The Joy Trip Project

Expedition Denali: Scott Briscoe

James — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 19:41:05 +0000

Exposure at an early age to life in the great outdoors put Scott Briscoe on the long road of adventure. Inspired by a grandfather who loved to fish he developed a profound appreciation for the natural world that continues to this day. Though having attended private schools and granted many opportunities to experience high profile sports like skiing and snowboarding Scott is no person of privilege. With the support and sacrifice of single mom who encouraged his recreational passions he took full advantage of resources made available to him to build a career dedicated to inspiring others less fortunate.

Working with young people to foster their interest in outdoor recreation Scott aspires to be a role model. And as member of NOLS’ Expedition Denali, the first attempt to put an African-American team of climbers on the highest summit in North America, he aims to put his mountaineering skills to good use as a demonstration of what anyone can accomplish given the right exposure and encouragement. In this interview Scott explains how.

Q: Once you got into climbing how did that activity make you feel?

A: It’s everything. For me it makes me feel I’m alive. It gives me breath. It gives me excitement. There are a lot of fears that I have with climbing. When you’re on the rock, or even more basic when you’re inside a gym and you’re climbing up some of the holds you get a little bit of fear. So it’s really nice to dance with that fear and move with it.

Q: How do you think NOLS helps people reach those places where you are now spending time in the outdoors.

A: I think the most important thing that NOLS is doing right now is creating the exposure that people of color are out there. They’re doing these things. You may not hear about them, you may not see it, but theses are things that need to continue.

Q: So is Expedition Denali just another climb or is it a pivotal moment in history? And if so, why?
A: I see it as a pivotal moment, but think what’s greater than the climb itself is the overall project. For me, I’m thrilled about the climb. I’m excited to be in the outdoors, to have that feeling of dancing with that fear, with people who look like me, who have grown up and have had similar experiences as me. But the overarching project is overwhelming to me. To have the opportunity to go to schools, to go to community centers to go to churches and to talk to young children and share these experiences which they may not otherwise have, or heard about or even seen. That is the greater achievement, exposing this climb to those young kids.

Q: Why do you think it’s taken so long to get to this point?

A: I think it’s taken this long to get to this point because I think it takes a lot of people for a movement to really roll. Again, praise to NOLS for drawing us all together. When we first got together it was so amazing. We sat in this large circle and I just remember people saying over and over how amazing it is to see somebody who looks like me and to know that they’re doing these things that I feel so passionate about. There was just no way to draw the connection and I think NOLS has done a fabulous job of being the cohesion to bring us together.

Q: Obviously those connections, bringing people together is important. But how you make the outdoor industry realize or appreciate the importance of those connections as well?

A: Well it’s multi-facetted. The first thing that I think about is that fact that what was the minority is now becoming the majority. We have such an incredibly diverse society and if we leave that diverse society out of what’s happening in our National Parks, in our climbing areas then there’s a possibility that they might be depleted and maybe one day be gone. We need to bring a collective voice for everybody to say “These places are important to us”. And that includes everybody. So it’s really important to have those minorities who will soon be the majority to have that voice.
I think another part of it is people of color make up a large portion of the market. What a great opportunity for brands to grab hold of that and move forward?

Q: When you think of Denali, what goes through your head?
A: I’ve said this before. There’s fear. There’s excitement. It’s a serious climb. It’s one of the most dangerous climbs because of the weather and where it’s at. So certainly fear and the seriousness of the climb comes in. The excitement comes from the potential accomplishment with such incredible folks that are doing amazing things. And to be part of Expedition Denali with that group gives me goosebumps!

The Joy Trip Project is made possible thanks to the generous support of MAKO Surgical Corp. Ask your doctor if you’re a candidate for MAKOPlasty.

What it Costs

James — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 18:40:19 +0000

There are few days when I don’t consider myself the luckiest person in the world. I’ve managed to pull together enough personal resources and relationships to do many amazing things in some of the most beautiful places in the world. But anyone living life in pursuit of dreams knows that there’s a price to be paid. Relative to personal happiness money has very little value. But we still have to come up with the cash to meet the mortgage, cover the utilities, make a car payment and buy groceries.

For those who have a spouse or children to support the obligations of family are even more critical. The price of household expenses aside there’s also the very high cost of time spent away from home and the burden of moments missed in our loved ones’ lives that can never be reclaimed.

Often when people ask “How did you get such cool job?” I’m typically stuck for an answer. It’s hard to say how anyone winds up on this particular career path. Sometimes struggling to make ends meet between paid writing or reporting gigs as a freelance journalist I sometimes think I’d be better off getting a “real job” punching a time clock in a cubical back home. But all I have do is think about that next assignment somewhere in the future and I manage to set those feelings aside and come up with a new project,hopefully a little better than the last.

But when I’m asked what I charge for my work I sometimes feel just as stuck for answer. When you love what you do and after sacrificing so much to do it every day it’s hard to put a pricetag on your passion. My friend artist and adventurer Jeremy Collins put it beautifully in a recent post on Facebook. “What does it cost to follow your dreams?” he wrote. “It costs everything you have.”

Along with a poignant essay he posted a brilliant drawing to illustrate his thoughts. I have the pleasure of sharing both here on the Joy Trip Project. And thanks to the support of my followers and sponsors I was able to pay him for his work. ~JEM

What it Costs
Words and Image by Jeremy Collins

A common question I get about what I do whether it’s the making and selling of art, or the planning and realizing of international remote adventures is “What Does it Cost”?

The question assumes I can answer like a travel agent, accountant, or gallery owner, each of which I am not.

“What does it cost” is a personal investment question. We inquire because we wonder if we HAVE what it COSTS to acquire what we find desirable. “What does it cost?” asks the question- how can I get that?

But asking a dreamer “what does it cost” is like asking a mother “how much do you love your child?”.

They LOVE with what they HAVE. To follow dreams, the same is true. It COSTS what you HAVE.

Yet… “What it costs” cannot simply be defined in dollars and cents.

The costs are not analyzed in well gridded spread sheets, or displayed in logically organized receipts neatly arranged in small manila envelopes with the red string closure.

What does it cost [to follow dreams]?

It costs long nights at your desk alone, with doubt creeping in the shadows.
It costs awkward conversations about our worst ideas just to get it out.
It costs time. Heartache.
It costs money, yes, it’s true. Lots of it- money hard earned and quickly burned.
It can cost a relationship.
It costs patience. Failure.
Following my dreams has cost me many nights of sleep, sacrificed to a staring contest with the ceiling.
It costs weight loss. Weight gain. Muscle loss, Muscle gain.
Confidence loss, confidence gain.Sadness. Joy.
It costs risk, over and over, with the stakes growing higher and higher.
It costs time with my wife. My children. Myself.
It costs constant effort and belief.
It costs adaptation. Rejection.
It costs skin, sweat, and blood.
It costs starting.
It costs STARTING OVER.
It costs years and years and miles and miles.
It’s cost me 9 vehicles in 20 years.
Pain.
Discomfort.
Late fees.
It costs honesty with others.With myself.
It costs minutes, and days, and a lifetime.

So, what does it cost to follow your dreams?

It costs everything you have.

Jeremy Collins living the dream

The Joy Trip Project is made possible thanks to the generous support of MAKO Surgical Corp. Ask your doctor if you’re a candidate for MAKOPlasty.

Expedition Denali: Tyrhee Moore

James — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 23:35:36 +0000

Never question the value of exposure and opportunity when encouraging young people to spend more time in the outdoors. At 20 years of age Tyrhee Moore is a shining example of how the National Outdoor Leadership School is creating a new multi-ethnic generation of youth to become actively engaged in the natural world. A student at the University of West Virginia Tyrhee is not only at the top of his class, but he is also a solid role model for people of all ages looking to create a lifestyle and career path in service to environmental preservation.

Introduced to NOLS through the City Kids Wilderness Project in Washington D.C. as part of the Gateway Partner Program, Tyrhee has gained a broad range of skills and abilities in outdoor education. In addition to being an accomplished mountaineer and outdoorsman he is also a talented instructor with a profound willingness to teach aspiring students.

As the youngest member of Expedition Denali, the first team of African-American climbers to attempt an ascent of the highest peak in North America, Tyhree has proven himself to be an enthusiastic presence on the mountain. On Day 3 of the journey he made the first satellite phone dispatch to report on the group’s progress. With a shout out to his friends and family back home in D.C. Tyrhee said he and his teammates are making good time despite having carried heavy loads over 5.5 miles of ice across the Kahiltna Glacier. In an interview conducted at the NOLS headquarters in Lander Wyoming Tyhree said he wants everyone to be inspired by his Alaska adventure and follow his example to give the outdoors a try.

Q: What’s it like for you when you’re engaged in your outdoor pursuits?

A: When you’re out there you always question what makes you do this stuff. You wonder about the safety of it and how you could be at home in bed watching TV. But then you think about it and realize that there’s nothing else like it. It’s kind of indescribable unless you’re out there doing it yourself. The views, the people that you meet, everything…it’s just worth it. I’m very thankful that I get to do stuff like this.

Q: How excited are you about doing the Denali climb?

A: I’m very excited about the Denali climb, especially with the group of people that’s coming along with me. Everybody is really cool. I learn so much from everybody every time I speak to them. The climb itself I just feel like it’s going to be tough, no question. But I feel like I have the right people to go up their with me and have a great trip.

Q: How important is it do you think for other young people of color to see you be a part of this?

A: I think it’s very important because I have a lot of friends who I know are capable of doing things like this too. A big problem with why a lot people my age aren’t doing things like this is there aren’t enough people doing it and it doesn’t seem cool enough. And I think that if I do it, hopefully that will inspire other people to do it as well.

Q: You’re the youngest member of the team. Do feel any sense of pressure on yourself to prove to your team members that you know you’re stuff?

A: Some times I feel like I have to prove myself to a few people on the team. But I’m still working on ways to show them. I know that I’m confident, but there’s the since that they’re more experience because they’ve done more or that they’ve been here longer. An experience that I’m learning is how to work with people who are older because I don’t do it on a regular basis. I think that it’s helpful to me to be in this situation because working with these people can ultimately transfer into my everyday life when I go into a business job once I graduate from school. I won’t be working with people my age then. It’s important for me to learn now.

Q: What unique qualities do you think you bring to this team?

A: Once I’m out there I feel like I’m a pretty energetic person. I like to have fun and make it a fun situation. I think most people are too focused on the seriousness of the climb and not really enjoy where there are. We’re going to be on Denali, the tallest mountain around. You have sit back and enjoy it! We’re there for a reason. but we are there to enjoy ourselves. This is a once in a life time opportunity and I will not let them forget that.

Q: After this climb you’ll have long career ahead of you. What do you look forward to accomplishing in life either as an outdoorsman or in outdoor education?

A: I always think about what I’m going to do when I get older. Ultimately when I go back to my middle school and my high school there are a lot of kids who are interested in the outdoors they just don’t have the access. There are basketball courts and tennis courts, but there’s no rock climbing wall or anything like that. I want to incorporate an outdoor program in the schools where I grew up and hopefully get more kids outdoors. That’s my dream. But who knows? Hopefully it will happen.

The Joy Trip Project is made possible thanks to the generous support of MAKO Surgical Corp. Ask your doctor if you’re a candidate for MAKOPlasty.

Xpedition.TV launches first filmmaker challenge

James — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 20:36:45 +0000

Aspiring adventure filmmakers have to start somewhere. The new adventure media channel Xpedition.TV is looking to attract and inspire emerging talent in its first ever contest to find the next great creator of action movies

” It’s a challenge for young adventure filmmakers to show off what they’ve done already, said Xpedition.TV visionary Ric Gibbs. “It will help them gain added exposure, recognition within the community, and help us meet the future filmmakers we can recruit for work on future expeditions. Not to mention the great GEAR we are giving away from Goal-Zero, which anyone shooting video in the backcountry would LOVE to have.”

Short films of no more than 5 minutes in length can be entered into any of three categories:

MOST INSPIRING
MOST INNOVATIVE (or Creative)
MOST SURPRISING (or Unusual)

Submissions are due by July 15, 2013. Find entry details online at: http://www.xpedition.tv/youtube-challenges

The Joy Trip Project is made possible thanks to the generous support of MAKO Surgical Corp. Ask your doctor if you’re a candidate for MAKOPlasty.

Expedition Denali: The Departure

James — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 06:58:55 +0000

The Expedition Denali team landed safely on to the Kahiltna Glacier at Denali base camp. The adventure is on! Here are a few images from their departure.

The Joy Trip Project coverage of Expedition Denali is made possible thanks to the generous support of MAKO Surgical Corp. Ask your doctor if you’re a candidate for MAKOPlasty.

Expedition Denali: Outfitting

James — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 04:46:47 +0000

The Expedition Denali team arrived today that the National Outdoor Leadership School base in Palmer, Alaska. The day was spent outfitting the gear necessary to be in the field for three weeks. These photographs illustrate a few moments throughout the day.

The Joy Trip Project coverage of Expedition Denali is made possible thanks to the generous support of MAKO Surgical Corp. Ask your doctor if you’re a candidate for MAKOPlasty.

Expedition Denali: Lasting Impressions

James — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 02:30:59 +0000

I woke this morning after a peaceful night’s sleep to the vision of a dream. Crashed in a sleeping bag on the floor of a modern cabin I could see the glorious view from Talkeetna. A cascading image came pouring through the window in a stream of light reflecting snow from the summit of Denali.

But rolling over before rising something else caught my eye. On a low shelf beneath an old television set with rabbit-ear antenna and a VCR was a row of tired paperbacks. There I found a dogeared copy of the first novel I had ever read and likely began my career as a writer.

“To Kill a Mockingbird” left an impression upon me that has lasted a lifetime. The Pulitzer Prize-winning story of childhood adventure set against the foolish notions of racial prejudice in the middle 20th century was my introduction to superior storytelling and the development of characters who’s very lives illustrate the thoughts and ideas of a long-ago time that still resonates through this very day.While reading the first few pages I was brought back to the rich and nuanced writing of Harper Lee. A brilliant master of prose she has the uncanny ability to convey incredible meaning and depth of feeling in just a few words. A skill I aspire to in my own writing I can only hope that I can deliver a least a little of the passion and conviction in the story that is now unfolding right before my eyes.

As Denali stands there in the distance on this crisp clear morning in spring I’m suddenly made aware of the audacity it takes even to get this far. To set a goal and see it through to its conclusion on the highest physical point anyone can reach in your nation is a frightening proposition. And now that I am no longer on the Expedition Denali summit team to actually climb the mountain I suppose that I should take some consolation in not having to brave the bitter cold or dizzying heights. But I am charged instead with telling this story with equal parts passion and conviction to impress upon readers the critical importance that all people be prepared to risk their fears and pursue their dreams wherever they might lead. And just like that the risk of loosing a toe to frostbite or falling into a crevasse seem to me a much more favorable alternative. I’d much rather climb than write.

Seeing it here for the first time Denali has left a lasting impression upon me. And when my health has fully recovered to return the full strength and flexibility of my legs I sincerely hope to one day climb the mountain myself. But for now on this expedition to put the first majority African-American team on the summit my job is to bring the story to life and hopefully impress upon you how we might finally set aside the artifacts of our racially segregated past. Literally or figuratively the great mountains of the world are for everyone. Each of us need only decide for ourselves to reach beyond our apprehensions to grasp the even the most elusive dream.

The Joy Trip Project coverage of Expedition Denali is made possible thanks to the generous support of MAKO Surgical Corp. Ask your doctor if you’re a candidate for MAKOPlasty.

Expedition Denali: Mission Brief

James — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 00:29:50 +0000

It’s a beautiful day in Alaska. A light breeze beneath a clear blue ski make for exquisite spring weather in the days leading up to Expedition Denali. At the branch office of the National Outdoor Leader School in Palmer the primary instructors and the media team gathered for the first of several mission briefs. The team arrives on Friday and in these remaining hours the meticulous planning of almost two years enters the final stages of a grand conclusion. This weekend the first majority African-American group of climbers will attempt to reach the summit of the highest peak in North America.

The Joy Trip Project coverage of Expedition Denali is made possible thanks to the generous support of MAKO Surgical Corp. Ask your doctor if you’re a candidate for MAKOPlasty.

Expedition Denali: Nothing to Fear

James — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 15:22:18 +0000

Sunday mornings after yoga Shamane and I typically head to the grocery store. This week instead of a big shopping we went to Woodman’s on the Westside of Madison just to pick up a few odds and ends. My wife would be eating dinner alone with our two dogs over the next few weeks as I was heading for a month-long assignment in Alaska. As a freelance journalist I have been given the rare privilege of writing a book and documentary film script to chronicle the first all-African-American ascent of Denali, the highest peak in North America.

“Excited about your trip?” She asked from the passenger seat.

“I suppose,” I said on the driver’s side. “I’m just a little bit nervous. Funny, I’m more freaked out about this trip than I was in Africa.”

In 2010 I spent almost three weeks traveling through Ethiopia. There to report on a fascinating NGO that builds economically sustainable schools in remote villages I struggled to overcome the final onset of osteo-arthritis. This chronic condition made me walk with a limp and would ultimately require me to have both my hips replaced. But three years later thanks to a revolutionary surgical procedure called MAKOPlasty I’m heading out on the single most ambitious project of my career. But oddly enough having just learned how to walk on two titanium prosthetic implants was the least of my worries.

“I understand,” Shamane said with a kind smile. “There’s a lot more at stake this time.”

Any freelance writer is only as good as his next assignment. So the job always comes with a certain amount of risk and performance anxiety. But this latest project carried with it the ominous specter catastrophic failure. I had to get this one right or my career would be over.

OK maybe I’m being a little melodramatic. But with this assignment came my very first book contract and the role of writer/co-producer on my first feature-length documentary film. I say “first” as if there would be others and the only thing more frightening than failure is success. Everything I had ever hoped or dreamed for my future was riding on this and the only thing standing between me and destiny was my own sense of impending doom.

Much of my angst stems from the over arching thesis of the project. Expedition Denali aims to demonstrate that despite a disproportionate lack of participation among people of color, African- Americans in particular, there is indeed a welcome place for everyone, regardless of their race or ethnicity to enjoy an active lifestyle through outdoor recreation. By ascending to the tallest peak in North America the climbers on the Expedition Denali team want to create a positive example to encourage minority youth to dream big and set goals to achieve great things in life no matter how high. As the journalist on this project the responsibility falls to me to tell the story and make the case for the merits of diversity in high profile sports like mountaineering.

The world is definitely changing. But as we shift to become a more inclusive society there are elements of resistance that I find frightening. Something as simple as the reaction to a recent ad for Cheerios on television gives me pause. In the commercial an adorable bi-racial little girl earnestly asks her mother, who is white, about the heart-healthy benefits of her morning breakfast. When she’s told about its cholesterol-lowering affects the child apparently pours the entire box of cereal over the heart of her father while he’s sleeping. Her dad is black.

Though meant to be infinitely cute and endearing the ad was immediately met with angry expressions of bigotry and hatred. The video on the company’s YouTube channel was inundated with racially insensitive statements from some viewers to such a degree that the comments function of the page had to be turned off. Once locked out there the haters spilled over into different videos on the channel that featured African-Americans and other minorities, spewing all kinds of hurtful language that decried having “multi-culturalism being shoved down our throats.”

The reality is that images that depict people of color engaged in all aspects of American society are on the rise. Many of those images reveal cultural expressions of modern life that up until the middle of the last century were prohibited by law, things like inter-racial marriage. Other images like those depicting African-Americans involved in sports like skiing, rock climbing or high altitude mountaineering were absent simply as a matter of social convention because so few people color had been involved in these pastimes. But that too is changing.

At the end of last week leading outdoor equipment and clothing manufacturer the North Face commissioned a profile video of a young African-American man who is a professional snowboarder. In a compelling short film produced by Anson Fogel of Camp 4 Collective the story of Ryan Hudson unfolds to illustrate his long journey from homelessness to became a competitive board rider. Having overcome the limitations of his childhood Hudson continues to be inspired and motivated through his personal passion for the outdoors. Not only is he a pro athlete but Hudson has become a role model to young people in the African-American community who might one day follow his example.

Expedition Denali has the same goal. Also supported by The North Face and outdoor retailer Recreational Equipment Inc. this climb intends to reach out to those under-represented communities of color with vibrant images of black climbers actively engaged in the sport they love. Lead by the National Outdoor Leadership School Expedition Denali hopes to encourage African-Americans and other minority groups to seek out experiences in the natural world and perhaps future careers dedicated to protecting it.

So now with less than 48 hours before I arrive in Alaska to begin my own efforts toward this goal I find myself a little less anxious. Inspired by the Expedition Denali team and other athletes like Ryan Hudson I’ve come to realize that my role as a writer is far less daunting than the task to climb this very high mountain. Less then three months after hip surgery it’s not advisable for me to make a 20,328-foot ascent. But with the help of a very successful Kickstarter campaign and a small grant from MAKO Surgical Corp, the makers of my new hips, I’ll be doing much of my reporting from Denali National Park and the NOLS branch office in Palmer. Though no longer part of the official climbing team still I’m excited to play a vital part in the success of this mission by sharing the story.Though there will likely be trolls out there to hurl hate speech and cries of racism I plan to put my personal fears aside and do the job for which I’ve prepared much of my professional life. Please follow along. It is our hope that you might also become inspired and find for yourself a place of your own in great outdoors and ongoing fight to protect it. ~JEM

Special coverage of Expedition Denali is supported in part thanks to the generous support of MAKO Surgical Corporation.

Paddling with Jeremy Riggs

James — Sun, 02 Jun 2013 17:27:53 +0000

A long, cold winter brought a late start to the standup paddling season in Wisconsin. With ice on the lakes around Madison clear through the first week of April, warm spring days we’ve been hoping for took their own sweet time coming around. But the weather seemed to open up with perfect timing to welcome a special guest from the islands of Hawaii. Courtesy of the local shop, Paddleboard Specialists, and Sandwich Island Composites (SIC) pro board rider Jeremy Riggs brought a little Pacific Ocean sunshine to the Dairyland, as well as a few lessons on the finer points of downwind paddling.

Personally, I was incredibly eager to get outside. Having spent the previous three months recovering from a double hip replacement, a procedure called MAKOPlasty, I couldn’t wait to try out my new parts and learn a few tricks in the art of downwind paddling. Lucky for me and 20 or so avid paddlers who came out for the day, the bright sunshine and warm westerly breeze made for perfect conditions.

As most of us were just getting back on our boards for the first time this year, everyone was pretty stoked to get some serious training from a true expert. Patty Meister who came up from Janesville Wisconsin said Riggs’ clinic was like getting a tune-up to improve her game:
“You go have a series of lessons and your game improves dramatically. You remember all the things you had forgotten the year before. It’s the same thing with this,” Meister said. “I don’t paddle often enough so that I have muscle memory, have the technics down or have a comfortable position on the board. A little refresher helps and I can build on that,” she added.

The group gathered at the paddle shop for a 9 a.m. start to a day-long workshop. Riggs began the program with a session of dry-land training as he demonstrated basic techniques on a wooden plank. As a competitive longboarder for many years, Riggs is a master of footwork and body position. He showed us the most efficient way to dance along the centerline to the back of the board, cross-steppingthe leading foot behind the other to lift the nose and perform a pivot turn. “You should be able to bring it around 180 degrees with just one sweep of your paddle,” Riggs said.
Let’s just say he made it look easier said than done.

Just a short walk from the shop we put our boards in the water at Cherokee Marsh, a wide channel that leads directly into Madison’s Lake Mendota. With a variety of different SUP rides to choose from, everyone practiced their stroke techniques coached by Riggs. “You want to get the blade completely buried before you start to pull,” he said. “You want the shaft to be vertical, accelerate through the stroke and you want a nice, snappy release at the end.”

As a specialist in downwind paddling, Riggs explained the importance of maintaining a smooth and steady pace. He recommends changing up stroke styles every once in while during a long paddle to utilize different muscle groups and ward off fatigue. But once you get the board moving, Riggs says the key is consistency: “Like when you’re spinning a basketball on your finger it takes some to get it started,” he said. “And when you do it, it just takes a few regular taps to keep it going.”

Moving at speed, Riggs demonstrated the 180-degree pivot turn. With a graceful sweep of the paddle his board spun on a dime. Finding the sweet spot at the back was challenging for those of us used to sticking to the center of the board where it’s more stable. But Riggs advised us to be aggressive in order to master some of the more technical aspects of paddling.
“Don’t be afraid to fall. If you’re falling you’re trying and learning,” Riggs said. “If you’re not willing to push yourself you’re not going to excel. I know that’s hard where there’s cold water, but when it warms up push it!”

We ventured out on to Lake Mendota later in the day, and it was certainly warmer as we paddled as a group toward a clear view of the state capital dome in the distance. A steady breeze blew directly in our faces as everyone traded strokes against a heavy chop of waves and the wakes of speedboats all around us. But on the way home, with the wind at our backs, we were able to put into practice much of what we learned throughout the day. It was downwinder time.
“When you get it, you’re catching glides. You’re accelerating,” Riggs said. “You’re going from six to seven miles an hour. It’s like surfing, but you don’t have to paddle back out for another wave. You just wait three or four seconds and here we go again!”

The sensation of speed at the end of the day was a thrill for everyone. Paddling together like a pod of dolphins, we matched the pace of powerboats under a no-wake restriction as we made our way into the channel. On such a beautiful spring day it was an excellent beginning of the season and motivated some, like Katie Nelson of Madison, to include the learned techniques in a race for the first time:
“I learned some techniques today to make me more efficient. My favorite thing I learned was that pivot turn,” she said. “And even if I don’t use it in a race I want to feel so confident on the board that a technique like that feels really easy. And when I do my favorite thing, which is a downwinder, I can feel really confident riding the bumps.”

This article originally appeared as a feature on SUPTheMag.com on May 29, 2013

The Joy Trip Project is made possible with the support of sponsors Patagonia, Rayovac and the New Belgium Brewing Company