Showing posts with label kayaking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kayaking. Show all posts
June 20, 2013
Kayaking with CCK
October 21, 2012
September 29, 2008
Rewriting the Script and Changing the Anchor
Since arriving back in San Francisco I've been out on the Bay for numerous water adventures. From sailing to kayaking the experiences have been a reclamation of sorts. Prior to moving away from San Francisco in 2005 I went sailing with friends and it was the beginning of a long journey into self-doubt. When given "control" of the boat I lost my cool and freaked out. This became a negative anchor for me as I moved on to Houston and then London. How could I act that way? How could I be so weak? What did my friends think of me? All those damaging scripts being played and re-played in my head.
In the past three months I've been back out on the Bay and this time I'm craving the challenges to push my physical limits. Sailing with friends on the same boat as 2005, I took the helm and guided us in and out of the Berkeley Marina. It was like writing a new script.
Yesterday I went for a full day sea kayaking class with California Canoe and Kayak in the Oakland Estuary. I wore the wetsuit purchased at a yard sale in June on my final day in DC. It was a tight fit and left no room for figure mystery. That was brave in itself. But the most exciting challenge was stepping past my stretch zone, into the edge of my panic, to deliberately capsize in the kayak while skirted into its cockpit. In other words, I was attached to the boat, upside down in salty water.
This was actually something I had done successfully as a teenager away for the summer at adventure camp in Colorado. But as I've gotten older the experience has become more of a personal urban legend as my fears of losing control took over. Yesterday was a big step to see if I could regain that strength and confidence. I did it! And once I had done it I insisted on capsizing and practicing again and again until I was black and blue, water logged and sunburned.
During our lunch break, Paula and Tim, the instructor and other student in the course, and I had a philosophical discussion about kayaking as a metaphor for change management. Paula shared with us that kayaking is really just placing the paddle in the water and moving the boat past it to a new place. The paddle stays still and the boat moves. This is difficult to visualize unless there are unmoving objects around the paddle, such as seaweed or floating wood. Only with those obstacles nearby can you see that the paddle is anchored and the boat gliding. We shared how this was true when promoting personal or organizational evolution. Lead with a gentle touch, ever so slightly correcting the path to move past the obstacles. Strength and bravado are not necessary.
This is the powerful metaphor I use in my personal inspiration of the Sleek Yellow Kayak. Paula gave me a choice of kayaks for our course and I chose a yellow one. The kayak became an extension of myself as we moved along the water playfully. It also became my lifeline as I clung to its side while capsized in the Bay. What a tremendously positive anchor around which I write my new script.
In the past three months I've been back out on the Bay and this time I'm craving the challenges to push my physical limits. Sailing with friends on the same boat as 2005, I took the helm and guided us in and out of the Berkeley Marina. It was like writing a new script.
Yesterday I went for a full day sea kayaking class with California Canoe and Kayak in the Oakland Estuary. I wore the wetsuit purchased at a yard sale in June on my final day in DC. It was a tight fit and left no room for figure mystery. That was brave in itself. But the most exciting challenge was stepping past my stretch zone, into the edge of my panic, to deliberately capsize in the kayak while skirted into its cockpit. In other words, I was attached to the boat, upside down in salty water.
This was actually something I had done successfully as a teenager away for the summer at adventure camp in Colorado. But as I've gotten older the experience has become more of a personal urban legend as my fears of losing control took over. Yesterday was a big step to see if I could regain that strength and confidence. I did it! And once I had done it I insisted on capsizing and practicing again and again until I was black and blue, water logged and sunburned.
During our lunch break, Paula and Tim, the instructor and other student in the course, and I had a philosophical discussion about kayaking as a metaphor for change management. Paula shared with us that kayaking is really just placing the paddle in the water and moving the boat past it to a new place. The paddle stays still and the boat moves. This is difficult to visualize unless there are unmoving objects around the paddle, such as seaweed or floating wood. Only with those obstacles nearby can you see that the paddle is anchored and the boat gliding. We shared how this was true when promoting personal or organizational evolution. Lead with a gentle touch, ever so slightly correcting the path to move past the obstacles. Strength and bravado are not necessary.
This is the powerful metaphor I use in my personal inspiration of the Sleek Yellow Kayak. Paula gave me a choice of kayaks for our course and I chose a yellow one. The kayak became an extension of myself as we moved along the water playfully. It also became my lifeline as I clung to its side while capsized in the Bay. What a tremendously positive anchor around which I write my new script.
June 27, 2008
Kayaking on the Potomac
Since arriving in DC I've wanted to kayak on the Potomac River. Two days before I return to San Francisco I finally found time. There's a great rental place called Jack's Boat's. 
We've rented there before and usually canoe but this time I set out on my own and in a kayak.I love kayaking. It struck me as I was getting into the kayak that my love for kayaking started way back when I was 14 or so and attended Anderson Camps for a summer in Gypsum, Colorado. We learned some serious kayaking starting in a pool where it was safe to roll and then on the Green River in Utah where we did a week-long trip.
All that training prepped me for a rather windy, wavy, bumpy ride yesterday in the middle of the Potomac.
It 
was heaven. I only went out for an hour ($10) and that was just enough to cool down from the summer heat and get my water skills up and running.Visited with some cool ducks hanging out on a rock at Roosevelt Island.
Out there on the water I was reminded of the blog entry I made about the Sleek Yellow Kayak inspiration.
May 5, 2007
Canal Cavalcade
Along my favourite stretch of London’s Inland Waterways is this weekend’s Canal Cavalcade, a celebration of the boats, people, art and traditions of the canal boat way of life. The heart of the celebration is an area called Little Venice where the Grand Union and Regents Canals meet at Paddington Basin. The junction is a 10 minute walk from our flat.
The canal is overflowing with boats that have migrated here for the event. Each are done up in their finest with all the surfaces polished. Although I’ve admired t
hese boats for months yesterday was the first time I fully appreciated the artwork adorning their internal and external surfaces. Colourful, glossy scenes of all sizes depict imaginary castles, canals and bridges all surrounded by flowers. This photo (from http://www.canaljunction.com/) captures the artwork on the back doors of the inner cabin – a popular spot for paintings.
The festival includes a collection of booths selling all kinds of knickknacks created or previously owned by canal boat owners. There are several types of people that live in these vessels and each has their unique collection of stuff for sale. Some offer maps and self-published books about canals. Others have prepared jams and fudges. My favourite are the hand painted tin items that feature the Roses and Castles artwork.
Categorising folks would go something like this:
Tried and True – folks who are second and possibly third generation of boat dwellers. Their anachronistic style of living is a reminder of the Victorian roots of these boats. The men have sunburned faces, beards and handkerchiefs knotted around their necks and their wives are often next to them on the stern of the boat with their family dog loyally standing at their feet.
RV Retirees - folks who have chosen this as a retirement lifestyle, roaming England via the waterways.
Off the Gridders – these folks have their boats moored in groups. The vessels appear to be filled with bits and pieces of stuff that is sun bleached and cob-webbed. Their windows are covered over with bumperstickers that profess green living.
Alternative Lifestylers - The most surprising set of folks are the ones in their twenties who seem to live an alternative lifestyle on these vessels – as though they have dropped out of society and prefer to live in groups, drink beer and kick back on the roof. I suppose it is a bit like communal living on the 70s.
As we walked around the festival and enjoyed the crafts and food we happened upon a l
ong boat company giving rides. We joined the cue and lucked out with the last two seats amongst a crowd of at least 75. T
he two hour roundtrip adventure took us into tunnels, through the London Zoo, past countless boats to Camden Lock. On our return trip there were fewer riders and we were able to spread out and fully enjoy the relaxing ride. Back at Little
Venice the crowds were thinning and all the ducks and geese had their chicks and goslings out for evening exercise. It was really spectacular. If the weather is nice I’m heading back today to try kayaking!
The canal is overflowing with boats that have migrated here for the event. Each are done up in their finest with all the surfaces polished. Although I’ve admired t
hese boats for months yesterday was the first time I fully appreciated the artwork adorning their internal and external surfaces. Colourful, glossy scenes of all sizes depict imaginary castles, canals and bridges all surrounded by flowers. This photo (from http://www.canaljunction.com/) captures the artwork on the back doors of the inner cabin – a popular spot for paintings.The festival includes a collection of booths selling all kinds of knickknacks created or previously owned by canal boat owners. There are several types of people that live in these vessels and each has their unique collection of stuff for sale. Some offer maps and self-published books about canals. Others have prepared jams and fudges. My favourite are the hand painted tin items that feature the Roses and Castles artwork.
Categorising folks would go something like this:
Tried and True – folks who are second and possibly third generation of boat dwellers. Their anachronistic style of living is a reminder of the Victorian roots of these boats. The men have sunburned faces, beards and handkerchiefs knotted around their necks and their wives are often next to them on the stern of the boat with their family dog loyally standing at their feet.
RV Retirees - folks who have chosen this as a retirement lifestyle, roaming England via the waterways.
Off the Gridders – these folks have their boats moored in groups. The vessels appear to be filled with bits and pieces of stuff that is sun bleached and cob-webbed. Their windows are covered over with bumperstickers that profess green living.
Alternative Lifestylers - The most surprising set of folks are the ones in their twenties who seem to live an alternative lifestyle on these vessels – as though they have dropped out of society and prefer to live in groups, drink beer and kick back on the roof. I suppose it is a bit like communal living on the 70s.
As we walked around the festival and enjoyed the crafts and food we happened upon a l
ong boat company giving rides. We joined the cue and lucked out with the last two seats amongst a crowd of at least 75. T
he two hour roundtrip adventure took us into tunnels, through the London Zoo, past countless boats to Camden Lock. On our return trip there were fewer riders and we were able to spread out and fully enjoy the relaxing ride. Back at Little
Venice the crowds were thinning and all the ducks and geese had their chicks and goslings out for evening exercise. It was really spectacular. If the weather is nice I’m heading back today to try kayaking!
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