Ward Burton Shows How To Win Beyond Racing

WardBurtonI became a NASCAR fan only in recent years…in fact, the first race I can honestly say I watched from start to finish was perhaps one of the most dramatic Daytona 500s in the history of the sport.   It was February 2001, and in the closing lap of that first race I witnessed the legendary Dale Earnhardt (Sr.) die in a horrible crash.   Oddly enough…this weekly soap opera called racing was slowly capturing my interest to the point I have now eventually become a serious fan of the sport.

A year later…and with the sport of stock car racing still having heavy hearts due to the loss of Dale Sr, the February 2002 Daytona 500 race was once again the all-American spectacle that it had been built up to be.   Again there were several dramatic wrecks, but this year fortunately there were no major injuries or fatalities.   In the end, a driver in the #22 Caterpillar Dodge known as Ward Burton celebrated his first and only 500 win in Daytona’s “Victory Lane.”   Two years later this popular racer would find himself on the outside of the racing world now looking in.   You see…the world of motorsports is a fickle one…and Ward Burton knows that better than anyone.

So what does a popular NASCAR driver do when he is no longer an active participant in the sport from week to week?   The answer is quite simple…at least it was for Ward Burton.   You start The Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation and commit your life to a passion of saving land from development while also striving to educate both children and adults about the importance of being good stewards of that land.   Indeed, Burton has used his notoriety to positively channel his endless energy for the outdoors into a very worthwhile cause.

In many ways Burton’s life is not much different than for most sportsmen.   It began at an early age with a grandfather and father showing Ward the wonderful aspects of the outdoors.   Interestingly, even though his life eventually took a major turn finding him on the race track 36 weeks out of the year…he somehow never forgot about his outdoor roots.   In fact, now that his storied NASCAR career has been temporarily put on hold (while he waits for another “ride” as they say in the biz), I find it somewhat heart-warming to see a man put so much effort and money into doing what he believes is his life mission in the outdoors.

To learn more about Ward Burton’s outdoor legacy, click here.   If you don’t have time to peruse the entire web site, at least read this ESPN article by clicking here.

Meeting Ward recently got me contemplating about my personal outdoor legacy.   Will I have one…or will my time spent tromping through the woods and fields be lost once I take my last breath?   Often we don’t like to dwell on it…but our life as healthy sportsmen is sometimes cut way shorter than we expect.   A person never knows when a major health ailment could strike ending our days afield…or worse, even facing death.   Now understand I don’t want this to become depressing or morbid, yet, if we want to do something positive for the outdoors we can’t keep putting it off in our lives.

Ward Burton certainly has had many good fortunes in his life mostly as a racer…and in so many ways has created a legacy for himself on the race track.   But I think if you ask Ward what he is most proud of in his life it would probably be the efforts he has put into giving back to the outdoors.   That’s what is truly important to this man who easily has made his life complete by his time spent in the race car.   Yet, that wasn’t enough.   As soon as opportunities ended on the oval track…new opportunities were created in the woodlot.

Believe me, Ward Burton should serve as a hell of a role model for all of us sportsmen.   Granted, it is unlikely that most of us can aspire to create a wildlife foundation as successful as what Ward has already accomplished, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still significantly contribute to the outdoors in our own unique way.   When one door closed for Burton (his racing career) he quickly refocused his energies into doing something positive for the outdoors.   In time, folks will likely start forgetting about the many achievements Ward has assembled in his racing career…but his work for the outdoors could easily blossom into someday becoming his real claim to fame.

A large portion of Ward Burton’s life, much like it is for most of us sportsmen, has been built on a strong foundation of conservation values.   One of the fundamental tenets of conservation is finding a way to give something back when you have taken.   Maybe creating a legacy isn’t your objective in life…or maybe it is.   The bottom line is we all should be inspired by the likes of role models such as Ward Burton who could have easily slipped from the limelight to enjoy the fruits of his racing fame.   Instead, he realized the importance of making the outdoor world where he lives a better place in which to live.

No doubt about it…Ward Burton is one race car driver who knows how to win both inside and outside of his stock car.

© 2006 Jim Braaten.  All Rights Reserved.   No Reproduction without Prior Permission.

Just Ask Ted…He Has All The Answers

TedNugeWho’s a famous living outdoor personality named TED?   Not too difficult, I think most people who would play this word association game would of course say Ted Nugent.   Oh sure, there may be lots of other Ted’s that are notable for various reasons…but nobody comes across as energetic and as passionately about their cause as “The Nuge.”

Now let me ask you what stance does Ted Nugent have on such pressing outdoor issues such as gun control, killing wild game, conservation, anti’s, etc.?   Are you stumped for an answer…I doubt it.   Unless you’ve been hiding in a cave for the past 15 years or so you know exactly how Ted feels about most of the important political issues of our time facing sportsmen.   To say Ted is outspoken about his love for the outdoors is somewhat of an understatement…he certainly has a unique style and flair that I suppose is befitting of an aging rock star.   Oddly enough, most people either love him or hate him…there doesn’t seem to be a lot of middle ground with people who are apathetic either way towards his views on the outdoors.

Recently, while attending the SHOT Show…I sat in on a filming of a segment called “Ask Ted” where members of the studio audience asked him questions about anything…and I do mean anything!   Segments of that filming are scheduled to air on the Outdoor Life Network Friday evenings during the month of March.   Check your local listings for details on air times or visit the OLN web site.   I think you’ll find the show both interesting and perhaps thought provoking.

As I listened to Ted spew forth his thoughts on everything from why all sportsmen should be a member of the NRA…to writing letters to public officials, etc. it dawned on me that here is a man who is openly proud to be a hunter…and isn’t ashamed to admit it.   Granted, I can certainly see the merit in some of Nugent’s detractors who claim the guy often goes over the top and can at times be embarrassing to all of us…but let’s face it.   Here’s a guy who passionately wears his sportsman’s colors on his sleeve and attempts to promote the outdoors in the most positive way he knows how.   I can point to few others I know who can command an immediate audience as quickly as Nugent.   Just looking around the room there were folks across all ages as this guy has some cross-generational appeal seemingly to everyone.

Like it or not, Ted is one of our sport’s leading spokespersons promoting his pro-hunting, pro-outdoors, pro-America spiel to a larger audience than perhaps anyone else within our ranks can accomplish.   He admits to doing numerous interviews each week where his message is colorfully driven home to thousands, if not millions of people over the course of a year.   Our sports need that kind of message being delivered to the general public…even if you don’t like the exact manner in which it is communicated by Ted.

Former Wyoming Senator Malcolm Wallop once stated, “Ted Nugent is a hunter who just happens to be a rock star, not a rock star who happens to be a hunter.   What most impressed me about Ted is his commitment to the real America.   His message is clear.   He cares about our country…and he leads by example…He is a cheerleader for the real, hard working, law abiding folks of America.”

Through the years I have listened to many of the critics who speak ill of Ted and what they call his “rants” that border on acting downright foolish.   That may be true.   But I take my hat off to Ted for standing up for what he believes, which I think parallels, for the most part, what most of us law-abiding sportsmen also believe.   We don’t have the same charisma as Ted, we don’t have the same “in your face” personality as Ted, heck…most of us don’t even have the balls to pick up the phone and call our legislators when they need to hear from us pertiaing to important issues.   Ted does.   He proudly proclaimed there isn’t a politician who represents him that doesn’t know exactly how he feels on most outdoor issues that may have political ramifications.

If you haven’t done so already I urge you to tune in and watch one of Ted’s upcoming TV shows.   Certainly they are entertaining…at times they can be down-right disgusting…but don’t overlook the fact that his subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) message can also be thought-provoking.   You don’t have to agree with everything the man says…hey, I don’t even agree with most of the things my hunting and fishing partners proclaim from time to time.   Yet, you have to appreciate the fact here is a man who has devoted the second half of his life to “singing” the praises of the American sportsman…and doing so in a manner that only the Motor City Madman knows how.

Uncle Ted, if I was a citizen of Michigan you most definitely would have my vote for governor!   Ooops!   Did I just let the cat out of the bag and spoil it for one of his upcoming TV shows?   I guess you’ll have to tune in to find out for sure.

© 2006 Jim Braaten.  All Rights Reserved.   No Reproduction without Prior Permission.

When A Craftsman Dies…The Entire Outdoors Mourns The Loss

I would guess that the typical outdoorsman probably wasn’t aware of Joe Seliga’s existence and the lifetime contribution he made to the canoeing world.   As such, I must admit that I was not aware of who he was until recently, either.   Nevertheless, his death just days before Christmas last year serves as a reminder that slowly the outdoor world is losing the very folks whose name is synonymous with quality and craftsmanship.

This blog is not directly about Joe, because how do you memorialize someone whom you never met and really don’t know much about except for what you’ve read.   For additional information on Joe, all you need to do is check out a blog that now serves to honor his life achievements.   Or better yet, conduct a Google search and the name will show up scattered throughout canoeing literature and history.

Instead, this blog is to remember all the “Joes” of this world who have made tremendous contributions to the outdoor world…but are slowly passing on thus completing their living legacies.   Consider the likes of Fred Bear, Bob Allen, and a host of lesser known names like E.J. Dailey…all folks who have passed on recently but not before they carved out a niche in the outdoors by perfecting a quality product and creating a legacy that now bears their name.

Unfortunately, we do not always take the time to appreciate and understand what outdoor heritage we are losing with the passing of our older generation.   I fear we no longer live in a world where a person would devote an entire lifetime to perfect and develop a quality product that somehow benefits the entire outdoors world—either directly or indirectly.

Today, we live in a disposable world where quality is not always important.   If an item doesn’t last…it only gives us an excuse to buy the newest, greatest model a few years later.   I also think that subconsciously some of us outdoorsmen expect to only get a few years of use out of the outdoor products we buy.   Seemingly gone is the more frugal attitude of our parents and grandparents where a hunting vest was expected to last a lifetime, a fishing rod didn’t get replaced until the current one broke, a dull knife always got sharpened, not replaced…and so on.

Not too long ago Northern Minnesota lost a craftsman world renowned for his handmade snowshoes.   At the time of his death, he had a waiting list that would have placed him well past the century mark if he was to finish all the orders he had taken for his quality snowshoes.   His name now escapes me…and a Google search was unsuccessful in locating the details of his legacy, but imagine the world wanting something that you produce and willing to wait for years until you get a chance to produce it.   Simply incredible.

There’s a certain pride in owning a product known to be the best…and not mass produced on machinery.   Maybe it is a hand-crafted fly-fishing rod for which you wouldn’t dare tell your spouse exactly how much you paid…or maybe it’s a one-of-a-kind turkey call that was crafted and carefully tuned by some expert known for his abilities with the calling championships to back it up.

Next month I will be going to the annual SHOT Show (Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show) and I will predictably see 1,000’s of items that are mass produced and stamped out by machinery.   Rare is the show booth that features a craftsman who takes a bare chunk of wood and slowly develops his wonders into an outdoor masterpiece.   I’m not saying that these folks are not still out there…but they are part of a dying breed that someday we will all surely miss.

During the coming year look for ways how your outdoor escapades could be enhanced by using the equipment crafted by a noted artist of their trade.   Whether it be a custom made knife, a shotgun that is beautifully transformed by some detailed checkering and metallic in-lays by a quality gunsmith, or whatever your interest may be.   The point is the outdoors experience is truly enhanced and thus better appreciated when you take pride in the equipment you use.

And if you’re lucky enough to find a craftsman in such demand, such as Joe Seliga and his canoes, consider yourself fortunate when the waiting list to receive such an item is only a few years long.   During the years to come, finding folks such as Joe will grow increasingly more difficult to discover.

© 2006 Jim Braaten.  All Rights Reserved.   No Reproduction without Prior Permission.