Today was just another uneventful day, I awoke and scratched my butt, saw Teresa off to work then sat at my computer to fill the world in on my amazing life in Oregon.
While I was typing this blog I scratched my butt three times...
I guess I should have a purpose to my blog so I will teach you something amazing each and every day,
Today will be How to skip a rock.
If you ever aspire to be a serious outdoorsperson (or at least have the appearance of one), then you need to know how to skip rocks. Even if you don't beat the Guinness World Record of 51 skips in one throw, you'll likely impress children when you skip stones like a pro.
1. Find a mostly flat water surface with a good supply of rocks. Lake shores or calm areas of rivers are best. Ocean beaches aren't good because of the waves (however small) unless it's a very calm bay. If you do choose to skip stones on rough water, you'll need to adapt your technique to using a slightly heavier stone, which is more likely to plough through a wave and maintain a steady course.
2. Select your rock. Look for a skinny, flat and round rock about the size of your palm, which is just heavy enough to be immune to breezes and turbulence, but still light enough to be thrown with accuracy. Try to find the thinnest rock possible. The smoother and flatter the stone, the better it'll skip across the surface of the water without breaking the surface tension. However, the world record holder for rock skipping admits that a perfectly round and smooth stone is too slippery to hold; he prefers a stone with a chip or a bump that he can grip so that he can get the most spin. It's also possible that a rock with lots of small pits on the surface reduces water drag in the same way that the many dimples on a reduce air drag. Try out different kinds of stones and see what works best for you.
3. Put your index finger against the edge of the rock. Hold the flat sides of the rock with your thumb on one side and your middle finger on the other. This is just one way to hold the stone; what matters, ultimately, is that you can send the stone spinning in a straight line with the flat end almost parallel to the water.
4. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart facing sideways to the water, with your non-dominant side closest to the water's edge. Squat down close to the water so that when you throw, your rock will be close to parallel with the surface of the water. Scientists have found that the ideal angle between the stone and the water is 20 degrees; any less than that, and the friction slows it down; any more than that, and it cuts the water and sinks. If you're tall, you might find yourself making the angle too wide, in which case you can compensate by throwing the stone faster.
5. Flick your rock across the surface with a sharp movement of the wrist. It's similar to throwing a Frisbee. Throw it as fast as you can without losing form. Angle and spin are more important than speed. The world record holder has been observed to employ a baseball pitcher’s windup with a sidearm release and a strong follow through.
6. Keep trying. If the stones bounce off the water and go high in the air, you're probably throwing it down too close to yourself (making a wide angle between the stone and the water); try throwing it so the first skip is further away from you. That's because the force of the water pushes the rock up, and with too much force, it goes too far up then comes down at a sharp angle and sinks. If you throw it too far, though, the stone will "surf" across the surface of the water (rather than skip) and the friction will slow the rock's momentum and cause it to sink.
I feel much better now, Thanx for letting me into your life...
