Trading Bonds In For Board Shorts

Another excerpt from “Trading Bonds In For Board Shorts”:

Chapter 2: Elvis Lives

It was June 11, almost three and a half years ago, when we officially moved from the city. Everything is still a little blurry about the whole day, with the exception of actually leaving the house. Hailey and I had stuck around to make one last thorough walk through and to drive the U-Haul I had personally packed with all my electronics and work computers. We had planned on making our escape as painless as possible without making too many goodbyes with our friends.

This is partly my fault, since I admit that at my old age I have turned into a sap and am terribly weepy at goodbyes. I want them done as quickly and painlessly as possible. Hell, I’m just a sap overall. I get teary eyed at almost anything now: watching my younger brother Andy get married, Phillip Phillips grand finale singing “Home” on American Idol, seeing “Baby” get put in the corner…I think you get the point.

So, Hailey and I tried to make our escape, only to see our next door neighbors coming home from dinner from the local spot around the corner. These weren't only our neighbors, but some of our best friends to this day. While I could write a whole chapter about our friendship, let just say it all started with these three ingredients: a sleeveless t-shirt, coconut glasses filled with Tori’s rum concoction and inflatable palm trees. Don’t ask. 

So, as I’m buckling Hailey up in the passenger seat of this U-Haul to make our great escape, they come home. We said our goodbyes as it were nothing: we all hugged and we left. It wasn't until I was on the Dan Ryan heading out of the city when it hit. I cried like a baby…thank goodness Hailey had fallen asleep. 12 years in the city and now we were gone. 12 years of friends, family and memories and we just ripped it off like a Band-Aid. It hit. And it hit hard.

To ease our transition, we spent the weekend at our cottage in Sister Lakes. We had bought the cottage on a whim after driving back and forth from Chicago to Ann Arbor every weekend while planning our wedding. After driving this route over and over, we thought to ourselves: “Wouldn't it be awesome to have a cottage on a lake that was right between Chicago and home?”  

So, instead of dreaming about it, we found a way to pull it off. And it was the best decision we've ever made--besides marriage and kids. There have been so many memories built at that place that it’s really our second home. Hence, that’s why it was our safe refuge after bailing Chicago.

After nearly a month of living here in Grand Haven, we started feeling the effects of our city life in Chicago. While we loved the ability of being able to experience the outdoors and beach living here, we missed our social life from the city. We still didn't know anyone. The kids were out of school, so there was no other way to meet the parents in the area. We missed the days of walking down the street to visit friends, only to be greeted “Hey Guys! Want to open a bottle of wine?!” Dumbest question ever. We missed those days. And it was only a month.

So, for whatever reason, we had signed up as a family to run the Coast Guard 5k here in Grand Haven. None of us are really runners, so we pretty much signed up to partake only for the community activities. We just knew the Coast Guard Festival was big here…after all, this is Coast Guard City. 

A few days prior to running, I had the bright idea to bring to Tori: “Hey! We have no friends, and nobody knows us…how about I dress as Elvis and run? That way everyone knows how I roll from here on out?” I had no arguments. Only disbelief that I actually would do it.

That shocks me though, considering I have worn the Elvis costume for years. The first time actually being the night for Tori’s fundraiser in Chicago for the Avon Walk For Breast Cancer. She had trained for months to finish this walk she believed in…a marathon the first day, half marathon the second. In order to partake in it, she had to raise over $1800 in funds which were donated to the cause. 

As such, she held an awesome karaoke event at our local dive bar. What most people didn't know was that nearly half the day, I had a polyester Elvis costume hidden underneath my normal clothes. Classy. It was late in the evening of this event, that I had the KJ (Karaoke Jockey) announce Elvis singing “All Shook Up” when I popped out of the bathroom in my attire. I had grown to do this type of stuff in Chicago.

This race was different though. It was 7 am. In a town where I knew nobody. And I was sober. Thank God I had spray painted my running shoes royal blue and was by myself. I felt real comfortable…

~Kunu

Trading Bonds In For Board Shorts

An excerpt from “Trading Bonds In For Board Shorts”:


Chapter 1: The Decision
Have you ever had a gut feeling that you just knew was right? No matter how painful, stressful or unsure you were…you just knew it was right? This happened for us about 4 years ago. We were living in Chicago at the time and absolutely loving it, however something greater was pulling at us. We had been talking about moving out of the city for a long time, but we could never pull the trigger since we loved the city so much. Greater than that, we loved our friends, family and community that we had grown to know over the 12 years of living there. We LOVED Chicago. 

However, at this time 4 years ago we knew that something had to change. Like most people in the economic downturn, life began to drastically change. Kids were getting older, my job wasn’t as lucrative, nor as fun. It’s pretty stressful when you are a government bond trader and the Federal Reserve has interest rates at zero. It’s almost like being a farmer in the middle of a 5 year drought. We were spent…emotionally, financially and just overall too “on edge”. This wasn’t us. We needed a simpler life. 

It was around this time—maybe a little before, I’m not sure since my dates are always fuzzy in my head—that I decided to take the family camping. I rented an rv in the city with the plan of heading to Grand Haven, MI to stay at Yogi Bear Campground. I’m not sure if anyone has ever driven a 20+ foot rv through Chicago traffic, but let’s just say it was not my finest moment in keeping my language clean. After we pulled in the campground well after 11pm in our 1-800-GO-RVING camper and trying to back into our campsite (while never have done this before), the locals came from their campfires with Budweisers in hand and offered to help. Awesome. 

The next day, we were awoken by the beautiful sounds of young Jake playing the car horn in the front seat. At 6am. Hours later, Tori had set the smoke alarm off cooking bacon for me in the camper. To say the least, this trip started off a disaster. That was until we went to Meijer to restock food supplies…and beer/wine. I dropped Tori off at the door and parked way out in the lot, just so I didn’t piss any more locals off. A half hour later, Tori came out smiling as happy as I’ve seen her. She shut the rv door and says “We’re moving here. The people here are so friendly”. I laughed. Really. “We’re moving to Grand Haven because of a nice Meijer?” We had a great time on that camping trip though, we really did. Even though we swore we would never do it again, we have proceeded to go camping numerous times since. 

Anyway, it was 5 years ago on our family Spring Break vacation down in Seaside, Florida when the lightbulb went off. After spending the week in the ocean, riding bikes on the seaside and just living the beach town life…we both knew we had to be living near the water. We needed to move. 
We discussed every possible location you could think of: St. John in the Virgin Islands, Mexico, California, the Outer Banks of North Carolina, Tahiti. You name it, we researched it. 

While it’s great to dream big, sometimes it’s also smart to be practical. Especially when you have your kids future lives involved. So, we became practical. We narrowed down our choices to Ann Arbor, MI (where we met, got engaged and married---and seemed to have the perfect ending with moving there) and yes, Grand Haven, MI. This was all thanks to seeing the documentary “Unsalted” and the urge to learn surfing on the Great Lakes. Again, my fire was stoked…I needed to be on the water. Practical? Nah.

It wasn’t until we signed the contract on our Chicago house to sell it when it all became real. I’ll never, ever forget seeing that sign being dug in the front yard that said “For Sale”. My heart sunk. I couldn’t breathe. I wanted to puke. I almost yelled out the front door to take it out. I LOVED Chicago, but I knew it was the right decision. So, there stood the “For Sale” sign.

It was 8 days later, when we were actually back in Ann Arbor for a football alumni event and house shopping, when I got the call: “We have a serious offer on your house”. Woah. In a crappy housing market, this wasn’t expected. I thought we had time to think about everything. We didn’t. We had looked in Grand Haven the week before, but that was more of wishful thinking. A dream. But we had looked in Ann Arbor for years. And years. And years. Pretty much since Hailey was born (10 years ago!). Something wasn’t right. Don’t get me wrong…I love Ann Arbor. But sometimes you just know. 

It wasn’t until our last showing in Ann Arbor when it hit. We had just finished seeing a house, in a nice neighborhood, close to the stadium. Something wasn’t right. We needed to be on the water. 

We finished the home tour and our realtor and I got to talking when she asked: ”Well, where else are you looking?” I told her: “Only Ann Arbor and Grand Haven on the west side.” Her response is something I’ll never forget either: “If I were you, I’d move to Grand Haven”. If your realtor in Ann Arbor tells you that you should live in Grand Haven, it’s a done deal. While I might have laughed that day when Tori came in the rv…she was right. 

So, as you may conclude…we bought a house in the Grand Haven area. While my legit career is mobile…did either of us move for a real job? Nah. Did we have any family here? No. Did we have any friends here? Nope. If you talk about doing something on gut feeling, this was it. There was no guarantee. There was no safety net. And I loved it.

~Kunu

California Dreamin'

How would you feel about spending a week of SUP, sun and fun in California...for work? It seems like a crazy concept, but here at Knee Deep that's exactly how we kicked off the month of October!  

I know, I know...really?  For work?  Hard to believe, but yes, we actually went out to work.  Did we paddleboard?  Yes.  Did we goof off a lot? You know it.  Did we have the time of our life?  Hell yes!  But back to my point...this really was a work trip. 

Great question

There were three main reasons we headed out to California: 1) Attend the second annual SUPIA (Stand Up Paddle Industry Association) Summit  2) Meet up at the PaddleFit Coaches Event and 3) Compete in The Battle Of The Paddle. 

Day 1 started off with us flying out of Chicago Midway.  While flying is nothing new to me (especially from Chicago), traveling with my own paddle was.  

With Battle Of the Paddle looming, my own paddle was a must

After landing at LAX and making it to our condo in Dana Point, our first stop was to make a trip down to the beach.  With an impending huge swell coming in, we figured it was a must to check on the conditions

It was windy and choppy, but no huge waves...yet

Day 2 was when the "work" began at the SUPIA Summit.

Rough place to meet

After a day of learning industry insights, it was time for the Taco Tuesday Party!!! 

Goofin' off with Brent from Northern SUP
and Eric from SUP Oklahoma

Day 3 started off with a board meeting...

Wayner was a little nervous about heading out, since he had never paddled in the ocean before...but he rocked it!

The old man and the hippie

The best part about being in the paddleboard industry is the awesome people we get to meet and become friends with

Wayner, Mark & Kim from Downunder CT, 

some ugly dude and Tyler from FCS 

There was such a great collection of knowledge that was assembled at the SUPIA Summit.  People from all over the world and various segments of the industry gathered to share their insights. We definitely came back to Michigan wiser and excited to continue giving everyone the best possible experience on the water!

SUPIA Summit 

Day 4 was a treat...we got to sleep in since we really had nothing planned for the day.  We decided to drive down the coast to check a few things out in San Diego, but not before Wayner made a new friend in the condo.

"No, Wayner...we can't take him home"

Since we really had no timetable for the day, we decided to cruise along the coast.  If you've never driven down Pacific Coast Highway in California, we highly recommend putting it on your bucket list.  Not only are the views amazing, the surf towns south of L.A. are pretty awesome to check out.  Not to mention, you can find some pretty cool dives to eat in...

Our kind of place!

After cruising the coast for a few hours, we decided to visit our friends at the YOLO Board shop in San Diego.  

There's that old guy again

Since we were in the area, we decided to head a little further to Coronado and check out the PaddleFit headquarters where they teach certification classes.

Not a bad spot to launch from, eh?

It was getting late in the day, so we needed to get back to Dana Point to meet up with our friends, Lance and Peecoon, for drinks and dinner.  We had met them when we hosted PaddleFit Certification back in May in Grand Haven, Michigan and have stayed friends since.   While we expected a harmless dinner with friends, the night had other plans for us.  Some other friends decided to join us and long story short...there was a plank-off (don't ask) and we closed the place down.

The more the merrier!

Day 5 started off with us meeting fellow PaddleFit coaches at the Infinity Surf factory, where they custom make surfboards and standup paddleboards.  We got to hear and see firsthand how boards are made by the legendary Steve Boehne, who has been shaping boards since 1960.

Talking to us outside the factory

Pretty cool video clip of a board being shaped and cut...

Wayner talking shop with Dave Boehne (aka "The Brown Blur" on the racing circuit)

Right up his alley

Checking out how they hand shape and sand the boards

Pretty amazing what goes into making a quality board

Some of the finished products

Oooooohhh...pretty

After we left the factory, we grabbed a quick bite to eat before meeting the group for an afternoon paddle

View from the office

We even got to play around on a tandum paddleboard...and the S.S. Quadnundrum

The S.S. Quadnundrum

It's so great to be part of the PaddleFit family!

Leaders and best

The day ended just we way we love it--food and beer at a neat place called The Surfin Cowboy.  

Yee Haw

We couldn't get too carried away though...The Battle Of The Paddle loomed for me in the morning. And by loomed, I really mean doomed. While enjoying some beers at The Surfin Cowboy, my friend Eric from SUP Oklahoma showed me this picture of conditions at Salt Creek where the race was to be held...

Uh oh
   

Day 6: The Battle Of The Paddle.  Widely regarded at the Superbowl Of Standup Paddleboarding, The Battle Of The Paddle stands as the largest paddleboard race in the world.  Top racers from around the globe descend upon Dana Point this weekend hoping to be crowned Battle Of The Paddle Champion. 

Not only is known as "The Superbowl", but it's also considered one of the most intense races and has also earned the reputation for "NASCAR On Water" due to the number of crashes during the race.

To make it even more fun, event organizers changed locations this year to Salt Creek.  It's known in the area for it's wicked surf break...great for surfing, not so much for an inland paddler from Michigan.  With an impending huge swell forecasted to hit at race time, they highly recommended helmets for the race. I made sure to score one a day early...

First time paddling in a helmet

So, after a sleepless night of constantly tossing and turning due to "What the hell have I gotten myself into?" running through my brain, it was time to make our way to Salt Creek to check in for the race

Scene of the crime

After anxiously waiting in line, my registration was 100% official.  The idea had been bouncing around in my head all week to check out the conditions and then make a final decision. I decided to do it backwards...I made the decision and then checked conditions later. People even tried to talk me out of it, but there was nothing going to stop me from crossing that finish line.

Game time!

Saaaaay....it doesn't look that bad from up here....

It actually looked kinda fun!

Even the rest of Team SupLove seemed ready to rock it...

...except the dude in the green helmet. I seriously can't remember the last time I was this scared.  Sure, I love to play in the waves in Lake Michigan, but this was a different ballgame.

No brown marks=good sign

And off we went...

Hmmm...overhead waves

These few pictures pretty much sum up the race....

  

After 4 brutal miles, I finally crossed the finish line...

Greeted by Lance at the end

The best part about finishing...celebrating in the beer tent!

Cheers to surviving!

We might have had a few more beers and stuck around to watch the Elite Race finals, but it took all my energy to make it back home for the night.  That race was brutal...4 complete wipeouts, 3 boards taken to my head, 2 near misses and a paddle to the face sums it all up. Honestly, it was one of the toughest things I've had to endure.  While it wasn't the outcome in the standings I was hoping for, I was extremely thankful for coming back to shore alive. Thankfully that was true, because the next morning I had to board a plane back home for Tori and I's anniversary...

Thanks for letting me be an idiot

In all, it was an epic trip...we're already making plans for next year!  We learned so much at the SUPIA Summit and brought home so many experiences to share with everyone for next season.  Thanks for following our story and we look forward to sharing more fun adventures soon!

~Kunu