Gary & Susan Premech, Chapter AB-A Directors Hello everyone, H ope you all have enjoyed the summer even though it has been the wettest year we ve had in years. The Region J rally was another success with about 130 members attending. Again our chapter came away with prizes and awards. Our chapter won the newsletter of the year award thanks to Lisa Miller and all who submitted articles throughout the year. Mary- Ellen Hartt won a Honda riding jacket and Kim Coubrough won a GWRRA riding jacket. Our own Tracy Boyda was acknowledged for his contribution as the Region J Membership Enhancement Coordinator (MEC). We had a large contingent of members from our Chapter attend Wing Ding 38 in Billings. It was easy to spot our members with the green shirts; thanks to Tracy for getting them before the event. The final number of attendants was 6790 people and it was nice to have the Albertans recognized. I m sure that Lisa will have a lot of pictures and articles for the upcoming newsletters. Ride safe, Gary & Susan Premech Sep 12 Sep 15 Sep 17 Oct TBA Oct 15 Coming Events Sept Monthly Meeting Motorist Awareness ARC & 2Up ARC Oct Monthly Meeting (Due to Thanksgiving) Medic First Aid Meetings are at Fox Hollow Golf Club, 9th Street and 32nd Avenue N.E. Dinner at 6:30; Meeting at 7:00 PM. What s Inside July Meeting Notes... 2 August Meeting Notes... 3 Region J Report... 4 Upcoming Courses... 4 News & Notices... 5 Meeting Info... 5 Classifieds... 6 Calgary Area Team... 6 His & Her BC Loop Ride... 7&8 Big Picture Riding... 9 Euro Winging 3... 10-12 Canada Day Weekend Riding... 13 Costen & Associates... 14 Highwood Pass Ride... 15 Pair-a-Dice Trikes... 15
Wing Wag September 2016 Page 2 Congratulations to Graham Clark who qualified as a University Trainer with GWRRA. Notes: Our July meeting was attended by 43 members. Our chapter had a visitor, James Huber from Region K, Chapter ON-E in Kitchener/ Waterloo, ON. The Ride for dad had 465 people registered and more than 500 turned out raising approximately $70,000. There is a youtube video of the ride available. Kim Coubourgh gave a presentation about the Gran Fondo showing 15 minutes of a 45 minute video he took with a GoPro attached to his left mirror at the 2015 event which hosted 1500 bicycle riders. A Motorist Awareness Seminar is being planned. This is a one-time requirement for the levels program. The July Long-Weekend ride hosted by Gord Stevenson was a success with 14 bikes and 22 participants.
Wing Wag September 2016 Page 3 Congratulations to Roger Matas for achieving his Level 4 Patch which he accepted from Kim Coubrough whom he now replaces as our newest Chapter Educator. Tracy and Elaine Boyda's new camper. Kim Coubrough became the new Assistant Region Rider Educator. This was presented to him from Alex Middleton who is the Region J Rider Educator.
Wing Wag September 2016 Page 4 Pat Williams, Region J Director H ere it is, the last half of July. In just 1 month, a lot of us will be either travelling to Red Deer, AB for the Region J Convention, and/or getting ready to travel to Billings, MT. How exciting is all that? The Region J convention has been my first endeavor to be the coordinator of this caliber of gathering. I owe everyone who has been involved with the planning, a huge thank you no matter how large or small your contribution. You made the whole thing possible. There is no way I could have accomplished what you all have. The last I heard, Region J continued to lead the pack in registrations per District. Alberta is, in large part, responsible for that. Alberta has 196, BC 19, Sask. has 24 and Alaska 2. Way to go! A group of people that I want to thank, are those who took the trip up to Marble Canyon to be with me when I spread Con s ashes, and to bury the bike that is for Con to ride. There were 14 that went along, and I was blown away with the support from everyone. It was a rainy day, but we did it anyway. Until we meet again, keep the shiny side up, and ATGATT! Pat Williams Region J Director Motorist Awareness Seminar Date: September 15, 2016 Everyone welcome including family and friends. 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM. Location: King George Hall, 2323 Osborne Crescent SW. Cost: $0 ARC and ARC 2UP Date: Saturday September 17, 2016, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM. Pavement location: TBD. Classroom (if required) September 16, 2016, 7:00 PM -9:00 PM. King George Hall, 2323 Osborne Crescent SW. Cost: $40 Medic First Aid Taught by Tracy Boyda and Stu Hartt Date: October 15, 2016, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM King George Hall, 2323 Osborne Crescent SW. Cost: $40 If you are interested in any of these courses, or have any questions please contact our newly appointed Chapter Education Coordinator, Roger Matas by emailing ridereducation @ goldwingcalgary.com or phone 403-903-5753. Once you've signed up for the course you will be updated with any additional information. Members can also let me know what other courses they might like to see.
Wing Wag September 2016 Page 5 Greeting Cards: If you know of any member, their spouse, or immediate family who would appreciate receiving a greeting card from our Chapter please contact Judy Istvan, email address judy.istvan @ nucleus.com. Judy will arrange to send the appropriate card on behalf of the Calgary Chapter. Veterans Food Bank: Please remember the men and women who committed themselves to ensure the freedoms that all Canadians enjoy every day of our lives. Bring your non-perishable food items or monetary contributions to the Monthly Chapter Meetings and help support the Veteran's Food Bank. Thank you to all who choose to support this worthwhile cause. DAY/DATE MEETING SCHEDULE September 12... Monthly Meeting October??... Monthly Meeting TBA due to Thanksgiving. Friends for Fun, Safety, and Knowledge Come ride with us...everyone Welcome! For the latest updates on what we are doing and where we re going, check out our website: www.goldwingcalgary.com Monthly Meetings Monthly meetings are held on the 2nd Monday of each month. This is a time to share information and to meet old and new friends who like to ride together for FUN, Safety and Knowledge. See you at the next meeting at the Fox Hollow Golf Club, 9th Street and 32nd Avenue N.E. Dinner at 6:30 PM; Meeting at 7:00 PM. Rain, snow, or shine, we meet for breakfast every Sunday morning about 9 AM (Fox Hollow opens at 8:00). This is a great year round way to stay in touch with your GWRRA friends. So, if you have missed the opportunity to join us for breakfast recently, why don t you come on over to: Fox Hollow Golf Club 9th Street and 32nd Avenue N.E.
Wing Wag September 2016 Page 6 Classified Ads The Classified ads are free to all members and associates of the GWRRA. While advertised items do not have to be Gold Wing related, we do insist that all ads pertain to motorcycling. Ads will appear on a space available basis for one month. Should you wish to continue to run your ad for a second or succeeding month, you must resubmit or renew your ad. Deadline for submission is the first Monday of each month. To post an ad or if the item is sold or the offer withdrawn, please contact Lisa Miller at: editor @ Goldwing calgary.com For Sale: Brand-new (used only for a few hours) HJC helmet, size XXL, flip-up style, with black-red-silverwhite pattern. Can accept blue-tooth (wireless) or wired headsets. Includes storage bag, original box and fog resistant pinlock lens. A $200 value. Asking for $150 O.B.O. Please call Gilles Fournier at 403-256-7683 for more info or to leave a message. CALGARY AREA STAFF Chapter Director Gary & Susan Premech 403-238-8478 Chapter director @ Goldwing calgary.com Assistant?????? Chapter Directors assistant chapter director @ Goldwing calgary.com Quartermaster Ken Braun 403-862-6546 quartermaster @ Goldwing calgary.com Newsletter Editor Lisa Miller 403-288-0845 editor @ Goldwing calgary.com Treasurer Eric Roberts 403-256-7683 treasurer @ Goldwing calgary.com Ride Coordinator Harvey Matthews 403-285-8514 ride coordinator @ Goldwing calgary.com Rider Educator Roger Matas 403-903-5753 rider education @ Goldwing calgary.com Rider Course Terry Burrill 403-333-9914 Instructor rci @ Goldwing calgary.com Special Events Ron Syroishka 403-256-0912 Coordinator specialevents @ Goldwing calgary.com Webmaster Bill Haggerty 250-493-0153 webmaster @ Goldwing calgary.com Membership Tracy Boyda 403-279-0383 Enhancement mec @ Goldwing calgary.com Coordinator GWRRA TOLL FREE NUMBER (CANADA & US) 1-800-843-9460 NATIONAL LEADERS Executive Directors Ray & Sandi Garris director @ gwrra.org Region J Directors Pat Williams 604-951-9441 Assist Region J Directors Arnie & Janet Tucke 604-462-0822 Region J Rider Educator Alex Middleton 403-274-4223 NOTE: Email addresses in this publication are displayed in a manner that will deter automatic address harvesting programs. This step is taken to reduce unsolicited email to any email addresses we post. We regret any inconvenience caused for our legitimate visitors. REMOVE ALL THE SPAC- ES IN THE EMAIL ADDRESS TO MAKE IT WORK.
Wing Wag September 2016 Page 7 Text and photos by Don and Marilyn Pshyk F ourteen Gold Wings and eight co-riders. Twenty two people in total went on this trip. It s impossible to do it justice with only words or pictures. The profound feelings this region can evoke have to be experienced. Often when touring in a car the trip is all about getting to the destination, when on our Gold Wings, the trip is all about the trip! The whole ride was enjoyed tremendously as we rode along. It s all about being in the moment. It s difficult to describe it, with the enthusiasm and vigor of the road, the scenery, the smells and the people you meet on the way. You just have to experience it. From Creston, this incredible ride followed the gentle curves and turns up the Kootenay lake shore on highway 3A to Kootenay Bay Ferry. then Vernon heading south to Kelowna with an exceptional ride to Castlegar returning to Creston and Calgary. It was just amazing and you may just want to do it more than once. It s a motorcyclist's dream road. This is where the fun really began. I need to share an incredible story. As we stopped at Nakusp for fuel and lunch, I noticed an older gentleman who appeared to be in distress walking in the parking area. After asking him if he was alright, with his hand covering his mouth and with tears in his eyes, he said in a sobbing voice, I have never seen so many beautiful Gold Wings. I needed to laugh at that one. With Gord and Brenda Stevenson as lead and Jim and Dorothy Baker as tail gunner of our group keeping us safe all the way, made for an exceptional experience for my wife (Marilyn) and I, it had been her very first touring bike ride ever. Many thanks for all the experiences and memories of this trip together with all the riders we met and the time we spent together. Great pavement, little traffic, perfect corners, twists and turns, up and down. It is a motorcyclists dream roller coaster all built for two wheels. In summarizing this ride, I think, it is one of the best in BC, highway 3A, 31A, and 6 onto Lumby D on and I took our very first motorcycle trip, ever, with the Gold Wing Club from June 30 to July 3 with 13 other bikes and 8 coriders. We were in Group 1 and our fearless leader was Gord Stevenson and our tail gunners were Jim and Dorothy Baker. (Continued on page 8)
Wing Wag September 2016 Page 8 (Continued from page 7) We left Aldersyde and made it safely to Creston, BC our first day. Then our second morning started early and we all headed from Creston, through the beautiful and windy mountain roads to Kootney Bay Ferry on to Nakusp and Vernon/ Kelowna. Our third day was our trip back to Creston through Castegar and then back to Calgary on the fourth day. It was an absolutely beautiful trip, excellent scenery and the weather co-operated as well. I (Marilyn) was quite taken aback on how well organized our leader, Gord, had made this trip. Each group rode staggered and had a lead and tail gunner. We have never been on a motorbike trip before and this was very impressive. There were very black clouds coming towards us and Gord asked us all to stop at Chain Lakes to review this weather pattern. After reviewing the weather on Mark s GPS, it was decided we would all carry on towards Black Diamond with the possibility of missing the two storm cells on either of side of us. So we did just that and missed the storms. Above us was a very blue sky and on either side very black, rainy storm clouds. We all travelled right under the two storm cells. Great work guys in your decision!! We would really like to thank Gord for being such an outstanding road captain and Jim and Dorothy for being fantastic tail gunner in our group. They kept us safe on the road throughout our travels and we all made it home safely. We would also like to thank Mark for using his GPS Weather station and helping a lot of the guys to make a wise decision on our route back to Calgary from Blairmore. As we headed north on Hwy 22, some of the groups were going to turn off and go through Nanton and some were going to carry on through Black Diamond to Bragg Creek. We met a lot of great people and enjoyed the entire trip. It was fantastic. If anyone wants to see and or download the other photos from the trip, you can find them here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ puqoq9cmdzcsnzw/ AAAFq0zDV0Prnr724adRCqyza?dl=0 Text by Don Pshyk Here is some Interesting information we received from Calgary 911 that I wanted to share with other members. There has been a misconception about where to carry your identification information when riding. 911 has indicated the best place to carry your ID is in your clothing pockets and better still inside your sock or boot, believe it or not. 911 says your ID particulars should be carried on your body or in a locked or unlocked compartment on your bike. If in a serious accident, EMS will not search for ID, but police and fire will. The police/fire will search the bike if they cannot locate the information in your clothing. Even if it requires them to break into your compartments. If your ID is stored in your bike's compartments ensure you remove it at the end of your ride or trip so they do not get stolen. The misconception of wearing a lanyard around your neck is very dangerous according to 911 as strangulation may occur in an accident.
Wing Wag September 2016 Page 9 By Roger Matas, Chapter AB-A Rider Education Coordinator O ver the years I've gone through several seminars on safe driving: Smith Safety Systems, Canada Safety Council, Defensive Driving, etc. All these courses teach pretty much the same thing and it's something we as motorcycle riders need to remember as we're out on streets and highways. We must always be looking at the "Big Picture." Whether we're on our Gold Wings or driving something bigger, we need to not only focus on what's directly in front of us, such as a pothole or road debris, but we need to be looking further down the road and around us for hazards and issues. Is there a person in the driver's seat of that parked car up ahead who may open their door into us? Has the walk sign at the upcoming intersection just turned to "don't walk" which means the green light is now stale and will turn red before we're through the intersection? Is there a traffic camera at that intersection? Does the driver turning left across our path see us? Is there a child or dog about to chase the ball which just rolled out into the street? Is someone approaching the crosswalk? All these are valid scenarios which could easily occur and just as easily ruin our day. That's why it's important to keep our eyes down the road and not on GPS, phones or other devices. We need to see the Big Picture and interpret the implications. At the August meeting I related a couple of instances which happened to me just a week previous. I'll recount them here for those who weren't at the meeting There's also a third case. The first two events happened about 5 minutes apart in Coaldale and Taber Alberta. In the first, there was a car merging from the right. He's obviously having difficulty with the concept and my decision was to slow down to let him in. Looking at the big picture, I wanted this fellow in front of me, not behind. When he finally understood I was yielding to him, (I was almost stopped) he merged not just into the first lane, but right across to the second, cutting off the yellow Corvette in the lane next to me. Just a few minutes later, in Taber, I'm approaching a GREEN light. But I see the white pickup in the left lane stopped. Not sure what was going on I hit the brakes and saw a fellow walking his bike across the highway against the red. I guess they're unclear on the concept of a red light in Taber. If I hadn't wondered what was going on I would have hit him. If I was driving something big and not able to stop in time he'd be dead. A third example, and something you probably see a lot, is a mail truck about to pull out in front of me after only looking to the right. Again, by watching out for the hazard I was able to safely proceed after giving the driver a suitably nasty look. I hope these examples will help you keep your head on a swivel and always looking at and thinking about the big picture. Ride safe.
Wing Wag September 2016 Page 10 Text and photos by Dave & Joanne Gulevich Y ou know the saying, Sometimes the unplanned things in life turn out the best. Well, that's exactly how we feel about the Croatian Coast. It wasn't in our original plans but when our friends Arno, Margit, and Pan suggested it, we decided, let's do it! Best choice ever! I could probably write a small novel if I mentioned all the stops, towns, cities, and villages on route so I'll just pick a few highlights of our adventure. From the moment we crossed the Croatian border, it started. Curve after curve, more beautiful sea views, steep rocky cliffs, small towns nestled into coves. There are larger cities with marinas full of boats bigger than some houses. Incredible ride! One of the things that we found were the people, for the most part, are so accommodating or try to be. We have our phrase book and the wonderful Google Language app but most folks tried to converse in English. I have to say, they do much better than we do in German, Hungarian, or Croatian! We stopped in small beach side resort town for a picnic on the water, a man invited us to join him on his bench in the shade. He was excited to hear we were from Canada and mentioned that (Continued on page 11)
Wing Wag September 2016 Page 11 (Continued from page 10) our new prime minister was Pierre Trudeau's son no? He was quick to tell us he doesn't usually drink from a paper bag on the street and offered me a drink out of his 2 litre bottle of cold beer. I We made it to the Adriatic Sea. Yayayayayay! Our first night in Croatia, we stayed in a small ocean resort town, in a Zimmer about 1 block from the water. We changed from our riding gear and headed down to catch our first sunset. It was awesome! Had to pinch myself a few times! was tempted! Another time, we left the bike to walk and explore and when we came back, a guy had been waiting two hours for us to return so he could have his picture taken beside it. Dave said, Would you like to sit on it?" He was so excited, huge smile! Talking to him, we learned he was a refugee. He was in his glory and it made our day too! When we arrived at locals homes for the evening, we were always greeted with fresh homemade lemon aid, beer, homemade schnapps, fruit from their gardens, just amazing. And usually in the mornings, we were offered coffee. One host brought us zucchini pancakes, similar to potato pancakes. Just awesome hospitality! The next night we treated ourselves to a nice night in an ocean side resort. We couldn't wait to get in the ocean for a swim! The weather had been in the high 20's low 30's so swimming was very refreshing. Again I say, thank goodness for our cooling vests, and cold beer. Much like Mount Engadine Lodge, all meals included, preset menu for dinner. That night, it was a local fresh caught white fish and Dave was ecstatic. I on the other hand (Continued on page 12)
Wing Wag September 2016 Page 12 (Continued from page 11) breakup of Yugoslavia. At the beginning of the war, air strikes destroyed many important buildings and structures, including the cultural and spiritual icon: The Stari Most, the old bridge. The rebuilding of The Old Bridge was completed in 2004, almost 11 years after its destruction, using some of its original pieces recovered from the Neretva River. am not too fussy about fish starring up at me from the plate so I chose the other option of chicken skews and sausage. Both meals were awesome! Yes, I did try the fish and it was delish! Continued down the coast, ending in the incredible city of Dubrovnik. Dubrovnik, the 'Pearl of the Adriatic', situated on the Dalmatian coast, became an important Mediterranean sea power from the 13th century onwards. Although severely damaged by an earthquake in 1667, Dubrovnik managed to preserve its beautiful Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque churches, monasteries, palaces, and fountains. Damaged again in the 1990s by armed conflict, it is now the focus of a major restoration programme co-ordinated by UNESCO. We took a walking tour of the city with a local who was born and raised there. He was excited to show us the high school he attended for two years before war destroyed it. So sad. Always a great way to see a city, you learn so much! A significant portion of the city has been rebuilt and visitors might be surprised to see that this formerly war-torn city is a lively and beautiful destination once again, particularly the area within and around the old town. However, many visible signs of Mostar's troubled recent history remain. Our Airbnb was in the centre of town, great for walking about and getting acquainted with the area. Another host we stayed with in Bosnia, lived across the street from a large parking area for towed vehicles and such. He was telling us, during the war, the Canadian peace keepers had a camp set up there. They often came over for visits and drinks. They love Canadians! We could have spent more time in Mostar but a wonderful weekend of fellow Gold Wingers was ahead of us! We left Bosnia, through Croatia and into Hungary in less than 4 hrs! Got three new stamps in our passports in that time frame, pretty cool! Next day we headed into Bosnia! Growing up military, my friends fathers were always being deployed for 6 month peace keeping tours, so that's really all I knew of Bosnia. War! Other than the intimidating border guard, (he didn't like me taking a picture of the welcome to Bosnia sign at the border) the country surprised me! Beautiful mountainous country side, great roads, and impressive little towns. Mostar was our biggest surprise! The city was the most heavily bombed of any Bosnian city during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina following the We stayed in Hungary for a couple nights, met some awesome folks. One host even sent us along with a bottle of his homemade schnapps. (Continued on page 13)
Wing Wag September 2016 Page 13 (Continued from page 12) We always say it's not a shopping trip, no room on the bike but we did find room for that! Thanks to Arno and Margit, we are now set up nicely for the weekend in our own trailer at the Austrian Gold Wing Treffen, (means, meeting of friends) looking forward to meeting new people from the around rest of Europe, doing some dancing and enjoying the local riding! Until next time, take care from Austria. A little fame on TV in Austria! https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wcmgcjjegw On Sunday, July 3rd we all gathered at Fox Hollow for breakfast. Then 6 bikes worth of riders/ passengers rode to the Wayne hotel near Drumheller. Harvey lead the way, with Lance as tailgunner. This was my first time as tail-gunner, Text and photos by Kim & Lance Medcalf O n Saturday, July 2nd, Kim & Lance Medcalf, & Bev & Nigel Glover went on a ride. Starting at McDonald's near COP. We rode toward the Trans- Canada highway westbound. A big traffic jam arose, so we had to detour through Cochrane, en -route to Bragg Creek, where we stopped for lunch. A beautiful day for a ride. While in the parking lot, we spotted this 3 wheel car. A replica of a 1930 "something?" We rode onward to Millarville, through Langdon, and on to Rocky Mountain Honda, where we stopped for shopping (no purchases, just looking). now I have a functional CB connection thanks to Jason at Rocky Mountain Honda and Roger Matas. Passing through gorgeous canola fields, beautiful Alberta skies, the many bridges on the road to Wayne, and the Bad Lands riding through Drumheller. All-in-all a very nice day and an enjoyable weekend.
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Wing Wag September 2016 Page 15 Text and photos by Stu Hartt Pictures of our stop at Kananaskis Lake for lunch on a wonderful ride through Highwood Pass with 15 motorcycles and 21 members participating in the day. We were lead out of Fox Hollow by Harvey Matthews and special thanks to him for sponsoring this ride. Everyone had a great day.