Re: [Paddlewise] Kayak Trials at Trial Island - Part One

> Doug Lloyd wrote:
>
>> [sniperoo] ... a surfeit of savvy paddlers ...
>
> Now I know what to call a horde of sea kayakers:  "We were mobbed by a 
> surfeit of paddlers, ugly as sin and covered in seaslime, not a Johnny 
> Depp amongst the excess of Keith Richards clones ..."
>
> -- 
> Dave Kruger
> Astoria, OR

So Herr Kruger,

I suppose there are better synonyms than "surfeit" in describing the 
proliferation of local elite paddling rabble, but indeed, when one considers 
the number of paddlers that showed up the Friday and Saturday to merely 
"kick tires" rather than actually try out "kick-ass" kayaks on the water in 
the overfalls, one wonders if that particular satiation left the 
demonstrator feeling crapulous himself.

Anyway, glad to add to your west coast paddling lexicon. Anytime I can be of 
service...

BTW, there weren't too many ugly paddlers in evidence Saturday, though there 
were a few who couldn't even fit into any of the kayaks present and I heard 
one did capsize and bail. There was, however, a high level of skill from all 
evidence: perfect paddlemanship on display at every splash, incredible 
stroke rates, unyielding cadence, kayak movement like fine ballet, beautiful 
balance braces like that from MJ from PW - and others, and subtle shifts 
from carbon Greenland sticks. The only thing ugly there was my beat-up, 
stripped down Nordcrapp that was being size/shape-compared to the LV, and my 
ugly, uninspired paddling strokes - not pretty, but still effective.

Well, my daughter just handed me a 50th Birthday card with a canine on its 
back, says: You're at that age...Where "roll over and play dead" is less of 
a trick and more of a major concern! I'm glad I hit fifty and that I never 
rolled over in my kayak and became dead. Tried a few times. So Dave, am I an 
official grey beard now, or does that start at 60 what with 50 being the new 
40 and all that?

Doug Lloyd 
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