After much time spent viewing the scenery and interacting with others from ‘No Alto Maipo” we left for the 4 hour drive to the coast. The drive took us back through the mountains, and out into the agricultural valley below. We passed by Santiago and what seemed like endless miles of vineyards and farmland until we finally began to rise once again into the the hills which flank the ocean. The feeling was electric when we finally glimpsed the vast body of water- massive waves, relentless surf, and long dark beaches. We had finally arrived at our play boating destination; Pichilemu. This small town would be our base for the next 5 days as we tested our skills on the ocean waves. We managed to get out on the surf the first day, however we took it easy and went directly out as opposed to going to the large point break which forms farther down the beach. The waves surprised me in their size and magnitude, they made arial tricks not only possible, but almost hard NOT to throw! Our second day was even better, we headed out to the point break and caught some of the big waves there. Here they dwarfed us in our little play boats and frequently caught us and tossed us around, it seemed that the wave was demanding a toll for every trick. Most of the time we caught them but on occasion one of us would get close, miss, and go head over the heels into a tumble lasting a couple seconds, making for some hilarious wipeouts and beat downs. Fortunately we had 2 GoPros with us, meaning we got plenty of footage of tricks, and the subsequent beat downs. On one such occasion I threw a Pan-Am, (a trick I have been working on all year) and caught it on camera (finally!).

The surf might be the thing that brought us to Pichilemu, but it was the lifestyle that has enticed me to want to come back. The towns culture is unlike anything I have ever seen. A kind of cross between California surf culture, and small town Chilean customs. There is a big main strip consisting of everything from surf shops, to empanada stands. Horse’s and carriages parade around the town, enticing tourists and locals alike, and coffee shops dot the sidewalks offering a temporary reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the surfing lifestyle.

And that brings us to where we are now, sitting in a cafe writing these blogs and updating our Facebook, preparing for another day of paradise and surfing, we leave for the Rio Claro tomorrow, and though I will miss this place, I cannot help but be excited for the next leg of our trip; the infamous Pucon.

John McConville here, the replacement coach for Tino. Although I’ve only had a short time to work with all the kids, I feel its been a super productive week. Bringing forth new inspiration with an “out of the box” kind of view for the NRA program, I’m honored to work with these amazingly talented students. The kids are always expressing the will to learn and progress which makes for an extremely productive learning environment.

Since May 1st we’ve all run 6 different sections of whitewater in 3 different states. Ranging from easy class 3 to hard class 4 the students have excelled in every form/style of river running and freestyle. Some of the river’s paddled include runs like the Big Sandy, Cheat River Race and the Upper Yough. I’ve especially put forth a lot of effort making sure the World Freestyle team competitors have been getting the competition training they need. Putting the pressure on a bit with timed comps and strict routines. One step at a time these competitors are progressing with style! Group discussions have sparked new idea’s in all of the students minds with different technique’s to progressing basic skills which round out even the best of paddlers. Stepping it up a notch, all the student have shown great knowledge when it comes to setting safety on the river. Everyone in the group knows how to set up a Z-drag (mechanical-advantage), do simple rope work, tie useful knots, and are always positioned where safety is needed most! Above and beyond that, everyone’s decision making has been in the interest of longevity. As a kayaker, One of my personal goals is to remain healthy both physically and mentally to insure a lifetime of paddling. After relaying this message and continuing to make good decisions I feel the students have a bright future awaiting them.

Speaking of a bright future, the sun is out and the warm summer air feels great here in Ohiopyle, PA today. Morning work outs are over, chocolate chip pancakes in our bellies, and a full day of class’s both on and off the water will round out an exciting day. Excited for the day and excited for tomorrow, we are living the dream!

Cheers,

John McConville

Here are a few photos of myself using the Lee.

When you go from a life of easy living, no matter how “hard” you think your life may be, and experience a place like Africa where basically, everyone is stuck living a very hard life, you experience sympathy and pity, but also apathy. You know you want things to change but there isn’t much you can do. You are constantly bombarded by people asking for money, hungry children, and people you know will live out the remainder of their lives doing nothing but walking to the water pump. It makes coming home feel good, and bad. On one hand, your back in a society where your needs are met and you aren’t dealing with people of a different culture. On the other hand, you remember that as you eat you nuggets, there are children on the other side of the world sleeping in mud huts and working a tow rope all day to make a quarter for their family.

You start to notice the things you take for granted everyday like running water and a house. You watch the amount of garbage piling up in your trash can and realize that you go through more things in one day then those kids do in years. I walk through crowds of people spending their money on cigarettes and more food then they should ever need and I see the dark side of today’s first world country. The rich stay rich and the poor stay poor in this corrupt society, yet I stay here for the benefits of the corruption.

Could the world change and push Africa into success? I doubt I will be alive to see that day. The world will continue spinning and while people die in Africa, the buffets will continue to be stocked in America. It is this reason that my world has been changed by the culture shock given by my own country.

Lucus Simpkins…out

It wasn’t until 1810 that chile began having many germans settle in the country. Why? Because 1810 was the year Chile won its independence from Spain and began trading with other nations. The port at Valparaiso became a major trading center for trade with Hamburg. Germans then began staying at this port for long periods of time and eventually began settling permanently. Then on May 9, 1838, the first German cultural organization was established, Club Aleman de Valparaiso, which allowed Germans to have their own cultural functions.

By 1848 the Chilean government began encouraging Germans to immigrate to the country. The reason being that in 1845 the Law of Selective Immigration went into affect. The goal of this Law was to bring people of medium social/high cultural level to colonize the southern regions of Chile. It was reported that 20,000 people immigrated to chile, 11,000 of those immigrants being german. Over the next ten years of the German revolution germans continued immigrating into Chile.

During the 20^th century many german jews fled to chile during the holocaust. Also after WWII many of the leaders of Nazi Germany fled to Chile to avoid being tried for their crimes of War. Nazi leaders like Paul Schafer even founded Colonia Dignidad which allegedly carried our abuses against human rights and could of contributed to President Pinochet’s cruel reign of power.

Today the exact number of Germans in Chile are unknown due to the many early arrivals whose descendents have intermarried into the culture. Today it is estimated that 26,000 are known to have been born in Germany and figures suggest that there are between 500,000-600,000 are direct descendents. The german language is still spoken by 200,000 Chileans and there are German schools, newspapers, and periodicals. Germany has had the largest foreign impact of Chilean culture and is the largest outside influence on Chile today.

Jason

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Jason Terry’s Blog

Jabon Slobodian writing an essay for English

Where else do you get to have class in a place like this?

Kayaking is an everyday activity after school