Just Blogging

Arran James asked:




If you are a recreational kayaker, or new to the sport, you might not have a lot of money to spend on a new kayak and would prefer a more modestly priced entry-level model. You may have looked at used kayaks but you would prefer not to take the risk of someone else’s possibly damaged kayak. If this is you, a good choice might be a Pelican Kayak.

Pelican has made a business out of designing and selling well-built entry-level kayaks. They might not be in the same class as the sleeker models put out by other manufacturers; a Pelican Kayak is still a very good choice for those just starting out. These kayaks are really good for flat-water creeks and lakes, and since they are below $300 they won’t break the bank either!

Pelican specializes in entry-level kayaks that are either sit-in or sit-on-top models and come in a wide variety of configurations. The 3-layer molded design is extremely strong, impact resistant, and has good rigidity. These Kayaks are not as light as those made with composite materials, Kevlar, or even fiberglass, but they are strong enough to last for many years and provide enjoyment with typical use.

For sit-in kayaks, they have a model that is excellent for touring called the Persuit; one type of kayak that is designed mostly for sporting or fishing called the Getaway; and one that is designed more for recreational use called the Sport 94.

If you are more interested in the sit-on-top variety of kayak, Pelican offers the Zest and Viper models for recreational use; the Apex for touring; and the Castaway for sporting and fishing.

If you are more interested in using your kayak on family adventures, Pelican does offer recreational kayaks family use. These complement people with a wide variety of skill levels. The SOT models come with open cockpits. They also include built-in flotation, and have a reasonable amount of storage capacity. The Pelican sporting models are great platforms for fishing and have more than enough storage capacity.

Finally their touring models, which might not be the first choice if you those die-hard paddlers, are just fine for those who are on shorter trips on flat water.

Whatever your choice, Pelican kayaks are an excellent choice for the beginner or recreational kayaker.

J Howard asked:




Not Originally Designed for Competition

Level 4 is the first official level of compulsory competition in the USA Gymnastics competitive system. The Level 4 vault and bars, beam and floor routines are substantially similar to the routines in the previous 8-year compulsory cycle, which ended in 2005. During that cycle, Level 4 was upgraded to official competition status and gymnasts were allowed to enter official USAG competitions up to the State Championships. But the routines and especially the vault were originally designed simply as training devices, not for competition.

The Level 4 Vault Mat

This is most obvious with the Level 4 vault - a handspring onto big stack of mats. In order to add this “vault” into regular competitions, a new piece equipment had to be designed and provided at competitions completely separate from the normal vault horse/table. And unlike any vault at any other level, gymnasts do not land on their feet in the Level 4 vault requiring a whole new approach to judging the vault.

You Don’t Have to Compete Level 4

Another common misconception is that gymnasts are required to compete Level 4 before they can compete in Level 5. There is no Level 4 competitive requirement before you compete in Level 5. The only requirement for Level 5 is that gymnasts must pass a skill evaluation from a skill evaluator with a score of at least 75%. You don’t have to compete Level 4! It is not required!

Level 4 Skills are Almost Never Used at Higher Levels of Competition

Level 4 skills, especially the bar skills are almost never used at the higher optional levels of competition. There are 12 skills in the Level 4 bar routine and none of them are ever used in optional bar routines, except for the casts. On beam and floor, the situation is somewhat better. About half of the skills are direct progressions to more difficult skills that may be used later, but that also means that half of them are not.

The Majority of Level 4 Skills Lead Nowhere

Since the vault, all of the bars skills and about half of the beam and floor skills are not used later at the higher levels of competition, it is obvious that most Level 4 skills are not used ever again in competition.

Level 4 Has Been Watered Down

During the previous 8-year compulsory cycle, Level 4 gymnasts were allowed to attempt to compete a kip on bars. Starting this year, you must be a Level 5 gymnast to do a kip in competition. Level 4 gymnasts no longer need to hit a real cross handstand in the beam routine, only a