BIlly Harris 2010 a Year in Review.

I

ts hard to sum up a whole year, My head was shaved, my dog's been skunked, I managed to cut loose bear mace in my car...... my wife got a job as a sugar momma, I lost team trials. Its been horrible, its been great, Its been a great summer, and fall, however I have been hiding a way a bit not gonna lie. Sure I made my rounds as Billy Harris the kayaker visiting shops in, Calgary, Quebec, NY, and all over including boater boards and all that. But I have been hidden away a bit at the same time. Now the Moose fest was a blast, riding coolers down a hill, missing phones, toilet papered rooms and cars. I just watching the hijinx of the festival that doesn't exist anymore flourish without the vendors. The event running on the nostalgia and an attachment to how things were once, and where they will be again one day. The festival was fantastic, but so were many of them this year. That being said, festivals took a hard hit with water levels this year in Canada. Some of the big festivals didn't go due to water. The biggest of the festivals did go though, hundreds of new paddlers being introduced to the sport at Rapid Magazine's great “Palmerfest”. Dry suits, warm gear, and nice weather for a change, made for the most successful Palmerfest ever held. Teaching and growing the sport, despite the economic downturn was the goal and one that made it clear that the community still thrives and flourishes. 

A lot of my summer was dedicated to training in the early morning, teaching all day and hitting the gym at night. The fun part was having the river to me and the girl in many cases. I train quite often in the early morning dawn with my wife. The Ottawa river being a wave style river made it a bit harsh at team trials though. Many of the great wave surfers in the valley crashing pretty hard into the stark realization that they are different disciplines holes and waves. They are different types of balance and both take an every day approach to training.

The other bummer thing about early mornings is I am over 200 lbs and despite my seemingly athletic lifestyle the, 2 cream 4 sugars I inhale several times a day have taken their toll on my waistline. Being 36 years old might have something to do with it, but being in full denyal, and the lack of grey hair has supported that denial to date. I am not saying I look like a pile of tires or anything, lets be clear about that but there is defiantly more of me to love these days if you know what I mean. My room mate says “you have man boobs”. Nobody but my wife and I like her so I ignore her for the most part. But if I were to reply to such an evil little woman I would say that I may or may not pass some stupid hold the pencil test under my pec's. I started out at a slim 165 lbs when this show started. The positive and beautiful part is that I am fitting the super star better than I ever have. Creeking in a boat that fits me perfectly has been a pleasure as well. I like the big boats “and I can not lie”, I always have. But the new Villain and its volume and size are perfect for me, and I feel like the boss when I paddle it. (still not the boss around the house)

Canadian Team Trials were awesome up until the last round. I was so confident that I would win I bet Kelsey his sparse and ratty looking mustache to a thick and proud Mohawk that I would whoop is little quasi-eastern ass. He scored a royal donut the first run, and things were looking up for old billy. I was even making faces at him during my rides. It was like the ski-ward lord of all things saw this and then the evil god struck me down. It hurt more not because he wasn't as consistent as I was, I had consistency scored pretty high. In the end he just paddled better on that day, nothing hurts more than the truth. I am a mans man, Marlboro style, no mustache cowboy if there ever was one. I like doing manly things. I shoot guns, I drive an SUV, its covered with mud and I like it like that. I would shoot a handgun too if my wife would let me have one in the house... But being a man's man I really like to win. I have to say I have always been a bit greedy on that front. I take loosing as a personal insult. I feel its a testimate to the effort I put into things. To summarise my year in review, I win, I loose, I win, I loose and I will win again. My 2010 season with Jackson Kayaks.

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN???????

Coverage.

Paddling Films and Filming:Locals only Film. 

YouTube Hits

Videos Uploaded: 22
Video Views: 24,984 

Channel Views: 1,455 

Events/Festivals

ZOAR river Festival, Red deer river Festival, Moose festival, Palmer Festival, King of Clubs  

Team Trials:  Canadian Team (since 1997)  3rd.

Shop Visits:

Undercurrents, paddle shack, Boatwerks(no/pk), Gull River Shop(no/pk)

Postings:
15 Posts, 6 product reviews hundreds of email reply's.

Schools:

Taught Advanced to beginner Clinics to over 200 people this year, worked at WT teaching,
NRA taught for a week.
Free Clinics:
Palmer Festival, Boatwerks, Zoar, Red Deer, Moose. 

Books Sold:
   un-knowan Over 50+ Given away or handed out at festivals to beginners.

Kayaking Trip in Chile 2011, Billy Harris

Put in at Choshuenco

Adventure Chile


I flew into Chile last year with the help of Pucon Kayak Hostel to tour and prepare for a 2011 Trip into the heart of Chile.  The Trip is a river running based tour with an emphases on the Country's culture, its views and its food.  I joined Pucon Kayak Hostel and coached river running to children on rivers in the Pucon area.  This tour allowed me to get a comfortable feel for the culture, the safety of the country as well as the logistics.  Each step of the way will be taken care of. I run all the logistics with the help of my guide, and the guide and  I know the rivers well.  The following shows a break down of the trip, dates and even where to go for the best prices on flights.  I need 8 people to run the trip.  So far I have 6 interested parties.  I will need a bit more time to make sure that all the logistics are set up in Pucon before being able to pin down a min by min itinerary, but the majority of the leg work has been done.  I am looking for people who can roll, want an adventure and would like to go to Chile.  A play by play is listed below for the most part.  The flights are about 1200 to 900 $, the trip, travel coaching is 2000.00.  If you follow the expedia site, the total cost about should be about 3000$.  That includes everything but 3 meals. 

Dates- 02/08/2011- 02/17/2011

Day 1, 2/8- Fly overnight: Home airport(ottawa/toronto to Denver to Miami, Miami to Santiago/
Temuco.
Check this site from what I have found it is the best source. http://www.expedia.ca/pub/agent.dll?qscr=fexp&flag=q&city1=ottawa&citd1=temuco&date1=8/2/2010&time1=362&date2=17/2/2010&time2=362&cAdu=1&cSen=&cChi=&cInf=&infs=2&tktt=&trpt=2&ecrc=&eccn=&qryt=8&load=1&airp1=&dair1=&rdct=1&rfrr=-55055
Day 2, 2/9- Drive to Rio Trancura Base: Outfit boats/afternoon, safety orientation,
and Lower Trancura

Small Creek Boats

Lil Hero #2- purple/new

Jefe Chico- green/new

Big Boy Boats

Big Villain- New $25/day

Mega Rocker #2- Yellow/New/$25/day

Jefe Grande- Blue/New $25/day

Everest- Orange &Yellow/New/$25/day

Super Hero- Orange/New

Nomad 8.5- Red/Yellow

Gus- Yellow

Mid-Size Creek Boats

Villain S #1- New $25/day

Villain S #2- Green/New $25/day

Remix 59 #1- New $25/day

Remix 59 #1- New $25/day

Burn- New $25/day

Jefe #3- New Yellow/$25/day

Jefe #4- New Orange/$25/day

Jefe #5- New Orange/$25/day

Pyranha M3- Yellow

Mystic- Orange

Habitat- Green (has a crack) for sale $175

Diesel 75- Orange/Yellow

Mystik- Gree

The Base at Pucone Kayak Hostel

Day 3, 2/10- Rio Liucura surf and river run
Day 4, 2/11- Upper Trancura/activity

Day 5, 2/12- Upper Palguin/activity
http://www.rinimapu.cl/ ) for San Pedro
Day 6, 2/13- Day off option
Day 7, 2/14- Rio San Pedro + Drive to Choshuenco on Lago Panguipulli

This is the take out in Choshuenco

Day 8, 2/15- Huilo-huilo waterfalls (short hike)/Lower Fuy

lhttp://www.allsouthernchile.com/seven-lakes-siete-lagos-huilo-huilo-chile/133/257-the-magic-mountain-hotel-in-the-huilo-huilo-reserve.html

Day 9, 2/16- Upper Fuy/tour Hotel Baobab/final dinner
Day 10, 2/17- Drive to Temuco/fly home

Mission: Swamp Donkey Festival, wedding, liquid revenge and deer.

MISSION:

Swamp Donkey Festival, wedding, liquid revenge and deer.

Rockin out in the Large Villian.  

It’s Sunday and I am still feeling friday night’s gong show. My thoughts are on a fallen friend right now, who didn’t make it this year.  Benny Aylsworth, he’s not dead to me cause he’s got an excuse.  However it was pretty lame, (helping his dad, what a jerk) and he’s on life support in my books, but he was missed this year…. 

I lean outside to check on the boats as the monsters in the very full room wake up from tucked away locations around the room.  Our room smells like Puke, wet poly-pro and Matt’s noisy butt.  I lean back to see of our boats are still outside, my little red Jackson Rig still there, amazing really.  Cale Reeder filled our room with silly string, so we retaliated by breaking and entering into an open room.   While they were away we did all kinds of evil in their room but nothing too harmful.  We were waiting for the retaliation to the retaliation when we decided to visit last night.  I will never get that particular two hours back but we managed to loose a room phone, the hotel owners are not at all in good humor about.   We got back to the other room and they were coaxing a deer into the next door neighbors room, looking to trap it in there for the night or until she got back and generally doing stupid things.  Last time I saw them they were riding a cooler down a hill and had a standing bet of 1000 dollars to anyone that could get a LEVEL SIX dry top on the deer. I am ashamed to admit it but I actually gave it some serious thought, (my wife was not there)  I personally had one nibbling on my sox, ya, my sox yesterday so doing the deed to the deer would not have been too hard...  Explaining it to my wife would equal divorce, and rightfully so.  They are very tame around here and I have now lost all respect for the deer hunting shows on TV.  The deer down here are stupid, shooting one down here is a piece of cake, heck hunting them in town with a spear and a pair of fussy underwear as camouflage would work.   

On the river was amazing, there was a river wedding at Fowlers-ville Falls, the whole wedding party auto-boofing into pool at the same time wearing comber buns and the sunshine actually came out for the event.  As usual the Bride looked amazing, and the guys, well they just looked like dirty kayakers to me.  I think that the ring bearer, was some old woodsman with a Patagonia Polypro on.  Ill bet 5$ is smelled like paddling gear.  

We are on our Sunday now, recovery Sunday I call it.  Feels like being run over by a truck really.  Next stop the Muffin Patch, and back on the river.  

The moose festival isn’t really a festival more than it’s a cult now.  Hundreds of people running the river.  Put in’s lined up for ever, boat companies still sending their teams.  Its pretty amazing really. I know that Lyons falls next going to be taking it over next year.  Whatever the case, Everyone will be here.  Official Festival or not, see everyone next year.     

Graham Ball Hiding from the Paparrazi

Addition.  Ran the Osowagtchie, try spelling that one right.  Sunshine drop was sweet, the run was great and on a section that I had never seen before.  Ran it with the Five2Nine crew.  What a fun bunch of donkeys to ride with.  Thanks boys.  

Billy Harris 

On a Mission  (when am I not?)

Mission: Whambulance alert and Super mans decent.

I feel doubt these days, I am a kayaker through and through but like when I was young, at some point I realized that Super Man could fly, and I can’t.   It’s a tough bit of learning.  I clearly remember my last hope as I launched myself triumphantly off the garage.   My first thought, Oh gawd, my second thought,  “please let the dog walk under me right now”.  Each of us at some point will reach this stage I think, my first was on the ground at the garage door trying to breath and cry all at the same time.  Some people won’t get to this stage, but more than likely they will in my opinion I think.  It seems that the longer it takes for someone to find this place the harder he or she will hit the ground. 

I am lying in bed whining about how much I suck at math to my wife when I realized something.  Ok, so you’re a math moron no doubt.  But whining to your wife makes it way worse.  Then, “what would you have done if this was a kayaking trick”, my wife busts out on me.  I have learned in life that the biggest most painful thing your wife can do, it’s to lay out a piece of your advice, the same one that you dole out to others.  It would be better if she would just come out and say.  “Yo, hypocrite.  Suck it up sally and quit your whining.”  I almost hear myself with the, “but, but, but,” but I decide not to go on. 

I failed at school; a lot, math is just not something I am good at.  My brothers are both brilliant in that area.  My dad is some kind of genius; my mother is as sharp as a tack, and more than willing to use it, when you are being a smart ass to her.  Lucky me, I got the athletic gene.  The problem is the mind is willing but the body is, struggling.  When you go from being the best at something to the worst at something, or in my case a kayaker to math moron, it’s an even harder hill to climb.  So I get presented with a problem I have solved for many others but have not solved for myself.  I call it the, “Try Until Method”.  It goes like this.

Baby learning to walk gets put on his or her little fat feet and off he or she goes to do what, fall.  Baby doesn’t know how to be a douche bag to baby, so silently goes on after a good cry to try again.  Mom is silent about the mater; picking you back up to, try again.  We know this method works.  It’s why so many people walk; and every mother teaches us how to learn how to walk using the same method.  But only when we get older we decide to be a jerk to baby and that’s where this bit of whining starts.  I suck at math, but I will get better.

So time to dust off baby, pocket the thumb sucking, and get back to the business of learning grade 6 math and try again.

BIlly     

Mission: Locals Only, falling leaves and eviction notice.

Surfing with Jason Craig, about the nicest young guy I know.

ITs late in the season, all the demo boats are starting to come back to the house from gosh only knows.  Kelsey (known by many as The Runt)  moved out of my house back to the western side of Canada.  TIs weird having the house to myself.  Ray Borrato still lives in my attic, the little sister I never wanted taking Kesley's position on Harassment Detail.  I get called Fat boy again by her she's getting an eviction notice.

Filming for Locals Only with Kelsey was a lot of fun.  I am sure he's enjoying clipping stuttering out takes reminicent of kkk,ken Whiting's.  Being a big 12 year old didn't help my plight on that front.  All in all the time with him made me realize really how much I love home.  Nobody but me surfing at Garb and push.   Cool air in the am, falling leaves of red and orange.  Loosing tennis balls in the ground cover, Cursing the dog's inability to keep his eye on the ball.  (dam animal)  It is nice not to have Kelsey and his dam camera pointed at me, but sad to see him go too.

The video itself is a mystery, i have seen bits of it and watched hundreds of hours of kelsy parked at the dining room table working for endless hours.  Never realized how much went into video production.  Finding Music, editing, clipping, cataloguing......  guess thats why I paddle.


Check out the website and see what the video's about and peek at the news section too.
http://www.localsonlymovie.com/

http://www.localsonlymovie.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6:locals-only-crew-kills-it-at-team-trials&catid=2:news&Itemid=4

ALL Photos BY Emery Tillman (thanks Emery!)




My Friend Emery, took the shots at Lachine, Kelsey and the Uber talented Jason Craig in green.

Big Joe

Kelsey in yellow and my good side in red.

THE PALADA

THE PALADA IS AN EXTENDED ROLL.  PLACING ONE HAND ON THE BLADE OF THE PADDLE THE OTHER HAND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SHAFT.  SET IT UP ON THE SURFACE OF THE WATER FIRST, THEN ROLL.  PRACTICE THE SET UP HALF A DOZEN TIMES THEN DO THE SAME THING WHILE UNDER THE WATER. 

THE PALADA.

Mission: Snapping the Ivory and breaking the rules

VICIOUS......... 

I grew up getting beat up pretty regularly, school busses playground, hallways....  I sucked at fist fights still not that brilliant. One day I was taught a great lesson by a great man named Pat O'brien.  He had 12 brothers and sisters.  I asked, "Who won the fights around your house Pat".  his reply, ""the guy that got to the shovel first of course".  I was shocked.  "Dude, I said, thats not right.  he laughed,  "there are no rules to fighting", he said.  "Billy", he said, " use that farm boy power and get em on the ground.  Once there BITE THEM IN THE FACE!"  I said, "WHAT!?".  He says to me, "you never want to fight again, put the old ivory to em and bite them in the face."  He was right, it worked like a charm……..    that bite festered for a month, and everyone was horrified that I would break this unwritten rule of fighting…..  

ROLLING IS THE SAME WAY……………….  read on.

Did a clinic on the weekend.  Got to work with two ladies from the dorset area.  One girl who's partner paddles.  Just got a nice e-mail about how I teach, and the change, but something that just keeps coming up again and again needs to be addressed.  

Big Bird and Elmo clowning around.

Rolling is just as much a psychological test as it is a kayaking manover.  Rolling is more about the right approach and anxiety control as the physical move.  People think they are lifting their body out of the water… WRONG.  you are rolling the boat under neigh yourself….  and that explanation is where it starts. 

If your going to teach your friends try these tips to help them on their way.

Control their language about rolling.

Be sure that they are happy and excited and their language ESPECIALLY yours is all positive.  Remind them they are to flip the boat under their butts.  that is it.

Control their experience and use no short cuts.  

Get a dry suit or wet suit and get in the water with them.  Flip them, roll them swim in the water with the kayak.   Even take the time to swim with the paddle and put their head up inside the boat when its upside-down.  Comfort is everything when upside down.

Be consistent. Rolling to some person's rules Don't work.  Teach the roll that you use and be sure you have a couple different ways of teaching it.

USE THE PALADA!!!!!!!!!!!

Teach the roll as you normally would,  (head down, paddle high big sweep at the start hip flick)  is how I do it.  But when frustration and they are close,  teach the Palada.  Make sure that its when they are close.    Make sure that YOU KNOW they can get it, every time….    

RULES!!!!!!

The Rule for the plalada is simple.  Once the right way or standard way and, once the palada.  Its a psychological crutch as much as it is a method to get air….

Anyone who has a beef with this can contact me and tell me why.  I would be happy to crush their argument…

One last thing, GET A DUO and take em for a ride.....

b3harris@gmail.com

Mission: King of CLUBS

MIssion: KING OF CLUBS


Photo's By John Slot of KWP
More Photos at:  http://picasaweb.google.com/mccoy085/KWPRocksAtKingOfClubs2010?feat=email#
WIcked time on the ottawa this year that drew over 160 competitors the the River Run Camp ground this last weekend.  Each year the King of Clubs event draws the clubs together from all over Ontario and pits the paddling skills of each club against each other.  Started by this man Cale Reeder and his wife Steph with the Kawartha Whitewater Paddlers.

Cale 

STEPH

Head TO Head

  Cale a long time ago spent his time on the water rescuing me, a lot has changed since then but not his interest in growing the sport and helping others out.  The two of them with the help of many others put together head to head racing,

Monster Throw

Chained like dogs for Leaving Cales boat in a tree.....

 The event is for beginner Clubs, club members Beginer-mediates, beginners.  What a blast and adding things like Z drag comps, throwbag comps, boat tossing, tug of wars to keep the event a learning as well as a fun filled thing that people wanted to participate in.  It's hard to get people to compete these days.  So competitive is the race an freestyle sport that its hard to really get new people in.  But this weekendm convincing people to enter a relay, or get the throw bag toss lines fired up didn't take long.  No Prizes, No money, just pure Glory.  With some Rivalry tossed into the mix for good measure.  KWP, Bag pipes in all letting The Petawawa River rats, (Military boys) know they aren't the only people with Big Guns....

Causing all Kinds of Grief 

AMAZING TEAM EFFORT

BIlly Harris

Well done to the River Rats for taking this years Big Prize.  (GLORY)

MIssion: 3 bears and a Mohawk and The Canadian Team.

It was Finals and I had won every dam round till the top 5 so I figured I was in a good position to Kick Kelsey Thompsons Scrawny Little Butt.  The Bet was, I would get a mohawk if toll bag dropped the mustash.  The one that hides a knarly scar on his face from his 5th COUNT EM 5th time he smashed up his face.  He's not all that pretty to being with so the Mustash was helping him out and well to make a long story short.  Kelsey got Lucky.  The only time he beat me all comp he did so in finals, wiht the luckiest ride ever.  So I am sporting a mohawk these days........

Carly and I are staying with an old friend Michelle Earls who owns a business called Kananaskis Outfitters in, you guessed it in Kananaskis.  She rents bikes does bike tours and hiking canoeing kayaking you name it she does it and guides it.  So we went in to the shop and she took us out on a bike tour.  Michelle was blasting down a hill, dog and myself in hot pursuit when a YAK sized monster bolted from the trail right in front of us.  We blew by the beast and stopped on a bridge just about 30 yards away.   Massive Grizzly huge hump on its back and a colossal sized face.   Carly came trundling down the path moving like a slug with a heart condition.  By the time she showed we were yelling our heads off at this bear.  He was parked right beside the trail just looking at us, and here comes poky pants McDonald.  (I call her McDonald only when she is going to do something UN-Harris like….) 

We have all seen that movie when the main character of some animal flick is standing there just chewing its cud.  The main character is someone like bambi and right behind it  is this raging monster gaining ground teeth and nails nothing but bad intentions.  Deer just standing there, munching away some dark drumming noise background.  That deer was my wife.  We are yelling, “GO Carly GO, keep peddling keep going.”  Carly stops, puts her foot down and I Crap myself and have a heart attack all at the same time.  I am off my bike at this point doing the funky chicken waving, prancing and flapping like an idiot.  Carly says, “What”?   6 feet away and 6 feet up is a massive Grizzly.  He’s just cocking his head left and right looking at her.  Carly looks and only sees bushes.  But gets the point as I gain flapping momentum.  Carly will tell you she only stopped for a second.  It looked to me like she was stopping for dinner.   Needless to say I am still married.  But we now own Bear Spray and Carly can’t walk to the car without it.   Carly Claims Bears don’t Eat Vegans that’s why it isn’t a problem.. 

Add one grey hair to the patch I got growing on top.

Billy

Mission: Rude friends/ sweet luck and Undercurrents

I flew into Calgary for Jackson Kayaks, picked up my gear and the only car left in Calgary. Pimped out Ford with heated seats, I got it by luck. The Calgary Stampede is on. Parking is stupid, bars are full, booz is 7.50 a drink and I don’t wear a cowboy hat so I looked right out of place. I decided at the airport to see one of my best friends, Scott Fiendel. He Took a pretty hard hit creeking last year put him in the hospital for 3 months. He’s thinner now, but back to the boating and Kickboxing again and of course saying abusive things to me again. (he was nicer to me when he was broken) I never got around to teasing him about his drug induced phone calls at all hours of the night….. Opportunities lost… I arrived at Scottys and coun’t find my wallet. As it turns out it fell out of my sweet ride when I was loading up and lucky for me it got wedged in the step bar and the door frame. It rode like that to his house!!!!

Hit up the local shop to see another good friend of mine Tony. He’s a Jackson Super Store and holds almost every line I represent. He’s been a big supporter of the community there and offers everything at good prices. Each year he handles the boats I ship out there for events and comps. I took some shots of the shop as well as the most imposing photo of Tony I could muster….

Billy Harris



I attended an event the Red Deer River Festival.  here are some picks I took from the clinics.  I met another friend and rippin creeker Mikkel St. Jean-Duncan.  (I took me about 20 min to write his name.  HYPHENS...  GAWD...

This kids mother told him if he could loop the new star she would buy it for him.  She's out 1149.00 plus taxes....  sorry ma.....  it took 45 min to teach him...  thank's JK.  poor mom

Mission: Disposing of the Arrogance.

I am finding myself more and more often being beaten on the water. Some Kid named Adam who I have never met crushed me at Push Button the other day.  That combined with a visit from what was a good friend once along time ago set in motion some question’s. Who really is Billy Harris and how can he be better than he is.

I planted dark seeds along time ago and they started with Pat Camblin at Lachine many years ago.  I lashed out in anger and frustration and in doing sewed the seeds of divide between us that has only festered. The boys, Duce, Benny Marr and Pat dropped by the house to see Carly and I and it was there in in silence it started myself on a path of reflective emotions. Pat sat at the table not sure how to feel about me, I could see it in his eyes.  I superimposed my belief systems on him and in doing so alienated him and myself. My pride, frustration, and anger back then, and even now dig deep.  “A thorn can be pulled out but internal thorns need to be realized in the mind.”  (Dalai Lama)  I need to know why I felt anger then, jealousy and dismay at myself and Adam and the crushed feelings I have had at being beaten at worlds so many times. 

It started and still do in many ways identify my self as Billy Harris the paddler, coach and athlete.  I have always thought that Billy was what he made of himself.  To a lesser extent the coaching and help I have offered over the years to the greats of paddling.   I always felt that I was apart of the learning that they young terrors reign have had on the freestyle and big trick features around the world.  I have had thousands of hours on the water practicing and when watching their success’s Pringles, at world cup, Joel and Nick at worlds, yappa in oz. I have always felt that I helped in many ways to create the foundation for that talent to grow on.   But in the end it never had much to do with me at all, not for Pat, not for any of them.  I built up the importance of it in my mind and felt hurt and anger when it swung around to haunt me later.  I followed a garden path of my own self importance and grew the seeds of anger and jealousy now I am left thorny branches, branches I now try cutting off at the base. 

But the only way to gain understanding of how I feel when I get beaten buy these guys is by not letting anger, pride jealousy exaggerate the importance of how things really exist.  I must see that at no time that I really am billy harris the paddler.  I Struggle to give up my false beliefs even now.  The seeds have gown tall and the pruning should have started years ago.  I work hard now to see myself as I really am, I feel that it’s the only way that I will ever find peace and liberation.

Billy Harris

Mission: Re-Education and goodbye to the Gang at NRA (huge experiences)

One of the students flew past me on his butt following his boat, he looked like he was riding a jack-hammer, his arms and legs flailing and kicking all the way down. He picked himself up at the bottom, rubbed his butt looking up.  He looked at me and chuckled and went about retrieving his boat from the river.  Better watch my step I thought to myself as the next student blew past me flailing.  Four of the six students so far fell, slid or dropped their boats hiking in or at the put in.  What a great way to start the day I thought to myself with a smile.  I know it’s the sadistic streak in me, the teachers all here love their jobs just as I do.  That being said most of us like to take a bit of pleasure in someone else’s pain from time to time and I think it’s healthy in a twisted kind of way.  All the lessons here I feel, are best taught by themselves. Each day at the end of the river run I ask the same thing.  “OK kiddies, what did you learn today”.  The reason I ask that question it so the people realize they have to take responsibility for that learning. But accidents are great in a way I think.  They in them selves carry the weight of action and consequence without the politics of the punishing administrator. Thus the small glean of delight one takes as an educator in days like these.  

That way when the digger happens, lesson and punishment get all rolled up into one tight little entertainment package for me.  It’s what makes these river schools like NRA so great to me.  In standard school there is no control by the educators any more.  Its all been taken away.  When I was a student I used to fear the stick, the strap, the teacher.  The worst of the worst, “go to the principals office”.  But these times are different.  Parents don’t take responsibility any more none of those great tools are used any more.  Students take the cue from ma and pa and don’t take responsibility either.  There is no action and consequence any more only this sense of entitlement.  But not here not in this place, who’s fault is it that you fell down the rocks again. “OH THAT PERSON IS YOU”  I hope to send my little monsters to this school someday and lets be honest.  Someone else is going to snicker at my little beast when he/or she, takes a digger on a jungle trail someday too.

Tacked on some photos