The Riddler launches himself down the ramp. Easy, right?

Over the last year I’ve come to know a rugby-loving fella via Twitter who also has a penchant for paddling. We’ve met a few times and always share a good laugh, and a few weeks ago “The Riddler”, as we’ve decided to call him, joined Team Fat Paddler for the Summer Series race at Balmoral. We lost him somewhere on the course but we have it on good authority he went swimming and needed a rescue much like our own Captain Grumm in the Bridge to Beach earlier this year. Not that it kept him from the sausages at the end of course!

Earlier this week he sent us a video of his attempts at seal launching off his own boat jetty, a video that made me laugh so much that I had to share it with the rest of Team Fat Paddler. I think Commander Alan summed it up perfectly when he wrote, “congratulations on an exemplary video in the TFP ouvre: suicidal, potentially damaging to equipment, and performed with very little forethought or planning but maximum optimism”. I couldn’t have put it better myself. But enough of us, have a giggle at the The Riddler’s expense.

Needless to say the video pushed our friendship with Riddler to that extra level and as a result he was invited to join Team Fat Paddler. With a resounding “yes”, Seaman Riddler was accepted as our latest team mate, and we look forward to watching him do more silly things with us… as well as perhaps teaching him how to brace and self-rescue – ha! Cheers, FP

Seaman Riddler about to demonstrate the effectiveness of the non-paddle-brace

Seaman Riddler, the newest addition to Team Fat Paddler. Welcome aboard Seaman!