The Frozen World Speaks!
And it says -don’t take me lightly pal

As I type out this long overdue newsletter to cabin bound paddlers, I see the temp has dipped below zero (again) and that with wind chill, the “feels like” temp is simply arctic. Minutes ago I installed a Thule rack on a vehicle in the garage with the door shut for crying out loud and still had to thaw out for half and hour after only ten minutes on the job. And to think, just two weeks ago you could kayak up and down most lake shores and virtually all the rivers in Michigan and not so much as a flake of snow could be found to ski on.

I’m in that perverse group that loves cold, vicious, snowy winters. The more snow the better and the colder the better. Up to a point that is. It had better all go bye-bye by April or then I get morose, slightly bitter and cynical and think about moving to Costa Rica. And for some reason begin drinking rum which I really don’t like that much. But of course, the winter makes the advent of Michigan summer all the sweeter doesn’t it? And despite the economy and despite the gas prices there are few places in the USA as spectacular as Michigan.

As it turned out, even without the normal snow and ice, my winter has been long and house bound. I had a few repairs made on the old body while I can still heal moderately well. First a knee that was hinging like an old barn door and then an elbow that wore right out after beating the hell out of every kind of ball ever invented and damn hard most of the time. Golf, tennis, baseball-I whacked them all. And a few thousand miles of kayaking and Nordic skiing thrown in for good measure. So I sucked it up and rested up for two long months- being a model patient all the while. But enough is simply enough and now that winter is HERE in caps, I strapped on the XC skis and slogged out a path on the local golf course in the -5 degree wind. I don’t think I skied 50 feet before my thoughts instantly turned to, and stayed on, my daughter’s upcoming paddling trip off the coast of Thailand. I could taste the salt air (turned out to be my eyes weeping from the freezing wind) and hear the waves lapping (which turned out to be my skis slapping the frozen hard pack). As minutes turned into an hour or so I began to wonder what in the hell made me live here instead of some place tropical where layering means putting on a tee shirt. Oh yeah, remember? Winter makes summer all the sweeter right? As I tried to bend over and unsnap my frozen ski bindings, lost balance and took a hard fall, I let out a noise that sounded like a vile curse but in reality was an ancient Polynesian prayer for volcano’s to erupt and burn off the jungle growth so I could grow pineapples. Something like that.

So anyway, as you and I look for signs of spring and the paddling sap starts to run in our veins here are some of the new things we’ve found coming our way for spring 2007.

Kayak Manufactures expand day touring models
Nothing against shorter rec kayaks but kayaks in the 11-14 foot range are in the sweet zone where you can simply do more kinds of paddling out of a single kayak. And the boat designers are finally “getting it” about making boats that track better for weekend paddlers. Look for some fresh new models from Wilderness Systems, Riot and Hurricane that are also cutting the fat and easier to carry and load. Hurricane has several new Phoenix models of sit on tops that dealers simply cannot keep in stock as they are SO much lighter and easier to paddle than what’s been available before.

Summer Solstice Kayak Symposium
This is an event many of our clients have asked for. Something they could drive to and immerse themselves in everything kayaking-all in a day. The kayak reps have really gotten behind this event and we can guarantee this; no where else in the country can you get so much information and fun for only $60. And fed a great meal too. The SSKS will take place on June 23, 2007 and you can find a whole page on our website devoted to this great gathering of all things kayaking. More . . .

Quiet Water Symposium
Every year in Lansing Michigan the local paddling club puts on a superb event with some of the most interesting speakers you’ll ever come across. All kinds of topics and there will be several great kayak stores displaying their wares too. I’m the guy who leaves drool marks on the gorgeous hand made wood kayaks. More . . .

Midwest Fly Fishing Show
Our good friend and fishing Guru Craig Kivi will be at this event with the award winning Native kayaks. These are simply the best kayaks out there for getting to the big ones in sheer comfort. More . . .

What’s New at QWS?
For 2007 we’ll be offering several classes called Women on Water based on request over the past several years. We are going to donate ten percent of all profits towards the Friends of the Falling Water Trail (a non-profit group promoting an important rail-trail project that is critical to the environment and family recreation in the area). The WOW classes are to have a special emphasis on FUN and irreverence for anything having to do with rigid routine. More . . .

At long last we’ve pulled our heads out of our hatches and now offer a super easy way for you to give someone a kayak class as a gift. As we point out on the webpage, there are very few gifts that your special someone will remember more than learning how to paddle a kayak safely and efficiently. More . . .