A Treatise on Solo

thursday, may 28, 2009

A Treatise on Solo

Go solo boating......

In this day of kayaking where it seems that bigger, higher and scarier is necessarily better to produce the most insane photos, it seems to me that it is important to run things solo.  Hence, in this post, there will be no sick photos or gnarly descriptions as neither one of those are part of soloing.  Don't get me wrong - I love kayak porn in all of its shapes and forms and extravagances.  I can tell a beat-down or high water story with the best of them (ok maybe a mank story), but I think it's also important to bring it back to the soul from time to time.  

My favorite part of the solo is finding my own unique rhythm with the water.  It's the reason we all started kayaking in the first place - the feeling of floating and of reading a line to be one with the flow.  When you solo, there's no distractions from that experience, just you and your breathing, the icy water splashing on your cheeks, and the view downstream.  There's no need to look back for anyone or keep up with anyone, which allows focus to remain on just the canyon walls.  It becomes all about the kayak and about me desperately wanting to be on the river.  Go Solo....

It is definitely important to consider safety.  Soloing brings added risk to kayaking.  I don't recommend running a river at or near your ability level - start easier and make sure the risk is worth it to you personally.  If you're a class IV boater, solo Pumphouse on a sunny afternoon.  If you're a class V boater, fire down Browns during the inky pre-dawn splendor.  Life is nothing if not a bold adventure.  

Go solo and don't tell a soul, but the next day lay treats off a brown stouter with your boyz and the paddlarazzi.  Then in addition to all the stories, media and attention, you'll have a kayaking memory completely unique and individual.    

Go Solo.....