The Over-Night Success*

*There's the old saying, it only took me 30 years to become an overnight success. Well, Derrick has arrived at that wonderful place in life. After working various parts of his anatomy off for years, he has recently become sea kayaking's equivalent of a made man. He is in the loop, running with the big dogs, hanging with the in crowd.........

Morning after morning and for years, he has pounded out his blog and sent us wisdom, beautiful images, the latest kayak-gossip and information. He has kept us abreast of developments in the commercial area letting us know as new equipment became available (and sometimes before it became available...but I digress). A creative man, Derrick has supplied us with whimsical lyrics from all sorts of musicians and links to everything you could possibly want to know about sea kayaking and rolling and stroking and...

And he has been in the "gym" all this time. Pools, lakes, gunk holes, nearly dry water falls, you name it and my man, Derrick, has been there working on everything one can try in a kayak. He paddles, he rolls and, when his arms are tired, he stands up in the cockpit...sometimes on his head. He strives, almost daily, to master the sea kayak.

As many of you know, Derrick has a circumnavigation of Puerto Rico on his drawing board. This is something he has been piecing together for a while and the project is starting to sprout blossoms. You can read, on his site, about his paddling partner and some of the support he is getting from various sources. In the past day, he has announced a biggy. A major kayak company (not yet in the states) will be supplying boats for the expedition. And that, my friends, is the sign of success in this game.

In reality, it is just an affirmation of what we all knew, all along, about Derrick: he is the real deal. I am happy to know him and proud to number him among my friends.

Paddle safe...

DS