Enter The Donkey - Kayak Film DVD

Night of the Living Donkey - Kayak Film DVD

Heehaw Jones "I'm a pro" - t.Shirt

Andrew Holcombe takes an afternoon siesta halfway through his winning race run in the 2010 Millrace Massacre. Yes, he's that good.

Phil and a few other lucky contestants got to feel a splash of cold water, or two. The hydraulic known as "Dumbass" was fairly sticky at this year's race. Way to hang in there Phil!

Thanks to the Master of Ceremonies, Andy Grizzell, for successfully pulling off the biggest and best Iceman Championships yet, the 10th Annual!

This year's Iceman tshirts were a real hit - Design Courtesy of Joey Hall DeadmanProductions.com and George Lucas

Page 2 - Surf Bag Dilemma

The Michelin Man is ready to travel.

Page 3 - Thank you Delta

In case the rule slips your mind... Don't smoke on the plane when changing your baby behind the guy in the wheelchair.

Page 4 - Fear of Flying

And off we go to find some waves.

Page 5 - We just call him Drew

First meal together in the country. - photo Drew Hayes

Gallo Pinto, breakfast of hungry guy in Costa Rica

After Gallo Pinto I am a giant among picnic tables - Photo Drew Hayes

Part of a typical day of driving in Central America.

Page 6 - We arrive at Playa Pavones

Tight squeeze on the road to Pavones. Lucky or us we were not on the school bus headed the other direction.

Sleep was more than welcome and I was awarded with the honorary Star Wars sheets.

Page 7 - The ground is alive

Pavones and Golfo Dolce from a nearby hill.

The domestic barnyard life should not go unnoticed.

Page 8 - Hermit crabs rule this land.

Page 9 - Small surf, time for some reading.

Gearing up for a session at Pavones - photo Drew Hayes

Page 10 - Bro, Vulture, same thing.

Page 11 - Go ahead, puke your money away

According to Raymond, who has lost his right shoe before in Costa Rica, there are plenty of lefts to be found on just about any beach, but no rights. According to my survey he is correct.

The guys are worn out after an attempt at paddleboarding in very windy conditions.

Page 12 - Crap in the water, watch out for king steamers!

We ate plenty of these fruits, locally referred to as Momon Chinos, and even more locally (in our car) referred to as man testicles.

Page 13 - Don't panic, Raymond is a test driver for Michelin

Drew rides a peeling left during our first session at Playa Hermosa

Page 14 - Playa Hermosa is steep

Page 15 - A little donkey commandeered the scanner while I was scanning the journal.

Page 16 - A swim and a swarm.

Iguana alongside Hermosa beah. She's a real looker.

Page 17 - Police and thieves in the street

Bottom turn in my Ninja 6'8" at Playa Hermosa

Ray pulls a camera shift while guarding the car - Photo Drew Hayes

Page 18 - The waves that made the trip

Birds of prey - We noticed three distinctly different hawks or ravens while on walks and drives between surf sessions.

Page 19 - Bug attack from hell

Birrrrd Maaaaaannnn! This was another one of the hawks.

Page 20 - Did we deserve this torture?

Black Hawk up... on a fence post

Page 21 - Gordy just bit the bag and stepped out the door.

Page 22 - Gold Bond comes highly recommended apparently

This was the size of the surf during our last couple sessions. Large.

Paddling out at Hermosa - Photo Drew Hayes

Page 23 - A theme of waxing swell

Hermosa, beautiful to some, not so much to others.

Page 24 - The Gringo Tax

Which ingredient do you want the least? - Photo Drew Hayes

Page 25 - Was a fun trip, glad I didn't hurl.

Palm lined road, Playa Hermosa - Photo Drew Hayes

Page 26 - Going home is fun too.

* Thanks to Astral Buoyancy for helping customize my surf kayak bag and for my Willis PFD * Thanks to IR for my Shorty Competition Drydeck * Thanks to Shred Ready for my Full-Cut Standard helmet * These companies make all my kayaking trips far more comfortable and successful *

"Eye of Sauron" - photo by Spencer Cooke, Effort Inc

"Stop looking at me Schwan" - Photograph by Spencer Cooke, Effort Inc

(right to left) Ray, Drew, myself

From the plane ride home I saw this octopus shape on the Nicaragua landscape.

As a law abiding citizen I did not throw any blocks of cheese, pepperoni logs or unidentified squares into the airplane toilet.

The Nantahala River as seen from the back porch of NOC's Outfitter Store.

The always enthusiastic Adam Motes, showing his excitement at NOC.

I was this happy... nope, happier, when I found out about the award. As seen in this photo, other happy people (or at least their heads) were falling from the sky when the award was presented. It was just that special of a moment. My son, who is a young, blossoming, 3-year-old photographer may be credited with this picture. - thanks, Spencer Cooke

June was the last time I spent any significant time paddling on rivers. This was me paddling a rapid on the Green River Narrows near Hendersonville NC. I paddled with my good friend Jason McClure who took this photo.

Water droplets freeze as Jason McClure waits for me below a rapid on the Green River Narrows near Hendersonville NC.

We saw Stephen Hughes, Nate Elliott and Chris Roberts doing some tree removal that very day.

Chris Roberts repacks his throw rope below a now, tree-free slot. Thanks to the safety-conscious efforts of these guys.

I have also spent a significant amount of time paddling with Anna Levesque of http://WaterGirlsAtPlay.com filming her new women's kayak instructional video. Here, she and Maria Noakes are pictured on the Green River Narrows near Hendersonville NC.

To raise money for our trip to compete in the World Surf Kayak Championships in Portugal, Joey Hall premiered his new Kayak, Surf, Travel Film, INTERFERENCE, at the Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co. We had around 80 people turn out for the showing.

We arrived in Libson (Lisboa) Portugal in late July and drove to Santa Cruz where the Ocean Spirit Festival was being held.

Here is Joey looking totally thrilled after ten hours of air travel.

The macro scene in Portugal was really interesting and beautiful.

This young man named David Speller from Jersey and the Channel Islands won his fifth consecutive World Championship title.

It is always so nice to come home...

... where I am pleased to see they have canoeing and kayaking. Or at least they had it in the 80s when they took this photo. Wilson Creek perhaps?

Common sights and sounds seem so much more rich and vibrant when you've been gone for a while.

Summer's end is near when I start seeing these fellas.

My best buddy and I took some long walks on the beautiful blue ridges of North Carolina.

In late August hurricane Bill arrived so I had to make an emergency trip back to the NC coast. Joey and I had a few nice surfing sessions at Wrightsville Beach.

Crystal Pier at Wrightsville Beach NC: A board surfer turns and burns down a small but steep wave.

I am the flower whisperer. (Chris Gallaway thinks he's the flower whisperer but it's really me.)

While I arrived a day too late for the big swell from Hurricane Bill, we still had waist to chest high surf. Though in New Jersey my good friend Drew Hayes caught up with Bill for some beautiful, overhead, glassy conditions. That's not Drew on this wave. He took the photo.

Drew also became acquainted with Zorak. See Spaceghost Coast to Coast for reference.

Mark serves the best bagels in Wrightsville Beach. A morning surf session is never complete without a stop at Manhattan Bagel.

On my way out I stopped into the local kayak shop in Wilmington NC, called HOOK, LINE & PADDLE. Ryan is one of the owners and long-time skater. Here he is showing off his original Gator and Caballero boards, and he still skates them!

When I got back home I had a chance to compare my new surf kayak designs to the old one. My friend Ray Cotton and I designed and shaped the Spray (left) in 2002. Seven years and three prototypes later Drew Hayes, Ray and I designed and shaped two new boats based on the original design with the help of our friends at Riot. Ninja 6'8" (middle) and Ninja 7'6" (right). Both new boats, plus another called the Sword, are due out on the market soon...

Back at Wrightsville Beach NC we did our first family paddling/camping trip over at Masonboro Island.

A curious stranger visited us several times throughout the night.

Chris from Hook Line & Paddle looks for a good spot to drop a crab trap off of his Native Watercraft. He and Ryan took me out for my first stand up paddleboard fishing trip. Quite fun, and I'm totally sold on the SUP as a fishing craft.

My next stop included visits to Potomac Paddlesports and Valley Mill Kayak Shop in Washington DC followed by a quick run on Great Falls of the Potomac. Here is Jim Buley dropping into Horseshoe Rapid.

Colin Kemp peels of the flake at Horseshoe in his Jackson MonStar: Maryland side of Great Falls Potomac River.

Next I had the very special treat of spending a day at Sea Girt New Jersey with my good pal Drew Hayes. The surf was no less than superb and the fishermen were pulling the Bluefish out of the water that day.

Drew left, me right. Drew wrong, me right.

Drew got to taste the fruits of his labor. Endless hours of sanding on the Sword Surf Kayak plug almost two years ago and finally he got to try the boat in excellent conditions.

Surf Taco isn't far from the break at Sea Girt. Good taco make boy into manimal.

Next stop, Farmville Virginia, Appomattox River Company. Pictured is Tom Detrick who sells more boats than anyone I know. He works for Bob Taylor who has owned and operated ARC for over 30 years. There is a lot of history in this place.

I found this precious gem in the Appomattox River Co warehouse, right beside the archived 1989 Extrasport PFDs. Don't worry, they sell 2009 Astral PFDs too.

Back home for one day then back on the road. I feel like I have to take pictures of everything these days. The digital camera plagues me. Mushrooms, rocks, bugs, flowers, animals, food, people. I waste so much time trying to compose a good shot, even with my camera phone, with which I took several of these shots.

Further South, I visited a new IR dealer, Higher Ground in Beaufort SC. These guys are a full service, technical outdoor shop, and very pleasant to do business with. Shop owner Shelby Bishop stands with a rack of Astral PFDs out front of the shop.

From Beaufort I migrated back toward the North to Sea Kayak Carolina close to Folly Beach SC. Without question, these guys are one of the most full service, guru, absolutely core, sea kayak shops out there. Steve, William and Scott stand proudly in their boat room.

No Folly Beach visit is complete without visiting and surfing with the Folly Kayak Man himself, Russ Buskirk. Here sit Russ and Bert in their workshop. Russ is a multifaceted artist, currently specializing in antique furniture restoration and pastel paintings.

Russ also just recently placed 3rd in the World Surf Kayak Championships in Portugal in the Grand Master's Division. Pictured here, Russ makes the most of a 2 foot day at the Folly Beach Washout.

Golden Orb spiders are everywhere on the Carolina coast. Ths healthy female spun her web on Russ' front porch.

Last stop on the way home: River Runner Outdoor Center sits front and center on Gervais Street in Columbia SC. Jesse Koch (pronounced Cook) manages the shop and held the sidewalk down for me while I took this photo.

Just to test myself I tried to hold this facial expression for three straight hours in the car. What can I say, I'm in training to be a smartass, and I'm passing without any problem.