surf kayak

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I’m Living in the Seventies

It’s weird when you get a song stuck in your head. Well actually in your brain to be more specific, but you know what I mean. How does that actually happen ? Maybe Mr Google can give me some answers although I’m not sure I can wade through all the advertising to find the answer.

Anyway, moving on I’ve been plagued by this one song recently. “I’m living in the Seventies” by Skyhooks and it was released , funnily enough, in the seventies, 1974 to be exact. Then I started thinking about the reasons it’s embedded in my brain. Well, I was definitely living in the 70’s and apparently survived unscathed despite the Magic Mushrooms, Flared Pants, Body Shirts and Platform Shoes, and it was the era when I moved water sports from Scuba Diving and Freediving to Kayaking. Maybe it’s because I’m now Living in the Seventies in another way. Yes, you guessed it, in birthdays.

Just in case you’re not fully informed in the category of 70’s music here’s a link to Skyhooks Live on Countdown TV show.

Ok, back to reality of some sort, here’s a short video of what Living in the Seventies paddlers get up to.

It’s “Park and Play” which suits more when you only have a hour or two available as the Coffee and Bun is calling. Sea kayaking will be missed this week as the wind is forecast to increase and we also need to fit in a couple of Mountain Bike sessions.

Have a great day.
Ian and “the others”.

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Barbie goes paddling

The Barbie movie is about to hit the screen and we took our own “Barbie kayak” out for a splash around.

Well actually it’s a Jackson Rockstar V but with all the pink colour it’s certainly worthy of the Barbie name.

I’m not sure Barbie approved of the weather with a cold 8 degrees C and light rain but what the heck, we were out there celebrating the cold.

Another amazing fact. Barbie and I have the same birthday. When I was younger some people compared me to Ken, but now I think I’m more “Ken Oath” than Ken. (work out the Aussie slang you foreigners. Yes, it’s rude).

Anyway have a great Barbie Day.

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Welcome Winter

Winter is with us again. Those sunny days of Autumn are gone. No more lazing around in shorts and T shirts, it’s back to fleece jackets and beanies.

We have been travelling for a couple of months, paddling sea kayaks, bush walking and riding mountain bikes as well as some photography sessions. If you missed the sea kayak article it’s here and bike riding in the northern Flinders Ranges is here.

Our latest attempts in photography try to capture the landscape in a more abstract way . What do you think ?

Back home for a while I drag out the playboat and head out for a short session.

The beach is deserted except for a couple of dogs chasing a ball. No one else in the water today, probably because it’s chilly and only us retirees get “Fridays free time”. The swell has also deserted the beach but I still manage a few rides and get my head wet.

I find Steve (King of England) had the same idea and was already on the waves.

Robyn managed to get some video of the small wave session. We enjoyed our first winter session and hope to fit in many more between sea kayaking, mountain biking and coffee and croissants.

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A small window

I never saw Spring. Maybe it had more pressing engagements elsewhere. None of those lovely Spring days with the sun shining and the temperature starting to show signs of what’s to come. No watching warm red sunsets with a favourite beverage. No sunburnt nose from forgotten sunscreen. No need to check your kayak for spiders lurking under the seat. No need to have a hat for every occasion.

None of that.
We had water. Not the type you paddle on, but the type that comes in bucket loads, drenching everything and everyone. The type that causes massive flooding river systems, inundates whole towns and livelihoods. With the rain comes the wind; howling, screaming, terrorising wind that wipes out all in it’s path.

Gum trees snapped at the trunk
The road was passable as the level dropped

Luck was on our side as we sheltered from flooding rains in the Australian “outback”. We reached a bitumen road that headed south towards home, our path flooded in many places. I had the kayak on the car roof but fortunately the creek systems fell just as quickly as they rose.

Summer was closing fast and finally a small Spring weather window opened. Not enough time to get in any substantial sea kayaking journeys but long enough to fit in a little surf play.

Summer will come, the waves will be clean and uncrowded, the sea kayaking perfect with pods of dolphins, the water crystal clear for snorkeling and the mountain bike tracks dry, running smooth and fast.

Dreams are free. In reality I take every FUN I wave I can and here’s a few I took today before the wind reappeared

Steve gets last minute instructions from Philip’s labrador.
You have to earn your wave FUN
Steve gets a small FUN wave
This could get a bit crowded
Fast and Clean

Some things remain the same
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Some things remain the same

I stretched forward and flipped the spraydeck over the coaming and checked the fit all-round. How many times have I done that I wonder. Thousands of times, tens of thousands of times or more; I try a quick calculation in my head and I’m immediately hit with a searing “ice cream headache”, not from the mental gymnastics but from a wave that snuck up and pounded my head.

That’s better. Making it out during a lull in waves

It’s been with me a while now, this kayaking thing. From the 1970’s when I started in river touring kayaks and graduated into just about every discipline of the sport. I have been a competitor of sorts, mainly thinking of myself as someone that “made up the numbers ” due to my lack of training time, or more likely ability.

One thing remains the same; Surf Kayaking. I loved it from the first time I took a river touring kayak out through the break and ran down a small wave. Lots changed in that time both in kayak shapes and equipment. Does anyone remember the Johnson Surf Shoe (kayak) or Valley Moccasin ? I owned both as well as an Australian designed Rosco Phase 3 Kayak and locally made Olymp 75 kayak.

Let’s take a small wave to get the feel of the kayak

Back from meandering through the past I paddled out into a freezing morning to test out my latest kayak, a Jackson Rockstar V. I jumped a dumping wave and stayed upright whilst pulling a couple of 360 spins followed by a long backsurf. The next couple of waves were not so glorious, ending in a sound dumping as I tried a forward loop. The kayak felt great and will be better with a few minor seat adjustments.

Here’s a flat spin sequence. I promise to try it on bigger waves next time !

I found another kayaker (Steve) grabbing a few icy waves as well.

I only captured the last part of his wave

Here comes another 360 spin on a small wave and then back surf.

We bounced around in the waves until my body was near frozen then grabbed that last wave to shore.

Steve heads inshore. Frozen but happy.
Heading for a strong coffee and lemon cake.

Back on shore and suitably warmed with coffee and cake I checked out a couple of archive boxes I had seen in my shed. Sure enough amongst the certificates and other stuff was an article written about our early Surf Kayaking in a magazine SA Canoeing 83.

I scanned some pages below and I remember the two people who produced it.
Phil Read who wrote the surf article
Noel McPharlin who took the surf photos using a Nikanos waterproof film camera

Yep I was there on another page as the first Secretary of Canoe Polo Committee that started a pool competition in June 1982. It seems a lifetime ago, probably because it was, and it meant that kayaks would become my recreation and occupation. Anyway, have a look at pages from that era.

Have a great day
Ian Pope

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Bumper Boats

Bumper Boats, Dodgem Cars and the Ghost Train were my favourite rides as a kid. Whenever there was a show or fair in town I was there looking for excitement and spending my money on rides, hot dogs and fairy floss. As I got a little older I still rode the Bumper Boats but often got kicked off for “rough play” and my fascination with the Ghost Train drifted towards the scantily clad girls on the high trapeze.

Times change but somethings stay the same. Hot Dogs were out and Falafel Rolls are in, and the Ghost Train is no longer scary, but I still get that Bumper Boat feeling every time I hit the surf.

The wind had dropped and the offshore wave recorder showed some activity, although the glassy waves were not as large as we hoped, but still provided some Monday Bumper Boat action.

Steve (R) gives Ian a little BUMP
Waiting for the next wave set
Charles looks like he’s lining up for a BUMP
Steve (R) chases for another BUMP
Turtle takes a clean wave to stay out of trouble
Steve showing his style on a small wave
Charles looking for a victim perhaps
You can see Steve but can you spot someone else
Here comes Steve again
Ok. Who is giving way first ?
Steve capsizes and it looks like everyone heads in for a BUMP
Turtle staying out of trouble again
…and enjoying another clean wave
So we all headed shoreward to finish off a great morning paddle.

It was a beautiful morning with a nice mob of paddlers and bound to be repeated soon.