We decided to name the blog “Wind Against Current” because we’re both fascinated by the effect of opposing forces. When you’re paddling, having the wind and current in opposition often creates what kayakers euphemistically call “interesting” conditions. In particular, if you’re paddling with the current and against the wind (one of Johna’s favorite scenarios) you may experience surprisingly large waves.
More broadly, in both science and engineering, opposing forces lie behind many interesting situations. Opposing forces create both colloidal suspensions and turbulence, airplane flight and its instabilities, heart rhythms and arrhythmias… And if you want to get metaphysical, many philosophies feature the notion of opposing forces of light and darkness, yin and yang, good and evil.
So we decided to create a space in which we could explore, with friends, the many ways in which opposing forces shape our world.
We invite you to join the discussion. We’re moderating comments for all the usual reasons, but we’ll never delete a post (even if we find it objectionable) without letting you know.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Vladimir Brezina (RIP) 
Johna Till Johnson
Wind Against Current 
Johna and Vlad,
Good stuff here! Many of your observations about the nuances of ‘person vs elements’ have been chewed on by yours truly. Would love to venture out with you.
LikeLike
What a fascinating blog you have here! Great photos, interesting ideas, and a spread of interests that is unique. I have really enjoyed the combinations of art & science – thanks! And, it makes me want to canoe again . . .
LikeLike
Thanks, Lynn!
You should definitely canoe again… there is nothing like being out on the water for the soul.
Your music is wonderful and I’m so glad to have discovered your blog!
And speaking of canoeing, music, and nature, you’ve probably already seen this, but if not… it’s amazing. Murmuration of starlings with a lovely soundtrack:
LikeLike
Johna, thanks for the incredible link to a murmuration of starlings; amazing video. The visual patterns are not unlike your ocean photo above! And the phrase makes my head spin, a great inspiration for a new piece of music. Thanks for sharing this; glad you liked the music on my site.
LikeLike
Hi Vladimir,
I hope you don’t mind me contacting you via your blog. I’m writing a book on the World’s toughest endurance races, one of which is the Manhattan Marathon Island Swim. I was searching on the web for photos and came aross your excellent gallery. I wanted to enquire into whether you might be prepared to let me use a couple of photos in the book? If so, could you please let me know how much you might charge? Please get in touch if this might be ok and I can give you some more detail on the project.
Kind Regards,
Richard
LikeLike
Hi, Richard,
That sounds like an exciting book, and I am very happy that you want to use my photos! I’ll email you.
Vlad
LikeLike
Hello to all and just read about your study of the world’s toughest endurance races. In Florida there is a kayak/small boat race called The Everglades Challenge. See information at Watertribe.com.
Also, I too found my way to your site and as I approach my first overnight paddle your article “I go faster at night” was a good read.
I hope to read along and write about my own sea kayak adventures. As a kayak fisherman for ten years I am expanding my range!
Peace and Blessings
LikeLike
Thanks, David!
Funny you should mention the Everglades Challenge! It’s been on our list for several years now, but for one reason or another we haven’t yet done it…
Good luck to you as you expand your range! We look forward to reading about your own adventures soon!
LikeLike
Vladimir and Johna, I nominated you for The Versatile Blogger Award. The info is on my latest post; please feel free to do as you wish with the nomination. Have a happy new year!
LikeLike
Wow! Thank you SO much! We have read up on the award and will be responding shortly… but THANK YOU! Coming from you, that means a lot!
We wish you a wonderful, creative, productive 2012!
LikeLike
Wonderful !!
LikeLike
Thank you!! And I love your photos!
LikeLike
Very interesting blog. I too love kayaking and canoeing.
LikeLike
Thanks for following our blog! Welcome!
LikeLike
Hello!
I’ve nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award.
For More details click here:
http://rolayousef.wordpress.com/2012/03/16/the-versatile-blogger-award/
LikeLike
Thank you very much, Rola! We are honored that you’ve thought of us and very happy that you like our blog! We’ll post our own nominations in due course!
LikeLike
Pingback: Versatile Blogger Award, Who Me? « jeff sinon photography
Hello Vlad, thanks for visitng ‘TheNaturephile’ and pressing the like button.
I went sea kayaking with orcas in BC some years ago and it was an awesome experience and one which some day I want to repeat. In the meantime I shall go virtual kayaking by reading your blog!
LikeLike
Welcome! Lots more to come!
I can’t remember exactly how I reached your blog, but I really enjoyed it. Your spring photos just now are great!
LikeLike
This is a great blog and i must say, you have some good photos. I especially like the mainpage photo of you in your kayak with the city in the background. This is great contrast. I enjoy kayaking too and i hope you continue to share your stores and photos. Cheers
LikeLike
Thanks for visiting and for your kind words! Visit again soon—there’s plenty more to come!
LikeLike
Pingback: One Year of Wind Against Current | Wind Against Current
Love your about page!
LikeLike
Thanks, and thanks for following our blog! :-)
LikeLike
I’ve awarded you the One Lovely Blog award. Cheers!!
http://deetoursbydeepali.wordpress.com/2012/06/03/gulmohar-blossoms-and-one-lovely-blog-award/
LikeLike
Thank you so very much!! We are honored! We’ll post about it as soon as we can… :-)
LikeLike
Nice blog!
LikeLike
Thanks—we appreciate the compliment!
LikeLike
Pingback: The Sustain Blog nominates Transplantednorth for two Blogging awards! Time to pay it forward « Transplantednorth's Blog
stunning wave!
LikeLike
Yes, it is! Not my photo, unfortunately—one of the few on this blog that isn’t. It’s a free screensaver off the internet. When we were building this page I didn’t have a photo that expressed quite what we wanted. I should look to see if now, a year later, I do…
LikeLike
Thanks for liking my blog posts! I am now enjoying browsing through yours. I love the design and photos. I understand your fascination with currents and winds – living on the island of Jamaica, and even before, the sea is a constant presence and still so mysterious in many ways…
LikeLike
I’ve never been to Jamaica but I think I can imagine just a little bit what it feels like, since I go to Puerto Rico pretty often…
Thanks for following our blog! I see you have a lively and fun blog of your own, which I will enjoy exploring :-)
LikeLike
Thanks – yes, all our islands have some things in common, but very much have our own individual personalities too… My blog is a bit of an odd mixture. I do a weekly review of Jamaican news – my own, rather cynical take – on Sundays, and in between try to address some other local and global issues. I try to inject humor where I can! My passions are human rights and environmental issues (not always funny). And because my Jamaican friends are always complaining that they never read any “good news” from Africa, I post regular stories from that continent, too.
LikeLike
And a lot of football, I notice ;-) I will definitely enjoy your blog…
LikeLike
Yes, I am a bit of a football addict, Arsenal fan. Now watching Germany vs Netherlands in the Euro 2012 tournament… :-)
LikeLike
A great mix of passions!
LikeLike
Hi there. Nice blog! And thank you for the like on mine. :)
LikeLike
You are most welcome, and thanks! I liked your “Oceans” photos…
LikeLike
Hi Vladimir! Thanks for the “like” on my post. I see a lot of adventure and fun in your blog and that’s great.
LikeLike
Thank you, Marianne! I do think you’ve got some really nice photos on your blog… :-)
LikeLike
Hi @Vlad,
There are good news for you. I have nominated you for Versatile Blogger Award. I hope you’re happy with this news. Because your blog gives me inspiration and new ideas. This award give us more creativity.
You can see this nomination;
https://campanulladellaanna.wordpress.com/2012/06/24/appreciation-versatile-blogger-award-and-kreativ-blogger-award/
Thank you for your efforts, I appreciate it. Warm regads
LikeLike
Thank you so much, @Della Anna! We are so happy that you like and are inspired by our blog! We’ll pass the award on to other bloggers in due course… :-)
LikeLike
I’m inviting/nominating you to a photo travel blog contest the 7 super shots I’d heard about, in you would like to be part of the details are on http://canoecommunications.wordpress.com/2012/07/16/7-super-shots/my blog
LikeLike
Thank you so much for nominating us! This is a new kind of challenge for us… but we accept! We’ll post our photos as soon as we can…
LikeLike
Thanks for liking my Inside post!
LikeLike
You are most welcome!
LikeLike
Thanks for stopping by my blog and liking my fish taco post! You have some great pictures! I look forward to reading more of your blog.
LikeLike
You are most welcome, and please do!
LikeLike
I am happy to nominate you to receive a ”Beautiful Blogger Award” Check this link http://nackynice.wordpress.com/2012/07/24/amazing-night-beautiful-award/ Copy and paste to your blog and follow the rules of acceptance. Congratz and God Bless!
LikeLike
Thank you so much!! And congratulations to you too! We will pass on the award in due course…
LikeLike
Wonderful photos you have here! I feel like I’m going on an adventure just scrolling down the page :) Thanks for visiting my blog, I know I’ll be visiting yours often!
LikeLike
Thank you so much for subscribing to our blog! Do visit often! And I see you’ve got some great things on your own blog which we’ll have to explore… :-)
LikeLike
Hi Vladimir, I nominated for the “7 super shots”; http://shareandconnect.wordpress.com/2012/08/05/7-best-shots/
LikeLike
Thanks so much, Amy! We’ll have a hard job to come up to the standard of your own photos! :-)
LikeLike
Hi! I thought you might be interested in a photo contest and I have nominated you for participating… here’s the link http://autumninbruges.wordpress.com/2012/08/14/capture-the-colour/
LikeLike
Thanks so much for suggesting this contest! I didn’t know about it before, but it’s most intriguing… I’ll have to have a go! :-)
LikeLike
Wow, the waves are out of this world, so beautiful!
I look forward to following your blog and your inspiring camera.
Have a great day
Greetings from the far North
Dina
LikeLike
Thanks so much for subscribing! Lots more to come… And we are very happy to have discovered your blog, with its striking blue, northern themes :-)
LikeLike
Hi Vladimir,
would you and Johna be interested in presenting your favourites Waterthemes in a current serial on Water on my blog, I wonder? Klausbernd Vollmar (autor, psych.) writes a story to company the images, so far only in german I’m afraid :-), but slowly it’s getting more english.
If you’d like to join us, you’ll find my mailadress in “about”. All rights with you, and of course with links and backtracks.
Looking fprward to reading from you soon! :-)
Greetings from the small village next to the big sea in North Norfolk, UK,
Dina and Klausbernd
LikeLike
Hello, Dina,
It sounds like a great idea! We’ll get in contact with you via email to discuss it further.
Thanks! :-)
LikeLike
Hi Vladimir. Thank you in return for following my blog. It’s going to take me a while to get through all the great material you have here. I will admit that I’m just as intrigued by the New York element of you blog as I am the paddling element. I was planning on being in NY this fall for the first time, but have had to postpone that for now. I’ll get there one day.
Thank you again,
Greg
LikeLike
Thanks, Greg. Hope you make it to NYC! Yes, this blog originally started out about kayaking, but we soon realized it was going to spread out into other subjects, NYC being the one closest at hand…
LikeLike
Thanks Vladimir for visiting and leaving your footprints on my self-exploration of solitude.. I have been loving your explorations. Love.
LikeLike
It works both ways… thank you so much for exploring and leaving your footprints here! :-)
LikeLike
Pingback: Taking Care of Business… Some Thank You Notes | The Retiring Sort
Just wanted to let you know I have nominated you for the No Strings Attached-Gratitude Award. I hope this will be welcome news for you. I also hope you will visit the other nominees, and they will visit you. To see more about the award and accepting this nomination (no strings on this one), please visit my post at http://wp.me/p2ekZU-E4. All the best!
LikeLike
Thanks ever so much! We are greatly honored :-)
We’ll post about this award as soon as we can, and most definitely check out your other nominees!
Thanks again!!
LikeLike
wow – that is one amazing photo of the waves!
LikeLike
Yes, it is! Not mine, unfortunately…
LikeLike
aw, bummer. but it is STILL a great photo!! :-)
LikeLike
That it is!
LikeLike
Hi Vladimir, I hope you are having a good day. You are invited to play along in a game of blog tag, I hope you can join in http://rainbowbakery.wordpress.com/2012/10/06/tag-youre-it/
LikeLike
Thanks for tagging us, Georgia! We’ll see what we can do to answer your questions… :-)
LikeLike
Thanks for checking out my blog Vladimir, I have enjoyed the variety and photo’s you offer up, I hope my blog does as well as yours.
LikeLike
I am sure it will! Your “Animal” post was great, and you are in the perfect part of the world for some fascinating reportage and photography. Just keep posting… And thanks for visiting!
LikeLike
Pingback: Nature is Cruel « Deborah -d.mooncrab
Just wanted to let you know I have nominated you for the Beautiful Blogger Award. I hope this will be welcome news for you. Some people choose not to participate, others enjoy the opportunity to visit new-to-you blogs and to be visited by new-to-you bloggers. To read more about the award and accepting this nomination, visit my post at http://globetrottersara.wordpress.com/2012/10/13/speeches/
LikeLike
Thank you for nominating us, Sara! We are very happy you like our blog, and will respond to the award as soon as we are able :-)
LikeLike
Vlad and Johna, another award for you both – visiting your blog is so comforting with the pictures and narratives. Thanks!
http://shaanthz.wordpress.com/2012/10/14/another-acknowledgement/
LikeLike
Thanks so much, Shaanthz!! :-)
LikeLike
Your photography is wonderful,really something to aspire to.
LikeLike
Thanks so much for those kind words :-)
LikeLike
thanks you very much to visit my blog, i’m so sorry i can’t speak english very well :)
LikeLike
You are most welcome—thank you for visiting ours!
LikeLike
oh umm .. did you get a pingback from this post of mine ?
http://the-serenity-space.com/2012/10/19/r-e-a-l-i-t-y/ …
i was remiss in not notifying people directly of my nomination and relied only on the pingbacks … something I will not do in the future lol
LikeLike
Hi, Jenn,
No, we never got a pingback. That’s probably because you linked to a page (our home page) that doesn’t accept pingbacks. Since most blogs are similarly configured, the same thing could well have happened with your other nominees…
In any case, thanks so much for nominating us for this great new award, Jenn! We are so glad that you find our blog, at least in some small measure, inspiring… we’ll nominate others in our turn as soon as we can. Thanks again! :-)
LikeLike
thankyou so much :) i didnt realise that .. but now i do :)
you’re most welcome :) and your blog is wonderfully inspiring :) bright blessings :)
LikeLike
Hi, thanks for liking my post. :)
Um, I don’t know anything about paddling(?) but your blog looks interesting.. Sorry I don’t have anything more to say.. ^__^a
LikeLike
Take a look around… You’ll see this blog is about a lot more than paddling! :-)
LikeLike
I will ;)
LikeLike
Hi Vladimir!!
I’ve really enjoyed following your blog and getting to know you in this huge blog world! I’ve nominated you for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award! I hope you are able to participate! Thanks for inspiring me!!
http://adayinthelifeofjennay.wordpress.com/2012/11/19/very-inspiring-blogger-award/
LikeLike
Thanks so much, Jennay! We are very happy to hear that we’ve been inspiring… :-)
LikeLike
hi there! for the first time i have been nominated for an award and I want to pass it on to you. I truly appreciate you being so constant in checking my post, I’ve nominated you for the Wonderful Team Member Readership Award. Please accept this and check out the rules at: http://miljoanne.wordpress.com/2012/11/22/wonderful-team-member-readership-award/
LikeLike
Thanks so much for nominating us!! We really appreciate it, and will respond as soon as we can :-)
LikeLike