Last Tuesday I was very happy because I managed to do my off-side roll many times. Even though I still had to set up before my body entered the water to ensure a successful roll, it was an accomplishment to me. Especially when I recalled the first few attempts, during which I was totally disoriented and all the muscles were locked up, how couldn’t I be proud? Oh, please allow me to self indulge for a moment.

After practicing Eskimo rolls for many sessions, I could see my improvement. My rolls are still far from being perfect, but every time I practice a roll, I think beforehand, analyze afterwards before I give it another try. From this process I have gathered some ideas (or tips); they helped me to make my rolls smoother, and maybe they will be useful to you as well.


週二，我有一份超興奮的心情，因為終於用那不伶俐的左手，把小船翻正了。雖然說，仍然需要在翻船前，做好預備姿勢，才有把握成功。但是回想起，第一次嘗試的時候，那種全然不辨東西，肌肉全都僵硬起來的景況來說，週二的成功可真是大成就，值得大書特書，好啦，就讓我自我陶醉一番嘛！

今冬以來，練習Eskimo roll也有好一陣子了，欣喜的是，有一點一滴地在進步中。雖然我的Eskimo roll無疑地還有很大的進步空間，不過每次練習，我都會在事前思考、事後分析一番，才進入到下一次的嘗試，這樣的歷程讓我累積不少想法（或說訣竅），也將我的Eskimo roll琢磨地愈加順暢。也許，這些心得會對其他人也有所助益：

Oh, I was just a spectator, not a competitor, because I didn’t have the guts to boulder.

Since I started to climb last June, I’ve always thought that I would only be a top-roper or maybe would dream about being a lead climber. Bouldering? That’s a bit scary; what if I fall? Based on what I learned from my wilderness first aid class, a person doesn’t have to fall from a significant height to have a significant injury. So, bouldering? How can it NOT be scary?

But something inside me changed after observing the Governor Stable Bouldering Competition. During my 6-hour long observation, numerous times I told myself, “I wish I could climb.”


喔，我只是一個觀賽者，並非參賽者，因為從來一直提不起膽量，從事抱石（bouldering）這項運動。

自從去年六月開始室內攀登，總是堅定不移地以為，攀登時一定要使用繩索才安心。很認份地和我的繩伴互相確保，攀登的型態總是top-roping，偶爾也想著要趕快鍛鍊自己，以進階到lead climbing的程度。抱石？看起來有些危險。要是不小心失足，該怎麼辦？野外急救的課程訓練告訴我，一個人不需要從太高處落下，就可以造成嚴重的傷害。所以，抱石這樣運動，怎不讓人心生畏懼？

但是，上週六以一個觀賽者的身份，看了長達六小時的Governor Stable抱石競賽。心裡有點蠢蠢欲動，認份的感覺開始動搖。在觀賽的過程中，心裡的那個聲音，不知道說了幾次「我也想爬爬看！」

I am advertising this workshop because I am the coordinator and also will be a speaker. The target participants are

I enjoyed this marathon. It was like a festival which attracted almost two thousand marathon participants. We ran under the sunshine, towards the wind, with the seagulls, and along the beaches.

Most importantly, I finished it. I thought that I would have dropped out at some point, because one of my tendons or ligaments between my right hamstring and calf was over-stretched, and I had to cut down my training. But, I kept running; so many people were there running with me, I never had to feel lonely. So many spectators were lining up, waiting for me to pass them in order to give me an encouraging clap. So many volunteers were cheering me on, asking me to stay motivated. Therefore, I kept running and because I knew, at the finish line, somebody was waiting for me.


我挺中意這次的馬拉松比賽的。光只統計參加馬拉松單項的人，就將近有二千人，真好像一場嘉年華會一般。更別說，跑者乘著風、伴著海鳥、沐浴在陽光下、欣賞沿途的海灘風光。

最重要的是，我跑完了。本來因為右腿後方，大腿和小腿接壤處附近，似乎有一條筋過份延展了，所以這幾個月來，特意減少跑步的訓練量，換成從事他種的運動。也因此，在參賽之前，一直以為大概跑到半途，我就得被迫棄權了。沒想到，我持續地跑著。也許是因為參賽的人這麼多，所以沒有一刻感到寂寞；也許是因為許多觀賽者，排成一列一列，就等著你的到來，送你一個鼓勵的high five；也許是因為許多義工，不停地搖旗吶喊著，要求你要堅持下去。所以，我就這樣一直跑著，因為，在終點線，有個人正在等著我的歸來。

Fri-Sun, 4/14/2006 – 4/16/2006. Tuscarora Trail backpack. 3C17/18. Will hike on Sec3 & Sec4 of the Tuscarora Trail, southbound, from Colonel Denning State Park to Hemlock Road. The trail is remote, perfect for people who would like to look for solitude. Group size limited.

A good start is important, especially for an Eskimo roll. A good setup position will lead the remaining steps naturally, and before you know it, your head has already popped out of the water surface.

Different instructors have taught me the concepts of an Eskimo roll and each of them emphasized the importance of the setup position. In real situations, when you need to roll up your boat, the river will not be as smooth as the water in a swimming pool. The more challenging situation you are experiencing, the calmer you have to be. The setup position is the first step of an Eskimo roll and it’s the only phase you can stay there for as long as you want. It really helps you to sink your disturbing thoughts and relax your body. Remember, you only need about four seconds to finish a roll, and I believe if you are into kayaking, you can hold your breath for at least a minute. You have plenty of time, so don’t panic!


凡事重於始，尤其若想成功地做到 kayaking 的 Eskimo roll。假設一開始的準備動作有做好，之後的步驟就會很自然地接踵而來。在還不知道發生什麼事情之前，小船就翻轉180度，回來了。

我聽過好幾個不同的教練談論 Eskimo roll 的概念，個個都強調準備動作的重要。真實的情況下，需要使用 Eskimo roll 的時機，水流可不會像游泳池面那般平靜。經歷越是湍急的水流，越是需要鎮定，而 Eskimo roll 的準備動作可以幫助你安定心情，沈澱不該有的雜慮，以及放鬆緊張的肌肉。因為，該準備動作是在所有步驟當中，唯一一個可以讓你慢慢來，並且可以要維持多久就有多久的狀態。記住，你只需要大約四秒鐘就可以把船翻回來，而我相信，如果你喜歡 kayaking，你恐怕至少可以憋個一分鐘的氣沒有問題。所以，時間充裕的很，千萬不要緊張。

I couldn’t believe that for many sports, when I just started, I didn’t wear any protection gear. I learned to acquire helmets, kneepads, wrist guards, struck by hard experience, such as elbow bruises, skin cuts, and an ambulance ride. Protection gear gives you extra weight but the additional mental strength it boosts definitely makes the weight negligible.

For downhill snow sports, I own a helmet and a pair of kneepads. The helmet has accompanied me for several years, which I bought right after I rolled down a black diamond hill like a ball for about 30 meters. The kneepads were obtained about 2 months ago, because I started to learn telemark skiing this season, and every telemark skier kept telling me “you need those.”

I’ve done some research on kneepads, mostly by reading the discussion threads on the Telemark Talk Forum, and reviews I located on line with Google.com.


實在很難想像，在嘗試許多運動的初期，我幾乎沒有穿戴什麼護具。隨著年齡的增長，從血的教訓中，學習到護具的重要，包括手肘的瘀青、膝蓋的擦傷、還有一起需要勞動救護車的意外，所以我先後購買了安全帽、護膝、護腕等裝備。雖說穿戴護具增加額外的重量，可是護具給予心靈的支持，讓那一些些重量顯得毫無份量。

針對滑雪運動使用的護具，個人擁有一頂安全帽和一雙護膝。那頂安全帽是在一次嘗試滑黑鑽的雪道的時候，從半山坡像球一樣的骨轆轆地滾下大約三十公尺後，立刻毫不遲疑地就買了，現在也陪了我好幾年了。該對護膝則是此季冬天才剛進的貨，由於今年冬天開始學習telemark skiing，許多先進不約而同地提醒我：「妳該買雙護膝。」所以才開始留心。

基本上，在買進那雙護膝之前，我在一個telemark skiing的討論群上，做了不少的功課，閱讀了很多討論串，再根據所得到的訊息，到google查閱更詳盡的評論。

Last weekend, several experienced backpackers from my club gathered together to discuss the agenda for the upcoming backpacking workshop in the spring. We fill up the one-day workshop with lecture-type sessions and hands-on practices. Lecture-type sessions cover topics which include gear introduction, map and navigation, personal hygiene, “leave no trace,” and cooking & nutrition. Hands-on sessions let participants have a chance to practice setting up a tent, lighting up a stove, treating water, and hanging a bear bag.

Our target participants are beginner backpackers, so we assume that they know nothing or little about backpacking and they’ve never taken part in any backpacking trip before. I really hope that this workshop will prepare them well so that they have a very good first impression of backpacking and will continue coming back to the trails. Therefore, I’ve put a lot of thought on how I could have done better to make my first few trips more pleasant so that they will not have to repeat my mistakes:

I stood on the summit of Big Indian Mountain, snowflakes shaped as feathers landing on my head, my face, and my shoulders. I opened my palms, and looked upward. Those snowflakes were not those which were tired of resting on the branches and responded to the call of the north wind. They were new, from the far most end of the sky. A storm was coming.

Last weekend I was in the Catskills, participating in a two-day snowshoeing trip. The trip has become a tradition of the AMC Delaware Valley chapter. Last winter was my first time being a member of this festival, and here I was again.

I have loved snow ever since I witnessed the first snow falling on Christmas Eve the first year I was in the States. Snow has this wonderful power of purification; snow makes the most inclement winter bearable. Oh, I can write many poems to awe this white fairy. This indulgence at times makes me overlook what is hidden underneath or behind, and I really shouldn’t.


站在Big Indian的山巔上，大片大片羽毛狀的雪花，落在我的頭上、臉上、肩上。我打開雙掌，抬頭目試，這雪花可不是呼應北風到來，從樹梢颳起的殘雪。這，是新雪，從遙遠的天際冉冉紛紛地落下，預告一場美東風雪的造臨。

上週末，又到了Catskills山區，參加這場雪鞋健行行程。這行程，是有歷史的，早已成為AMC Delaware Valley Chapter的傳統。去年冬天是我第一次參與這雪鞋健行的慶典，而今天冬天，又回到了這裡。

我愛極了雪。第一次真正見到、感覺到落雪紛紛，是來美國第一年的聖誕夜。雪似乎有這種純化人、事、物的力量，儘管冬天再冷冽，有雪，一切就變得可以忍受。喔，我可以花大把大把的篇幅，不眠不休的歌頌這純白的精靈。就因為這對雪的迷戀，有時候，竟然忽略了在純美的背後暗藏的危機，這可不是能夠原諒的。

I heard plenty of “flex your ankle” and “use your rear foot” during the two-day telemark workshop in Canaan Valley, West Virginia. These two tactics link to motion control and a balanced stance, both are key concepts of telemark skiing; both are difficult to get.

What are you supposed to feel so that you know you are flexing your ankles? I tried numerous times to use my ankles in every possible direction, but I was never sure whether “my shin muscles are tightened.” Those shin muscles did look different but I wish they could be as evident as six-packs; as sensitive as biceps.

Instructors taught us that if we lift one ski and try to shake it, it will move crazily if we don’t flex our ankle, and it will be quiet otherwise. However, when you are shooting downhill, there are too many things to cause you to go out of control. It’s tempting to blame on the ice or bumps because I honestly don’t know whether I’m flexing my ankles.


「以足踝施力」以及「使用你的後腳」，這兩句像是咒語般，在一月份參加個週末的telemark ski課程後，深深地烙印在我的腦海中。這兩句金玉良言，可以說是telemark ski掌握動作和維持平衡站姿的關鍵。非常的重要，也需要花好一番功夫咀嚼。

究竟怎樣才能夠感覺到，足踝真的在施力呢？在家裡，我已經百般千番的將足踝以各種角度，扭轉來去，總還是不能確定，是否足踝施力的方式正確？是否前小腿的肌肉感覺緊繃？小腿前方的肌肉，似乎看起來有那麼一絲絲地不同，我不禁深深地希望，那肌肉能夠像六塊肌一般明顯，像二頭肌一般感覺得到。

教練說，使用單腳舉起雪板，嘗試左右搖晃。如果足踝沒有施力，雪具會瘋狂起舞，若是施力正確，叫它往西它還不敢往東。只是，當踩在兩隻雪具上，勇往下衝的時候，有太多的因素可以讓人失去控制。而可以怪罪的事物太多，冰啊、地面上偶發的突起，都可以當作代罪羔羊，所以到頭來，究竟是不是因為足踝施力不正確而失去控制的呢？老實說，我也還的真不知道。