One of the most exciting things to happen this year was receiving an order from The Ocean Dragons, an extreme sea kayaking team from Galicia, Spain. Oscar Alvarez, aka “Fugy”, sent me an email. In it he described finding a copy of the Tsunami Ranger’s Anthology in a rare bookstore while on a visit to the U.S. The Dragons had a copy of Soares and Powers’ Extreme Sea Kayaking but the Anthology really sparked their interest. They ordered copies of Eric’s Confessions and every video the Rangers ever produced, even the VHS videos. I was stoked. This is what it’s all about. In “How to Become A Tsunami Ranger” Eric had acknowledged that the time is ripe for passing the torch.
While the Tsunami ethos (HELL and all that) is something we can all exemplify both on and off the water, the nuts and bolts of extreme sea kayaking happen on the waves in the rocks and caves. The next generation of extreme sea kayakers is launching and they’re hot! The Ocean Dragons deserve an introduction to the world via the Tsunami Ranger website. Here it is in their own words. (Note: click on each photo to see a big and beautiful version!)
So now you get the idea. Let’s hear what The Ocean Dragons have to say in their own words:
Now let’s hear from Alberto Rocha:
And last but certainly not least, here’s Roberto Garcia:
It’s thrilling to know that The Ocean Dragons are out there smashing and bashing, pushing themselves and the boundaries of sea kayaking. I am very grateful to all of them for their interest in the Tsunami Rangers. It’s so exciting to know that the dream lives on, and not just in our small corner of the world here on the Northern California/Southern Oregon coast. The tribal ethos, the nonconformity, the enthusiasm, it’s all here. Long life and happy paddling to the Spanish dudes. I raise my glass to you. Go Ocean Dragons!
Very exciting to see new extreme kayak tribes cropping up! Looking forward to seeing more of the Ocean Dragons. Cheers, FP
For me, magical is the word. How these guys got hold of the Anthology – it’s really a stunner. There are not a lot around. Eric would be so happy and proud. Then again, perhaps he orchestrated it all 😉
Thank you very much for the article, we are very grateful for your words.
The books “Anthology” and “confessions”… it is truly a gift to be able to see the people behind the paddles, really helped us find the way.
About your comment, I have no words … it is a thought so beautiful and emotive…
In one way or another, it is comforting for us to think that in our hearts there is a small part of Eric feeding the flames of the dragons
Thanks, Nancy, always great to hear from others who like to go for it on the high seas! I bookmarked their website, and as an added bonus for me, their site allows you to choose Spanish as a language, so now I can read of their exploits and practice my Spanish at the same time ( one of my daughters is married to a Mexican, they live in Cuernavaca where she is a teacher and he is a grad student). Love their photos of kayaking on a “zipper” and rock gardening at night!
Tony
Thank you so much Tsunami Rangers.
“to feel wild and free and share it with your tribe” – perfect!
With social media and better personal waterproof cameras we see more wild and free moments of sea tribes all over the world almost as it happens (along with the Ocean Dragons I’m really enjoying Neptunes Rangers vids at the moment). I can only imagine how many hidings cameramen got pre GoPro trying to capture these moments with the camera in hand and not on the paddle!
Good post Nancy
Tess
@ Tony, glad you enjoyed the post! Yay, more new stories! @ Roberto, you’re very welcome! It was a pleasure, and I got to learn more about WP trying to figure out how to get your postcards to post well 🙂 @ Tess, I know, the Dragons totally found the grooveline. And thanks for reminding everyone about the Neptune’s Rangers, already featured on this site. They always deserve a mention.
Nancy, Eric’s inspiration and spirit lives on in every corner of this wild blue planet. It is great to see the seed that Eric, Jim and the other Tsunami Rangers had planted has germinated and grows stronger around the world. Bravo to “Fugy” and the Ocean Dragons!
Regards,
Wayne
Glad you enjoyed the post, Wayne. This one makes me feel so hopeful and happy. I’m really grateful to the Ocean Dragons and to everyone who is participating in this blog by reading, commenting, and/or writing articles. There sure are a lot of wonderful people in the world, and a heck of a lot of them are kayakers.
So cool!
Rock on, mighty Ocean Dragons! Thanks for a wonderful, uplifting post, Nancy.