Pool Session

Well, I made it to my 2nd pool session of the year on Sunday. I went purely as an instructor this time, though, and didn't even bring a boat. I really enjoy teaching, though, so it was easily as much fun as practicing my own techniques. The only problem is that all of the students were first shown a video that outlined the Sweep roll, and I use (and teach) more of a C-to-C style roll. Dennis had to bail me out with my first student because I just didn't know how to explainthe way to keep your center of gravity low in that roll. I think that for the next pool session I'm going to spend some time working on my own sweep so that I can actually teach it properly. In the meantime, thanks to D for helping a fella out.

Lately...

Few posts lately, but plenty going on. I always have trouble getting motivated to put something up if I don't have pics to go along with it, and lately all of the pictures have been on other people's cameras. That said, here's the news.

Fun stuff: Audrey is back visiting from Ireland so we've been doing our best to keep up our standards for fun and crazy during her visits. Last weekend was spent up by my parents' cabin snowmobiling through Northern MN. Sunny, warm weather and freshly groomed trails made it an amazing experience. To add to that, there were two snowmobile rallies that were going on up there at the same time, and one of them included a free concert by G.B. Leighton. So, we rode up to the casino/hotel where they were playing, watched the concert, spent the night, then did some more riding the next day. Really fun weekend.
In addition to snowmobiling, I am getting back into rock climbing. I've gone a couple times in the last month and am finding that I enjoy it more than I did in college. Plus, it's a great thing to do on a frigid weekday evening. Last night I took Audrey and my nephews to Vertical Endeavors to let them have a shot at it. They did great and all of them were climbing 5.8's and above by the end! Really cool.
News-In-My-Life stuff: For the past 3 weeks I've been working as a contract (read: temporary) attorney for a firm downtown reviewing documents. Not super exciting, but I'm working with some cool people and making new friends. At the same time, Pat McGuiness and I are working on starting up our own firm! We're going to be focusing on residential construction/landscaping and homeowners association law. It will be a part time thing at first, but hopefully we'll get enough business to someday do it full time. Wish us luck, and feel free to send us business! When we get a website built I'll put a link up.

Kiting Weekend

This weekend proved to be a great kiting weekend. Saturday Caleb, Jackie, and myself headed out to Calhoun to get some kite time in, only to find the lake perfectly calm. With no winds to fly in, we tried heading over to the skating rink at Lake of the Isles for some hockey. Since I didn't have my skates along, I got to try out a pair of ancient leather skates that had no support in them at all. Anyone who's played hockey with me would have gotten a kick out of it because my ankles were constantly buckling as if I'd never skated before. Mercifully, the wind came up after about an hour at the rink so the three of us headed back to Calhoun. The winds were light, but workable and Jackie wound up getting in some great riding and learning how to squeeze every ounce of strength out of the kite. Caleb didn't have his board along, so got his flying skills dialed on the trainer. Though off to a slow start, the day turned out to be really good.

Sunday had a better wind forecast and Caleb and I headed out to Calhoun again. This time Caleb had his board and I had all of my gear. The winds were light, but enough to zip around with the 15m and even get some small boosts. After struggling to get the 5m to pull him, Caleb gave the big kite a shot and did very well. It's a lot of power to get used to, but he got the hang of it quickly. Unfortunately the hard surface made edging the snowboard more difficult, but he did get some solid runs in and is definitely ready to go when conditions improve. All in all it was great to get out on the lake, really fun to see the newbies riding, and nice to get some rides in myself.

Gotta see this...

OK, somebody posted this on the Lakawa forum and it's pretty darn cool. I'ts basically an ad for subaru, but it's still amazing. Here's the link. You'll have to copy and paste the address because I'm not smart enough to put a real functioning link here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wB4RSKvufak

Oh, and if you don't believe that the guy's really making those jumps, check him out on this:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDi0MZJZ-w0&feature=related

Off the hook!

The really good kiters spend a fair bit of time riding "unhooked" (using only arms to hold on, not their harness) so that they can do some awesome spins and cool tricks. I found out yesterday that this style of riding is no longer just for the ultra-good riders - it's also for those dumb enough to forget their harness at home. Yes, I headed out for a quick session on White Bear Lake yesterday sans harness. I drove up, drove out to a good spot on the lake, set up the big kite, and only when I was about to launch did I realize I was going to be having some really tired arms. I have a 15m kite (really big) and the winds were 8-12mph (moderate) and those combined to show me that my arms that are really out of shape. I did get in about 40 minutes of riding, with frequent rest stops, but I eventually had to put the kite down because I was afraid a gust would come, yank the bar out of my hands, and send me running after it down the lake like the fool that I was. On the upside, the riding I did was fantastic. There wasn't alot of snow, but enough that my skiis could hook up. It was a beautiful day and it was really cool just being on the lake. The lake was full of people doing everything from ice skating and snowmobiling to snowshoeing and fishing. Cool day, sore arms.

How Swede It Is

Caleb, Jackie, Nicole, Nora, and I headed out to Swede lake today to check out a Snow Kite festival that was going on out there. There were probably 50 cars there and well over 60 people. As soon as you got near the lake you could see kites zipping around everywhere. I don't think there was ever a time when there weren't at least a dozen in the air. To make it even cooler, there was a terrain park set up out on the lake that included a wooden ramp that was about 9' tall. Kiters were flying off of it and over the crowd of people gathered at its base. It was really cool to see. I didn't spend much time watching, however, because Caleb, Jackie, and Nicole were all out for their first time kiting. All three of them did great - they each mastered the 3.6m trainer kite (even in really unsteady winds) and moved up to the 5m. By the end of the day Caleb was making short runs on his snowboard, Jackie had a couple good runs on her skiis, and Nicole was zipping around like a pro. If we'd have had more time I'm sure all three of them would have been practicing boosting. It was really fun to watch. I do have to apologize for not taking advantage of the amazing photo ops that were everywhere and people flying all around - all 3 newbies were progressing so fast I barely had time to pick up the camera. Nora got some good pics and videos (as usual), so check her blog for better pics.

As an added bonus to a great day, I got to try out the 4wd on my new truck! After 13 years of rear wheel drive, it sure was nice to be able to scoot across the snowy lake without worrying about getting stuck.

Great day, great time. Huge props to Caleb, Jackie, and Nicole for absolutely rocking!

Amazing kite day

I headed out to White Bear Lake for a couple hours on New Years Eve and was treated to one of my best kite sessions yet! Steady 15mph (or so) winds, untracked powder snow, and a bunch of other kiters out buzzing around. For a while the wind was actually fast enough that my lines were whistling when I was standing still. Pretty cool. I didn't do any huge boosts, but I took my time getting comfortable with some 3-4 footers. I also got some practice in with high-speed, one-handed runs as I zipped across the lake. In a switch from my normal wind luck, I managed to get there right as it picked up and rode until I was exhausted. I got in about 2 hours of continuous riding on my 15m and finally quit when my legs were burning and my feet were frozen. For the first time ever, the wind died as I was putting my kite away instead of when I was setting it up. It was great.

Unfortunately, I got very few pictures. By the time that I was done kiting and had my camera out the wind was dying fast and there weren't many kites left. It's a shame because there were some great riders out there (like Kurt) who were really hitting some sweet tricks. That aside, it was an awesome day.

Kickin at the park

I know it's been a while since I've had good pics to post, but hopefully this will be the start of a string of fun stuff. Today NateG and I went to a local park to hit a kicker that Nate and Emily had built yesterday. It was a sweet ramp that sent you over a fence, a retaining wall, some head-high bushes, and some rocks before you landed. The gap was about 15' and there was an 8' height difference between the two. The coolest part about it, though, was that you had to shoot it right between two big trees. The view from the top was daunting, but they did an awesome job building the ramp and it was way easier than it looked. Props to the Goltz family. Nate and I were also joined by a couple other riders who hit it with us. Hope you like the pics!

Happy Holidays!

Just wanted to wish everyone a merry Christmas! Stay safe if your driving, and have fun no matter what your plans are. Also, start thinking about the New Year's Verm trip!

SNOW!!!!!

WooHoo! It's soooo nice to have some of the white stuff back around. With about six inches by my place it's actually enough to get out and play in, too! Combine that with 15-20mph winds today and there was really only one thing left to do - go kiting! Since lots of local lakes are either open or just-froze, I figured we better stick to dry land. Nick and I headed down to Cottage Grove for some gusty fun with my foils. I was surprised to see about 6 other kiters cruising and boosting there when we arrived. Nick's just getting started, but did real well and even tried some boosts! I didn't get my skiis on, but still had fun getting yanked around by my 5m. Mostly, though, it was just fun to get out in the snow. Here's to a winter full of fun!

Slideshow

OK, so you might be getting sick of the pictures from our trip, but since I haven't had time to enjoy the newfallen snow yet (which is awesome, by the way), I figured I'd put this up. Kim combined her pics and mine and created this slideshow, complete with comments. Hope you like it. Unfortunately the link only transferred the Norway half of the show, so you'll just have to go off of the pics from the earlier posts for Ireland.



My Private Shoebox

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing everybody a great Thanksgiving weekend. May it bring rain to paddle on or snow to kite on. Oh yeah, and happiness and all that stuff too.

Funnies

Well, Kim and I made it home last night. The trip was exhausting, but filled with cool stuff. We had a great time in Ireland, seeing Dublin, Galway, the Cliffs of Moher, the last port of the Titanic and the Lusitania (a beautiful city called Cobh), Blarney and Blarney castle, Waterford (where Waterford Crystal comes from), and the area around Audrey's house South of Dublin. It was great seeing Audrey, Liam, and the Curry family again. But, not all went perfectly smooth on the Emerald Isle. Here's a few of the more humorous moments from the trip:

1: Finding our Hotel in Dublin. It was in the heart of Temple Bar, which is the nightlife district of Dublin. There's lots of small cobblestone streets, many of which aren't on our map and some of which are only for pedestrians. By some stroke of luck, we stumbled upon our hotel's street right away, found the hotel, but then tried to find parking. That was the last time we had the car near the hotel. For some reason, we drove around for about 45 minutes down every street in temple bar but were never able to find out how to get back on that street. After driving in circles forever, we found a parking ramp, dropped the car, and just walked about 6 blocks to the hotel. Never did figure out how to get back to it by car...

2: Guinness Tour. Kim and I wanted to tour the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin. We were working off the map in my Let's Go book and knew we were in the right area because every building in sight was owned by Guinness. The only problem was that we couldn't find the right one for the tour. After walking around in frustration, I asked a gate guard at the brewery where the tour is. He looked at me, pointed down the street we'd been walking on and proceeded to (in very drawn out fashion) point to a gigantic sign with an arrow on it that very clearly told us where to go. It was about 1 block away and we had already passed beneath it more than once. Go us.

3: Locked In A Parking Ramp. Kim and I stayed in a hostel in Galway that claimed it had parking for cars. After finally finding the hostel amongst the nameless streets, we saw that right next to the hostel was a parking ramp with an iron gate. Not knowing how to get in, I stopped the car in front of the gate while Kim ran in to ask. About 10 seconds after she went in, the gate opened. Naturally, I proceeded inside and down the ramp. That was when I noticed that the ramp was virtually empty and the only exits I could see could not have led to the hostel. Nervously, I walked back to the gate (which was again sealed) only to find Kim peering through from the outside with a confused look on her face. She had come out to inform me that the Hostel didn't have parking and that we'd have to use a lot 2 blocks away. So, neither of us new how the gate had opened, but I was now trapped inside with our car and all of our luggage. With only about three other cars in the ramp, I was getting a bit nervous that I'd be spending the night in the car. As luck would have it, however, I heard a car door shut down in the ramp. I ran down, got in our car, and managed to get the car that was leaving to open the gate for me so I could get out. It was a bit tricky explaining how I had come to be in the ramp without a gate opener, but they were kind enough to just think me crazy and let me out.

There were many more funny things on the trip, but those were a few. I'll try to get some pictures posted with the trip blogs but it will probably take a few days.

Galway

Well, the trip has been a whirlwind so far. Bergen was amazing - big enough to have plenty to do, but still has a very small town, laid-back feel. Plus, it's absolutely beautiful with a harbor on the fjord and mountains that run right into the city. The weird part is that before 11am on a Sunday the place is a total ghost town. There's not a light on, not a door open, and not a person on the street. Very strange, but gave us a peaceful time to walk around. We toured around, took a bunch of pictures, and rode the funicular up the mountain. From the top we had a spectacular view of everything, followed by a hike down through the forest. It was beautiful and Bergen is becoming one of my favorite cities yet.

From there, we took the train back to Oslo and spent the night, then did the Vikingship museum and the Folk museum in Oslo before catching our flight to Ireland.

Last night we arrived in Dublin and headed to Temple Bar so Kim could have her first real Guinness. it was a Monday, so the pubs were pretty quiet, but it was still nice to be down there. Today we toured the Guiness Storehouse and then headed out of town. We drove all the way across the Island (4.5 hours) to Galway on the West Coast. We're staying here tonight, then heading to the Cliffs of Mohr tomorrow before driving to Blarney (i.e. blarney stone) and then spending tomorrow night in Cork.

The only hitch so far has been navigating the car around in the cities. I had forgotten how stressful it is. It took an hour or to before I got used to driving on the Left side again, but that was nothing compared to trying to Navigate in Galway where there are no street signs. No kidding. We drove around for almost 45 minutes and only saw 3 the entire time. In the end, we found ourselves on a map by landmarks and made our way to our hostel. Sure do miss the awesome public transport system in Norway.

Till next time....

Bergen!

Well, Kim and I are here in Norway! The trip's been fun so far, even if we're still a bit sleep deprived. Oslo was cool, with a city center that's full of things to do and cool little sidewalk cafes. There's also great transportation with a bus, tram, and subway system. The only catch is that it's pretty cold, with highs just above freezing. That, and the fact that prices are a bit higher here. A medium pizza is almost $30 and a beer is over $10. The food is good, but at an average of over $20 per person per meal it's definitely got us taking the thrifty route whenever possible.

People have been really friendly, always willing to explain stuff or give directions. Thankfully everybody speaks English, so that makes just about everything easy. We've had more daylight than I was expecting, with daylight breaking around 8am and lasting until after 4pm. What's different about it is the angle of the sun. We're far enough North that the sun never gets very high in the sky, which makes for hour long sunsets and sunrises. Twilight lasts forever. It's pretty cool. I wish that we had some time outside of the city because I hear that the Northern Lights are a fairly commmon sight here...

Yesterday we caught the train across Norway to Bergen, passing by some of the most beautiful scenery I've ever come across. Dozens of waterfalls, including a big-volume, multi-stage one that was over 300 feet and several smaller flow falls between 100 and 400 feet. The Fjords were beautiful, with walls reaching nearly a mile abover the water and picturesque little towns perched on the shores. There were also tons of riverbeds that looked like they'd be great in the spring! Speaking of seasons, I think we went through about 3 of them on the train. When we left Oslo it felt like late fall, then at high altitude in the mountains we had snow, cold, and lots of wind. On our way back down everything melted and we were down to spring. Pretty cool.

Now we're here in Bergen and getting ready to explore. It seems like a beautiful town and we're really looking forward to it. I'll try to post again soon!