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