See Do Think and Feel

Ingredients are KEY. Just like a pizza, or salad, or movie, or story, there are certain things that make up a good one, and things that make up a great one. What is it? Sometimes it’s difficult to identify exactly what it is that makes these things great. Songs: a good beat, a catchy melody, meaningful lyrics? A movie: an interesting plot, decent acting, amazing visual and sound effects? Pizza: delicious dough, tasty toppings? It’s hard to say sometimes. But what MOST of us can identify, in general, is which ingredients, if missing, would make that thing … not so good? A burger without a patty? A story without a plot? A song without a beat?  With photos, something similar is going on. There are, in my opinion, certain “must haves” and then there are the other ingredients, that if presented and combined together in an artful way, can elevate an image to greatness. Let’s take a look at these ingredients: Must haves in my opinion: An identifiable subject You should be able to see and...

  Deadly quiet, invisible to radar* and incredibly fuel efficient The S-117 Stealth Edition custom built A5 Air My wife Sandy, rode my Boardy the other day and experienced a VERY noticeable difference in the way it rides. Prior to the Boardy, the only scooters we owned had hard, polyurethane wheels (The Razor A5 Lux and Xootr). Hard wheels certainly have their advantages. They roll further and faster due to their low rolling resistance. They're easier to maintain as you'll never get a flat. But they do have their downsides. Hard wheels effectively and vigorously transfer the shocks and vibrations of the surface that you scoot on. Rough pavement can be teeth jarring, twigs and cracks can stop you in your tracks. In addition, hard polyurethane wheels are not ideal to ride off road, even on hard-packed flat dirt.  We love the Boardy with its pneumatic wheels and the way it rides, but couldn't justify the price of a 2nd Boardy in the family. What to do? Many pneumatic wheeled ...

In my humble opinion, being able to switch feet is an essential skill in scootering, at least for the type of scootering that I enjoy. I like to explore my city and "tour" long distances. I also enjoy the workout that scootering can provide. I love to include a high speed, high intensity cardio workout in beautiful surroundings. It's for these reasons that I think that being able to switch feet is essential, here's why: When going long distances at a brisk pace your "plant" leg (the one on the deck) will quickly tire. Your quadriceps (thigh) lift your body up and down with every stroke. Even if you're fortunate to have a low deck, this movement adds up and your leg will fatigue.  In a previous post I showed how to switch your feet by using a "heel-toe-pivot-switch" method . That method is a great "beginner" technique in which you always have contact with your scooter deck. This article is going to introduce a more advanced " hop-...

What do you bring with you when you go scooting? I suppose the answer might depend on the type of scootering you do. On short scoots, all I need is my helmet, my Bluetooth speaker, my wallet and keys, a little water and not much more. On long scootering adventures of many miles, I carry more gear.  I'm going to share 2 strategies that I'm using for those longer treks. The 1st configuration, I've used many times and the 2nd is currently in the primary stages of experimentation and evaluation. Setup #1 Click on any image for a larger view This is what I carry when I go on a "Long Distance Scoot". It's what I carried on my recent 32 mile circumnavigation of Mission Bay. I carry as little as possible and only bring "essentials". Since all of this is attached to my body, I'll be lifting it up and down on EVERY stroke. The lighter the better. 1) A CamelBak backpack with water bladder. It'll hold up to a liter of water and a reasonable amount of gea...

One of the things I really like about my "smaller", polyurethane wheeled scooters is how they fold up allowing you to easily carry them. With a quick press of a button or lever, the scooter collapses down to a nice package that is easily carried with one hand, kinda like a suitcase. Stepping into a convenience or grocery store is a quick and nimble experience.  One annoying disadvantage of the Boardy scooter is the inability to fold up and be carried this way. The handlebar does fold down, but it doesn't lock in place. See the image above. This makes carrying it into a store less than ideal. The handlebar unit flops all around, the front wheel pivots at will, making for a comical but frustrating experience. Although you can roll it on its back wheel in this configuration, it's still cumbersome and awkward. An elegant solution came to me from a guy named Ken in Wales (Kudos!), via a scooter group on social media (yes, there are such things). He came up with an ingen...

The knowledge and skills to camouflage a geocache container is one of the top 10 things geocachers should develop.  There are MANY camouflage techniques that apply to different containers and situations, but perhaps the most versatile is the creative use of paint. I’ll share a process that I’ve used dozens of times to artistically, creatively and effectively camouflage a geocache container. I think you’ll be pleased with the results. I’ve received many positive comments on geocaches that I’ve placed where I’ve used this camouflage method. What you’ll need: A geocaching container: Larger containers will really show off this cool technique, but it can be used on smaller ones too. Spray Paint: Your choice here, but my preference is to use flat, matte finish paint that will last in the outdoor environment. I use a Rust-Oleum Camouflage paint. It is important that you use colors and shades that contrast, i.e. a light one and a dark one.  Masking Flora: Find some plants or local we...

This essential "trick" will allow you to go further and faster on any scooter. You NEED to push with both  feet (not at the same time though ... heh heh). Here's why: When you only push with one foot (i.e. push with your left, while your right is planted on the deck), your planted thigh muscles will quickly tire. Your pushing leg will also get tired, but it's using different muscles. If you can alternate your pushing and plant legs every few strokes, you can give both of your legs a " rest " when you change the muscles being used.  Here's how it's done (see the video at the bottom) Push with your left foot while your right is planted. Push about 5 - 10 strokes. Pivot on your right heel and at the same time plant, and put weight on the deck with the toe area of your left foot. Pivot your left foot, on your toes, to straighten it and at the same time take your right foot off. Push 5 - 10 strokes. Now, left heel pivot, right toe plant Right toe pivot,...