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Latest Update: August 20, 2001 by Ben Marcus

15:31 ALASKA TIME MONDAY AUGUST 20, 2001 KINKOS ON DIMOND BOULEVARD

MONEY

I'm too old for this stuff, I admit it. I've spent the morning running around Anchorage, going to Kinkos, scaring the children, going to Magadan offices at the airport, going to the Post Office, taking Gus to the DMV, making a zillion phone calls from the airport and just trying to get things together.

Here is what might happen.

This is a fax from George Nikitin, explaining the visa situation:

Here is what I have Ben:

BEN MARCUS visa application, Wild Russia invitation, (ben, u sent me a WR voucher, and something from the Russian government stating that WR is the inviting organisation. not sure if all the guys need both those pages)

FLEA visa application (generic form), Wild Russia application ( faxed by me to WR), $100.00 cash (no invitation yet from WR)

RUFFO: visa application (generic form), Wild Russia application (faxed to WR), $100.00 cash (no invitation yet from WR)

MALLOY: visa application, NO Wild Russia application, no money

WILLIAM SHARP: visa application, $100.00 check, NO invitation from Wild Russia ( he faxed WR himself)

KEN ACHENBACH: 1) visa application, 2)same form as u sent stating that WR is the inviting organisation, but NO voucher), NO check or cash

And have 3 or more pictures of each prospective traveler

I also just got this e-mail from Nikolay at Wild Russia.

BEN!

The Fax Machine on number +1 (415) 564-5186 (George Nikitin, I hope)did not response last night, and I fax invitations for Darryl Virostko, Anthony Ruffo and William Sharp to WILLIAM SHARP NUMBER. Lets him to refax it to you or give me right fax number.

Why are you did not write down then fax numbers in the invitations? It is rather important thing.

Nick.

So, George doesn't have all the visa application information. Some of it is with William Sharp.

Keith Malloy doesn't seem to have faxed his Wild Russia application, so I don't know what the problem is there. It'll probably be another two days until he has it all together, which means the Russian consulate will have to process it all in two days, and I don't think that is going to happen.

So I juggled this and that and came up with this. Ideally, the Russia trip will be September 2 to September 16.. When we get back from Russia, there will be five days of ñFive Starî bore tides running through Turnagain Arm. I'm calling for an all-out assault on Turnagain Arm, with some of the world's best surfers trying to ride the entire two miles, chased by Shawn Alladio on a jet ski.

This morning John Markel told me that the Girdwood Fire Department has a Rescue Ski. I said this to Shawn and suggested she trade some instruction for use of the ski. We're going to look into this. Shawn makes a living traveling the world doing water patrol and rescue and giving classes to Fire Departments and the Military in PWC rescue.

I'm trying to get Shawn up here to run the chase craft. It's gonna take some water knowledge and talent to run the PWC in front of and behind the bore, picking up guys as they fall and putting them back in front of it.

If we do this from the 16th to the 21st we'll have five days to get it wired, and it might take five days. It's tricky.

Anyway, talked to Brock and Chris Malloy and got them excited. Then I called Peter Englehart at the Outdoor Life Network to pitch an idea I should have pitched a long time ago.

I pitched a TV show called Bored! In which a crew of the world's best surfers and kayakers travel the world to ride the world's best tidal bores.

China, the Amazon, the Severn River in England, the Bay of Fundy, Turnagain Arm in Alaska and wherever else: France, Sweden. The shows would be equal parts travel, extreme sports., Crocodile Hunter, comedy, nature, science.

Just by chance I just got an e-mail from Brad Gerlach, answering my latest pleas to go to Russia. He said:

Sorry B but I'm tied up here with the trade shows and Movie premieres, not to mention training regimens.

Hope you are well and thanks for thinking of me

Gerr

So I said:

Brad

Oh well. I've got Chris Malloy and Brock chomping on the bit to come up here for the tidal bore attempt from September 16 to the 21, if everything goes according to plan, which it never does.

Russia might still happen from September 2 to September 16.

I've seen the tidal bore the last two days and it's pretty epic. It's as weird as Cortes Bank, but in length, not height. Think of standing on the point at Steamer Lane with almost no water between you and the pier. Then the ocean just sweeps in in a four-foot wave, and that whole area fills up in front of your eyes, with beluga whales swept in with it. Very, very strange. And like the Cortes Bank, it asks a question: How good of a surfer are you?

How about this idea. For a while I've been thinking about pitching a TV show to the Outdoor Life Network called Bored! in which a group of surfers and kayakers would travel the world, surfing the world's best tidal bores. Pezman talked me out of it, but I think he's wrong. You could get a great show out of Alaska, and the other places would be just as good.

I've always thought the perfect host for the thing would be Mr. Brad Gerlach.

I'm talking to Outdoor Life Network soon and I'll see what they say.

You interested in this, if anything works out: China, Bay of Fundy, Amazon, England, Alaska and France. Brad is the host, with a revolving list of surfers.

Ben

So, another hair-brained idea for me to pursue.

As for the Prudhoe Bay Pipeline, today I went by Alaska Petroleum News to get a few copies. That thing is similar to what I want to do, but not as entertaining or comic. Mine will be more ñgrass rootsî I guess. Entertainment, not just information. The oil industry from below and above.

For example, today a driver went off a culvert about six miles north of Prudhoe Bay. I would interview the driver and take a photo of the culvert. Alaska Petroleum News monthly has starchy articles and photos of big ships. Mine will be closer to the ground, perhaps.

I don't know. I just need something to do. And I need a shower and a hair cut.

So now I'm at Kinkos firing e-mails back and forth with a bunch of different people. Ira Opper just wondered what I was up to, so I sent him an explanation of Bored!

I wonder who would sponsor it? Patagonia?

I'm going to do some research on tidal bores and kayakers and costs and such and make a proposal.

It would be fun television.

So here is how the next few weeks might go. Gus found out there is a fish processing plant hiring in Valdez, because a bunch of illegal workers got popped. If everything works out, I'll go there for a week, earn some money learning how to cut fish, then come back to Anchorage by the 2nd of September.

We'll do Russia, come back and do the Tidal Bore and then I'll see what else is happening.

That's about it for now. Going to drive back to Turnagain Arm and watch the bore for the third day. I oughta go try to bellyboard it. But I'm so out of shape I'd probably drown. Which might be a good thing.

Bye bye.



TRAVELS WITH IKE
August 20, 2001
August 18, 2001
August 17, 2001
August 16, 2001
August 15, 2001
August 12, 2001
August 10-11, 2001
August 9, 2001
August 8, 2001
August 7, 2001
August 6, 2001
August 5, 2001
August 4, 2001
August 2, 2001
August 1a, 2001
August 1, 2001
July 31, 2001
July 30, 2001
July 29, 2001
July 28, 2001
July 27, 2001
July 24-27, 2001
July 22, 2001
July 18-20, 2001
July 18, 2001
July 17, 2001
July 16, 2001
July 15, 2001
July 13, 2001
July 12, 2001
July 10, 2001
July 9, 2001
July 8, 2001
July 5, 2001
July 4, 2001
July 3, 2001
July 2, 2001
July 1 a, 2001
July 1, 2001
June 30, 2001

June 28, 2001
June 25-26, 2001
June 24, 2001
June 23, 2001
June 22, 2001
June 21, 2001
June 20, 2001
June 19, 2001
June 18, 2001
June 17-18, 2001
June 16, 2001
June 15, 2001
June 14 , 2001

NORTH COAST
March 14, 2001
March 11, 2001

March 8, 2001
March 4, 2001
March 3, 2001
March 1, 2001
February 20, 2001
February 19, 2001
February 18, 2001
February 17, 2001
February 16, 2001


ALASKA 2000
November 19, 2000
November 18, 2000

November 15, 2000
November 14, 2000
November 14, 2000
November 12-13, 2000
November 11, 2000
November 9, 2000
November 8, 2000
November 4-6, 2000
November 3, 2000
November 1, 2000
October 31, 2000
October 29, 2000
October 27, 2000
October 26, 2000
October 25, 2000
October 22, 2000
October 22, 2000
October 21, 2000
October 19, 2000
October 17, 2000
October 16, 2000
October 16, 2000
October 14, 2000
October 12, 2000
October 11, 2000
October 10, 2000
October 10, 2000
October 9, 2000
October 8, 2000
October 7, 2000
October 6, 2000
October 6, 2000
October 5, 2000
October 4, 2000
October 3, 2000
October 2, 2000
October 1, 2000
September 30, 2000
September 29, 2000
September 28, 2000
September 27, 2000
September 25, 2000
September 24, 2000
September 23, 2000
September 22, 2000
September 21, 2000
September 21, 2000
September 20, 2000
September 19, 2000
September 19, 2000
September 18, 2000
September 17, 2000
September 16, 2000
September 15, 2000
September 15, 2000
September 14, 2000
September 13, 2000
September 12, 2000
September 10, 2000
September 10, 2000
September 8, 2000

September 8, 2000

PHOTOS
October 1, 2000
October 1, 2000
September 27, 2000

 

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