Karl Moser got married this month. If anybody doesn’t know Karl, he’s a former owner of the Epicocity Project, a former instructor at World Class Kayak Academy, an avid lover of big waves, Mountain Dew, Red Bull, and all things that put a little more tweak in his step and bounce in his blunts. He’s a stellar playboater, hilarious, and is now married to more than just the whitewater community. Here’s what LJ Groth had to say about the wedding.
What I took from this is: when Karl Moser gets married, it’s a true sign that we’re getting older. But at 24, I’ve only just entered the age where my friends are getting married. I went to Karl and his beautiful bride Tara McGraw’s wedding with a few preconceived notions about the age-old tradition of matrimony. There was supposed to be tears of joy, rowdy parties, and undertones amongst his closet friends that a free spirit, a paddling partner, had been tamed. While the wedding certainly had plenty examples of the first two, there was no feeling that the river community had lost a staple, in fact, we might have gained one. It was a point I really appreciated while I stood in the heat of the Jackson fall donning a pair of Chaco’s and a rolled up button down shirt and watched Karl and Tara deliver their vows. Beside me, was LJ. The day before, he, Dave Zinn and Connor Ross, led Karl to Mesa Falls to celebrate his marriage by hucking his meat. The idea was partially Tara’s. Karl styled the left line. Tara married him largely because of his passion
So, as they sealed their union with a back-bending kiss, I saw a couple not simply joining an age old tradition, but one joining together to continue the pursuit of a lifestyle Karl has spent the better part of the last decade honing. His pursuit of whitewater happiness had not ended at all, it just grew to include another.. And they aren’t letting marriage slow that down. A week after the ceremony, they’re heading to Costa Rica to chase the swell.
The point that I want to come across here is: go kayak. For all of you kayakers out there who have been surfing the couch more than the waves because you think that your significant other wants to keep you close, you’re nuts. If your significant other has any sense, they’ll kick you to the river and back to your passions. If you’ve got any sense, you’ll make sure you do it yourself. So get outside and do what you love, its better for everybody. I think Karl and Tara are off to a good start. I hope the surf is epic.