Editor’s note: For 30 years the Tsunami Rangers hosted an Extreme Sea Kayak race every spring. The first race was held at Rodeo Beach near San Francisco, California but the event eventually ended up with a permanent home at Miramar Beach in Half Moon Bay. A great big shout out to our friends who took […]
Search Results for: sea gypsy race
History of the Tsunami Rangers Sea Kayak Race – Part 8
Editor’s Note: This is the story of the 1995 race, written by Kent Barber who was introduced to the event by Tom Cromwell, a kayaker from Washington State who had raced before. This was Kent’s first time participating in the event, and he did it justice in his article, which appeared in Bay Currents, the […]
History of the Tsunami Rangers Kayak Race – Part 7
Editor’s Note: This article about the 1994 race was written by Paul McHugh, a frequent competitor in the Tsunami event. Here’s his bio: Paul McHugh has been a paddlin’ fool for nearly five decades now, and counting. He’s also been an outdoor sports/environment/resource/adventure journalist for about that long, 22 years of it as a feature writer/editor […]
History of the Tsunami Rangers Sea Kayak Race – Part 6
Editor’s note: This is the second article in our Race Series this month. It’s about the 1993 Viking’s Day race. It was published in Bay Currents, the BASK (Bay Area Sea Kayakers) newsletter. We didn’t have a select batch of photos from this particular race so we’ve inserted representative photos from other 90’s races for […]
History of the Tsunami Rangers Sea Kayak Race – Part 5
Editor’s Note: Last May, in honor of the long run of the Tsunami Sea Kayak Race, we published 4 consecutive articles chronicling the beginnings of the race at Rodeo Beach and Pacifica. The last article covered the “Devil’s Dare” race in 1991, which started at Pacifica State Beach and ended at Michael Powers’ house at […]
Sea Kayaking Personalities: Are YOU a Herbert?
“Herbert was a minor official notorious for his limited and rigid patterns of thought.” – First Officer Spock, from the original Star Trek episode “The Way to Eden” We should tackle reality in a slightly jokey way, otherwise we miss its point. – Lawrence Durrell Bah, humbug! – Ebenezer Scrooge The Tsunami Rangers are known […]
Reef Madness 2014 – Sea Kayaking Mayhem Strikes Again!
by Ed Anderson Editor’s note: Thanks so much for this post to Ed Anderson who always does such an amazing job as Master of Ceremonies and Paddler Extraordinaire at Reef Madness. And thanks too to Lars Howlett and Jim Kakuk for all the great photos. Paddle. Party. Piracy. That’s a perfect day! Sunday June 8th […]
The 8th Annual Reef Madness Extreme Sea Kayak Race July 2013
by Ed Anderson (Editor’s note: Ed Anderson has been addicted to kayaking since being introduced by Tsunami Ranger Michael Powers in 2004. In addition to working in executive protection, he is an avid kayak surfer, professional guide and instructor, and barbecue devotee.) The line of the swell was almost indistinguishable in the deeper water from […]
Who’s Your Sea Kayaking Mentor?
men’tor, n. (from Mentor, the friend and counselor of Odysseus and Telmachus) a wise and faithful counselor (Webster’s New Twentieth Century Dictionary) Everyone needs a mentor, especially when undertaking a new and challenging endeavor. The Tsunami Rangers have mentored many sea kayakers. Tsunami Ranger Eric Soares introduced me to extreme sea kayaking in 1996. […]
Lore, Legends, and Magic – Magical Thinking and the Tsunami Ranger Approach to Sea Kayaking
“Let me not hear facts, figures and logic; fain would I hear lore, legends and magic.” (From “Roots of Oak” by Donovan) What is magical thinking? I first encountered this phrase in an article about grief. A man had died of cancer and his 11-year old daughter thought she was responsible for her father’s death […]
Once More Into the Breach! The Reef Madness Sea Kayak Race Celebrates Its 7th Year
by Ed Anderson (Editor’s note: Ed Anderson has been addicted to kayaking since being introduced by Tsunami Ranger Michael Powers in 2004. In addition to working in executive protection, he is an avid kayak surfer, professional guide and instructor, and barbecue devotee.) Reef Madness is an open ocean celebration of sea kayaking. Like its predecessor […]
Reef Madness Kayak Race Coming Up
Mayday! Midday! Miramar! That’s right. You’re not crazy. The ravens squawked that at midday on May Day at Miramar Beach the Reef Madness Kayak Race will take place. At high noon an explosion will signal a passel of kayak racers to burst through five-foot surf and head north to Pillar Point, home of the […]
Reef Madness, 2009 – by Anders Landin
Editor’s Note: For various reasons, 2005 was the last official Tsunami Ranger Sea Gypsy Race, but the very next year the race returned as Reef Madness. As Eric wrote in his book, Confessions of a Wave Warrior, “an anonymous consortium of brave and cunning paddlers on the San Mateo coast resurrected the race, minus the […]