By Tristan BaurickFor the Kitsap Sun
Thursday, November 29, 2007
BAINBRIDGE ISLAND The wind surges across the water north of Rich Passage, tossing whitecaps into the sheets of an icy rainfall.
In the middle of it all is Nat Hong, pedaling his "water bike" among the waves.
Hong is an amphibious commuter, using pedal power on land and sea to travel between his south Bainbridge Island home and
Olympic College in Bremerton, where he works as an English teacher.
"It just pissed me off, being able to see where I work but having to drive two hours a day to get there and back," the 54-year-old said as he pulled the water bike onto the island's shore north of Point White.
"That's 80 miles each day. It just seemed stupid to be so close and not find a way to cross," he said, pointing to his launch about a mile to the west at Illahee State Park.
"So, I got this thing," he said, patting the yellow vessel's handlebars.
Manufactured in Minnesota by HydroBikes, Hong's model looks like a stationary exercise cycle crossed with a miniature catamaran. A small propeller in the rear takes the vessel forward or backward, depending on the direction Hong pedals. Steering is accomplished using a rudder mounted under the handlebars.
Typically marketed for recreational users at lakeside resorts, water bikes can withstand more robust use. Hong knows of one rider who took his water bike from New York to Panama.
"It's a pretty stable boat," Hong said. "On a day like to today, it's a steady rock and roll — kind of like riding a slow mechanical bull."
He does a rubbery hula dance for added emphasis.
"It's not bad, but I check the paper every day to see what the waves are going to do," he said. "If they're over two or three feet, I won't go out."
He's been barked at by gangs of sea lions, laughed at by dockside teenagers and pointed at by wonder-struck children.
"The kids fishing at Illahee dock with their parents think I'm some kind of Willy Wonka of the waves," he said.
Hong, who has taught at OC for 12 years, starts his morning commute with a short bike ride from his house on Baker Hill to a friend's beachfront property on Crystal Springs Drive. Pedaling across the water takes about 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the weather.
At Illahee, he unlocks his second road bike for a climb up the park's steep switchbacks. He hits another two hills and then coasts down Warren Avenue to the college.
Added up, the trip takes about 10 minutes less than by car. Hong said the mode of transportation also comes with three added benefits: it's good for his health, better for the environment and easy on his pocketbook.
While still driving work one or two days a week, Hong has saved 1,440 miles in car mileage since he started using the water bike in late September. He now fills his car's tank every three weeks rather than once a week, saving more than $500 in fuel costs per month.
"I feel like I'm doing a tiny bit of good by not driving so much," he said. It's fantastic exercise, (and) in the land of obesity, it's nice to keep active."
The water bike cost $1,200, but the two landlubber models parked on either side of Rich Passage amounted to $70.
"This jacket cost more than the two bikes combined," he said, shaking out of a few waterproof layers once inside his house.
He locks his bikes up and receives an added level of security from the fishermen who frequent the Illahee park dock.
A couple of weeks ago, one of the regulars said: "Anyone but you gets on the bike, we call 911," Hong said.
"It's nice to have a security posse being vigilant."
Once his dripping coat is hung in the closet, Hong kicks off his shoes and wrings out his socks in the kitchen sink. He blows his nose, rubs his hands and pours a shot of whiskey to warm up his insides.
His wife, Anne, calls to see if he made the crossing safely.
"I think he's a little crazy," she said. "I call to make sure he gets home, especially on days like today when its dark and I know there's waves and it's cold. But I admire what he's doing. It's a pretty challenging commute."
The dwindling daylight hours may force Hong to dry dock the water bike for the rest of the winter. But by spring, he expects to be pedaling the waves again.
"It really puts me out there," he said. "I've gone past baby seals and through birds strewn like confetti over the water. I get a fantastic view and I get an hour of vigorous exercise each way.
"It feels right and it feels good."
