I’m going to start this off with a bit of a tale – because it turns out I didn’t really know what we were in for when I sent my first blog entry from Calgary – things took a turn for the douchey.

Not the Calgary show itself. No no no. That show was a lot of fun (including the dance party after). There was a small incident however; one we’ve never encountered before, because our fans are usually (a.k.a. always) not the type to give us the finger, because hey, if you’re a fan of something, you generally don’t show your appreciation by giving that thing the finger. Unless if you’re a fan of Stone Cold Steve Austin like me.

Anyway, here’s the full silly story:

We were about halfway through our set when Luke accidentally unplugged his guitar, thus cutting the sound out at a crucial moment in the song. He fixed it pretty quickly, but once the song was over, in a fit of self-rage, he threw a roundhouse kick at the microphone stand, which tumbled over into the crowd.

At the time I didn’t think anything had happened, but one guy took the brunt of the mic in the head apparently, and his friend (not him) took it personally, because that’s what bros are for, right bros?! From then on in, he kept pushing the mic stand back at Luke and into his face, as well as using some rude hand gestures that I can’t describe on here in fear of my mom reading this.

At one point I saw Andy (who is a man that I have never seen show even the slightest sign of genuine anger towards another person), pointing and shouting something at this guy. I didn’t know what was up, but I knew something was wrong if Andy, earth’s kindest soul, was shouting expletives into a dude’s face.

Then came the last song, when the guy pushed the mic stand completely over when everything BUT the vocals were supposed to drop out, thus bringing the song to a complete halt. At this point, I now knew what was going on and went over to yell swear words at this guy along with Andy for derailing what was a really fun set. He was taken out, we somehow pieced the song back together and finished.

Then I went outside before the encore to see if the guy was out there, and I beat him mercilessly with my bare hands.

Not really. I did that thing where your voice quivers and you make vague threats then leave. I’m a true badass!

I apologize for the lack of pictures in Calgary – I was completely derailed by that guy pushing the mic. Please accept this David Wilcox video that we watched before our show in Chicago and I hope you will forgive us: 

We then moved on to Saskatoon, where we had a great show at Amigo’s (you can check out some really sweet photos from the show here). Good thing that guy got some pictures because I sure as heck didn’t. Still rattled from Calgary I suppose.

From there we spent several hours in the van getting to Winnipeg.

We literally rushed to get there, loaded in, played almost immediately (to a really fun crowd)

Then had to leave almost immediately (after packing up the van from ON TOP OF OF THE VAN!

because of a long drive we had to do the next day. We were so delirious that I thought the road was covered in snakes. Turns out it’s just tar. Yep. Tar. We also hit a wolf or coyote driving through the night. It was both sad and 100% terrifying. We’re a bunch of fragile little boys.

We then played in Minneapolis at the Turf Club, which had a strange juxtaposition of back rooms (is that the right using of that word? I’m just trying to sound like an educated man.) One room looked like this:

While the other looked like this:

You can safely assume we spent more time in the cool room playing piano and taking psychedelic pictures than we did chilling in the murder basement.

During the show a girl jumped up on stage during Moose Bruce and tried playing Luke’s guitar, then just awkwardly climbed back down. It was pretty hilarious. To me. Not so much her.

Then it was off to Chicago, but first we hit up Daytrotter where we and Young Rival both recorded sessions that will go up sometime in the near future.

The drive from Minneapolis to Rock Island (Daytrotter) to Chicago was our longest trip of the tour (woke up at 6:15, arrived at venue around 8:00 I think), and it also may have been the biggest payoff in terms of stir craziness accumulated in the van and awesomeness generated at the show. If that makes any sense at all. All I mean is that we had a crazy fun show that was even more awesome because of how long we sat still in the van on our way there.

The pace of tour can definitely be jarring sometimes, in a way that’s more funny than anything really. You sit still for fourteen hours, then IMMEDIATELY rock out as hard as humanly possible, get drunk, go to bed. It’s like baseball. Sit still for a long time then run to first base as fast as your body will allow you. The only difference is that when you tour with us nerds, no one gets to first base. :(

I think I’ll leave on a high note. We’re all hanging out in the bar in Allston as people are coming in – should be a sweaty one tonight. Hoo boy.

ruffian mitch

Hello internet users and people who print out the internet to read it on regular paper (do you exist?). My name is Mitch and I play bass for a band called Born Ruffians, and we are currently on a North American tour in support of our new album, Say It.

There are seven fellers in our van because we’re travelling and playing with Young Rival, a rock and roll band from the rock and roll town of Hamilton (of the rock and roll province of Ontario).

So now is the time that you hum the Perfect Strangers theme song  in your head as I introduce every person in the van:

Luke – Guitar/Vocals (Born Ruffians)

Steve (“Mike Dakota”) – Drums (Born Ruffians)

Andy – Keys/Guitar (Born Ruffians)

John (“Demetri”) – Bass (Young Rival)

Aaron (“Dr. Edward Poon”) – Guitar/Vocals (Young Rival)

Noah (This is his sexy glamour shot that I took without his permission) – Drums (Young Rival)

And there are no known pictures of me, so in order to know what I look like, you’ll just have to combine Jack White, John Belushi and a modern incarnation of John Goodman’s Dan Conner in Roseanne – all comparisons I’ve received this tour. With the body of Usher.

We hit Victoria after four shows in the US that included confetti,

balloons, a failed marriage proposal on stage,

me smashing Luke over the head with my bass, about three broken bass strings, two shirtless men (one of which was the dude proposing), one pantsless man (for real) and we also played songs. We also discovered that men like to get naked to our music, but not women.

In Victoria we played with Mother Mother at this massive church.

The crowd was great and really receptive, but the highlight had to be when they all rose out of their seats and gradually danced up to the front of the stage during What To Say.

Right after the show, there was the after party (then after the party, we went to the hotel lobby) that Young Rival was playing. That night we discovered that even if no one knows they’re playing, Young Rival attract girls to their shows from all corners of the city. Their music is like some kind of conch shell that only babes can hear.

In Vancouver we returned to playing our own show, and it was maybe the wildest of the entire tour so far.

The place was crammed, people brought balloons again, I got blasted in the head with an empty can of PBR, Steve tore his shirt on the steel cage that surrounded the stage, and fans invaded the stage on our last song (before the encore even!) and they pretty much obliterated our gear. Between the steel cage and beer can to the head it was more like a pro wrestling show than an indie rock show, and THAT I can get into.

From there we spent two days driving, where we encountered this herd of wildlife.

Last night was Edmonton, yet another show that included balloons and sheer chaos.

There was no steel cage to climb, so it was back to being like a rock show again, which is okay too. At the end of our encore, my bass strap popped off and into the crowd. After the song I tried getting it back from a fan, which turned into a tug of war, which would’ve been embarrassing if I lost, because she was a small girl. But I won BECAUSE I AM A STRONG MAN.

We’re in Calgary right now getting ready to soundcheck. The sound guy just read us a short story over the PA. It was bizarre and pleasant all at the same time because he has the voice of a book-on-tape. Now he’s just naming cities and imperial measurements into the mic…

See you in five days!

Ruffian Mitch

You Say Party! We Say Die! have been catching up with us as they traverse from East to West this great Canadian north in what is only loosely referred to as “springtime” which is a relative term for Canadians.

End of the night at Amigo’s, Saskatoon. Great show, great food, great place.

We hit a brutal blizzard driving out of Saskatchewan towards Edmonton, wind gusts were up around 100km/h and there were a lot of highway closures all over the province. What is usually a five hour drive ended up taking about nine as we inched our way through the whiteout. This was the first glimpse of sun we had seen in hours, near the Westernmost point of the storm.

A herd of elk in Jasper National Park. Always nice to see the rockies again after crossing Canada, they mark the beginning of the final home stretch.

Tattoo salespeople in Prince George.

Our sold-out last show in at UNBC in Prince George.

Vancouver’s You Say Party! We Say Die! Are touring across the Great White North as I type this. They’ve been gracious enough to do a Tour Diary for us as they traverse their home country after a month in the USA! USA! USA!. As a side note, they take really nice photos and are making us envious of the ever illusive cross-Canada road trip that all Canadians grow up lusting after.

We played an all-ages Easter Monday matinee show in Sault Ste. Marie. It was not the busiest show in the world, despite the nice weather.

An abandoned gas station somewhere along the highway. There’s a lot of boarded-up buildings along the Eastern shores of Lake Superior; a lot of them are seasonal places that open back up in the summer, but this one’s been rotting for ages. I love it.

Stephen at the helm driving through the Shield.

Devon and Sissy enjoying a Standard Lager before the show at the Royal Albert, Winnipeg.

Krista, Becky and Stevie from APTN do an interview in Winnipeg.

The Royal Albert Arms: one of our favorite venues on the planet!

Krista attempts to ignore the dick room at the Albert… IT IS FUTILE TO RESIST. It is truly amazing how many band rooms are covered in dicks all around the world, but this is definitely one of the best.

Vancouver’s You Say Party! We Say Die! Are touring across the Great White North as I type this. They’ve been gracious enough to do a Tour Diary for us as they traverse their home country after a month in the USA! USA! USA!. As a side note, they take really nice photos and even if the first post is a day late (apparently there is no Wi-Fi north Barrie) it was worth every minute we sat here nail-biting yesterday. Please enjoy liberally.

Becky, Krista and Sharlene Chiu from MTV doing a cooking show at Trevor (our manager) and Maude’s place in Toronto.

Henri Fabergé becomes a mic stand for Mac of Makeout Videotape, who opened the show at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto and will be touring with us all the way back to Vancouver.

Kip from the Horseshoe is a great sound guy who we’ve had the pleasure of working with many times. It was great to come back after several years; probably one of the best shows we’ve ever played.

Lake break somewhere on Highway 17 during the long drive from Montreal to Sudbury where we were spending the night. Nice to be back in Canada after nearly a month in the US.

Enjoying a low-key Easter Sunday night off with our friends from Sudbury at the Townehouse. Had some great pizza next door at the Laughing Buddha earlier.

We love Ramone! He lets us crash at his place whenever we pass through Sudbury. Good dog.

When I walked into Le Belmont, I was taken aback by complete shock. The doors opened at 9 o’clock, and there was a one-free-drink for everyone rule before 10 o’clock. Before my eyes is a sea of middle-aged men and woman, slow dancing to jazz and oldies music. Confused by the sight of divorced men and woman prowling around, flirting and trying to find new love, I wondered whether or not I was at the right venue.

Finally, I caught the only two younger people in the crowd. Alex from Duke of Swabia sat with me and reassured me that this was the right venue. A fellow Concordia University student like me, explained to me that “Blog Wars” is a nightclub battle between Montreal’s biggest entertainment blogs who are having a friendly “Ipod battle”, which reminds me of that famous rap battle scene from 8 mile, only with Ipod’s.

By 10:30 pm, the atmosphere changed drastically. What was once a decaying, mid-life crisis, middle-aged single’s gathering became a sanctuary for unground house, electro, techno and house dance music, full with vibrant youth and a rave-like atmosphere.

The Blogs that were competing: As Heard From Mars, Mess With The Best, Indecent Xposure, Saintwoods.com, Duke of Swabia, Goldzmine and 4MTL all came together to create the ultimate party playlist. It’s one blog against the other and the winner leaves Le Belmont with a better ego and sense of establishment as Montreal’s best entertainment collective blog.

Sandy, a dedicated fan to a few of these blogs thinks this is a “sick event for elecktro.” The atmosphere was vibing with tons of people like her, enjoying their free drink and the new Canadian energy drink Red-Rain. The blogs began the battle. Cheer after louder cheer, blog groups advanced or were dismissed by the crowd.

Eventually the finalists were 4MTL and Indecent Exposure. The MC, who had trouble the whole night trying to read and understand who the majority of shouts went out too, had both blogs have two showdown 20 sec overtime matches. Finally, after Le Belmont was erupted with wall-shaking screams, 4MTL emerged the winner.

Finally, a little bit after midnight, Harvard Bass began playing beats. Straight from California, Harvard Bass is an original DJ, but his base lines aren’t but they bring the “dub”. His remixes are pretty dupstep-like because they have a heavy feeling and go into that little dub- “wooops”, but at the same time the beats are very electro with a mix of techno. However, because the blog battles lasted so long and the technical set ups for these DJs took quite a bit of time, the alcohol started to wear off and the crowd was becoming rather lazy, like his Zombie-Nation remix. Unfortunetly, Harvard Bass didn’t expect their music to be the make-it or break-it for the vibe that night.

Next was Classixx (a Knee Socks Beat Cleavage fav) who play classical house music remixing songs from the 80s and 90s. They reminded me of an ex-girlfriend whom I dated who was a huge Indie fan. I loved their wildly popular Lisztomania remix by Phoenix. Unfortunately, this chill music did not slide well with much of the audience, because they were so vibed-out and detoxicated from Harvard Bass and the slow set up.

The night went by but the party just started with Drop The Lime. Those who stayed to see him were really in for a trip. Drop the Lime from Brooklyn, New York presenting the tropical, bossa nova freestyle genres was a true character. Drop the Lime was truly the best for last. He had spirit, which was badly needed towards the end of the night. The dance floor was emptying, but Drop The Lime put in his complete rave-power to get the audience involved and to get the rest of the audience smoking outside to come back in and party.

Though the night overall was a success, the bloggers got a chance to get known. The set up was way to slow, and for whatever reason, the crazy ravers didn’t show up. Maybe they weren’t invited on Facebook. For me, this was a first time experience and I think i replayed all these crazy beats in my dreams.

Words by: David Adelman

Photos by: Karel Chladek

Our pal, Egyptrixx has just come back from doing some European dates  and was kind enough to do a tour diary for us. For all you Spring Breakers, this will be right up your University alley. It’s full on existential and a little dreamy.

European tours can be like Miroslaw Balka’s How it is, the current Turbine Hall installation at London’s Tate Modern.  Balka’s piece – a 4-story tall steel box with a ramp entrance – is evocative and complex.  Viewers are faced with a moment of indecision when staring into the pitch black space from the top of the ramp. Which is kinda how I felt before this tour, after some last minute organizational drama and a major portion of bullshit at home. But when in life are things ever completely stable? Fuckit. Once inside the box, viewers are subjected to partial sensory deprivation and an overwhelming sense of confusion and claustrophobia.

KRAKOW

During soundcheck in Krakow I blew up a bunch of gear. I thought I was using an appropriate adaptor/convertor…obviously not. A piece of advice for anyone planning a trip to Europe; be absolutely sure!

After the initial fear subsides, a certain comfort and camaraderie emerges. An impromptu micro-society forms as viewers begin reverting to their real-world roles. The chivalrous protect the elderly from over-caffeinated middle-schoolers; teenagers giggle in huddled packs, using smartphones as a light source and operating with a general sense of characteristic awkwardness; earnest twenty-somethings try to muscle the experience into some ongoing search for identity and meaning.

BERLIN

I took a few days off in Berlin for some downtime – it’s one of my favorite cities. It’d been a hectic few months leading up to this tour so I was really looking forward to some doners and techno, both Berlin essentials.  My friend Jon and I caught Detroit House Legend Omar S at Panorama Bar and he dropped the track below at 10am (peaktime in Berlin). What a fucking moment, it was like perfect techno synergy or something, we just about jumped one another…does Panorama bar make people gay?

As the viewer ventures further inside, there is a growing sense of anxiety with the realization that ‘no, this steel box does not go on forever,’ and ‘yes, I will probably walk face first into the back wall very soon.’ This is where the piece is most disorienting.

PARIS

I played my first gig in Paris on this tour and it was also my first time in the city. I had a few days to hang out and explore but felt like a total boob for having such shitty French. I hate not being able to communicate properly. The gig was cool though, I got to play at the famous Paris Social Club with DJ Zinc (the legend!), Riton, and the very cool Forma.T crew. I also Macgiver’d my socks in the hotel sink.

Once the viewer has walked into the (curiously soft) back wall, the reflex is to turn around and stare at the opening, which with the comparative glare of ambient light, is immediately comforting and surprising. Imagine drifting in the ocean on a lifeboat and finally seeing land…Yea, it’s kinda like that.

MANCHESTER

My last gig was in Manchester, which I’m convinced is one of the coolest cities in Europe. Everyone is great, the fashion sensibilities are very hip and yet unpretentious, their taste in music is impeccable, and sometimes there are sexy girls in tiger costumes loitering at afterparties. Can’t wait to get back.

Egyptrixx “Battle for North America” EP is out TODAY. buy 12” or Mp3 at Juno/Beatport

Sara Quin of Tegan & Sara is writing a Tour Diary for Pink Mafia on her trek across the great white north. The entire Tour Diary is based on the gnarly and hilarious dreams she has every night. Read. Enjoy.

TOUR DREAM DIARY: FINAL WEEK

The last week of our tour was a blur. I haven’t slept well because of a lingering hacking cough and so what I recorded was mostly fragments.

QUEBEC CITY

In Quebec City I dreamed that I was forced to decide between my best friend’s birthday party and a family gathering at my grandma’s house. My best friend and my mother were both very upset with me and I was afraid that if I didn’t attend my grandma’s party I would never see her again. I am sitting on a picnic bench in my backyard. It’s my childhood backyard, the bench is red, as is the garage. I keep seeing the garage door open, people are bringing in supplies for the party.

BUS FROM FREDERICTON TO HALIFAX

On my final sleep in my bus bunk from Fredericton to Halifax I dream that I am dating a friend from my past. I’m nervous to introduce him to the band and crew. I’m on a movie set that looks like Lucille Bluth’s apartment (from the television show, Arrested Development).  I am responsible for cooking a huge meal. I am left alone in the kitchen to cook a turkey. I’m afraid to cut open the turkey because I’m convinced that it will have human bones in it. There is a knock at the front door, when I open the door I mistake the guest for a man who I knew when I was a kid but it is actually a woman from across the hall. She is drunk and has run out of alcohol. She invites herself in and sits down at the dining room table. She pours herself a brandy and she removes the napkin from the place setting. I’m upset because I don’t want her to stay as my dinner guest. Even though no one has arrived, and the food hasn’t been served, I notice that Tegan has put away everything in the kitchen.

**Recently a woman bought and moved into the apartment directly next to mine. She comes home at 3 am most evenings, puts on French music or Peter Frampton at ear splitting level and cries. True story.

HALIFAX

In Halifax, our final day of tour, I am only asleep for a handful of hours. I wake up (to have a coughing fit) and attempt to scribble a few words down on a piece of paper that I place in bed next to me. I fall back asleep and have a waking dream where I write pages of notes in extremely small block letters with a green ink pen. When I wake up I’m disappointed to discover that my real notes are just blue ink scribbles and not detailed paragraphs.

TORONTO VIDEO SHOOT

After our last show in Halifax, Tegan and I fly to Toronto to shoot a music video for the song “Alligator.”

My wake up call for the shoot is 6 AM. I feel very nervous and I dream that Tegan and I are recording the video in my grandma’s bathroom. There are four other girls in the bathroom and we are recording a hip hop remix of the song. We are all dancing on the edge of the bathtub. The catering area for the dancers is in the kitchen and there are bowls of ice cream that have melted in the sun. I have a huge shawl on. It is dragging on the floor collecting lint and I am nervously picking at it throughout the dream.

Sara Quin of Tegan & Sara is writing a Tour Diary for Pink mafia on her trek across the great white north. The entire Tour Diary is based on the gnarly and hilarious dreams she has every night. Read. Enjoy.

Tour Dream Diary: Toronto

Tegan and I are at a street fair. There are magicians performing and we stop to watch a man who is shooting arrows that are weightless and hovering in the air above our heads. Another man is doing tricks with a small white sheet. The sheet keeps taking the form of a ghost. It also appears to be floating. People on the street are applauding.

Johnny, our bands drummer, is  trying to sort through a very complicated Indian food menu. We are responsible for ordering enough supper for the entire band and crew. Neither of us can read the menu, the words are very small and it all appears to be in French.

Damon and Kate, from AN HORSE, are upset because someone has leaked their cell phone numbers on the internet. They are both receiving threatening messages. They keep showing me their cell phone screens but I don’t seem to be able to read the messages. Damon shows me a folded note from his pocket. its a long list of things to order at the coffee shop. I take the note and collect coffees and pastries. He specifically has request almond croissants.

The last dream I have in the morning is that I am dating an actress on a television show. She has gray hair and she seems to only speak French. She is much taller than I am and we are having an argument in a mall. She rushes off to get back to set and I keep hearing my name over the mall PA system.

The last note I made when I woke up in the morning said ” Group shower, bathing suit”. It doesn’t jog my memory further.

Sara Quin of Tegan & Sara is writing a Tour Diary for Pink Mafia on her trek across the great white north. The entire Tour Diary is based on the gnarly and hilarious dreams she has every night. Read. Enjoy.

Tour Dream Diary: Edmonton

Last night I slept in a hotel room in Edmonton, Alberta. I woke up at 11:18 am and quickly jotted these notes down.

___

There are a three of us at my moms apartment, we’re looking to a few have drinks but when I reach into the refrigerator for water, my friend Jeremy, who offers to fill it back up, jokingly does so, but with Grand Marnier. I’m furious. When I attempt to clean it in the sink, I discover that the Brita filter is filled with coffee beans and scraps of food.

I go into my closet and I’m searching for a t-shirt. I’m wearing green shorts and a stretched out orange top. I don’t like my outfit but everyone is calling for me to hurry up. I’m anxious so I just leave the outfit on.

We sit on my front steps watching people pass by on the street. The bars across the road are drag bars and all the patrons seems to know me. I ask my friend if he had fun at the party, he shows me a Polaroid picture of people with smeared make up lying on the street laughing, dresses pulled up above their waists. He also tells me my mom “knocked over a bunch of sitars”.

Earlier in the night I dream that my bed has “wood bugs”. The bugs look translucent and have the shape of a mosquito. Once the bugs find wood they turn into a screw shape. (I realize that description sounds like a dirty joke that an old man or a scientist would tell, but its a true description of the bug from my dream!)

The wood bugs have infested the hotel room. I’m trying to find a book or shoe to squish them with. I don’t want to ruin any of my books, plus the wood bugs have transformed into their screw like shape and I am on the phone trying to reach an exterminator.  I’m worried that we will end up with wood bugs in our luggage. We have magnifying glasses out and we flip over the beds and desks to check all the wood legs.

__

The only other note I made was from the middle of the night and none of it jogged my dream memory bank. But here is the exact note i took:

” W/ a friend. She has a car parked. Banff. Photos w/ snakes. Sunny missing girls”.

Sara Quin, 1/2 of super Canadian sister-duo Tegan and Sara (who are just now getting their dues in the press after over a decade of beating the proverbial shit out of the people who DO get all the attention where it counts in tour tickets, downloads and albums sold) is doing a tour diary for us.

But it’s not just any old tour diary filled with boozy nights and airport talk. Over the next month, Sara’s going to detail her dreams on the road. Oh you think that boring do you? Well we’ve known her for over a decade and girlfriend has some gnarly dreams, in fact we’re really looking forward to this one. More than usual. More than booze and airport talk. That’s a lot for us.

Tour Dream Diary: Tour Bus

It is the second morning on our tour bus. Everyone has red eyes and sore throats from the altitude change and the restless night of zigzagging perilously through mountain passes. This is a photo of my bunk.

Last Night’s Dream:

I’m in a large house where a foot ball game is being shown on television. I hide my credit cards and ear plugs in an oven. The oven is on and so everything melts and the fire alarm goes off. The game is canceled. Texas is playing. People are very upset with me and so I hide in a room that I recognize as my cousins childhood bedroom.

A woman dressed in a football outfit enters the room and scolds me about the game, she insists I make a public apology. Then I am suddenly in a gymnasium and I’m standing in front of the entire team. I explain how sorry I am and everyone seems to forgive me. I leave the building to find breakfast, I realize that I am starving. I end up sitting outside of a cafe, seated with half a dozen people I don’t recognize. We are celebrating the relationship status of one of the male couples.

At one point I begin scrolling through a menu on my phone selecting films for my netflix queue. One of my selections starts to play on my phone and I’m really embarrassed because it is an adult film. I shut my phone off so it will stop playing. I keep asking people the time, I repeat over and over, “is it 10 am?”. I wake up when my alarm goes off at 10:18 am.

We’ve been following Lindsay Knowlton on her Wear in the World Adidas Golf adventure where she and her colleague from Adidas have the chance to golf around the world in the most extreme conditions to test Adidas apparel. Read below for her adventures in South Africa.

I’ve been to Johannesburg before, but after my first trip to Capetown, I can confidently say it is South Africa’s best kept secret. Unfortunately we didn’t have much of a chance to see the nightlife between Great White Shark Diving and golfing, but I hear it’s fantastic and apparently has the feel of a San Francisco.

We landed in Cape Town on the heels of 15 hours of travel and two hours of sleep! As soon as we landed, our lovely South African hosts – Sandra and Andrew were at the airport to pick us up and whisk us away to our first adventure – Robben Island!

Robben Island is 7 kms off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa. The entire island was a prison that for 17 years held captive, former South African President, Nelson Mandela. The tour guides of Robben Island are all former political prisoners, and their stories really give you a sense of how far this country has come in such a short period of time. 88 year old Nelson Mandela is such an iconic figure to South Africa and its people that the mere sight of his 6×6 cell brought several travelers to tears. This is one of the most amazing cultural experiences I’ve ever had, I’m so happy we were able to catch that last ferry over. FOR VIDEO CLICK HERE

The traffic in South Africa was a whole different story. Between 18 wheelers on the side of the road that have been blown up, passing cars at 150kms/hr uphill on a solid line around a curve, and Josh’s never-ending quest to find the correct gear (he calls it a work in progress), I feel like a cat with 9 lives! Sometimes I pretend to sleep so that I don’t need to watch, and at this point, death road seemed like a bunny slope.

South Africa has a few quirky traffic rules that are taking awhile to get used to. In Canada, your license gets taken away if you drive over 150kms/hr. In South Africa, 140 kms/hr is considered slow and you will get passed on a two lane road!

Day Two was one of the scariest days of my entire life. We left our accommodations (a cozy beach house a couple of blocks from the shores of Cape Town) to head to Gaansbai, the world’s capital for Great White Sharks and we were getting in the water with them.

We stepped onto “The Barracuda” which was our boat for the day. Our host reminded us that “this isn’t an aquarium or a touch tank” and to keep hands and feet inside the cage at all times if we wanted to keep them. We pulled up to our dive site and anchored the cage right next to the boat. Two of the workers began “chumming” the waters (chum is a cocktail of ground fish guts and blood that is thrown out into the water to entice the sharks). As we put on our full body wetsuits and weight belts, the captain explained to us how fortunate we were with our visibility. Normally at this time of year, the clarity of the water is one meter, but today was the clearest day they have had in years and we could see 16 meters away! Perfect for diving with Great White Sharks. Between the chum, and the decapitated tuna head (the size of a basketball), it took about 30 seconds for the first shark to show up. Looking over the side of the boat at this 14 foot eating machine, I tried to find my waiver I had signed and take the next dingy back to shore.

Without adidas ClimaWarm technologies in my wetsuit, the 12 degree waters felt colder than playing in the snow of Ushuaia! Our dive guide instructed us to pee in our wetsuit to stay warm. As soon as I saw the first set of jaws coming towards me, I felt badly for the poor tourist using my wetsuit on the afternoon dive!

We shuffled into the 17 foot wide cage – 5 people at a time, with no snorkel or breathing apparatus of any kind. Just goggles, booties, a wetsuit (now a little wetter) and the old fashioned however long you could hold your breath! We were instructed to keep our knees on the inside bar of the cage until our spotter/tuna head thrower would yell “down”. On his signal we’d take our knees off the cage, and we’d drop down with the help of our weight vest to the cage floor, and peer out a small viewing area called the window.

We were instructed to look at the bait at all times. As the shark approached, the spotter/tuna thrower would slowly reel the bait closer to the cage, leaving us two feet from away from rows of razor sharp teeth. Shark after shark approached the bait giving us one of the most adrenaline pumping experiences of our lives. We thought the sharks were finished for the day, and then we saw the reason why they swam away. Bearing down on our cage was the biggest shark of the afternoon, an 18 footer we nicknamed “Alpa – Cino”, because of the large scar on the side of his face. One of the most amazing things about these creatures was how graceful they were despite their massive size. Even though we had one of the clearest days on record, these incredible animals would appear and vanish in an instant. Today’s experience was hands down better than any zoo or aquarium I’ve ever been to! FOR VIDEO CLICK HERE.

The third morning we woke up to a whole new adventure. Eleven children from a local school came to meet us for a golf clinic held at the beautiful Arabella Golf Resort. These kids ranged in age from 10 – 14 and had varying golf abilities but the one thing we all shared in common was our passion for the game of golf.

We had the honor of giving each child an adidas golf polo, cap and sleeve of golf balls. To see the looks on their faces when they put on their three stripes was worth every mile we’ve traveled to get here.  These kids come from some of the toughest social and economic conditions and for some, their one outlet and safe place is the Arabella Golf Club and their blossoming junior golf program. The kids, Josh and I shared stories about our excitement for the adidas brand, talked about safety and respect for the game and finished off with a clinic and chipping contest!

Golf is now a global game, and in 2016 will be an official Olympic sport. These children are the future stars of South Africa and I have no doubt will be standing on the podium accepting gold medals in no time! The enthusiasm and dedication that these young athletes have is inspiring to any human being that is fortunate enough to come in contact with them.

Today was one of my favorite days so far. Being able to share my passion with youngsters and help to educate the future stars of tomorrow was an incredible feeling. It’s amazing how we take simple things like running water, electricity, a meal and a soft warm bed for granted. These kids don’t have that same luxury that we do. We approached today hoping to give out some gifts and make a small impact on a child’s life; we didn’t realize that the impact they had on ours would last a lifetime.

Next stop…Australia to the hottest golf course on earth and taking in some Sydney nightlife!

Lindsay Knowlton is still golfing with Adidas Wear In The World where she gets to participate in an Adidas challenge to test their clothing in the most extreme weather conditions around the world. She sent us some videos, take a peak.

Day 1 Explanation of the Adidas Challenge

Furnace Creek/Death Valley, Lowest In The World, 214 Feet Below Sea Level

La Paz Golf Course, Bolivia, 1400 Metres Above Sea Level

Buenos Aires, Argentina, Pilar Golf Club, South America’s Signature Course

Landing In Ushuaia, the Most Southern Tip Of The World.

To Watch Them Golf In the Snow, CLICK HERE