chargelife http://chargelife.com Brandon, Heather & Hayden Storm Nelson’s Adventure Blog Fri, 09 Dec 2011 21:06:45 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 Brandon, Heather & Hayden Storm Nelson’s Adventure Blog chargelife no Brandon, Heather & Hayden Storm Nelson’s Adventure Blog chargelife http://chargelife.com/wp-content/plugins/powerpress/rss_default.jpg http://chargelife.com Ode to an Erg… http://chargelife.com/2011/12/ode-to-an-erg.html http://chargelife.com/2011/12/ode-to-an-erg.html#comments Fri, 09 Dec 2011 21:06:45 +0000 Heather http://chargelife.com/?p=1984 Hours after welcoming Jazlyn into the world last spring, we bought a kayak erg. At the moment of the arrival of our newest child, I think we realized, we were going to busy! And, boy we were right! Every second of my day and night are accounted for. So, walking down to the garage and getting a killer workout, versus loading my boat in the dark winter morning, driving to the lake or bay, paddling, reloading my boat, driving home, unloading boat and gear… well, what can I say but,  Brandon and I LOVE the simplicity and efficiency of the ‘home’ paddle workout. And, on top of that, it sure has kept us fit.

Since our last Wednesday Night race in October, I have been getting in my boat an average of once a week, Brandon has not gotten  in his boat at all.

Last Sunday was the Deception Dash Dash. A PNW classic, with 150 boaters coming out in the dead of winter, with hopes of cold, stormy conditions facing them as millions of gallons of water pour through the world famous Deception Pass leaving a sea of swirling seas and standing waves in its path. This year, we were greeted with a gorgeous clear day and a slight breeze and the pass met us with a quiet calm.

As for our performance, we both felt great. I was first in the women’s surfski, finishing just ahead of a group of surfskiers I can only stay ahead of at our Wednesday Night Races on a good day! Brandon had a great race too, paddling a comfortable pace that put him third.Without the Erg… well, the story would not have such a happy ending!

Thanks Bill Walker for another fabulous race…. and cheers to our Erg!!!

Race Photo courtesy of Gary Luhm Photography

 

]]> http://chargelife.com/2011/12/ode-to-an-erg.html/feed 0 Stellar S2E Tandem Surfski http://chargelife.com/2011/11/stellar-s2e-tandem-surfski.html http://chargelife.com/2011/11/stellar-s2e-tandem-surfski.html#comments Wed, 02 Nov 2011 21:49:48 +0000 Heather http://chargelife.com/?p=1980 Disclaimer: this is going to read like a sales pitch. It is not. I’m in no way affiliated with Stellar surfskis, not sponsored, no kick-backs, nothing. I love my Epic V10 as much as any man can love a boat. It’s the perfect boat for me. But then, sometimes, when you least expect it, another boat just… enters your life…
Read on at your own risk:

Last race season, Heather and I got to race the Stellar S2E tandem surfski, twice. The first time we pulled a 24:45 or so on the Wednesday Night course, not having been in a tandem ski even once in over a year. Race-time aside, we LOVED the experience of that boat.
Then, at the Sound Rowers 6-mile Lake Samish Salmon Roe  we borrowed and paddled the same boat again, and fell even deeper in love with it. We had a comparably fast time for that course.
Like everyone else, our main concerns with what we paddle are comfort, speed, and stability. Quality of construction is key, too, then price.
In the first few seconds of sitting in the S2E on water, the comfort and stability are immediately apparent. Both are AWESOME. So awesome, in fact, that I found myself doubting that such a stable ski could be fast (at all).
Then we raced it. My doubts were totally unjustified. It’s freaking fast. And that wasn’t even the light layup.
We’ve been dreaming of a tandem ski for the past couple years, and with the S2E we’ve found it. We just ordered one from Drew Harrison, white with a red deck, and will take delivery in the early spring.
Not to overuse the word “Awesome!” but the price was totally AWESOME too. We opted for the Advantage lay-up, fiberglass with soric core (one of Sterling’s favorite core materials), 48 pounds, for $2840.
Now get this: If you’re willing to go 3 pounds heavier, you can get an all fiberglass tandem S2E with your choice of 6 different deck colors, for $2310.
My understanding from Drew is that, for early spring delivery, orders will have to be in very early this month.
If 2012 is indeed destined to be the “Year of the Tandem”, the S2E seriously ups the on-water game, and drastically softens the blow to the bank account.
See the tandem’s data, pictures and colors at http://www.stellarkayaks.com/china/s2e_surfski.html
And you can reach Drew Harrison directly at drew_harrison@shaw.ca

See you on the water!

Brandon

]]> http://chargelife.com/2011/11/stellar-s2e-tandem-surfski.html/feed 0 Sound Rowers Lake Sammamish Race 2011 http://chargelife.com/2011/10/sound-rowers-lake-sammamish-race-2011.html http://chargelife.com/2011/10/sound-rowers-lake-sammamish-race-2011.html#comments Sun, 30 Oct 2011 16:01:14 +0000 Heather http://chargelife.com/?p=1975 The highlight of my races these days is paddling across the finish line to the sight of my family cheering me on. They are easy to pick out, find the tallest person, note the cute-as-a-button baby girl strapped to his chest, and the tow-headed boy at his side yelling, ‘Go Mama Go!’
Then, I ask the question that has been in the back of my mind the entire race, “Tell me about all the adventures you had while Mama was paddling!”
Saturday I raced the 13-mile long course of the Sound Rowers Lake Sammamish Race in Issaquah, WA. The race is held out of Lake Sammamish State Park, a gorgeous lakefront park with a playground to monkey around on, bike trails to explore, trees to climb, and of course beaches!
The race is a fast, flat diamond shaped out-and-back. I hooked up with a two-man outrigger canoe (OC2) I had finished a few minutes behind at the 14-mile Mercer Island race a few weeks ago. My goal was to try to hang with them as long as I could, which turned out to be about 8.5 miles before they pulled ahead or I dropped behind.
It was that moment that I realized how much difference the small-blade Epic wing paddle I had borrowed for the Mercer Island race really made. Today I had my normal mid-size Epic wing blade.
At Mercer, paddling 14 miles with the small blade, my stroke felt smooth and even-tempo’d and my muscles never fatigued. Which, since I limit my training paddles to about 1 hour these days, was AWESOME!
Yesterday, at 8.5 miles with my mid-size paddle, all the sudden my muscles just had enough. It felt like I was paddling with a club. At that moment it was clear: topping my Christmas list this year (Santa, are you getting this?)… a small blade Epic Wing Paddle!
None-the-less, I had a great race and was the third surf skier to cross the finish line behind only Greg Barton and Gabe Newton. Ignore the 15  or so minute time difference and it sounds pretty dang impressive!
OK, now back to my question: What were Hayden, Jazlyn and Brandon up to the 2 hours I was on the water? They spent the entire time at the Springfree Trampoline Shop just a few miles down the road. Hayden demo’d every one of their 7  in-store trampolines WOWing the saleswoman with his roof raising jumps and athletic prowess on the tramps. Even Papa and Jazzy got some air time!
I am pretty sure I can safely say, (Santa, you still there?) Hayden, Papa and Jazzy REALLY want a trampoline for Christmas!

]]> http://chargelife.com/2011/10/sound-rowers-lake-sammamish-race-2011.html/feed 0 Paddle for Food Relay 2011 http://chargelife.com/2011/10/paddle-for-food-2011.html http://chargelife.com/2011/10/paddle-for-food-2011.html#comments Tue, 18 Oct 2011 04:43:52 +0000 Heather http://chargelife.com/?p=1969 There’s something extra special when a paddling event combines with a fundraising effort. It’s the magic in and on the water. The humility — and charity — in the face of nature, that most experienced paddlers feel. The singular reason that defines both why most paddlers paddle, and also why they would choose to leverage their passion for one day to help the needy: “Because we can.”

For one day each fall, for the past 3 years, Lake Padden in Bellingham has been the setting for one of the funnest and most rewarding paddle/fundraiser events of the year: The Paddle for Food Relay.

This year, 50 paddlers took part, paddling 39 boats, divided into 13 teams of 3, covering a total of 8 laps per team, with every paddler doing a minimum of 2 laps and a maximum of 3, laughing like a million monkeys, and in the process raising $2500 and nearly 500 pounds of food for the Bellingham Food Bank.

In a race this potentially chaotic, especially considering that teams are assembled by an over-caffeinated “committee” of 3 in the 10 or so minutes directly before the start, it’s practically a miracle that — at the end of it all — a mere 7 seconds separated the first two teams! (Heather all but closed the gap in the final lap, but her and her teammates settled for 2nd!) And only about 5 minutes separated all 13 teams.

Truly, a miracle.

Thanks, Peter Marcus, for brainstorming this awesome race a few years back. And thanks to all paddlers who showed up to throw down — for fun, and for the Food Bank!

]]> http://chargelife.com/2011/10/paddle-for-food-2011.html/feed 0 The Most Affordable (Viable?) GPS Option? http://chargelife.com/2011/10/the-most-affordable-viable-gps-option.html http://chargelife.com/2011/10/the-most-affordable-viable-gps-option.html#comments Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:17:12 +0000 Heather http://chargelife.com/?p=1965

We seem to go through GPS receivers like candy. If I had a pile of all the GPS’s we’ve bought, then stuck somewhere (?) when they quit working — 99% of the time because they got wet — I’d probably have a hill big enough for the kids to go sledding down this winter!

And now we’re at it again. I’m without a functional GPS, and I’ve been shopping for The #1 Most Affordable — but still viable — GPS. And by ‘viable’ I mean that it needs to have a big enough screen to read when it’s mounted on my boat, just in front of my feet.

It needs to tell me speed, distance and time! All at once!

It does NOT need to tell me where the nearest Starbucks is, or what’s on sale at my local grocer.

It would be NICE if it were truly “Waterproof” as the packaging always claims. But I’ve long since given up on believing that. We’ve never — NEVER — had a GPS stand up to repeated wettings, without failure.

So now, this latest one I’m trying, the Garmin Forerunner 205, was chosen for its relatively low price, relatively large display, and yet it’s still sleek enough to fit into one of these:

We’ll let you know how it works out!

]]> http://chargelife.com/2011/10/the-most-affordable-viable-gps-option.html/feed 0 Mercer Island Sausage Pull http://chargelife.com/2011/10/mercer-island-sausage-pull.html http://chargelife.com/2011/10/mercer-island-sausage-pull.html#comments Sun, 02 Oct 2011 22:34:22 +0000 Heather http://chargelife.com/?p=1960 Some races you go to for the competition, or the beauty of the place… but the Sound Rowers Mercer Island Sausage Pull is all about the post race BBQ sausage feast!

I’ll explain more about the sausages later. We ARE there to race, too. So, a bit about that.

There is a 6-mile short course and a 14.5-mile long course which takes you around Mercer Island in Seattle. I chose the long course, trusting that the short course racers would leave some stuffed links of meat for the rest of us!

The weather agreed with us: slight breeze, heavy skies, but no real wind or rain. The race went smoothly, and I believe everyone entered recieved a ribbon.

When there are classes from pedal craft with ama’s -vs- pedal craft without ama and age divisions from open to masters to veterans to golden masters veterans, or something like that…. EVERYONE goes home with hardware!

Joking aside, it is amazing to see the crew who gathers for a Sound Rowers event like Mercer Island. I could list off all the types of boats and people… but, I will stick to the most impressive: Z Frank Danes, 91 years old, raced a solo kayak. Which course do you think he entered? The 14.5-mile long course! Inspiring!!!

I was first place amongst the surfskiers. Unless you consider the tandem men’s outrigger canoe who paddled with double-bladed wing paddles as a surfski? But, like everyone else, they were in a class of their own! :-)

I am once again so grateful for Brandon who is not only willing to support my races, but who loves crewing and hanging with the kids as “shore crew.” And to Hayden and Jazzy for following us wherever we go! And, to this amazing place we live, and the community that we consider family.

Next on the calendar is the Paddle For Food Relay at Lake Padden, October 15th. For more info on this super fun, relay-style fundraising event, click HERE!

To see the Mercer Island race results, click HERE!

Oh, and the post-race sausage feast? Not a racer or crewperson whent hungry. Everywhere you looked, mouths were being stuffed with hot-off-the-grill kielbasas, bratwursts, and red-hots tastily slathered in sour kraut and mustard! If just the thought of that makes your mouth water, then come out next year and throw down with us!

See you on the water!!!

]]> http://chargelife.com/2011/10/mercer-island-sausage-pull.html/feed 0 Lake Samish Salmon Roe 2011 http://chargelife.com/2011/09/lake-samish-salmon-roe-2011.html http://chargelife.com/2011/09/lake-samish-salmon-roe-2011.html#comments Mon, 26 Sep 2011 18:16:06 +0000 Heather http://chargelife.com/?p=1956 After having my forward stroke fine-tuned by Greg Barton himself on Friday, on Saturday morning Brandon and I raced the Sound Rowers Lake Samish Salmon Roe.
We had decided to race the 5.5 miles together, in a tandem Stellar surfski. (Thank you Drew and Stellar Kayaks for the boat!)
With over 150 racers, and almost every type of human-powered craft you can think of in attendance, the Salmon Roe is THE local showdown. Brandon and I have in the past raced solo surfskis, tandem outrigger canoe, tandem kayak with Hayden riding along, and so this year we decided to see how we stood up amongst the powerhouse tandem surfski teams.
Among the top competition was Don Kiesling and Juraj Osusky in a 2-man flatwater sprint kayak (K2), Eric Moll and Ludovit Tatos (tandem surfski) and Joost Zeegers and Paul Clement (tandem surfski)… all with race resumes as long as their boats.
In the solo division, Greg Barton himself and Gabe Newton were the men to beat. Beyond that would be a sea of surfskis, outrigger canoes, a 4-person kayak, war canoes, big rowing boats and sleek rowing shells, SUP, pedal craft and sea kayaks all ready to throw down!
We lined up on the start with Greg Barton directly next to us. When the start gun went off, we burned rubber off the start line like a friggin’ Indy car!
Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d be racing side-by-side with Barton, even for a minute. But in the back of the tandem, as we fell into a comfortable race pace we could maintain for the next 5-miles, there he was!
The pack immediately thinned. Don K and Juraj took the lead. Eric and Ludo second with Barton and Gabe hot on their heals.
We were next, with Joost and Paul right behind. As we neared the half-way point, we were racing our own race. Don and Juraj had secured their lead. Eric and Ludo and Barton were next. Gabe had fallen behind, as had Joost and Paul.
I focused on following Brandon as closely as I could. Barton in his clinic had said when paddling tandem, you not only follow the front paddler’s entry, but every single part of the stroke. So I tried to match Brandon’s exact paddle angle, his exit, his posture, his rotation.
After 38 minutes and change, we crossed the finish first mixed tandem, and 3rd tandem overall. Stoked! Barton maintained his position behind the two tandem skis and was the first solo.
Racing aside, Salmon Roe has become the end-of-summer party for paddlers and their families. Spectators follow the race on bikes or in their cars cheering the racers on. It’s a giant play-date for kids who run in the lake-side grassy fields and play on the beach while their parents race.
The post-race salmon/potato/salad feast is Pacific Northwest outdoor dining at its finest!
A few ‘paddler favorite’ vendors appear to offer use of demo boats. JD Davies from the Gorge and Drew and Lee from Stellar Kayaks came this year.
Mark your calendar for next year, and we’ll see you on the water!!!!

Click HERE for race results!

Click HERE for race photos by Michael Lampi!

Click HERE for Bellingham Herald race photos!

]]> http://chargelife.com/2011/09/lake-samish-salmon-roe-2011.html/feed 0 On-Water Workshop with Greg Barton! http://chargelife.com/2011/09/greg-barton-clinic.html http://chargelife.com/2011/09/greg-barton-clinic.html#comments Sun, 25 Sep 2011 02:40:39 +0000 Heather http://chargelife.com/?p=1948 Imagine if Lance Armstrong dropped you and your biking friends an e-mail saying:

“Hey, if you guys are up to it, I’ll come on over and do a workshop with you guys on your technique!” 

Oh yeah, and then he adds, “No charge!”

In our world of paddling, that’s EXACTLY the level of gift bestowed to the Whatcom Paddlers community last Friday night.

That’s because 2X Olympic Gold Medalist Greg Barton came up to Lake Whatcom and, for two hours, stoked out a group of about 50 enthusiastic single- and double-blade paddlers with his life-long knowledge-base of go-fast paddling techinques.

The first half of the clinic took place on land, with demonstrations on the mechanics and physics of stroke effectiveness and efficiency, and answers to a barage of paddler questions.

He spoke about:

  • Entry
  • Exit
  • Angles
  • The Pendulum Swing
  • Top Arm Position
  • Leg Drive
  • Fitness
  • Weights
  • Off-Season
  • Feather
  • Loading
  • Tandem
  • Blade-size
  • Distance
  • Grip
  • Shaft Length
  • Stretches
  • More…

Then the group moved to the water, and cruised up and down the lake’s north end with Greg demonstrating and giving guidance and coaching right from his surfski.

I hovered around the edges and hung on shore with Hayden and Jazzy while Heather and the “class” stuck close to Greg. A stiff, refreshing breeze blew across the water and the park. Not a cloud was seen. It was, in a word, surreal.

This is Bellingham’s back yard at its finest: World Class athletes dropping in out of pure love for the sport and the community, to share  their expertise with the rest of us, in a postcard-beautiful setting, while Ma Nature smiles down on all of us.

Thanks, Greg! Thanks, paddlers! Thanks, Ma Nature! Thanks, Life!!!!!

]]> http://chargelife.com/2011/09/greg-barton-clinic.html/feed 0 PNW ORCA Distance Championships http://chargelife.com/2011/09/pnw-orca-distance-championships.html http://chargelife.com/2011/09/pnw-orca-distance-championships.html#comments Mon, 19 Sep 2011 15:59:36 +0000 Heather http://chargelife.com/?p=1945 This past year, with the hard work of a few local paddlers, Bellingham’s first outrigger canoe club became a reality. Bellingham Bay Outrigger Paddlers’ first OC6 canoe arrived in April.
Busy with sweet baby Jazzy, racing surfski and SUP, chasing Hayden and all the many joys of life, it wasn’t until three weeks ago that I finally stepped foot into the OC6.
Of course, me being me, I had a goal race in mind: The Pacific Northwest Outrigger Racing Championships. The 14+ mile race would be hosted by the Autumn Rose Canoe Club in the gorgeous and feisty waters between the Lummi Stommish Grounds and Lummi Island on September 17th.
Great, 3 weeks to prepare!
I was put on the women’s team. There was also a mixed team and a men’s team, which Brandon was racing on.
Can I just say, from the first workout, being in a boat with 5 strong, focused and athletic women is just awesome. There is no chit chat, no wasting time… from the moment we sat in the boat I realized these ladies meant business. And what a treat to paddle amongst them.
Within the boat, we had women who had racing backgrounds from Hawaii, California and Seattle. Each had somehow landed in Bellingham and were thrilled that their passion of paddling canoes was once again part of their life.
With three weeks to come together as a team, and for me to be brought up to speed on stroke and timing, we hit the training hard. We went long and hard, working on technique all the while, throwing in race-pace pieces to make sure we were giving it all we got. We practiced starts. We memorized the feel of the exact cadence we wanted to hold on race day. By the final practice before the race we were running like a well-oiled machine!
Race day arrives. The wind is howlin’. Hales passage is nukin’. The race organizers decide on a rectangular course where we go straight across the passage less than 1 mile, then upwind about 2.5 miles, back across the passage, then downwind. We would do the rectangle twice.
At 10:45 AM the women’s and mixed teams were off.
OK… this was fun! We crossed the passage with three foot waves beating us from the south (left), and as we approached the buoy, another OC6 crashing into us on our right.
“So it’s going to be THAT kind of race!” our steers-person, Candace, said with a bit of challenge in her voice.
We turned upwind and were faced with a sea of 3 – 4 foot waves and gusting winds. We powered into the wind together, feeling strong.
When we reached the next turn, we literally had to keep our bow pointed south into the wind as we ferried across, paddling our hearts out to the buoy turn that would then send us north for a glorious downwind surf.
Then downwind leg was worth every ounce of effort it took to get there! We road wave after beautiful wave in conditions that reminded me of the Columbia River Gorge.
Then, we rounded the start/finish buoy and set up to do it all again on lap #2!
As our 2nd lap began, there were two mixed teams ahead of us, and another right at our side.
With a steady stream of empowering cheers from Candace, “You are STRONG, you are BEAUTIFUL, you are AMAZING!” the race flew by. We swapped leads several times with the mixed team. We powered by them crossing the channel, then they past us back as we beat upwind. They increased their lead going back across the channel, then we closed the gap in the final downwind leg.
In the end they got us by less than a boat length. We were the first place women’s crew, and were ecstatic!
The BBOP men’s crew finished second, and the BBOP mixed team was second as well.
There is something incredible about being part of a crew of 6, each of your individual strengths coming together in perfect harmony to propel your boat through the water and to the finish. It is a nice compliment to the solo 6AM practices and surfski races.
Next on the calendar… Lake Samish Salmon Row, where Brandon and I will join forces in our first race in a tandem surfski !

THANK YOU Autumn Rose Canoe Club for a fabulous race event!

Heather, Brandon, Hayden and Jazlyn

]]> http://chargelife.com/2011/09/pnw-orca-distance-championships.html/feed 0 What (and why) is Paddle Grand Prix http://chargelife.com/2011/08/what-and-why-is-paddle-grand-prix.html http://chargelife.com/2011/08/what-and-why-is-paddle-grand-prix.html#comments Sat, 13 Aug 2011 16:12:35 +0000 Heather http://chargelife.com/?p=1940 It’s not just for SUP this year! PADDLE GRAND PRIX is open to ALLL paddle-craft.
August 27th, two weeks from this Saturday, at Boulevard Park in Bellingham.
NOW HERE’S THE THING:
Entry fee is $35, and ***every red penny*** of that $35 goes STRAIGHT into Marshall Seaman’s and his family’s hands to help make a small dent in their newly acquired medical bills.
You could walk up to Marshall and just give him $35 cash, and he’d net exactly the same as if you entered the Paddle Grand Prix, but then you’d ALSO…
• Get to throw down oval-track style against hoards of other craft all driven by your closest friends and rivals!
• Get a custom, techy race shirt, with this year’s slogan on the back, which I’ll share in a minute!
• Chow down on the Post Race Feast!
• Raffle entry for world class shwag, from sponsors including Bellingham Kite/Paddle/Surf, Ruby Creek Boat House, Ocean Paddle Sports, Kialoa, Barlean’s, Deep Cove Kayak, Mt. Baker Ski Area, WinTech Racing & Stellar Surf Skis, Northwest Paddle Surfers, Bellingham Bay Outrigger Paddlers… and more.
• Free entry into the post-main-event “Paddle Hand Prix” – a 100-yard dash for a $100 cash – No Paddles Allowed!
• Inclusion in the Race for Your Life points series, of which Paddle Grand Prix is the first of the series!
Marshall Seaman is one of us: a passionate paddler and skier who adheres to the motto, “The one with the biggest smile wins!”
Racing the Paddle Grand Prix helps Marshall and helps get him back on the water sooner!
You can enter HERE:
You can just donate to Marshall (like recent $250 donor Erin Arnold just did) HERE
You can find us on Facebook HERE
And yes, remember that race shirt you get? Last year’s shirts still show up all over town, with the slogan on the back, “Stand Up & Throw Down!”
This year, in honor of Marshall and everyone else who steps up and just GETS IT DONE when life’s challenges rear their ugly heads, on the back of the shirt in big block letters is imprinted the timeless and all-powerful:
SHUT UP & SHOW IT!!!
Now, who’s in?

]]> http://chargelife.com/2011/08/what-and-why-is-paddle-grand-prix.html/feed 0