::RAD CANADIANS::

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To kick off 2009, something new. This is the first of hopefully many installments of a section I'm entitling... "RAD CANADIANS". As the name suggests, these regular vankayak.com posts will highlight the accomplishments, ideas, opinions, projects and awesome stuff that Canadians have going on. This is not to suggest that not all Canadians are Rad, for the most part, we all are... but there are a few unfortunate exceptions; Nickelback and Howie Mandel are decidedly UNrad, certainly among Canada's worst exports. Thankfully, the rad things that Canadians do (invention of insulin and basketball) most definitely supercedes the bad things that Canadians do (baby seal clubbing, allowing Ben Mulroney to be on television). And so, these posts are a testament to all of our homegrown awesomeness.

Rad Canadians [post 1.0]

Solar Car guy Marcelo da Luz

This Torontonian has the World Record for distance driven in a solar car, one which he built. 15,070km, all the way to the end of the Trans-Canada highway, through Alaska to Inuvik. Never heard of/been to Inuvik? That's cause it's like a 3000km drive Northwest of Yellowknife. Read about him in today's Toronto Star newspaper. Despite a terribly negative and pessimistic headline, the (too brief) article does go on to talk about Marcelo's remarkable and incredible drive (both intrinsic and on the tarmac), and his wicked cool car; it looks so much like a UFO, onlookers in Vernon B.C. freak out and almost run into traffic to avoid being abducted by little green men (extra credit given for using 2001:A Space Odessey muzak). I want to know more, this guy is way cooler and way more inspiring than whoever the crap is the next top model or so you think you can dance celeb-reject. Way to go Marcelo, I am a big fan.

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