Hey everybody!

After 3 weeks at home I'm back in Florida and things are starting to heat up!

First things first, Yak for a Stack! Gab and I were both at home prior to the big show, but despite the rumours, it wasn't to make a costume. We only decided to actually make costumes about a week before. We knew we didn't have as much time to put into it as usual, so we decided we needed something big that would get noticed without too much effort. Since people said we would have to arrive out of the air to outdo our previous costumes, the idea of a hot air balloon seemed like a good way to simulate that, as well as being very large and noticable. The sewing skills we perfected on previous costumes came in handy, although we did have some trouble because of an old sewing machine and thread that enjoyed getting jammed every couple minutes. I arrived the day before the Yak and finished the baskets, while Gab flew in at midnight the night before the race. It was a good thing they didn't lose his luggage! My mom had the helium tank ready to go and right after a short paddle Saturday morning we went to our secret costume making location and started filling up balloons. This is when it started to get exciting, as we had no idea if they would actually float or not, and had done no test runs whatsoever. It didn't take long before the balloons started to rise, along with our excitment level. Originally we were going to be separate hot air balloons, but after filling up more than 500 balloons we realized that we weren't going to have enough helium, or time, to fill both up. This was quite a dissapointment for us, especially because we could see how well they were working and how great they looked in the air. With unlimited helium and more time I really think we would have blown everybody away, and quite possibly, no, likely, won the costume contest. Ya, I said it. But speaking of the costume contest, let me just say that while Gab and I were consulted, we didn't have the final say. And also, making those decisions is really hard, so cut the judges some slack! Yak for Stack has evolved into such a big event that the costumes have become so big and diverse that it is impossible to please everyone with a decision. I fully stand behind the judges choice of Pacman and company as the winners. That being said, there were so many amazing costumes this year that it doesn't really matter who won. The vikings were absolutely impressive with their home made boat, including a fire breathing dragon head at the front! Our Norwegian friends Erik and Jacob stepped up once again with their functioning showers, and I know Gab had them ranked pretty high on his list. The TMNT crew was amazing. Brady and Klev's Yip yips were simple but perfect, and looked hilarious paddling. The smurfs were a great group effort, even making it into the local paper. A personal favourite of mine was the Mortal Kombat characters, although I am a little biased because I played it on Xbox all winter. The three little pigs were great, put on 40 pounds next time and you would be in the game! I could go on all day, but basically there were so many great costumes it was amazing. I'm glad everyone gets that into it and I feel proud that I played a part in it. A big shout out to Morty and Cuthbert for creating and organizing such a great event, it is truly one of a kind.

Now on to the other thing I came back to Florida to do, train. After a fun weekend it was time to get back to business on monday. The rest of the canoers are having an easy week, which works well for me because I can take the time to get back into the swing of things and be ready for next week. I've been paddling a lot with Gab who is in the same situation, and joining various groups to make sure we get to the right intensity. I've been feeling alright, but I have to say that I am pretty far behind the guys that have been here a month. This isn't very surprising I guess, but it's a situation that is new to me and can be frustrating at times. I know that I have to be patient, and that it is going to take a while to get back up to full speed. Trials are later this year, and they are a little bit less important, so I dont' need to be at my fastest in March or April like years previous. It's going to be a hard road getting back into paddling shape, but I'm looking forward to the challenge. It's important to remember that early in the season it's usually more important to think about paddling well than paddling fast. You still have to put in the hard work, but only with good technique. The speed will come eventually if you're patient. This morning I had the chance to get out in C4 for a good, solid workout. It was a lot of fun and something I'm looking forward to doing more of in the next month. I would love to race in a C4 at Worlds, but we'll have to see what happens with all the Olympic distances first, and then sort things out. That's why we'll be trying out as many combinations as we can in Florida.

Other than training, I've been trying to read my school books, but I keep falling asleep. My tan is coming back with a vengeance, and all those who called me a ghost will be put to shame soon enough. March Madness has hit the Pines once again thanks to Aruss. I haven't hit the links yet but hope to get out this weekend, hoping to break 100 sometime this camp. Alright, that's all for now, check out the pictures of Yak for a Stack below, courtesy of Bernard Irvine. Thanks for reading and keep your paddle in the water.