Kayak trip videos!

oh you can totally see me air on the big wave - which is right when i dissapear and then reappear shooting up then sideways.

4 July Kayak Trip

Well, on the Fourth of July i organized a river trip with Josh Wester and his wife, Anne. It was pretty fun - i only got rolled in two rapids - the first & biggest "Gloyf" (go-left-or-you're-fired) but then in the last one AMF (adios my friend). i was trying to surf the biggest wave in it but got rolled (as i expected really...) but when i rolled back up i was disoriented and the goggles you will see i had were in my eyes so i kept rolling back under. I rolled about 5 or 6 times and i'll tell you i really thought to myself: "am i going to have to bail and swim?!" i decided to keep with it until i either got up and stabilized or had no breath and then bail. Luckily i stuck with it and got up and good. man i was tired though! The goggles weren't the problem - i love them, they're some Oakley's that i got off of Zappos that are made for water to protect against splash (good for me - i have contacts that have almost gotten washed out a couple times from waves) - it was that i didn't have them tight enough. I knew it too but thought about fixing it too late so i decided the rapid was too close and decided i wouldn't worry about it. i should have! well maybe not - i got some good roll practice! (heheh stupidly optimistic). So that was the main parts of the trip except for both Mom and Dad (and caitlyn) came to document the trip which was awesome. Though Mom says she got to AMF late and saw me rolling repeatedly but by the time the camera was ready it was over. ha, funny story: at the takeout this guy asked me if i was the kid who kept rolling at AMF. He seemed like "holy cow". Oh and i also was able to get Dad to go on the last two rapids with Brother Wester in the ducky, i think he enjoyed it. well i've babbled enough - time for pictures!

me testing depth before doing a practice roll

Eddying out into the current

This is the beginning of Gloyf

Probably the second coolest picture - you can see my poor paddling form (my hand is above my head - thats why we take pictures! to see this stuff) Oh and it looks alot smaller in the pic - the left side of the picture is part of the biggest wave that i go flying over. it was pretty big, trust me.

This is my crash landing after airing off the big wave. yes i was momentarily flushed underwater after this shot. you can see the top of the big wave just to the right of me. it doesn't look so big because you can't see the deep trough just on the other side of it.

after i had rolled back up and stuff - looking at how the Westers faired

a pretty good shot as well of me at the end of GLOYF

Great pic in my opinion, the most artsy one

Dad waiting for us to come around the bend. "Just around the river beeennnnddd!"

a brilliant showcase of my poor paddling form once again. but a cool shot nonetheless. this is the beginning of Chief Parrish, in my opinion the wimpiest of the named rapids. Though it doesn't seem to be a constriction rapid so i bet it's shallowish and has some rocks that wouldn't agree with an upside-down kayaker's head. but i have no idea really

getting ready to start out again, this time with dad in the inflatable

Westers

ah this one shows how my boat is almost a squirt boat - as in it's underwater alot.

the coolest picture i think - i look pretty hardcore with my goggles, or like i'm doing the wrong extreme sport - take your pick

so i'll try putting the two videos on in another blog - might take a bit they're slightly large

Arizona Mesa Mission

well on Saturday i got my mission call and opened it with the fam (sorry Jon that you were busy). I am going to serve in the Arizona Mesa Mission and i'm reporting to the MTC on September 3rd. I will be speaking English, and so i'm pretty pumped

Where in the world?

Hey everyone,

Ben told me i should and so i will - i'm asking the question: "Where in will I serve my mission?" just comment on this blog.

Up to now

well it's been a bit and the reason is because it's hard for me to get pictures. I don't have a lot but i'll tell you what i'm up to anyways. I've been trying to go kayaking alot, and i'm definitely getting better and loving every trip.

i'm the one in the distance by the water - oh yeah

So I also finally got a summer job - i'm working in the office for Cascade Raft & Kayak, it's only part time and i'm barely ever really up there but at least it's something for now. I've now gone on like all of their rafting trips and had a free kayak lesson. Cool stuff

Though because it isn't too much of a job i'm still trying to get another one - could possibly end up working for a kayak shop but we'll see, had the interview just waiting for yes or no. If not i think i'm just gonna try and get really good at kayaking so i can be a safety kayaker for Cascade. It would be fun, and a real job that i'd go up to regularly.

Oh and also i went on a pretty cool date last weekend - i went with Candice (candi) Burr and Harry went with Jessica. We had a sweet picnic dinner and then rode our bikes (on the greenbelt) to the botanical garden by the old penetentiary. It was pretty cool - a band playing and lots of cool plants. We took lots of pictures but no one has shared them yet (makes me a little mad) so i'll just post the only one i have:

Candi took this one of me - i think Harry is in the background

As soon as i get the pics i'll put them up - peace everyone

Yes i do work

So last week i did some construction/home renovation work for Mark Van Wagenen (Kurt, Sarah, and Leah's dad if any of you know them) at a home in the Boise Bench they bought. For the Whole week I was there from like 8:30 until 5:00-6:45. Tiring stuff but $10/hr made sure there was no complaining. Harry and Jordan joined me the second day (Tuesday...duh...) and then the rest of the week. we did a lot of demolition and outside landscaping/picking up all of the roofing from the old roof. One annoying job was trying to take up two layers of linoleum out of the kitchen - especially when the first layer (at the bottom) looked like it was made in the 50's and used like tar to put it down on the wood floor... couldn't even get it all up. Probably the funnest parts were when i tore down the basement drywall (kindof like drywall) with a crowbar, used the edger/weed whacker (just like to use it), and then helped Harry framing - because i felt legit. Good hard work though

Me just posing in the basement (remind you of Freeman, Ben?)
yes i tore town that blue wall you see missing behind me
AND LOVED EVERY SECOND OF IT!

Me posing with the huge piece of wall that i got off in one piece (to my left)

Kayak - ing

So, i'd been with Harry D. in a pool to learn how to roll pretty well in his kayak, and i've been a couple times on the Payette with him and Jake C. I happened to find a Kayak listed on Craig's list for pretty cheap so i went and checked it out with harry. I ended up buying it and got the spray skirt with it (no extra charge). It is a Wavesport Kinetic (1996) - you could even look it up if you want to know more about it. I went in a pool today to see how it felt in water and I LOVED IT!! pretty psyched about it.

Here's me navigating the difficult pool waters

trying to look intense while wearing my goggles. And no helmet or pfd.
also harry in the background getting ready to roll without a paddle

um... i painted it and...grew a beard...