity floating in an
> eternity of space and time. While the effect is less intense, it is
> nevertheless real during quieter paddles. For me, this is one of the
> ultimate draws to paddling.

[Nail number 2:]
> Yet, within the kayaking community as a whole, man's pride, hubris,  and
> his post-modern ego-spirituality seems to permeate everything, including
> Paddlewise. I don't like it anymore. And we all know how opinionated and
> full of self, sea kayakers can be. This displeasure with the situation
> has been welling up inside me for some time. 

Well, you have hit a couple nails on the head, here, Doug.  I'm so isolated
from the kayaking mainstream out here I did not have much of a clue about Nail
number 2 until I went to the West Coast Sea Kayak Symposium this year.  More on
that below.

But, Nail number 1 is the main reason I paddle, and I bet that's the case for
most folks who do.  Others derive satisfaction from aspects one might typify as
having "competitive" traits.  And, that's cool for them but irrelevant for most
of the rest of us.

Regarding Nail number 2, a story:  I had heard of the Tsunami Rangers for
years, read a lot of the stuff they have published, and even seen some video
they produced.  Cool guys/gals, and pushing the envelope, somewhat like Duane
and Jim do.  Very cool, and more power to 'em all.  We all benefit from that: 
gear, techniques, attitudes, and more.

So I was pretty pumped to be able to attend the slide show one of the Rangers
was to present Saturday at the Symposium.  Thought I'd see some great photos
and maybe learn some stuff.  Oh, man, what a disappointment.  The main
attribute of the guy's talk was:  "Here's this cool, **secret** place go with
our Ranger buddies, and we're not telling anybody else where it is, because we
are so cool -- cooler than the rest or you insects."

Now, I can handle some of that, and understand where is it needed to build
group esprit, but it came into the guy's talk time and time again.  It was a
direct putdown of other paddlers and the way they paddle.

I'll never go to another Tsunami Ranger talk again.  That guy cooked it for me
(I can't recall his name -- was not Soares -- he also talked but did a great
job).

So, Doug, don't let Nail number 2 grind you down, to mix my metaphors -- just
focus on Nail number 1 and keep on pushing the envelope.  It is good to have a
little craziness up here on the Upper Left Edge of the North America, to
counterbalance the like stuff on the Lower Right Edge.  We need guys like you,
especially during Presidential Election years ...

-- 
Dave Kruger
Astoria, OR
(thinking I should have moved to Canada in 1972)
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