Editorial: On the Horizon
February-March 1996
This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.
by Alan Wilson
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Cover Photo: Native Cultural Tours on Vancouver Island |
At this time of year, many paddlers find the horizon beckoning with the glimmer of new prospects and opportunities. As the days noticeably lengthen, we find ourself thinking of spring and summer, and feel a quickening of the pulse of adventure.
For those lucky enough to have had a chance to get off on a winter trip to southern climes this year, the images of adventure may still be fresh in mind.
For those of us passing the winter on the temperate west coast, there have been a number of nice paddling days, and opportunities will only increase throughout the spring. But rainy days are good too, for dreaming of expeditions ahead.
This is the season for paddlers to let the imagination drift, to study up, visit the boat and outdoor shows, drop into the paddling shops to check out new gear, and read accounts of trips taken. Or to take a pool class, to hone those skills.
While the commercial season doesn't begin for a couple of months, many paddlers are also booking trip dates now--o ensure the widest range of options in their vacation scheduling.
And those of us who organize the major Canadian west coast kayak events are already hard at work planning for our events in May and June:
At both these traditional sell-out events there is wide range of training available for beginners through intermediate levels. The SKABC Symposium is a great family experience, always held on the May long weekend on Thetis Island. The Ocean Kayak Festival, on Gabriola Island, includes the broader paddling industry -- manufacturers, retailers, instructors, and tour operators -- sharing skills and experiences with beginners and experienced paddlers. And our Trade Show is a great opportunity to try out all sorts of new equipment. Elsewhere, in North America, look for these events:
In addition to these events, we recommend paddlers try to keep abreast of the developments in the rapidly expanding paddling world -- locally and globally -- by reading kayaking publications and tapping into the Internet. If you're hooked into the World Wide Web, you can read selected articles from each issue of WaveLength, including recent back issues (http://www.wie.com/~wavenet/), or join our e-mail chat list to see what's on the mind of paddlers these days. (See page 17 for important news about the WaveLength sea kayaking e-mail list on the Internet.)
Another option is to drop into your local kayak shop or outdoor store and pick up a FREE copy of WaveLength, while supplies of each issue last. All our advertisers are offered copies to distribute on a complementary basis to their clients.
To guarantee you receive each issue of WaveLength, however, we recommend you take out a subscription. We'll mail you a copy as soon as it's off the press, by first class mail anywhere in Canada or the United States, or internationally. Your support also helps us to continue to promote safe, sustainable paddling, and represent the interests of paddlers to the public and government.
Now entering our sixth season, WaveLength is read in printed form and electronic forms by at least fifty thousand paddlers (and counting). We network globally with an active and growing web of kayakers and environmentalists. And we're interactive... we publish letters which warrant attention, articles of advice or stories about great destinations (ask for our Writer's Guidelines), and we're always looking for great "cover" shots. We also encourage your input to our e-mail chat line. Ask a question, find paddling partners, seek advice, or just read the traffic from around the world.
Let's all paddle toward the horizon together, responsibly, well-informed, sharing and developing skills, discussing issues... ensuring a strong, healthy sport within a sustainable environment.
All the best for the season ahead.
-- AW
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