"I wanna go kayaking," former Dallas sweetheart Sara Hickman once sang. "I wanna make you my kayak king." Released in the early '90s, before extreme sports and niche cable networks, Hickman's song seemed the ultimate in romantic quirk: floating down the river with your honey, not in a boat or a gondola, but in one of those tippable, spillable banana boats built for two. These days kayaking is a far more commonplace sport--why, even yours truly has clocked some time in a kayak, and I haven't run more than a block since the President's Physical Fitness nazis loosed me from their cruel grip. Kayaking is fun, even meditative, not to mention exercise for the arms. So, if you're curious, look into the Dallas Down River Club (www.down-river.com), or check out the event it's hosting on Saturday. The ninth annual Trinity River Challenge at McInnish Park in Carrollton, an American Canoe Association-sanctioned 11-mile paddle sport race, includes competitions for canoes, USCA racing boats and--thought I forgot?--kayaks. You don't have to compete to enjoy the athletic adventure. The event is free to the public. Registration is $20 in advance or $25 on the day-of ($6 extra for non-ACA members). Like Sara Hickman, they want to make you their kayak king. Call 972-979-2519. --Sarah Hepola
Truck Off
We got ourselves a convoy
9/10
Honoring the men who toil for our country requires a proper signal, but salutes and handshakes just don't cut it. That's why whenever we drive past a truck driver, we wave our arm like a seizure-ridden monkey until we hear the sweet, sweet super-honk that only an 18-wheeler can bellow. If you feel the same, find further celebration of all things truck at the Great American Trucking Show from Friday through Sunday at the Dallas Convention Center, 650 S. Griffin Ave. Don't worry if you have only four wheels, though. You can still catch events such as a truck-driving battle of the sexes, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader autograph booths and concerts by Diamond Rio on Friday and Ronnie Milsap on Saturday. You can even wave your arm around until a truck driver walks up and "honks" at you. Entry is free. Check www.gatsonline.com for a complete schedule of events. --Sam Machkovech
