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BOLDNESS

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Lose this day loitering—’twill be the same story
To-morrow–and the next more dilatory;
Then indecision brings its own delays,
And days are lost lamenting o’er lost days.
Are you in earnest? seize this very minute–
What you can do, or dream you can, begin it,
Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it,
Only engage, and then the mind grows heated—
Begin it, and the work will be completed!

                                                     —–   John Anster*

However you go, it’s a wild and dangerous ride through the Grand Canyon on the Colorado River. The first to do it was geologist/explorer, John Wesley Powell, and his team during a three month expedition in 1869.  A hundred and fourteen years later, the river had changed because of the river’s damming in 1963, but remained a formidable challenge when three river guides in a small wooden boat rowed the 277 miles from Lee’s Ferry to the Grand Wash Cliffs in 36 hours and 38 minutes.  No one much cared about their accomplishment until the story was told by Kevin Fedarko in his book, The Emerald Mile (2013)**, inspiring more paddlers to make an attempt to break the record.  The current record (34 hours, 2 minutes) was set in 2016 by Ben Orkin in a sea kayak.

After eight months of preparation and training, the USA Men’s Rafting Team launched an attempt to beat Orkin’s record on January 13, 2017.  The Time Travelers short documentary video chronicles the journey with “a dose of inspiration” for all of us.

 

Not going for speed, but for study — A group of scientists took a 16 day journey down the Colorado River thru the heart of the Grand Canyon to observe and study the river and its environment.  It’s a breathtakingly beautiful view, but much has been lost during the 50+ years since the completion of Glen Canyon Dam.  So, the goal is to find a way to restore and maintain a ‘naturalized’ ecosystem that’s currently in peril.        

Information/Resources:
Grand Canyon Private River Trip Planning and River Trips and Permits, US National Park Service
10 Peaceful Places To Paddle by By Bill O’Brian, US Fish and Wildlife Service (for paddlers looking for an easy, scenic ride in a canoe, a kayak, a rowboat, or on a paddleboard through natural beauty of America’s wildlife refuges)
Colorado River:  Grand Canyon Rafting Trip Reveals River in Peril by Brandon Loomis, Arizona Republic (October 22, 2018)  

*Boldness has genius quote is taken from 1835 publication by Irish poet, John Anster, whose words were inspired by translation of “Faust”, Part One, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Feature photo is a screen shot taken from video, “The Time Travelers”, Gnarly Bay Productions, Inc.

**Editor’s Note:  Zeester Media LLC may receive a small commission for a book purchase you make via the Amazon link within this page. This in no way affects the price you pay for the purchase.

 

Experiencing the thrill of adventure on a kayak

 

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Rowing Regatta LIVE

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The competitive sport of rowing (‘crew’ in the US) is one of the oldest Olympic sports, and has a history dating back to early 10th century when races were held between professional watermen on the River Thames in London.  At the end of the 18th century, amateur competition began with the organization of “boat clubs” at British public schools and universities.  Inter-colonial racing began in Australia in 1833 when a Sydney crew raced against a Hobart crew in whalers.  The first rowing club in the US was the Detroit Boat Club, founded in 1839, and the first American college rowing club was formed in 1843 at Yale University.  Rowing in New Zealand has been a competitive sport since the 1850’s.

Competitive rowing events are divided into two disciplines: sweep rowing and sculling.

Rowers with two oars, one in each hand, are called ‘scullers’.  There are three sculling events:  the single – 1x (one person), the double – 2x (two), and the quad – 4x (four).

Rowers with just one oar are ‘sweep rowers’.  Sweep boats sometimes include a ‘coxswain’ to steer the boat, and those without, are steered by one of the rowers moving the rudder with a foot.  Sweep rowers come in pairs with a coxswain (2+) and without (2-), fours with a coxswain (4+) and without (4-), and the eight (8+) always have a coxswain.  The eight is the fastest boat on the water, capable of moving almost 14 miles per hour.

When watching a race and the graceful rowing of the competitors, many of us don’t see the physical and mental demands of the sport.  A 2,000-meter (approx 1.25 miles) rowing race, demands extraordinary athletic capabilities:  “aerobic ability, technical talent, exceptional mental discipline, ability to utilize oxygen efficiently and in huge amounts, balance, pain tolerance, and the ability to continue to work when the body is demanding that you stop.” (US Rowing)  Just try it sometime, and you’ll understand soon enough what it takes.

RACE WATCHING – What To Look For

  • While you’re watching, look for a continuous, fluid motion of the rowers, with no discernible end or beginning.  The crew making it look easy will likely be the winner of the race.
  • Synchronization. Rowers strive for perfect synchronization in the boat.
  • Clean catches of the oarblade. If you see a lot of splash, the oarblades aren’t entering the water correctly. The ‘catch’ (oarblade is placed in water) should happen at the end of the recovery, when the hands are as far ahead of the rower as possible.  Rowers who uncoil before they drop the oarblades do not get a complete drive, and that sacrifices speed.
  • Even oarblade feathering. When the blades are brought out of the water, they should all move horizontally close to the water and at the same height. It’s not easy, especially if the water is rough.
  • The most consistent speed.  Shells are slowest at the catch (when oarblade is placed in the water) , quickest at the release (when oarblade is removed from water).  Good crews time the catch at exactly the right moment to maintain speed.

RACE WATCHING TIPS

  • Race times vary depending upon the course and weather conditions. Tailwinds will improve times, while headwinds and crosswinds will slow down a boat.
  • If a crew “catches a crab,” it means the oarblade has entered the water at an angle instead of perpendicularly. The oarblade gets caught under the surface and will slow or even stop a shell.
  • A “Power 10” is a call by the coxswain for 10 of the crew’s best, most powerful strokes. Good coxswains read the course to know how many strokes remain for their crew to count down to the finish.
  • Crews are identified by their oarblade design. The USA blades are red on top and blue on the bottom, with a white triangle at the tip.  List of national team oars
  • It doesn’t matter whether you’ve won an Olympic medal or don’t make the finals, each and every crew carries the boat back to the rack.
  • A worldwide tradition – coxswains from first-place boats are thrown into the water by their crews.
  • Coxswains don’t yell out “stroke! stroke!”, and probably never did.  Their job is to steer the boat, implement the coach’s strategy during the race, and keep rowers aware of where they stand in the race and what they need to do to win.

Information/Resources:
Viewers Guide, US Rowing
Rowing 101, US Rowing (quick facts, glossary of terms, fundamentals, and equipment)
International Rowing Rule Book, World Rowing Federation (‘FISA’ from the French, Fédération Internationale des Sociétés d’Aviron), governing body of the international sport of rowing
Rowing development projects and Training Camps, FISA website
Find a rowing club in US, (search tool and club information)
Rowing New Zealand, The New Zealand Rowing Association
Rowing Ireland (formerly Irish Amateur Rowing Union) is the governing body of rowing in Ireland.  There are more than 100 affiliated clubs.

⇒ ⇒ Recommended Reading:  The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown – It’s the poignant story of personal and physical struggles faced by a University of Washington eight-oared crew during the Depression, and triumph as the team made it to the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.  Regardless of your experience or interest in rowing, it’s a compelling read and Zola favorite.  Sure to inspire as well as give you some history and understanding of the commitment required in the sport of competitive rowing. [Editor’s Note: Zeester Media LLC may receive a small commission for the purchase of a book made via the Amazon link within this page. This in no way affects the price you pay for the purchase.]

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Coastal rowing in Ireland is something you’ll see along coastlines as well as on some lakes.  Equipment varies from area to area, from traditional boats which have been used for centuries to specifically designed racing boats.  Crews race over different distances depending on the event.  The Irish Coastal Rowing Federation Ltd. is the governing body of coastal rowing in Ireland, and there are seven affiliated associations.  

If you missed the 2019 All-Ireland Coastal Rowing Championships, there’s still time to watch video recordings of the racing competition.  Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button located on the media player below.

 

Southern California teams competed in the beautiful Newport Harbour at the 54th Annual Newport Regatta on Sunday, March 24, 2019.  If you missed the live stream broadcast of the event, there’s still time to watch a video recording.  Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button located on the media player below ↓ 

 

If you missed the big season opener on March 2 as teams from UC Irvine, Berkeley, Davis, UCLA, San Diego and Santa Barbara competed at the 2019 UC Challenge Cup, there’s still time to watch video recordings of the races.  Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button located on the media player below ↓

 

First organized in 1965, the Head Of The Charles Regatta, also known as HOCR, is a rowing head race* held each October on the Charles River, separating Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it’s the largest 2-day regatta in the world, with 11,000 athletes rowing in over 1,900 boats in 61 events.

A *head race is a time-trial competition in the sport of rowing.  Rowers race against the clock where the crew or rower completing the course in the shortest time in their age, ability and boat-class category is deemed the winner.

The challenging 3-mile course (4,800 meters) of the HOCR starts at Boston University’s DeWolfe Boathouse near the Charles River Basin and finishes just after the Eliot Bridge and before Northeastern University’s Henderson Boathouse.

If you missed the live stream broadcast of the 2018 HOCR, there’s still time to watch video recordings of the races.  Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button or select from the video posts on the media player below ↓

 

 

The Time Travelers video chronicles six men as they set out to break the speed record for a 277 mile course through the Grand CanyonWatch as 8 paddlers set out to break the rafting speed record through the Grand Canyon on the wild and dangerous Colorado River in The Time Travelers video

 

 

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Feature sculling race photo, by Flickr user, Annie C, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Voyageurs

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This “More Than Just Parks” video, Voyageurs 8K, is a Pattiz Brothers Film, produced by Sea Raven Media.  It was filmed during a few weeks time spent at Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota USA.  The views are breathtaking, and will take you to a wonderful place.  Watch in full screen and use earphones for the ultimate experience.

[su_dropcap]A[/su_dropcap]fter eight decades of public and legislative contention, 218,054 acres of the lake country of northern Minnesota were established a US national park in 1975, “Voyageurs National Park”.  The name of the park is in recognition of the legendary French-Canadian “voyageurs” canoe men hired by trading companies to transport trade goods and furs in the area during the 18th and 19th centuries. It’s a beautiful park with landscape, geology, wildlife and history creating an exceptional outdoor setting for an awe-inspiring visitor experience and year-round recreation.

There are 30 park lakes (40% of the area), providing open water for boating, canoeing and kayaking from mid-spring through mid-fall, and fishing throughout the year (ice fishing in winter). The eco-rich landscape and diversity of wildlife offer opportunities for hiking, birding (over 240 species, including bald eagles and osprey), and nature walks while the northern latitude location and dark skies make for excellent stargazing and a chance to see the Milky Way and northern lights. During winter months, the park becomes a frozen wonderland—perfect for snowshoe and cross-country skiing as well as snowmobiling over 110 miles of maintained trails.

Voyageurs National Park Information/Resources:
“The Heart of the Continent“, Voyageurs – National Park Minnesota
Voyageurs National Park Association

 

More Fun in the Parks:  There are more than 400 US national parks available to everyone, every day. Most are free to enjoy, and the 117 that charge an entry fee offer fee-free days throughout the year. Use the search tools here →   Find Your Park  to find the perfect place to visit.


Beauty of nature in landscapes is seen in this view of aurora borealis reflecting on a lakeFREE To WATCH the Natural Beauty channel, an On2In2™ collection of short videos, including other More Than Just Parks films.  It’s a great way to escape for a few minutes, and start planning your next outdoor excursion.  

 

 

 

  

The cone vent, Pu'u O o, of the Kilauea volcano, HawaiiLocated on the Island of Hawaii (the Big Island) in the Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, Kīlauea is one of the most active volcanoes on planet Earth, and the fire goddess really puts on a big show.  You’ve got to see it.

 

 

 

 

This artifact of ancient American Native culture is located in Upper Mule Canyon of Comb Ridge in Bears Ears National Monument in Utah.

See the historic natural beauty of Bears Ears National Monument
in the high desert country of southeastern Utah.

 

 

 

 

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The feature photo is a screen shot taken from the “Voyageurs” video

Canoe Team Racing

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The Sydney Harbour Challenge is Australia’s biggest international, competitive 6-man outrigger canoe race – mixed crews, women and men.  If you missed the live stream broadcast of the 2019 Sydney Harbour Challenge (February 22-23), there’s still time to watch all the racing.  Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button located on the media player below ↓

 

 

Every year over a thousand paddlers in teams of six from around the world test the limits of their strength and endurance against extreme elements over the 41 miles of the Kaiwi Channel between the islands of Molokai and Oahu at the Moloka‘i Hoe, men’s World Championships of Outrigger Canoe.

If you missed the live stream broadcast of the 2018 Hawaiian Airlines Moloka‘i Hoe , there’s still time to watch a video recording of this historic race.  Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button on the media player below ↓

 

Red Bull Wa’a, a crew of paddlers from Hawaii and Tahiti, won the 2017 Hawaiian Airlines Molokai Hoe with a finishing time of 4:50:02.  It was the first win at Moloka’I Hoe by a home based crew since 2005. If you missed the live broadcast of this prestigious competition, there’s still time to watch a video recording.  Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button or the post on the video player below ↓

 

Weather created some challenges, but the race was on and ultra-competitive.  If you missed the live broadcast of the 2017 Sydney Harbour Challenge, there’s still time to watch a video recording of the competition.  Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button on the video player below ↓  

 

The Time Travelers video chronicles six men as they set out to break the speed record for a 277 mile course through the Grand CanyonA team of paddlers set out to break the rafting speed record through the Grand Canyon on the wild and dangerous Colorado River in The Time Travelers video

 

 

Watch rowing regatta live streaming On2In2™

Watch the 2017 Western Intercollegiate Rowing Championships

 

 

 

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Feature photo is courtesy of Nelson Pigossi Jr/Unsplash CC0

Yacht Racing LIVE

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Yacht racing is a sport involving recreational sailing boats known as “yachts” (a term derived from the Dutch word jacht (a hunt, chase) that described light, fast sailing navy vessels used to pursue pirates, also jagt (Norwegian), jaght (Middle Low German)), that race around either a simple course of only a few miles marked by buoys and other fixed navigational devices or over long distances across open water from point-to-point.

It’s believed formal racing of sailing boats started in the Netherlands in the 17th century, and the love of sailing close to the wind with speed and efficiency in competition developed over the centuries into an organized, passionate world-wide racing community.  Today, the sport of yacht racing is conducted according to the Racing Rules of Sailing established by the World Sailing governing body.

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Eighteen teams from around the world competed in the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) Chicago Match Cup 2017 (September 27 – October 1) on the same race course used for the 2016 Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series-Chicago just off the end of Navy Pier, Lake Michigan.  A match race consists of two identical boats racing against each other in a one-on-one duel of strategy and tactics with an objective to be first across the finish line.  It’s fun & fast as boats used in match races are high perfomance multihulls with top speeds of over 30 knots.

If you missed the Chicago Match Cup 2017 live broadcast, there’s still time to watch video recordings of the event.  Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button or the posts on the video players below.  Find more information about match racing → Here, and Chicago Match Cup 2017 race results → Here

 

 

 

 

Tall ships from all over the world visit Canadian ports in celebration.WATCH historic, majestic beauties take sail at
Nova Scotia – Annapolis Royal Sail Past
→ TALL SHIPS

 

 

The Time Travelers video chronicles six men as they set out to break the speed record for a 277 mile course through the Grand CanyonWATCH a rafting team set out to break the speed record
through the Grand Canyon on the dangerous
Colorado River → BOLDNESS 

 

 

 

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Feature photo courtesy of Unsplash CC0

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