The Paddler Autumn/Fall issue 2017
The International magazine for recreational paddlers. The best for all paddling watersports including whitewater kayaking, sea kayaking, expedition kayaking, canoeing, open canoeing and rafting. All magazines are in excess of 150 pages and absolutely free.
The International magazine for recreational paddlers. The best for all paddling watersports including whitewater kayaking, sea kayaking, expedition kayaking, canoeing, open canoeing and rafting. All magazines are in excess of 150 pages and absolutely free.
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<strong>The</strong>PADDLER 18<br />
however, rumour has it that a paddler with the<br />
Australian team had his boat fly off the roof of<br />
his car only to be run over by his teammate.<br />
“G’day Mate!”<br />
<strong>The</strong>se are just the known fodder for travelogues.<br />
As I watch the parade of international teams<br />
during the rainy opening ceremonies for the<br />
Worlds, as they walk in colour, anthem and flags,<br />
I wonder about each of these athletes and about<br />
their families that travelled distances to support<br />
the competition. What are their stories? What<br />
did it take for them to get to this moment? What<br />
obstacles challenged their best-laid plans? And<br />
just how the hell do you get 60+ surf kayaks<br />
from all over the world to the ‘Santa Cruz’ of the<br />
Emerald Isle?<br />
<strong>The</strong> truth is, I believe it comes down to seconds.<br />
It comes down to ‘<strong>The</strong> Ride’; when the ‘how’ and<br />
‘who’ and ‘what’ disappears into the fragrant<br />
ocean mist, the coolness of the vast Atlantic blue<br />
and green and the rush of spray and foam<br />
running down the line. It is a singular focus: the<br />
slight bend of the horizon, predicting the pocket,<br />
the breath, the blade, the hips, the edge,<br />
pressured feet, knees, rotation… it’s about that<br />
singular moment of pure being where separation<br />
ceases to exist.<br />
Supporting these seconds of bliss, we are your<br />
friends and family coming together from all over<br />
the world. And for all of those moments of<br />
seconds melded together each day for eight<br />
days – we celebrate the ride together.<br />
Roger Aguirre Smith<br />
Roger has been a photographer and<br />
writer for many years. His background is<br />
in black and white fine art photography<br />
using medium and large format cameras.<br />
DSLRs are his new tools and he uses<br />
them in places that really don’t play well<br />
with electronics.<br />
His work has been published in several<br />
outdoor publications and books and can<br />
be found at www.rasphotography.com.<br />
When not behind a lens, he can be found ocean whitewater kayaking along<br />
the central coast of California and points beyond. Roger can be reached at<br />
shutter@rasphotography.com<br />
A star of the future: 12-year old Victor Bezard
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