Old Greybeard said (snip): >When I opened the first copy of ACA's Paddler magazine my new membership brought me...Glitz, glam, intense bright ads, packaging for its marketing impact, and nobody lookin' gritty or dirty, smelly or sweaty.< Not sure if you are referring to the special ACA Beginner's Guide (May/June 2003 issue of Paddler), but it is fairly standard fair, though perhaps a bit more full being a feature issue. I don't get the magazine that often, unless something catches my fancy at the newsstand. This latest issue (presuming it is the one you are referring to) has a rather informative overview of the top ten all-time greatest sea kayak expeditions, in order of increasing magnitude: 10) Jon Turk's Japan to Alaska Expedition 9) John Dowd's Indonesian Journey 8) Peter Bray's North Atlantic Crossing 7) Frank Goodman's et al., First Circumnavigation of Cape Horn 6) Derek Hutchinson's North Sea Crossings 5) John Macgregor's Rob Roy Expeditions 4) Ed Gillett's California to Hawaii Crossing 3) Paul Caffyn's Australia Circumnavigation 2) Hannes Lindemann's Atlantic Crossing, and 1) Franz Romer's Atlantic Crossing, Portugal to Puerto Rico. Now there's some nostalgia in those pages. I particularly enjoyed the "Honourable Mentions" category, which listed the La Nina Expedition 1999, Karl Schott's expedition from Berlin to Calcutta 1923, the Dupre/Hoelscher partial circumnav of Greenland, Caffyn's other circumnavs, and the little known 1,200-mile Hawaiian Islands circumnav in a Nordkapp by Greg Blanchette. Of course, as per usual, Paddler took the bit-of-a low-brow approach and highlighted the accomplished bunch as "Psycho Sea Kayakers," but I suppose this fits in with the hard-core WW contingent of their readership. All in all, not a bad issue. The yuppie-adjusted advertising doesn't bother me. Take any new piece of neon-colored Gore-Tex rimmed spray skirt type gear, use it in the wilderness for a few weeks, and well, it'll stink and get mildewy sooner or later, yeah, just like Dave at the end of a Haida Gwaii trip. :-) BTW, the Canadian sea kayaking magazine, Adventure Kayaking, presented a woefully irreverent mocking of Yuppies and their "loud" gear an issue or two back. It was a screamer! Hats off (pardon the pun) to Alex Mathews. Meanwhile, Wavelength Magazine plods along, remaining graceful and granola-like, with only a few splashy ads and lots of soft-core enthusiasm and hard-core environmentalism. As for Sea Kayaker, their "yuppie-index" may have slipped up a few notches, their high-brow index high, but every issue has something for everyone. Can't afford a subscription? Well, I have a number of magazines I can't afford -- mostly woodworking and science ones. I just pay a visit to the local Library at regular intervals. And heck, half of what I see in SK is just real-time stuff we talk about on PW fleshed out in publish-time -- new gear, towing rigs, trip reports, etc. Hey wait a minute, maybe I'm a bit of a yuppie. Oh my gosh Dave! News-flash to self. I hate slug-slime glinting off my dew-soaked gear bags in the morning rays of first light (hide my gear in my vestibule); I hate sewing my own clothing and gear when first-rate products are available at the local paddle-emporium (rotate new gear in every year); I hate the unmitigated gastronomic revulsion of multi day-old hummus -- reyhdrated dehydrated or not (look for put-ins near a pizza joint); I love looking at neon-colored bikini clad blonds (uh, females) alighting their tents for a morning dip as the cool moist air invigorates each one's fleshy exoskeleton highlights (okay, so I can dream); and I love the profusion of brightly coloured gear that explodes when I hit camp (that's how NASA/Home Defence authorities keeps track of kayakers and separate us from the bad guys, so DON'T get rid of the flashy gear, boys and girls). Okay, just kidding Dave. Loved your post, sir! But as far as this Visa/MasterCard thing, my next card is going to be an American Express "Blue" card. That should be oceanic enough. Besides, the other cards are all maxed out on gear purchases... Doug Lloyd (who also enjoyed the Paddler issue for its "Destinations" comments about BC: "The Big, the Quiet and the Beautiful: It must have been a paddler who made the province." You are welcome up here anytime Dave. Good health to all. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ "Whatever can be said at all can be said clearly and whatever cannot be said clearly should not be said at all." Ludwig Wittgenstein ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. 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"Doug Lloyd" <dalloyd_at_telus.net> wrote: > Of course, as per usual, Paddler took the bit-of-a low-brow approach and > highlighted the accomplished bunch as "Psycho Sea Kayakers," but I suppose > this fits in with the hard-core WW contingent of their readership. All in > all, not a bad issue. The yuppie-adjusted advertising doesn't bother me. In response to Old Greybeard: > >When I opened the first copy of ACA's Paddler magazine my new membership > brought me...Glitz, glam, intense bright ads, packaging for its marketing > impact, and nobody lookin' gritty or dirty, smelly or sweaty.< I guess I was a yuppie at one time, although my buying habits belie the notion. Got nothing against commerce or bright stuff. I buy things, and have a mango dry suit (but do not wear earrings or have piercings or 'toos). Objectively, Paddler needs to sell ads to publish. And, the high-dollar-return merchandise sector is new paddlers, not folks who already have their gear. So, it is no wonder that what I see in magazines is not pitched at me -- I have pretty much all the gear I need, and paddling for me mainly demands a differing menu (and Metamucil in my future, I bet). What's interesting to me is that the paddling ventures I most like to read about or hear about are serious collisions with Ma Nature. Epics, as in, "The polar bear decided we were lunch -- so we left." Or, "Dumping ourselves ashore through small surf, we spent the night huddled under shelter, listening to the wind and hoping our boats did not get blown away." An illustration: Doug and I had a really pleasant paddle when he visited two years ago -- a bluebird day on tame, lovely water surrounded by shores of verdant, craggy beauty. But, to turn his crank, he needed to go out the next day and paddle through the waves on the nastiest "point" within 200 miles: the North Jetty of the Columbia River. Small wonder I react to the airbrushed view of our "sport" which merchandisers think they need to use to sell stuff. I'd strap 'em on Doug's hull for a few days and then see what ads they produce ... or maybe sentence them to a couple hours of the "air" surrounding a skanky wet suit to see what atmosphere it generated in their brains for an ad campaign. In plain language: the ads form depictions which are nothing like paddling reality for most of us. But, if they sell gear, then they must be good, no? -- Dave Kruger Astoria, OR (not on Metamucil ... yet) *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
On Behalf of Paddler Magazine: I believe Paddler does a great job of balancing content to provide something for all paddlers. Criticism of the advertising is a bit unfair, since the glossy ads are the product of the companies who make our boats, lifejackets, paddles, paddling jackets etc. I would hope that these companies know how to successfully market their products to hardcore paddlers. Otherwise they probably would not be in business. It is not reasonable to expect that Paddler can dictate ad content (beyond basic safety and decency issues). While it is clear that the young whitewater rodeo paddlers have influenced the market, those glossy, hip ads enable Paddler to provide us granola paddlers with some great reading. Just take the last two issues for example. The March/April issue had articles about paddling the Arctic Refuge's Kongakut River, poling, a 1914 Siberian kayak "expedition," and a sea kayak journey through Vietnam. The May/June issue had articles about a canoe expedition through Canada's Barren Lands, a North Pole expedition, the top 10 sea kayak expeditions, and two articles comparing the relative advantages and disadvantages of lightweight canoe camping. The Paddler folks are probably getting an earful from the rodeo crowd about not enough whitewater. Just like the old Remington razor ad said "we liked it so much we bought the company." Dave David E. Jenkins Director of Conservation and Public Policy American Canoe Association (703) 451-0141 ext.20 -----Original Message----- From: Dave Kruger Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Confessions of a Granola Paddler "Doug Lloyd" <dalloyd_at_telus.net> wrote: > Of course, as per usual, Paddler took the bit-of-a low-brow approach and > highlighted the accomplished bunch as "Psycho Sea Kayakers," but I suppose > this fits in with the hard-core WW contingent of their readership. All in > all, not a bad issue. The yuppie-adjusted advertising doesn't bother me. In response to Old Greybeard: > >When I opened the first copy of ACA's Paddler magazine my new membership > brought me...Glitz, glam, intense bright ads, packaging for its marketing > impact, and nobody lookin' gritty or dirty, smelly or sweaty.< I guess I was a yuppie at one time, although my buying habits belie the notion. Got nothing against commerce or bright stuff. I buy things, and have a mango dry suit (but do not wear earrings or have piercings or 'toos). Objectively, Paddler needs to sell ads to publish. And, the high-dollar-return merchandise sector is new paddlers, not folks who already have their gear. So, it is no wonder that what I see in magazines is not pitched at me -- I have pretty much all the gear I need, and paddling for me mainly demands a differing menu (and Metamucil in my future, I bet). What's interesting to me is that the paddling ventures I most like to read about or hear about are serious collisions with Ma Nature. Epics, as in, "The polar bear decided we were lunch -- so we left." Or, "Dumping ourselves ashore through small surf, we spent the night huddled under shelter, listening to the wind and hoping our boats did not get blown away." An illustration: Doug and I had a really pleasant paddle when he visited two years ago -- a bluebird day on tame, lovely water surrounded by shores of verdant, craggy beauty. But, to turn his crank, he needed to go out the next day and paddle through the waves on the nastiest "point" within 200 miles: the North Jetty of the Columbia River. Small wonder I react to the airbrushed view of our "sport" which merchandisers think they need to use to sell stuff. I'd strap 'em on Doug's hull for a few days and then see what ads they produce ... or maybe sentence them to a couple hours of the "air" surrounding a skanky wet suit to see what atmosphere it generated in their brains for an ad campaign. In plain language: the ads form depictions which are nothing like paddling reality for most of us. But, if they sell gear, then they must be good, no? -- Dave Kruger Astoria, OR (not on Metamucil ... yet) *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Dave, I find all the paddling magazines, Paddler included, do a good to excellent job at balancing content with respect to the often multifaceted readerships, not to mention maintaining a good "noise-to-signal" ratio with advertising allotment. The magazines that have a more down-home flavour often portray cheaper production values while conversely, those with strong core advertisers tend to allow a magazine to go glossier, thicker, and provide writers with better payola. I also think that the current range of paddling magazines fulfill their individual mandates remarkably well, given that some appeal to strictly sea kayakers, some canoeists, some WW paddlers and touring amongst the mixture, and others a bit of everything. It certainly is useless to try and compare each magazine with a particular competitors. They all fill a needed niche respectively. These magazines, along with available on-line internet 'zines and club newsletters offer paddlers of every stripe accessibility to information, what's new, what's safe, and what's effective -- along with local or regional information and news of events or heads-up on environmental concerns. If I did a lot of WW paddling, I'd be the first one to line up for Paddler magazine in terms of a subscription. As it stands, I average more than a few issues every year from them (they often have some very off-the-beaten-journalist-path offerings that make the issue of special interest), from the newsstands (I like to support them too). Given the better deals, a subscription would probably be a better economy for me, as the per-issue price comes down. I realize magazines are a commercial interest, and as such, the staff will often be motivated to expand its readership and perhaps gain a foothold amongst readers - even of a competitors magazine. At least that's what the game is usually about -- and it is a game. Having said that, I do find paddling magazines more altruistic that some of the other specialist magazines out there: most staff I've come across in the outdoor paddling genre love the water, love paddling, love the oneness and conceitedness with nature. I pay very, very close attention to what the editorial content of the magazines I read. Magazines cost us paddlers money and time. Money to purchase, and time to invest to read through the pages. Most of us want something for that output. Most of us who can read between the lines have a good feeling for what each magazine is all about (subjective dislikes and likes aside). I'm not sure what connection you have with Paddler magazine, but they should be let known that they are doing a great job, in my opinion anyway - and I do feel I'm a long time paddler in this region with some objective ability. BTW, Dave and Dave, I was at a recent grand-scale paddle sale event at a well know retail outlet with a long history of offering fine gear and equipment at affordable sale prices a few times a year. I left with my chin to the floor, downcast: I didn't need anything. Have everything now. Well, maybe a GPS sometime. I'll have to check out the next Paddler magazine and see what's new for the techno-weenie! Take care all, and good armchair reading and even better arm-waving paddling. Doug Lloyd (who has a great idea for front page art for Paddler magazine: A sea kayaker rushing over the edge of a waterfall-like abyss, only instead of a river its a big wide ocean shot, obligatory sunset in the background, with the caption 'Extreme sea Kayaker'). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ "Whatever can be said at all can be said clearly and whatever cannot be said clearly should not be said at all." Ludwig Wittgenstein ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ ----- Original Message ----- From: "David Jenkins" <davej_at_acanet.org> Subject: RE: [Paddlewise] Confessions of a Granola Paddler > On Behalf of Paddler Magazine: > > I believe Paddler does a great job of balancing content to provide something > for all paddlers. Criticism of the advertising is a bit unfair, since the > glossy ads are the product of the companies who make our boats, lifejackets, > paddles, paddling jackets etc. I would hope that these companies know how > to successfully market their products to hardcore paddlers. Otherwise they > probably would not be in business. It is not reasonable to expect that > Paddler can dictate ad content (beyond basic safety and decency issues). > >snip *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
In a message dated 5/21/2003 6:03:13 AM Pacific Daylight Time, dalloyd_at_telus.net writes: > I love looking at neon-colored > bikini clad blonds (uh, females) alighting their tents for a morning dip as > the cool moist air invigorates each one's fleshy exoskeleton highlights > (okay, so I can dream); Doug, Doug, Doug...easy boy...easy now! > that explodes when I hit > camp (that's how NASA/Home Defence authorities > keeps track of kayakers and separate us from the bad guys, so DON'T get rid > of the flashy gear, boys and girls). Okay, just kidding Dave. Loved your > post, sir! > I did too! Senor Kruger's a great contributor. I have an internal overload sensor to the glam side of any industry, including the cottage-y kayaking industry. My record collection knows not the word *current*; I skip the hype phase and if it survives time fine. But really Doug, are the scantily clad female photo shoots the reason you are primarily a solo paddler? ; ) However, the bright looking gear, is wearing thin on me. My orange and mango WW gear makes me look like Big Bird, so I go for the less visible side of things in Sea Kayaking, (I'll be fine Ma, and home by 11!). I am glad I am not the only one who sees the mirror finish alpine lake scene with the mountains reflected in the water and the paddler with no bow wake in perfect foreward stroke form as silly, silly imagery. C&K's stock image banks are overflowing with that stuff. Overall, I like Paddler, they have a sense of humor, however, I warn thee to leave the maturing adult temperment aside as it can get a bit thick with the Thrasher Teen mentality. (Memorable line: It's hard to look cool when you're swimmin'.) But overall if the overly hyped ads with the improbable images help those responsible for the occasionally good research and development, I'd say we all benefit once in a while. Rob G (you're never too young to be a crank!) *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Rob boy said (snip): >>I love looking at neon-colored bikini clad blonds (uh, females) alighting their tents for a morning dip as the cool moist air invigorates each one's fleshy exoskeleton highlights (okay, so I can dream);<< >Doug, Doug, Doug...easy boy...easy now!< Err, sorry 'bout that...I was really just counterpointing senior citizen Kruger's wrinkly stinkin wetsuit Greybeard missive, as a journalistic manoeuvre, you know, really. Actually, I learned early on in my paddling career to avoid long solo wilderness sea journeys that encounter mid-trip hot-chick spots like Hot Spring Cove north of Tofino. 'Course these days everyone wears cloths, so its not so difficult to take while passing through. >Overall, I like Paddler, they have a sense of humour, however, I warn thee to leave the maturing adult temperament aside as it can get a bit thick with the Thrasher Teen mentality. (Memorable line: It's hard to look cool when you're swimmin'.) But overall if the overly hyped ads with the improbable images help those responsible for the occasionally good research and development, I'd say we all benefit once in a while.< Check out the images on page 27 of Paddler, called "Out of (and Around) Africa." Huge Atlantic swell rumbles ashore, five lines deep, as S.A. Gerhard Moolman paddled his surfski 3600 miles along the coast of Africa last year. Wasn't it Derek Hutchinson that said the western shores of Africa were the last great frontier to kayakers. Someone just tore a huge chunk out of that coast line. I hope that their editor guy, Eugene Buchanan, continues to take note that we here sea kayakers ain't no bunch of wussies, and can crank out sustained commitment venues that Rodeo dudes ain't even dreamed of in terms of longer-term fear factors -- and its all done without Z-lines, pullies, and foam pillars by rational men and women surviving on inner strength and toothpaste (Sutherland/Gillett respectively). Doug Lloyd Victoria BC ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ "Whatever can be said at all can be said clearly and whatever cannot be said clearly should not be said at all." Ludwig Wittgenstein ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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