"I kayak to surf," a friend once told me on the Grand Canyon. We were sitting
in an eddy next to an eye-peeling wave and he had just finished the ride of
his life. His poetic waxing, most likely, was a result of adrenaline, oxygen
deprivation, general exhaustion and, of course, a healthy dose of euphoria.
But even in this mind-altered state, his words rang true. Whether you're
catching a swell in a touring kayak en route to a beach landing, digging
upstream to surf a soggy inflatable, surfing wind-chop in a fully laden canoe
or spinning 360s in a planing hull, few feelings in paddling match that of a
solid surf. It's a sensation that's hard to describe. When gravity and water
join forces to propel your craft faster than even Arnold Schwarzenegger's arms
could muster, time gets put on hold and loses all meaning. Deadlines dissolve,
mortgages become irrelevant and significant others become slightly less
significant. For the time you're on the wave, everything else in the world
slides to the back burner, leaving just you, your boat and the wave.
We wish we could say that surfing our new website (www.aca-
paddler.org/paddler) provides that same sort of thrill, that charge of
adrenaline as you hold on for the ride. In truth, however, we fully understand
that it pales in comparison to the real McCoy (anyone who feels differently
might want to re-assess their priorities). But even though it falls far short
of the exhilaration of surfing a Grand Canyon glassy, we can't help but be a
little excited about this newest addition to our publishing arsenal. It might
not have the bells and whistles of a site put out by Microsoft or Websites-R-
Us, but it has at its core what has made Paddler what it is today.
It doesn't contain the whole magazine, mind you--that's what subscriptions and
cover prices are for. But it contains cross sections of each and every issue,
from gear reviews and letters to the editor to Hotline briefs, Eco blurbs and
full-length features. You'll also find that Paddler Online offers a lot more,
including several things that aren't in the magazine. One is a direct link to
all of our advertisers, letting you access their websites with the click of
your mouse. Another is access to back issues (starting in Feb. '98) so you can
reference past stories. The site also contains the latest calendar listings
for paddling events throughout the country, information on how to subscribe
and advertise, and a special feature that lets you e-mail the editor to share
thoughts on anything from past articles to problems plaguing your favorite
waterway. If you're e-mailing us in the spring or summer, however, be prepared
to wait a little while for a response. While you're surfing our website,
chances are we'll be doing the same on our favorite waterway.
--Eugene Buchanan