Outrigger Canoe Videos

First time paddlers are more than welcome to the SOCC. Come down on Thursdays when there is a novice-specific practice with Coach John. He's been paddling for 13 years and is a great instructor. Just prepare to get wet! Location is 2360 N. Northlake Way, Seattle, WA. If you've wanted to try it out, now's your chance! **So much fun** and I wish I had enough paddling time under my belt to participate in races happening now (Portland race was this weekend). Eventually, it will come. Would be cool to make the Catalina Crossing in mid-September which is a distance/change-out race (WOOT!). But, being around this great group of people makes it easy for me to come out for practice - even in the cold. I'm officially hooked.

In the meantime, I watch this video to keep me motivated. It's of a club from San Diego participating in the Na Wahine O Ke Kai Outrigger Canoe race from Molokai to Oahu. Not only is there great footage of 'change-outs' during the race (first one is about 1:32 into the video - exit on right, load on the left or 'ama' side) but I am mesmerized by the mele (hawaiian chant) playing in the background. Artist is from Oakland, CA (Oaktown). Can't wait for my next practice on Tuesday.

(Source: YouTube, MediaMechanix. Artist: Kumu Hula Mark Keali'i Ho'omalu)

Another video from inside the ka'nu. You can watch some 'change-outs' and hear the 'hut' 'ho' which are the cues for switching paddling sides.

(Source: YouTube, MediaMechanix)

Plenty o' Peddling, Paddling, Puck, and Phun

I've been getting a nice dose of Vit D the last several days and am so excited about spring and summer. Especially, this summer....so many fun (er, phun...stick with the P theme of this post) things to look forward to.

Peddling:
That means time on my bike...FINALLY! To date, I've been a whimp and have primarily done indoor spin but this weekend I am going for my first long ride...63 miles on Saturday with the Cascade group. Gotta get ready to do the Seattle-to-Portland (STP) in 1 day (double-century) in July. Yikes, that's really just three months away? Sigh...pass the chamois buttr, load up the Gu and let's get to it.

Paddling:
OK, this I'm really excited about. I joined the Seattle Outrigger Canoe Club because I just can't get enough Aloha and 'Ohana spirit! I've been paddling in a 6-person canoe which is exactly what I wanted because I wanted to get into another team sport. The timing I got right away....except when I'm out on the lake and we pass several boatloads of HOT men crew rowers...then, my timing goes all to shit because I'm so distracted as my gaze wanders over instead of focusing on the paddle in front of me to make sure my timing is in sync with my teammates. Yeah, the next several months out on Lake Union and Lake Washington are going to be fun. Though, my steerman might have to put some blinders on me so I stay focused on paddling on MY boat. Also, still working on my paddling stroke and I feel so sorry for the person in front of me. Come July/Aug when it's hotter, they will be happy to be the recipient of my errant, er, efficient (thanks Coach John!), paddling stroke. In any case....too much fun!

Second, my friend also has some Aloha spirit going north of the border. Mountain Surf Adventures (formerly Tantalus Adventures) has added Standup Paddleboard lessons & trips to their offerings. So, if you're up in the Whistler area, let me know and I can set you up on a local lake. Not only is it a different experience on a body of water, but it's also an excellent overall conditioning workout - both physically and mentally. Give it a try...no waves required. These boards are excellent on flatwater. And, once you get the hang of it and you're off paddling on your own, you can almost smell the saltwater, and hear the distant song of a native hawaiian accompanied by a ukelele (no, NOT Don Ho you crazy haoles!).

Finally, in early May, I've got a 6-day assistant sea kayak guide training course off the west coast of Vancouver Island with Evolution Guide School. I'm looking forward to it because one of the instructors was one of the guides who had accompanied me on my trip to the Great Bear Rainforest back in the summer of 2006. Kinda nervous about it but looking forward to seeing that part of Vancouver Island.

Puck:
Goes without saying. Don't want to get rusty over the summer so I'll continue to skate in the GSHL and another co-ed league but no women's hockey. So, could be a season of trouble with those crazy boys (woot!).

Phun:
Let me suggest for some fun, a couple of days out on Washington Coast at Kalaloch lodge. Right now, there are some awesome deals since its still the off-season but I think it's the best time. You might be lucky and see some grey whales migrating because they're closer to the coastline on this north-bound journey. The Kalaloch lodge and their sister lodge, Lake Quinalt Lodge, have amazing deals where if you sign up for a beach clean-up or trail maintenance in the Olympic National Park, then you get to stay for a much-reduced price. At Kalaloch - might I suggest the cozy little cabins along the bluff. Yummy. I haven't visited Lake Quinalt in years but I remember big adirondack chairs for afternoon happy hour after a day in a canoe on the lake or hiking in the lush rainforest.

Oh wait....I forgot PUTTING! Gonna make an effort to get my game back this summer now that I have a good list of golfing partners to hook up with.

So, cheers to Spring and bring on Summer! It's time. Aloha!

Mudflaps do Coquitlam...

...and survived (barely). Sung invited me to play on her co-ed GSHL team, the Mudflaps, in a recent Planet Ice Easter Co-Ed hockey tournament in Coquitlam. It was my first co-ed tournament ever so I was a bit nervous. And, on top of that, I only knew Sung and the other women that she added to the roster from the SWHC ("Glorious" KT, Bridget, and Keri) and knew none of the other men. Though, it turns out that I have skated against them in some GSHL games this season! This was the first out-of-town tourney for the Mudflaps and I *seriously* hope its the first of more to come (did someone say Vegas?).

Despite the fact that we got placed in the wrong division which resulted in a 0-3 record, it was a great tournament and weekend. Recurring quote was "****!! I thought this was the Novice division!" Our first game was against a team from Portland, OR. So, being an American team, we thought we had a chance. Ha! Not really....they had a young player (Jail Bait) who pretty much skated around us. The second team was crazy good and the final team was even better (or we were just tired or drunk or both...the last 2 games were all a blur to me). That's ok...many laughs, new friends, TimBits, and MASSIVE amounts of alcohol kept us in good spirits. And, did that guy at Boston Pizza really drop his pants to show us his tattoos on each ass cheek? Both Planet Ice tournaments were very well organized and well attended. Though, we didn't get a case of fine Canadian beer in our locker room after each game, teams was given $50 to spend in the bar upstairs. I'll definitely be back whenever a chance comes up...as long as I am placed in the appropriate division...is there a Tri-Pod division? Oh my....I'm in serious detox after the last 2 weekends of Canadian tournaments.

We stayed at the newly remodeled Inn at the Quay New Westminster. Lively decor (blues, purples....no boring hues of beige/browns) which makes you think South Beach-Miami but a quick look out the window and you're quickly reminded you're in the gray, Pac NW. Beds were extra comfy, and the bathroom and shower immaculate. A nice change from the **ithole we stayed in the previous weekend (i.e., I didn't get stuck in an elevator this time). Skytrain is close by for easy access to downtown so it's a great alternative and more affordable place to stay if in the area. It was about 10 minutes away from the Planet Ice Coquitlam rink.

Anyway, it was awesome skating, eating, and drinking with all you crazy Mudflaps. Our fans were the best - complete with a cow bell and "the wave." Hope to skate with you all again soon! But, first I must recover.

(Fade to Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'.")

Planet Ice Women's Ice Hockey Tournament 2009

Let's go crazy! That was our mantra for the last SWHC/We Want Fries tournament of the 2008/2009 season. This year, we wrapped up our season north of the border at the Planet Ice Women's International Ice Hockey Tournament at the rink in Delta, BC. All three SWHC teams headed up and when the trip was booked with the tournament officials, we wanted to make sure the Seattle teams weren't all placed in the same division and have to drive all the way up just to play each other. We Want Fries got placed in a higher division based on some some random algorithm which took into account factors like age, hockey experience, and, I don't know, horoscope sign. Oh well, that's one way to wrap up a season with a bang!

Friday, Game 1: I don't know what it is about road trips and I don't know if every one of the Fries stopped at every fast food outlet between Seattle and the border, but we were slugs in our first game. Coach Steve (filling in for Murray) saw this immediately and tried his best to build intensity and energize us before our game. Our first two shifts were good, but then it was gone - just like that **poof**. That game we did our best impersonation of pylons that I've ever seen. Final score against the Buzz was 0-6. Sigh. Then, we went upstairs to cheer on the other Seattle teams and, unfortunately, things just kept going downhill. Especially for Black Ice: they lost 2 players in the first game to injuries.

Later that night, Erin and I headed to the hotel to check in and, well, our night was just about to reach a pinnacle. Yeah, we got stuck in the elevator. It wasn't our fault but rather an employee who had to lock access to the lower level. Well, little miss "oh-my-gawd-I'm-stuck-in-the-elevator-HELP" (said repeatedly on her iPhone to her fellow employees at the highest octave level) managed to get the elevator stuck between the lower level and the lobby. It was silly at first but after the 10th "oh-my-gawd-I'm-stuck...." panicked babble, I was ready to get out. The rescue was just like in the movies.....big, strong hands prying open the doors and a deep, male voice telling us hang on and they'll get us out in no time. I waited with abated breath envisioning Clive Owens showing up to rescue me and ready to offer to buy me as many martinis as I needed to calm my nerves. I quickly turned to the elevator mirror and did a quick fix of the hair in anticipation of my rescue. *Poof* Reality check: my rescuer looked like the "OMG" girl's fellow classmate who is also working the late shift so they can buy the latest accessory for their iPhone. Down came a ladder and up went our gear, luggage, then Erin, then myself. I forgot that I couldn't stand up since I only had a 4-foot clearance. And, my legs were stiffening up after the game so I had to kind of pause half-way through the elevator. The next thing I knew, employee #2 (not-Clive) pushed me from behind through the elevator doors and I landed *splat* on the lobby floor. Welcome to Surrey! Ha! Yeah, bad joojoo night.

Saturday, Game 2: The game was against SO Black Widows. When I first peeked into their locker room to find out what color jersey they were wearing, I was optimistic to see that they were more in our age range so I thought we had a chance. Then, we got out on the ice and they schooled us. All I could say is WOW. Steve made up lines on the fly to make up for huge disparity in speed and and that we would all have enough leg to last the game. We hung in there and kept them to below double-digits (yeah!) and final score was 0-8. Oh my. Nevertheless, the Fries were more intense and EVERYONE skated 110%. We gave it our all and though we got schooled, we were happy with how we played because we knew right from the get go that the other team was WAY better than us but we still gave it our best shot. Jumping in on the fly also added to the intensity on the bench. What we sacrified in chemistry, we made up in intensity and energy.

Saturday, Game 3: Final game was against the Whistler Sound Gardens 2. We scouted their game earlier and I thought we had a good chance because they were a lot slower than the SO Black Widows. Before the game, some of the Fries headed over to Tim Hortons for a sugar and caffeine fix and then warmed up with the Nerf football to stay loose and get the energy level back up. It worked. Our game was close for a while (i.e., it was scoreless). Pam did an amazing job in the net all weekend and had a lot of plays that I thought qualified for Sportscenter Top 10 plays. But, we just couldn't generate any offense. Once again, Steve modified the lines and positions a little into the game and I moved from center back to defense. However, tournament legs set in a bit into the final period and the final score ended up 0-7. Yes, you saw that right....the Fries were shut out in the tournament. So disappointing. I can't speak for the others, but I know I enjoyed skating at the higher and faster level and am proud that everyone gave it their all in the tourney until we all, literally, ran out of gas (despite the magic energy beans/smurf berries Lee and I brought to the bench - it only worked significantly for Daniella and Lee). Thank you, Coach Steve, for stepping in and bringing all your great energy and awesome coaching to the bench.

To the Fries: it was an extreme pleasure to have skated with all of you this season and what an honor it was for me to be captain of the best SWHC team this season. Bree, I'm so grateful for all the team management work you did for the team and for organizing a lot of the details that no one else likes to do. Beavis, thank you so much for stepping in and picking up my duties when I was lured away to the islands. And, to "Little Freak" and "Old Growth," to show my gratitude for all your support, feedback, and constant chuckling all season, I promise to burn my pom-poms, remove all my 'GO BANANAS' cheers from memory, and forever refrain from doing cartwheels in the locker room. Now, go eat a big ole plateful of fries because you all deserve it.

Next up: another tourney at Planet Ice in Coquitlam. Thank goodness....I couldn't stand that sulphur smell at the Delta rink. P.U. But, it's my first co-ed tourney and I'm sub'ing for Sung's team, the Mudflaps. We're in the novice division but I've played in enough tourneys that it really doesn't mean anything. The only thing that we will all have in common is that we started playing hockey as an adult. I better make sure my little white bottle of ibuprofen is fully stocked before I leave.