Its been a great 2009 season. Lots of interesting programs.

The season started with some currents paddling with Erik Ogaard at a secret location (sorry guys, I’m under oath). Not a great wave for surfing, but lots of fun, funky boils and whirlpools and a few curious sea lions.

The best part was the water-side wood fired sauna at the end of the day. The summer season ended with a group of 15 year olds on a short 5 day tour out of Tofino. The first day was punctuated by heavy rain but the ocean gods and goddesses were kind and sunshine prevailed for the rest of the trip. The only disappointment was the shortage of whales, as many greys had already moved south. We did have a loud shouting match with a bunch of lonely young male sea lions though. We barked and growled for over 30 minutes with our animal-human choir in a cacophany of sound of which Sonic Youth would be proud.

The good news is, the teaching continues into the winter season. I’m heading out to the Broken Group Islands next week to run a Paddle Canada Level 3 with some of my favourite local paddlers from Deep Cove (of Hurrican Riders fame- check out their video’s on youtube). After that, I hope to squeeze in a bunch of personal paddling. I am eagerly anticipating the arrival of my new P&H Capella 167 – green/white with red trim-some time this fall so I can head down to visit Sean at the Golden Gate Sea Kayak Symposium in February in style. Should be lots of fun and a great opportunity to learn and share with others across North America. Anyway, stay tuned and I will add details about our winter adventures on the rainy, windy, and thoroughly enjoyable west coast.

There comes a time in every paddlers life when they feel the need to personalize their watercraft. Being a proud sponsored kayaker of many fine outdoor companies, it is vital that I “funk my colors” in an appropriate fashion to inspire shock and awe while out on the water. This process should not be taken lightly! In order to be effective, one must comprehend the overall look and feel of the end result and create a rich tapestry, both while in and out of the boat. Here are some tips to keep in mind as you consider sticker placement and content;

1)      Be sure your sponsors are displayed prominently on the deck without obstruction. Too many people place stickers and logos on the boat only to cover them up with deck bags, spare paddles, camera cases, etc. A rookie move that can be avoided simply by considering your on-water presents prior to stickerage!

2)      It’s important not to over logo your gear. Less is more! Make your point without creating visual mayhem.

3)      Add the personal touch. Not all stickers need to be sponsors and it’s a nice change of pace to have other, non-paddling related logos on the boat. It gives the viewer a sense of your other interests and detracts from the overwhelming feeling that you are a total kayaking nerd. Many of my fellow Pyrahna/P&H peers are or were avid skate boarders and thus leading to a Vans or an Independent logo. Me? I am an MMA fan and practitioner so I have a Sprawl sticker on my back deck. I can always count on my friend Darren Bush of Rutabaga to get me some really inappropriate, reflective trucker stickers which I display proudly on my bow. I am aware that he does this because he doesn’t feel comfortable with the stickers on his boat but he has a secret desire to display them. I then become his conduit; His darker side so to speak. And because they have a story to it, they don’t come off as tacky but as a slice of my life that other paddlers feel comfort in enjoying. Side note: I have run across people who put political stickers on their boats. This should not be done, as a rule. Fully 96% of all paddler will view you with distain regardless of their political viewpoint. 3% will simply feel awkward and, thus, not want to hang with you. The final 1% will be totally in agreement with you and want to be your new best friend. Consider then that 96% of all paddlers will view that guy with distain and you are most like in that category. In other words, there is a huge chance that you won’t want to be involved with anyone who wants to be involved with you.

4)      Don’t put any stickers on that are funny for a few moments. After the joke is over, the joke is suddenly over and you begin the journey down the road of being a tool. This includes writing on the bottom of boats. You want yourself and your boat to be identified as a visual feast, not with being upside down every 4 minutes either for a less than clever sight gag or lack of skill.

5)      Everyone has a Mac or an Ipod; leave the Apple sticker in the back of you Element, huh?

6)      Treat your sticker placement as you would if you getting a tattoo. Don’t logo under the influence of excessive drugs or alcohol consumption. Don’t logo if you are going into or out of a relationship (Consider how awkward  it would be to see on a kayak the saying, “Brenda forever” with the “forever” crossed out and “is a prostitute” scribbled in underneath).  Stay away from band names cause I am not paddling with anyone with a ”Yanni” sticker anywhere visible.

7)      Motivation is key. If you are logo-ing your gear so it conveys “Look at me! Look at how cool I am and look at all the nifty stuff I own”, maybe you are on the wrong track. Consider that the sticker represents you, not define you or promotes you.

So, I hope this helps you in your kayak decorating endeavors.

Spring has finally come to us here in the U.S. of A. and 2009 is looking pretty awesome. Not only are we at P&H rockin’ some of the best boats in the world to date but here on the home front we have assembled an unbelievable team of paddlers hitting the waters and smiling big for the camera’s. In the next few weeks you will be hearing from these folks, getting to know them a bit better, and sharing the excitement they have for the sport of kayaking.

So stay tuned to you computer screens for the latest P&H Team antics from here and abroad!!!

Coach Kelly signing off until next week at this very computer station!

In June of last year I was teaching at the Inland Seas Symposium in Bayfield, Wisconsin and might I say it is a fine event; an event that I would have never have thought of finding my soul mate. But, as we all know, when you least expect it, expect it!

After a long day of instructing I decided to settle back with my guitar to play a few Julio Iglesias tunes in preparations for the evening’s events. As I began to play “To all the girls I’ve loved before”, I heard an angelic voice coming from the far end of the demo beach. Almost hypnotically, I began to walk that way in hopes to meet the siren that would have such a mellifluous voice. What I found was surprising; it was Danny Mongo from Werner Paddles walking towards me!

We met, a mere few feet away, and began to harmonize through the second chorus. It was grand!

But as all good things do, this came to a screeching halt. Some punk kids (as seen in the picture) walked up to us and began to ask Danny for spare change. Imagine the nerve! Two grown men are singing in harmony on a playground in the middle of nowhere, minding their own business, trying to let a bit of love grown in a harsh world, and these two rakes have to come and ruin a beautiful moment!

So, to those who feel like their agenda is more important than everyone elses, remember this; thoughtlessness hurts and in some cases brings love to an end!

On a side note, these near-do-wells also stole Danny car and ran his underwear up a nearby flag pole. Openly I laughed…on the inside, I was crying!