Non-yak, non-fishing - just NCKA stuff...

Almost a year ago I met a guy named Domenic.  He knew alot about me already because of this site and some movies I'd posted on youtube.  I was hanging out at the mouth of the river with my kids - didn't even have a kayak with me!  (rare  ).  I'd just got the kids loaded up in the truck to head home and a white Toyota 4x4 approaches from down the beach - it's got an X-Factor on top, so naturally I start kinda wandering toward it with a curious and dumbfounded look on my face and lamely raising my hand like, "hey, who are you?..."  Just then, the driver puts his window down and says, "you must be Eric."  The look on my face right then must've been unique to say the least!  We hung out and had a beer and BS'd for a while that afternoon, and a year later we're still hanging out.  If not for NCKA I might not have met this character, so I wanted to share that little story to show how valuable this little club can be if you embrace the possibilities of friendship and adventure.  

Today Domenic and I had planned to head down the beach and do a dive.  The swell forecast was nice and low, but the wind forecast pumped up over the last couple days to a nasty 25 knots.  The buoys were reporting bad stuff before we left to drive to the coast, and we saw acre-sized whitecaps from the ridge about 6 miles up from the ocean.  We went anyway.  We pulled up to one of our usual haunts and I killed the engine to take a couple pics - the truck was shaking constantly and the water looked extremely uninviting.  We drove around and BS'd, cruised some cool landscape and ended up at a remote trailhead where we fulfilled something that's been on our wishlist for quite a while - a 3 mile beach hike to scout a potential future yak adventure.  We weren't disappointed.  The quality of the time spent was directly proportional to the value of the friendship.  Thanks for hanging out with me, Dom - I look forward to next time.  

trying to morph into the grizzly adams look eh eric?

I've been giving rides to total strangers....coz of NCKA ...that was then but now they are buddies.
I know what you mean.  It's good to have met friends I would not have otherwise.

I'm glad to be here!  Great site, nice people, and cool friendship...

totally agree this site and many other are very helpful to the sport of kayaking. Thanks for the report sorry about the wind.

I'm glad to be here!  Great site, nice people, and cool friendship...

DITTOS Here
Much love to my NCKA brothers/sisters 

Tad 

I could drink to that! 

that's such a FEEL GOOD story.......I'm losing my first real_NCKA buddy to Alaska in a few months(i've already cried twice  )
.....don't let Dominic get away

That is very cool Eric. I've got a similar tale...

Early this season I posted a trip and one guy responded. I didn't know him, but he was game. We met at the launch & had one heck of a fun time on the water with fish, whales, and such. Post fishing we had a fun shore-hang with snacks while we watched some yak surfers do their thing in the clean break below us.
I went on to continue to fish with this guy multiple times this summer, in crazy WTF-are-we-doing-out-here conditions as well as the we-are-the-most-stoked-to-be-out-here conditions, and every trip out was a blast. We scored double hookups on lings, halis, and caught a mess of rockies over the past months. We even got up-clos and almost personal with a really big predatory fish.
Our last trip was at a new-to-me launch, and conditions pushed us off the water around 10:30am, so did some checkups on other spots, both potential and known, and had lunch while contributing to the local economy.
Conversation doesn't lag, and the discussions are educational and often hilarious. It's always a good time.

This is just one of the handful of folks I've met this year that have added greatly to my personal enjoyment of kayaking. As Tripper said in Meatballs "you make one good friend a summer and you're doin' alright" (sorry to be quoting a 1980 cheese comedy)

Thanks to NCKA I'm ahead of the game .

a white Toyota 4x4 approaches from down the beach - it's got an X-Factor on top, so naturally I start kinda wandering toward it with a curious and dumbfounded look on my face and lamely raising my hand like, "hey, who are you?..." 

Good story. But I liked the "Who the F@c$ are you guys?!" story better.

I've had the pleasure of hooking up with some of NCKA's finest over the past few years, but this season has been a real standout because of a new buddy I met on NCKA.We have shared some amazing adventures, laughs and experiences (both amazing and scary).Even on snotty days, when we have been blown off the water,it's been memorable and exciting.I always get bummed when the end of rf rolls around, the days get colder and shorter and big storms hit the coast, but this year I feel less bummed and more hopeful of new adventures and more time well spent with a great NCKA buddy.

I've had the pleasure of hooking up with some of NCKA's finest over the past few years, but this season has been a real standout because of a new buddy I met on NCKA.We have shared some amazing adventures, laughs and experiences (both amazing and scary).Even on snotty days, when we have been blown off the water,it's been memorable and exciting.I always get bummed when the end of rf rolls around, the days get colder and shorter and big storms hit the coast, but this year I feel less bummed and more hopeful of new adventures and more time well spent with a great NCKA buddy.

That is very cool Eric. I've got a similar tale...

Early this season I posted a trip and one guy responded. I didn't know him, but he was game. We met at the launch & had one heck of a fun time on the water with fish, whales, and such. Post fishing we had a fun shore-hang with snacks while we watched some yak surfers do their thing in the clean break below us.
I went on to continue to fish with this guy multiple times this summer, in crazy WTF-are-we-doing-out-here conditions as well as the we-are-the-most-stoked-to-be-out-here conditions, and every trip out was a blast. We scored double hookups on lings, halis, and caught a mess of rockies over the past months. We even got up-clos and almost personal with a really big predatory fish.
Our last trip was at a new-to-me launch, and conditions pushed us off the water around 10:30am, so did some checkups on other spots, both potential and known, and had lunch while contributing to the local economy.
Conversation doesn't lag, and the discussions are educational and often hilarious. It's always a good time.

This is just one of the handful of folks I've met this year that have added greatly to my personal enjoyment of kayaking. As Tripper said in Meatballs "you make one good friend a summer and you're doin' alright" (sorry to be quoting a 1980 cheese comedy)

Thanks to NCKA I'm ahead of the game .

i love you guys too!! ( i love how you kept from ptting my name in the blank)  and look forward to fishing again!!   

But do they go on man dates?

We love you too FisHunter, but you were spoken for.I thought you and Mooch have the ultimate NCKA bromance

And yes...
Joanie Loves Chachi 

But do they go on man dates?

   iTOLDyouTOkeepTHATaSECRET!  

We love you too FisHunter, but you were spoken for.I thought you and Mooch have the ultimate NCKA bromance

but he's leaving me for Alaska?!   i hope he's used to cold hands!