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How to Paddle
May 15, 2012 - Supreme canoe paddling tip: Reach forward with both upper hand and lower hand. Arms straightish. Rotate to reach. Hit it hardest at the catch. Drop upper hand inward to lift blade out to the side at hip. Don't bend arms much. --This method saves energy and makes a boat go much easier/faster for a given effort. You can also tilt forward and crunch a... > Read Article
"Hey, I'd Eat This At Home!" -- BEST Camping (and quick at home!) Cooking $18.00 (inc. S/H) Purchase |
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Canoe Pole: New! Aluminum, Light, Tempered, SUP $60.00 (inc. S/H) Purchase |
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OYB News...and a Few Handy Items
World News, Stories & Links
What is OYB? --An HQ for Indie Outdoor Education
March 10, 2012 - OYB fans the indie outdoor flame. How can we do it? Mostly because 100% of the proceeds from your purchases goes to support the mission. What's the mission? It's two-pronged. Firstly, this website has 1500+ articles that show, from diverse angles, how the active indie world connects together, in so doing it also offers affordable advertising for indie businesses. Secondly, it's a catalog that make... > Read Article
Robert Mosher: New OYB Staffer!
March 09, 2012 - I am pleased to mention that for the past while OYB has had the privilege of the assistance of an enthusiastic and talented outdoorsman, a fellow bike and boat buff (and old climber besides): Robert Mosher.
He is a local kindred spirit who wanted to pitch in. He's been making it possible for OYB to get twice as much done as before, on the much-n... > Read Article
OYB has an eBay Store!
March 07, 2011 - I've launched an eBay store for OYB.
I've had the Outyourbackdoor username there for a few years, which I've used to sell luggage, books, magazines and other goodies. Heck, Martha and I have been eBaying since it started and we together have 1000+ sales with a 100% rating since, like, 1994.
But I've ramped things up there, with over 100 items... > Read Article
Donate! Help the OYB cause...
March 06, 2011 - I've had several people recently ask how they can support the OYB cause. I've been relying on my offerings of great books'n'goodies that you can't hardly get anywhere else as being the best way. "Money for stuff" is the only way I can understand making a living.
But I can accept that OYB *stuff* isn't right for everyone. Also, I don't want to ... > Read Article
Forums
February 21, 2011 - We are currently in the process of finding a new secure forum system. Please check back later. > Read Article
Let's See Your Comments!
December 01, 2010 - Each of our OYB articles is now followed by a brand new, easy to use "Reader Comments" section, hosted by the 3rd party provider, Disqus. If you have a reaction to the story or had a similar experience or a tip to pass on, please do! (No more tricky registering via my Forum.)
The OYB Forum is probably disabled right now, but really you should fe... > Read Article
OYB Wall Calendars?
November 30, 2010 - What if each year I started offering Wall Calendars in the various main OYB themes?
That is, diverse, candid, indie presentations of...
*outdoor activities (w/ XC ski come winter!)
*DIY fun in Michigan
*bike culture
*traditional seasonal outdoor subsistence sport (hunt, fish, trap, bow, gun, dog, snare, atlatl, flint, osage, net)
*XC ski ... > Read Article
OYB 10---Print Window to Modern Folkways
September 02, 2010 - [$6 postpaid.] This biggest-ever issue of OYB is a great way to get a full-figured view of the OYB scene! (I thought I was out of stock, but I just found a couple dozen. What fun! First come, first served...)
The OYB "catazeen" has to be the only magazine of authentic, informal, do-it-yourself, indy adventure and outdoor culture. It also gives d... > More Info > Purchase
Should OYB & Company go Non-Profit?
April 23, 2010 - That's what I'm wondering. This is an educational cause, after all. Sure, I sell some things, but that's to support the Indie Outdoor culture and heritage outreach. I've always thought to just keep the whole thing simple, but maybe going Non-Profit would make the OYB mission clearer to the public. ? I've always thought that folks knew when they bou... > Read Article
The OYB "Dually": a Nukeproof Saddlebag/Pannier from Repurposed Mil-Spec
April 23, 2010 - [$39, mailed in the US.]
Check out this dual-purpose bag!
It's a big, tactical-tough bike saddlebag.
It's also a pannier!
(And if you add the $10 option, it's a Shoulderbag!)
And it's repurposed from a thrifty, brand-new MOLLE-type of mil-spec bag.
(You know I like the versatile stuff!)
Made of polyester cordura-type material... > More Info > Purchase
Hey! It's OYB's *20th ANNIVERSARY!*
February 10, 2010 - An OYB reader just emailed me today and said he was just reading the paperback compilation of Issues 1-8 and was amazed that I'd been publishing OYB since 1990. Well...I am, too! I hadn't even thought of it!
I kinda had 1991 in my brain for some reason, but I suppose Issue #1 says 1990 on it somewhere. So I guess I've been out and about promoti... > Read Article
New OYB Luggage Patch!
October 20, 2009 - UPDATE 10/09: Here's my new LEATHER luggage patch. The stamp is done, the die is on the way. Patches in 2 weeks!
The photo is what the stampmaker sent me, showing a sample stamped in a sheet of leather. It'll be die-cut into an oval then riveted to the luggage.
The design image shows the shape and rivet locations.
It'll also functio... > Read Article
90's Flashback: OYB Ezines (Issues 7, 8, 9)
June 26, 2009 - Here's a link to the old Homepage for the OYB Ezine.
It contains the stories that ran the print issues #7 & #8, circa 1996. Many of these are presented here and there on this new website but I think quite a few are missing as well.
http://outyourbackdoor.com/OYB8/contentsnew.htm
The above Contents page misses a fair amount of the nifty con... > Read Article
OYB has 1500+ Stories! --HEY!
June 23, 2009 - According to my stats, a couple weeks ago OYB sailed past the FIFTEEN HUNDRED stories/links/blurbs mark!
And, hey, I just checked the date of my first article posted to this particular incarnation of my website and it was in 2000. But this count only dates back to the start of my database-based website. OYB has been rockin' as a website since 1... > Read Article
$5 each! Huge Sale on Fifthway Books!
May 09, 2009 - $5 each for any Fifthway Press book by Ron Puhek!
We'll do what it takes to get folks to give these provocative titles a try.
FWIW, the date of this sale article is 2009, but it's actually 5/2010 when I'm launching this new price-point.
> Read Article
Hanging out the How-to Shingle!
December 03, 2008 - If anyone relatively near Williamston would like to learn how to have more fun---no matter what their current level---with XC skis, bikes, canoes, kayaks (rolling!), inline skates or the shooting sports, lemme know! I bet I could help give some uplift. In short order. For cheap. $20/hour, say. Kids, too.
I'm hanging up my shingle! > Read Article
Free Sample OYB!
September 07, 2008 - OK, just to show you that the web isn't everything and that PAPER rocks, too, I'm offering a FREE SAMPLE issue of OYB to anyone who ... is willing to pay the postage.
Just click the PayPal order button and it'll only bill you $2 which covers most of the postage.
The freebie is big, tasty issue #8.
All my back issues are still available. ... > More Info > Purchase
The OYB Gift Shop!
December 29, 2006 - Chock full of goodies in fresh demographic styles. Check
it out! My favorite is the khaki hat with the "skate style" green'n'blue logo. Next would be the shoulderbag. These are great items! All items priced at cost. How many corporate iden... > Read Article
OYB Anthology! ---Indy action galore
July 16, 2005 - [$15. $5 off $20 retail!] I've been pushing the OYB Anthology on the back-issues page but really it deserves its own attention. Darn, this thing is full of amazing stories and artwork. It's the first 8 issues of OYB bound together as a nice perfectbound paperback 8.5x11" book. 200+ pages. I'll see if I can find an index to the stories in it.... > More Info > Purchase
OYB Back Issues: New to You!
July 10, 2005 - Back issues are available here on this page cheap! --- $2 to $5 ea (postpaid), depending on weight. Scroll down to see quicky-indexes below. Paper issues have tons of stories not at this website. (And verse vicea.) I must say, these are amazing zines. I had wonderful layout and editorial help over the years. To show what I mean, I scanned th... > Read Article
Martha launches LazyGal!
March 06, 2005 - Martha's gift item studio is now a
full-service website full of pillows, blankets, scarves, dresses, with dealers and shows coming up and creativity bursting out every which way. She had a huge Chicago art fest success this summer and is having a blast. She even hosted a quilt retreat up north for the ladies (wit... > Read Article
Little Miss Lucy!
November 06, 2004 - Henry isn't the only pintsized artist around here. Lucy (4) is into DIY song and dance (with a foghorn voice and fiery temper). She's also sprung a few graphics surprises on us. She signs her name several cool ways. We find scary smiley faces around the house. And... > Read Article
Jeff's Dreams
October 08, 2004 - Probably most folks think that other people's dreams is dumb. But ya never know. In case there are dream buffs here, here are some of my typical dreams.
I recently had a doozy. It was too beautiful. Here goes: I'd found several areas in the total wasteland of a suburb that I now live in where people lived as actual humans. There was a scene with... > Read Article
Homebrew vs. Hightech, The Training Plan Duel!
September 05, 2004 - Mike Muha is a local friend and ski racer. He runs a super XC ski racing website. We have agreed to take up the challenge of the Dueling Training Plans. He's using a fancy-schmancy coach and eensy-weensy-details training plan to reach his goal of improving his ski race results. I'm using willynilly Backyard Methods of reach my goal of losing 10 pou... > Read Article
Henry's Spark, a Kick-scooter for Snow
February 05, 2004 - So I made time the other day to whip together a Xmas present for the kiddies. A Norwegian "spark" or kickscooter for use on snow and ice. I've seen quite a few drawings of them in things like the "Boy's Handy Book." And thanks to Dave Dermott on the XC ski Usenet newsgroup, I've discovered that there's a whole world of sparks out there, including m... > Read Article
OYB Hits the Big League
February 05, 2004 - Over the next year or so, I'm gonna make zining into my new *anti*dayjob!!!!
I have a very rare chance to give it a shot. I've sold off most of my worldly assets and greatly simplified life's undertakings, plus I've basically sold my job. It's my first big work change in 15 years!
If you know of anyone else who is pulling off a stunt like t... > Read Article
The Myth of the Natural
February 05, 2004 - It's amazing how people think you don't have to know how to do something to be able to do it. --At a somewhat high level, one that is satisfying anyway.
I'm thinking of sports. But it seems to relate to education in general. The myth of the natural---someone who can be an expert in something without practice, coaching or training---puts down edu... > Read Article
Postscript: Bluegrass Serendipity Up North
February 05, 2004 - An interesting postscript to our trip down south, where we got to meet Balder Saunders, is that a couple weeks after we got home, I got an email from Jack saying that his other boy, Owen, would be here in Detroit playing bluegrass the next day.
I'd never met Owen, but I'd read about him in Jack's novels, just as I'd read about Balder. I read as ... > Read Article
Our Down South Drive in 2003
February 05, 2004 - Well, I've been meaning to write this up for awhile now. I better do it while it's still fresh.
I learned several interesting new things on this trip and met some amazing people and did a few nifty things, so here we go....
It's been several years since we went on a big roadtrip drive exploring new territory. It's been 4 years since we vi... > Read Article
A Rant on Zines ... at the Big U
February 05, 2004 - I just got to give a speech all about zines and print media and how the Net has impacted them at MSU today for 300 kids in a class at the Journalism Dept! I haven't talked in public in 10 years, and never to a big auditorium, like, with a mic. An MSU professor heard that I did both books and websites and asked if I would give a talk. Since I wasn't... > Read Article
Our Out-West In-Laws RV Road Trip Report
January 05, 2000 - Well, I'm back. We survived our 4200-mi road trip in our
little RV. Me, my family and the in-laws! How bout that!
We went from Mich > Ariz and back by way of Boulder, Colo,
my old stomping grounds. I rode my bike every day after
our driving. What a great way to explore and get fresh air.
So here's the report: the US has become Bangla... > Read Article
Sweet New Flashlights (for Bikes) -- Cheap!
May 16, 2012 - Personal lighting is booming like crazy right now. And, yeah, a lot of it on the dirt-cheap side is coming from Hong Kong.
http://Dealextreme.com is rockin' the big firepower for little money like it always has. I recently picked up a jillion-lumen "Fandyfire" Cree light for, like, $17 with free shipping. 900 lumens, maybe?
The key is the 18... > Read
Article
Neighborhood Adventure Race: What Fun!
May 14, 2012 - A neighborhood Adventure Race -- that's what I'm talking about! 8 of us had a casual blast today thru 4 challenging stages within a mile of home. It was the 2nd annual one for our little gang of fellow-employees, etc.
A wide variety of action rewarded a range of skillsets. Comebacks and upsets! We didn't know until the party afterward how we all... > Read
Article
First Singletrack Canoe Race a Success!
May 14, 2012 - We had a blast canoe racing a couple days ago as the finale of our neighborhood Adventure Race.
It was a several-mile leg that really challenged our skills. We had four teams and all boats and paddlers had differing skillsets -- it was neat to see it all play out.
The river was VERY challenging -- very twisty with 3 portages and a dozen run... > Read
Article
RadNord and Roger Succeed with Big Push
May 12, 2012 - This pic and telegraph just in from Radnord: "3 days, just shy of 140 miles. All but about 23 on actual [...] trail. 7 hrs 1st day, 12 hrs 2nd, 10 hrs 3rd. Huge, relentlezs hllls.. Very cool."
Dang! Self-supported downstaters doing a HUGE upnorth push! ...Camping out on the trailbikes, doing big days in the big hills. Congrats! > Read
Article
Spring Mushrooms: Need Help ID'ing this One...
May 09, 2012 - OK, I know what kind the one mushroom is, but not the other. Does anyone know what the other one is? : ) And if you do, don't just write "Yes" and be even sillier than me, tell us what it is and if it's tasty. Thanks! > Read
Article
Prediction: SUPs sprout side-niche board shaped like canoe
May 09, 2012 - I have a hunch that many SUPers are going to start to want a board that will keep their stuff dry and maybe let them easily bring another person along and will go faster. It won't matter so much if it gets blown around so much because it'll be used on inland rivers.
I think SUPs will always stick around but that a side-niche will emerge that is... > Read
Article
Pondering Steampunk... (The Expo is coming!)
May 08, 2012 - I've been pondering Steampunk of late. I checked out the book "Steampunk Bible." It's really good. It's helping clarify my hunches, but, wonderfully, I'm still way back in the jungle. It's good to add yet another long exploration into the mix. OK, I can see it's re-enacting for DIYers. It's role-playing that can be used toward understanding. (Maybe... > Read
Article
Old Gear Historian -- A Treasure Trove!
May 08, 2012 - SCORE! ...One for the oldtimers. This is what we grew up with! Read it and revel. Read it and imagine what it was like... Our inspiration... Coming at us, nonstop, from the innovators and garages...
So here's a guy who sees the forest for the trees.
I was just noticing my old Kelty pack the other day in the garage. Junk, right?
Roots are... > Read
Article | Go to Website
Water Hill Music Fest: a Neighborhood Party
May 07, 2012 - It's only the 2nd year but it's already blown up. I guess that's what blowing up means.
A chunk of the Old West Side neighborhood of Ann Arbor thought it would be fun to all go out on their porches and play music some Spring Sunday and so that's what they did. People play music already, and hang out on porches. But this was to be a day for ever... > Read
Article
Commuting: a Funny, Thoughtful, Macro/Micro Book on It
May 05, 2012 - It's not just about the bike.
In the Bike Snob's second book he does better than in his debut book, I think, because here he really knows what he's talking about.
I'm a ways into it and I've also hopped around in it quite a bit. Offhand it seems far better than his first. He knows commuting and that's what he's covering here, with both big-pi... > Read
Article | Go to Website
Why Things Stay Bad in the Hinterlands
May 05, 2012 - Here's a thought: Culture in the hinterlands stays bad because people of means isolate themselves.
My hunch is that many of the well-to-do around here enjoy the quiet small town settings and a fairly open-ended, highly-compensated worklife connected to the local university and capitol (where they can teach and run research facilities and their ... > Read
Article
Thankfully, the Jerk is Only Skin Deep
May 05, 2012 - I just read the Bike Snob's story about how he was riding his bike in NYC on 9/11 and that in an emergency the jerks of the world drop their act and are truly caring underneath. That's a good thing to try to remember.
Here's my own story along the same lines that relates basically the same message, but in more an everyday way. It doesn't take a... > Read
Article
Visit to: Motorcycle Hall of Fame
May 04, 2012 - On our recent family tenting drive around Ohio we visited the Motorcycle Hall of Fame. It's worth a stop!
It features the guys and gals behind motorcycling and the place where the people make the most difference, I suppose, is in motorsport. So the Hall is a celebration of American motorcycle racing heroes for the most part. There are some inte... > Read
Article | Go to Website
Team OYB: Ohio Roadtrip Report!
May 03, 2012 - We went to OHIO this year for Spring Break. Michiganders don't usually do such a thing, so we thought it was high time we did. We wanted a roadtrip but not too big of one. We wanted to go where it was warmer and greener. We figured a day's drive south might do the trick. Online it said southern Ohio flowers are out in the 2nd week of April but I th... > Read
Article
Light or Heavy: Best Canoe for Long Day Trip?
May 02, 2012 - I'm wondering about what's a good canoe for a long day paddle.
Say you want to paddle 30-50 miles in a day.
With a pretty long lightweight canoe you'd be tempted to paddle with a faster stroke-rate and a bit more 'pop'. Such a boat would be fast. And it would glide an "x" amount per stroke.
Now consider a bit longer of a boat. And make it ... > Read
Article
Hugh Heward 2012: 50 Miles in a Race Boat
May 01, 2012 - OK, Tim Feldkamp and I paddled the full 50-mile Hugh Heward Canoe Challenge last Saturday. I was still tired on Sunday and creaky on Monday. Whew!
We had a dandy time. It took us 10 hours. The river was pretty slow and clear. But nice'n'clear in many places. Our onboard GPS said we were going 5.5-7mph most of the day.
I really like sweeping ... > Read
Article
Early Thought: Ski-Cross? ...Cyclocross Ski Race
April 25, 2012 - OK, I've beat close around this subject for years now. But I don't know if I've ever come right out with it.
And, yeah, I know it's the wrong season for thinking about either leg of this sports mashup, but whatever...
Why not have a ski race in a small park-like setting where spectators can see the action and where the action is technical?
... > Read
Article
Hugh Heward and Bushwackers coming! (New Bush SOUTH!)
April 24, 2012 - This Saturday is the annual "big canoe day" for Michigan paddle-tourers -- a rare chance to do a 50-miler with friends.
About 100 people do it. I've done it and posted several times about it here. I plan on being there again this year! I'm going to partner for the first time with Tim Feldkamp in his superduper carbon Hassel racing canoe. We'll ... > Read
Article
New Rick Plite event: "Trifecta" -- 42-mile Tour Fundraiser
April 24, 2012 - Rick promotes all sorts of neat bike events, the kind that include microbrew sponsors and have a mellow style.
Here's his latest: the Trifecta. It's a 42-mile tour of 3 SW MI trail systems, covering mixed terrain -- trails, 2-track and dirt roads.
May 20, 2012.
It's $35 to register -- all proceeds go to the "50 in 5" plan to build 50 mile... > Read
Article | Go to Website
Trouting in the Driftless
April 16, 2012 - My pal Chris and I just got back from a weekend of trouting in the Driftless area of SW Wisconsin. Beautiful valleys, farms, and cold limestone creeks galore.
The creeks seem like they should be warm, due to all the greenery and cows, but there's all this limestone shelving -- and cold springs upwelling. Neat! It's a worldclass trout area, than... > Read
Article
"Silent Sports" magazine: an Up North "must-read"
April 11, 2012 - "Silent Sports" is the best local-style outdoor sports magazine out there. Well, maybe the ONLY one, too.
Their website is stepping up its game, with lots of content nowadays, but their paper issue is far more flavorful. $20/year. I highly recommend a subscription, but I'd even suggest pestering them -- and adding some extra cash -- for a copy o... > Read
Article | Go to Website
Team OYB: Ohio Roadtrip Early Report
April 10, 2012 - Hey, we're back. We drove 1000 miles around Ohio for our Spring Break, tenting at barely-opened parks along the way.
I'll post a report soon. Right now I have to catch up on shipping and do our taxes. (Whew!)
But here's a brief comment: I have to say that the hinterlands of America are scary. They're basically like our rural ghettos. They've... > Read
Article
Team OYB: Spring Break Roadtrip to S. Ohio!
March 29, 2012 - Our family is driving south and camping and visiting museums (like the Bicycle Museum of America!) and tourist attractions and Serpent Mound in Chilicothe and going on lush, warm, flowery hikes we hope. Caves are in the plans, too... Hopefully including a quiet wild one...
We plan on checking out the Arc of the Appalachia. It's the most biodive... > Read
Article
World Steam Expo: Detroit, Memorial Weekend
March 28, 2012 - It'll be hugest. The biggest thing the world has never seen. Of a past future that never was. It's a blending of all sorts of things that I think are pretty neat. Tweed, pirates, brass.
So there will be thousands of dress-up folks along these lines down in Detroit come Memorial Day.
What's also supercool is that they'll be including the Henr... > Read
Article | Go to Website
Singletrack Paddling! --Another New Sport!
March 24, 2012 - Dang, here's another new sport for us to enjoy and develop!
Man, these things are everywhere if you just open your eyes.
Here we have a culture where outdoor activity seems to be bizarrely shrinking in some ways and booming in others. Yet there's so much room every which way for more fun, creativity and growth.
The rule is: start where y... > Read
Article
Running Technique: Which Coach?
March 24, 2012 - It seems like public running is finally catching onto what trained runners have known all along: that coaching is important.
It amazing how most of our outdoor sports have long been done by "typical people" all by themselves, without any help. Yet these people often do these activities at great intensity and for decades. ...And they often are i... > Read
Article
Packrafting: Finally!
March 24, 2012 - Whenever I've gone on a bike tour I always end up fantasizing about boating. In particular I dream about combining biking and boating. Say if the day is windy, if I'm riding downwind along a coast I think that I could be just sailing along. ...What if I had my 25-lb kevlar C1 canoe and used it as a trailer to pull behind a 25-lb folding bike. ...Wh... > Read
Article
"Hey, I'd Eat This At Home!" -- BEST Camping (and quick at home!) Cooking
March 22, 2012 - [$18 postpaid in USA. (Equals $15 book plus about $3 postage.)]
Michael Gray is an outdoor guide who specializes in sea-kayak trips. But I have a suspicion the paddling is just an excuse. What he loves to do is cook. And please people. In tricky situations. The result is great eating and entertainment – both with a “Wow” factor.
I’ve been a... > More Info
> Purchase
"Tarpon": a Lost Movie Starring Jim Harrison (of all people) & Friends
March 21, 2012 - Here's a clip/trailer from a lost 1972 movie called "Tarpon," found in a barn in France, starring Jim Harrison, McGuane, Brautigan, featuring the music of a young Jimmy B.
(Ya know, there's no reason why hot outdoor dudes can't be partying like this today. I mean, locally and with beer. It's unlikely they'd be able to hook up with a French Count... > Read
Article | Go to Website
Visit to Another World: Balcony Row Antiques (Holly, MI)
March 19, 2012 - Let's start with the town itself. Holly, Michigan, has several distinct features, some of which mesh together nicely, others take more of a leap.
Let's restart by casting the widest net: Holly is home to a huge month-long Renaissance Festival held nearby close to the State Park. This is a high-level production with daily true-to-life jousting ma... > Read
Article
Salamander Migration!
March 13, 2012 - [BUMP -- Last night, 3/12/12, was the year's first warm night rain, about 60F. Yeah, as everyone knows, it's been a low-snow season (but we made the best of it! right?). So I got Henry and neighbor Ben revved up on the possibility and we went out to see what we could see at 9:30pm. Chief OYB Assistant Robert met us at the nearby VanAtta Woods/Ted B... > Read
Article
Jordan Jam 2012: 60 Degrees of Sparkly, Watery Heaven
March 12, 2012 - Here's the Nordic Chronicler with a Big Day Report...
This year the Jordan Jam was a tale of water, sparkly sunshine and...amazingly...plenty of snow. Even more amazing, the snow was good for skiing. Because, of all the crazy things for skiing, it was a 60-degree bluebird day.
It was a good day for being in The Zone. We were out there for 7 ... > Read
Article
Canoe Pole: New! Aluminum, Light, Tempered, SUP
March 09, 2012 - [$60 postpaid in the USA. (Canada pays $20 extra for UPS.)]
Here's your first chance in eons to buy a real, good, canoe pole.
Oh, sometimes heavy wood or fiberglass ones are available, but here's the real deal. At any rate it's what you want for performance and for long distance poling in shallow waters. (The others are good for limited amoun... > More Info
> Purchase
Sloppy Bindings = Crashes! --Heads-up!
March 07, 2012 - I found something this year to really help ski skills: make sure your bindings are TIGHT! Not all bindings are the same. I use NNN. If I go around all my skis with a boot and click it into the bindings they all have differing amounts of slop. The Autos are the WORST. Basically, I don't think Autos are suitable for technical touring: their slop real... > Read
Article
WaterTribe Races -- Under Way!
March 05, 2012 - Two big small boat races are currently under way in Florida: the 300-mile Everglades Challenge and the 1200-mile Ultimate Florida.
I missed the start notice.
WaterTribe is a series of challenges for 6 classes of canoes/kayaks (with and without sails), sailboats and multihulls. There's a new class for electric-assist.
There has been a huge... > Read
Article | Go to Website
Gravel Grinders A-comin'!
March 02, 2012 - Two dirt road bike races are coming up in West Michigan in March!
The infamous Barry Roubaix held around Yankee Springs on 3/24 is already full, with 1500 entries, but you should still keep tabs on it if you're not entered. Maybe go spectate. There's a big microkeg party afterward. http://barry-roubaix.com
The next Saturday after that, 3/31, ... > Read
Article
QWS Time! -- Quiet Water Symposium this Saturday!
March 01, 2012 - [BUMP FROM EXACTLY A YEAR AGO.] Whups, I'm late in putting up a notice for the QWS. (Except I did mention it on my Facebook page, yo.)
It's this Saturday, 3/3 [not 3/5 this time] -- a full day of fun indoors, if you can stand it. ...If it's sunny outside and there's still snow on the ground I will have a HARD time staying inside, I tell you wha... > Read
Article
The Skidaddle: a "Must-have" New Trail-Skiing Technique
March 01, 2012 - [BUMP FROM JANUARY]
It's common when skiing hiking trails to encounter eroded uphills with obstacles where the stride and herringbone aren't the only tools you need. You need a special new trick that's not mentioned or taught anywhere but here. (Dang! Where do we keep coming up with these finds? Why, the Real World, and nowhere else!)
You nee... > Read
Article
Striding Herringbone: Yet Another Fun New Ski Technique!
February 29, 2012 - I did the Vasa/Natl Masters events the other weekend. After the last race my brother, a friend and I went for a cruise ski. I was classicking. My bro and friend were skating and my bro was wearing a GoPro in a fanny pack. Yeah...filmmaker recipe for total nausea.
Like everyone, I'm used to doing a herringbone where the ski doesn't move. But my w... > Read
Article
Michigan Needs to Get Proactive About Winter!
February 29, 2012 - I think we need a "Say Yes to Michigan Winter!" campaign. And XC skiing should be our official winter sport. Is there something that would fit better? I can't think of it. And there are other countries in the world in our geographic situation that also have XC as their national sport, so it'd probably work fine for us, too.
Isn't Michigan one of... > Read
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Skiing in the Rain
February 29, 2012 - This morning it was raining and I was going to skip the skiing. But then I saw the thermometer and it read 32F. Kind of a magic number. I put my skis on and gave it a try. It was perfect! Good glide and dandy grip. So I skied a perfect hour in the rain. The driveway was even fun. A little wetter, though...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wFOpqmw... > Read
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We Get Mail...
February 27, 2012 - Here's the OYB Brag Sheet. I get Fan Mail from time to time. And no one seems able to use my built-in Comment system so I have to manually post it here. I just started this page a couple weeks ago, since a few interesting items have come in lately. So the past is past, I guess. When I get Hate Mail, I'll post it, too. Criticism can be just as in... > Read
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Stinchfield Loppet 2012: Pics, Vids & Report
February 27, 2012 - Well, it was warm and sunny with dry ground up until a couple days before the event, but we got our snow. ...1.5" out on the trail. But that was enough!
In a low snow year in Michigan you don't whine or complain. You just seize the day when the snow does come. No foolin' around. We've had a fair number of snowfalls -- it's just that none of it h... > Read
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Stinchfield Loppet 2012: Looks like it's a GO!
February 23, 2012 - Yay! Big winter storm on the way!
Wow, we go from dry warm biking to what looks like GOOD SNOW.
...So it looks like the Stinchfield Loppet is on! 10 a.m. start, this Sunday, at the Professional Building Parking Lot just west of N. Territorial & Dexter-Pinckney a couple miles S of Pinckney.
Last year 30 folks showed up for casual but chal... > Read
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CAT Ski: Offroad Rollerski -- for sale!
February 23, 2012 - [$370 mailed in the US. Non-US pays excess.]
I've decided to retail this nifty, hard-to-find training tool.
I have new inventory for $370 mailed, but also a used demo pair with SNS-Pilot bindings which I can let go for $320.
First, what are they? They're CAT Skis -- C.A.T. -- Classic All Terrain.
And they let you do safe, realistic, i... > More Info
> Purchase
Remember the Women's Ski Tour! -- The Key to XC Popularity
February 22, 2012 - PUMP UP THE VOLUME?
I did the Vasa race weekend not long ago, and, ya know, it seems like it would be neat if people were encouraged to get out onto the Vasa course a bit more to spectate and hang out during the races. I think it's what they do at other big races. There were bonfires at the various feedzones and road-crossings, so maybe t... > Read
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How to Make Ski Racing More Sociable -- and Popular
February 22, 2012 - THE LONELINESS OF LONG DISTANCE
I recently went up to the weekend of Vasa ski racing events. I noticed in media interviews with the male and female winners of the Marathon that they both mentioned being a bit lonely out there, being on their own for a long time.
Now, some racers might see a lot of humanity during the week and want noth... > Read
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Vasa / Nat'l Masters / JOQ's 2012: Team OYB Report
February 16, 2012 - So I dropped in on the XC ski racing world this past weekend. It was for the Vasa and the National Masters.
What with our dry winter, it was amazing they were going to hold the races at all. But they'd done a great job of conserving their snowpack, and had a volunteers-day of shoveling snow onto the course beforehand. But then, miracle of mirac... > Read
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The Vasa is ON! -- and Team OYB will be there!
February 08, 2012 - This weekend, Feb 11/12, is the North American Vasa and the National Masters Championships -- held on the Vasa trails up in Traverse City, MI.
They were expecting 1200 skiers but what with the low snow conditions who knows what'll go down. They only decided yesterday that the races were still a *GO*.
They've been taking good care of their sh... > Read
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11 Cities Skate: it's maybe gonna happen!
February 07, 2012 - The Elfstedentocht hasn't happened in Holland in 15 years. It's time for another! The recent cold snap has the country excited. Everyone is out trying to take care of the ice, hoping it gets thicker. It's an instant national holiday once they give the word. Thousands do the event which winds its way through eleven cities via canals, lakes and such.... > Read
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How About an American Drilling? (What's a Drilling, you ask?)
February 03, 2012 - "One gun to rule them all."
A perennial hook'n'bullet campfire discussion is "If you could only have one gun..." I admit I'm happy to go there. And, like many, there are Swiss Army Knife influences on my gun interests. Versatility is something one can easily pine for. Most hunting is actually quite specialized, however; but the idea of a... > Read
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Hybrid Guns, Ahoy!
February 03, 2012 - Freak guns, ahoy!
Weird gun hybrids are popping up a lot these days. Budget gunmakers Rossi, Taurus, and H&R seem to be leading the charge. What's up with those guys? Who's in charge? I sense wild characters at work. Some "car guys" have been given the keys to the factory and is cranking out some seriously creative firearms that are keeping the ... > Read
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Marbles Reissues Classic "Game Getter" Pack-Gun!
February 03, 2012 - I just found out that Marbles has re-issued their classic combi-gun, the Game-Getter. I've been posting and harping about this gun for years. I can't believe I missed this new item. Maybe I overlooked it because it's pricey and the barrel is too long, but whatever, it seems clearly like news.
The Game-Getter has always been "illegal" in modern t... > Read
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Water Tribe Small Boat Everglades Challenge, March 3
February 03, 2012 - Mark it on your calendar to go to the site and follow the news and action online via the Spots and report-in's.
300 miles self-supported around the Florida peninsula by canoe, kayak, small sailboat.
It seems to take the winners and hard-chargers a few days to a week.
But then there was the year with the strong beam-reach wind when the c... > Read
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The Moveable Feast: Flexible Ski Events Go Where There's Snow
February 02, 2012 - It almost seems like the structured-event approach to skiing should change (to a degree). The answer seems to be for folks to just drive to where there's snow as need be. Any trail with snow on it, groomed or not, can handle hundreds of fun-hogs. Like, we have no snow in SE MI, but I heard Marquette was just pounded. So let's just head north and ca... > Read
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Skiing Outside the Box: Learn from Mt-biking?
February 02, 2012 - I just got the new issue of Dirt Rag and read the cover story on the new US rage for Eurostyle enduro racing. It's been booming in Europe, now it's here.
Enduro mtbiking is a combination of XC and DH. Typical riders have been finding XC to be too uber-fitness oriented and DH too extreme with big air and ultra-specialized robo-monster equipment. ... > Read
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"To the Head!" -- Background Info about Mysterious Tele-Ski & Safety Cult
February 01, 2012 - It was a global underground society. Called "Planetary Defense." Mark told me about it then gave me the proper apparel and told me about the salute: "To the head!" The group was dedicated to parades, telemark skiing, safety, and...and...I forget.
Here's a link to a Summit County, CO, news story about the group, and its founder (maybe?) Phil Kopp... > Read
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Wondering What Happened to Biff America, Ski Bum...
February 01, 2012 - I was just wondering about what might've happened to an old ski bum acquaintance from Breckenridge days in the mid-80's so I looked him up. Google is like that.
Biff America (aka Jeff Bergeron) was a wild character who had a public access TV show. He was from Boston and still had the accent to prove it. For some reason I recall him telling me hi... > Read
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George Herter's Child-rearing Theory
January 31, 2012 - George Herter is a 50's-era hero of mine. He ran a sporting goods empire and wrote dozens of books on dozens of diverse topics that he sold through his sporting goods catalog. He was an opinionated bon vivant. Some say he knew what he was talking about, but his Bull Cook cookbooks are something else. How does he know all this food history? How does... > Read
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Skiing the Gatineau Big Loop! -- 95km in a Day!
January 31, 2012 - OK, they call it the "Grande Boucle" up there.
It's an idea that has only been accomplished a few times.
Here's a link to a report about a posse' of young'uns who ski-skated all around the whole Gatineau trail system a few springs ago. It was a sunny warm spring crust skiing sort of day.
But I'll let them tell the rest...
http://www.x... > Read
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"believe me, if you know someone who has never used a lawnmower, cannot/refuses to catch a ball, and has never worn shortpants as an adult then you better be very careful....they might just wanna make you their gardener one day or have you strip down to your shortpants while you're dancing in a cage in their basement....."
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