Whitewater weekend with Geneva Kayak Center
Alec leads the group onto Section 3 of the Wolf River. We spent the past weekend at a staff retreat for Geneva Kayak instructors. We pitched our tents in a rustic site near Langlade, Wisconsin, and spent our days doing some swift water rescue training and some whitewater paddling on the beautiful Wolf River. … read more
Easter Sunday paddle, with a pleasant surprise
It was a cold and blustery day…
Easter morning dawned overcast but seemingly calm, so we set our expectations accordingly. A 20-mile paddle starting on the South Side, past two of Chicago’s water intake cribs, with a stop for lunch at 12th Street Beach, and back again along the shoreline would be pleasant, a nice spring-time warm up for longer paddles to come.…
read moreWaves building on Lake Michigan
Last night, the wind began to blow out of the north, shifting to the northeast and then to the east at speeds of 20 to 30 knots.
A low pressure system moves in, bringing wind and waves.… read moreGetting up to date on First Aid and CPR
The American Canoe Association requires instructors to be certified in First Aid and CPR–a knowledge base that we’ve made use of on more than one occasion as coaches. In the past, we’ve taken the two-day Wilderness First Aid (WFA) course offered by Wilderness Medical Associates, and we’ve long been interested in the Wilderness Advanced First Aid and Wilderness First Responder courses.… read more
Kent Ford comes to Yorkville!
Kent Ford.
We just completed a three-day whitewater Instructor Development Workshop (IDW) with Kent Ford, one of the most respected instructor trainers in the country, who has competed and won titles in international whitewater slalom racing, coached the US Olympic kayak team, published books and produced videos about paddling technique and instruction, and continues to coach paddlers at every level.…
read moreFun with bodies, boats and blades
So that’s why they’re called performance boats!
Just for the record, in case anyone was wondering, high-level sea kayak coaches know how to have fun, on the water and off. If we were in Great Britain, we’d likely have spent many hours in the pubs, being reminded that smaller paddlers can’t hold their liquor as well as large ones.…
read moreGetting accustomed to the simple life
Making tea by the light of the rising sun.
We’re accustomed to camping, but there’s something quite different and delightful about waking up in a building where candles provide all the light and a wood stove most of the heat.…
read moreArriving at Body Boat Blade International
Seattle’s Pike Street Market.
We had only 24 hours in Seattle — just long enough to visit Snapdragon and Werner and wander around a bit in the historic Pike Place Market.…
read moreField trip day two: Werner Paddles
The Pacific Northwest is still home to many great paddlesports manufacturers, including several of our favorites. We couldn’t resist a visit to Werner Paddles, which have propelled us all over the Great Lakes, along parts of both coasts, and down several rivers and whitewater courses.… read more
Field trip to Snapdragon headquarters
We’ve long been fans of Snapdragon spray skirts. We still have our first skirts from years ago; they show their age, but still work well. Since then, we’ve purchased more Snapdragon skirts as our various boats with their many cockpit sizes have called for new ones.…
read more
