Kalama--Possessed

[PonoBill]

Wow, just Wow.

http://www.davidkalama.com/2011/03/05/possessed/

[XLR8]

Pretty great report.  Kind of daunting to think I may have to burn for 15 hours before I get 100% in the zone.  Karma is a machine.

[Southbay]

Could not agree with you more Bill.  What an inspiring story...life and surfing.

[Pureadrenalin]

IMHO this is the best from DK. The breath is everything.

[PonoBill]

Yeah. I read it yesterday when he was still drafting it. I was blown away. I suggested he split it into two stories, but he didn't want to, and I'm glad he didn't listen to me--it works great the way he finally did it.

I know there's folks that still think I'm ghosting this stuff for him. I wish. My contribution was some spelling and grammar changes. It's all Dave. I hope he keeps telling these stories and sharing this kind of insight.

[pdxmike]

My favorite thing about Dave's writing is that the fact that he's writing about standup paddling is only incidental.  There's always lots to learn about paddling, but he writes in a way you can also apply what he's saying to other sports, or to life in general.  

Plus, he makes a good case for spending time alone with your thoughts.  Not that being on the water for hours at a time will make anyone as good a writer or observer as he is, but having unstructured time alone with your thoughts certainly is valuable.  Too bad it's becoming uncommon, and people are unappreciative and even afraid of it--starting with kids having parents who make sure they're enrolled in constant organized, structured activities from birth.  

That could be why there seems to be quite a few good thinkers among paddlers and surfers.  Or it could also be that people who can be comfortable with their own thoughts are attracted to activities like those.  

I'm also amazed at  the mental strength it must take for someone to paddle for the extended periods and prolonged level of effort that he describes.  

[bing]

Great story.  Inspiration for those long 10+ mile races.  They seem so short and puny compared the trek he was on.  But of course he is DK.

[Six Feet and Glassy]

The "after paddling for 15 hours" thing just stops me dead.  As a comparison, the Molokai Channel race is done in 5-6 hrs, no?   So after fifteen hours, or 2.5 Molokai races, THEN he started pushing?!?!?!

Farging amazing.  Other-worldly amazing.  Dave and Laird amazing.

The lesson on pushing yourself is inspiring, of course.  But the numbers just freak me the hell out!

[headmount]

My favorite thing about Dave's writing is that the fact that he's writing about standup paddling is only incidental.  There's always lots to learn about paddling, but he writes in a way you can also apply what he's saying to other sports, or to life in general. 

Plus, he makes a good case for spending time alone with your thoughts.  Not that being on the water for hours at a time will make anyone as good a writer or observer as he is, but having unstructured time alone with your thoughts certainly is valuable.  Too bad it's becoming uncommon, and people are unappreciative and even afraid of it--starting with kids having parents who make sure they're enrolled in constant organized, structured activities from birth. 

That could be why there seems to be quite a few good thinkers among paddlers and surfers.  Or it could also be that people who can be comfortable with their own thoughts are attracted to activities like those. 
Mike, Perfect comment.  I agree and really am stoked to see Dave's articles that feature his willingness to share the real stuff... like having your finger on the trigger of something that can explode when maxing at 100% for hrs on end.  The risk, man it's in the beyond.  My max is maybe 10 seconds at 100% but I've also exploded my heart and know what that's like.  It's outasight to see a young guy like him who still has that huge reservoir of confidence.

I'm also amazed at  the mental strength it must take for someone to paddle for the extended periods and prolonged level of effort that he describes. 

[exetersup]

Aloha, Dave!

[Boludo]

Very inspiring.  Thanks for sharing.

[Piros]

What a great read, it felt like I was in Dave's head.
 
Just love this analogy :-

His might comes from within, within his heart and his mind.  There is never doubt in his actions, there is never caution in his movements, only confidence. To me that is real strength.


How good is that...

[PonoBill]

It's been the most popular post he's done so far. Had a big impact on me. I discovered I've got quite a bit more oomff than I thought I had. Pretty weird thing for a 64 year old lifelong adrenaline junkie to learn.

[pdxmike]

I just overdid it in the inspiration department.  First I read the article, then last night I watched Without Limits, one of the three movies about Steve Prefontaine.  (I've seen them all more than once.)  What amazing people. 

A big message of the movie was Pre's coach, Bill Bowermen, telling his team that on the surface, running is an absurd pastime, but if you run hard enough, you'll learn things that you can apply to the even more absurd pastime of life.  The Dave Kalama articles always make that connection to the bigger picture for me. 

[stoneaxe]

Wow is right....great post!

I'll never reach the levels that Dave has obviously but I have experienced a bit of what he speaks of. In my early days of learning to SUP, when I was REALLY struggling to just stay upright, it was getting into the zone that helped me overcome my lack of balance. I found it helped to focus on just the next bit of chop that was going to hit, block out everything else and just make it over that one, then the next, then the next. One day I looked up and realized I had run out of beach, 3 miles and about an hour of paddling seemed like an instant, I didn't remember passing any of the landmarks along the way and hadn't fallen even once.

I wonder if facing a challenge that requires such focus whether it be chasing Laird while crossing a channel 15 miles in or just standing for more than a minute at a time in one foot chop coupled with the repetition that paddling requires can bring on a sort of hypnosis that allows you to do something you might not think was possible otherwise. I know that prior to that day I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever get it. I still struggled occasionally after that day but in my head I knew it was possible and it kept me going.

I've never been quite able to get that deep since, i've come close on some long solo training runs and the last few miles of last years CCBC required some serious focus but I think the distraction of 40+ other folks paddling nearby didn't allow for it.