At this year’s Great Lakes Sea Kayak Symposium, we had the opportunity to work with students who signed up for the “one-coach track.” This meant each of us worked with five students for the entire weekend, rather than being assigned to teach a series of two-hour skills sessions with an ever-changing group of participants who signed up for each of those courses. We chose the one-coach track because we were interested in working on a progression — one of our responsibilities as BCU Coach 2 trainees. But we did so with some regrets because it meant we wouldn’t have the opportunity to work with other coaches and participants at the symposium. We’d be off on our own little learning island. It turned out to be a terrific opportunity. We began by discussing their goals and then videotaping each of the 10 participants performing a set of two-star skills: efficient forward paddling, moving sideways, maneuvering in a small space, and performing a low brace. Some of the participants in our one-coach track watching their videotaped performance as Alec offers observations. Over the course of the next two and a half days, we were able to help them improve those skills. We began with the fundamentals: posture, connectivity, power transfer and feel. We then applied those and other concepts to everything from the forward stroke and edged turns to bracing and rescues. Our standard for everything was “safe, effective, efficient,” enabling them to understand why particular approaches make the most sense and to choose what works best for them. Thanks to the weather, the course culminated in taking those skills into bumpy water for a real-world application. Finally, we videotaped again, allowing our students to see how much they had progressed. It was a rewarding weekend for all of us. One-coach participants testing their skills in bumpy water. The one-coach track allowed us the freedom to work on skills without feeling the two-hour clock ticking, to establish a well-paced progression, and to provide varied practice over two and a half days. In the end, if was a more optimal learning experience for them, and a more satisfying coaching experience for us. The 10 participants and two coaches from this year’s one-coach...

Danny Mongno, Wener Paddles regional sales manager and field marketing coordinator, paddling past sailboats in the Grand Marais harbor. The Great Lakes Sea Kayak Symposium (GLSKS) is a venerable event. It’s the longest-running sea kayak symposium in the midwest, held annually in Grand Marais, MI, a tiny town (population about 300) that just won $40,000 in the We Hear You America contest to help rebuild its harbor breakwall. When GLSKS comes to town, Grand Marais explodes with activity. Woodland Park Campground is awash in tents and trailers, the beach is covered in kayaks, and Lake Superior Brewing Company is packed every evening.  The symposium offers three days of tours along with two and a half days of instruction, both on and off the water. Coaches from around the midwest and far beyond come to teach, present, socialize and compete in the manic kayak race to win rights to wear the ceremonial paisley vest. An ominous designation for a paddling destination. We don’t mind driving long distances for a good symposium, but we took advantage of the opportunity by adding a visit to Whitefish Point, the “Graveyard of the Great Lakes” and home to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum.  With Keith Wilke, we learned about some of the famous and not-so-famous wrecks that lie just offshore–some under just 20 feet of water. Interestingly, wrecks in this area were not solely caused by storms and shoals, as they were in the Sleeping Bear Dunes area. Here, many were caused by collisions as shipping traffic converged to move through the relatively narrow channel between Lake Huron and Lake Superior. We couldn’t resist getting on the water, of course. Sharon and Keith prepare to paddle around the tip of Whitefish Point. The beach, too, looked like a graveyard–of driftwood, not ships. From there, we drove to Grand Marais. The next day, we led a group on an 18-mile trip along the west side of Grand Island, which is accessible only by ferry or boat. We paddled along the coast, beneath waterfalls and through arches, admiring the clear water and stunning painted cliffs. A calm day on the west side of Grand Island. Then the symposium began in earnest, with nonstop classes and activities. For students, this is an opportunity to learn from a variety of coaches; for instructors, it’s a chance to work together and learn from each other. For everyone, it’s time on the water, which is always good. Steve Scherrer teaching a course on boat control for wind and waves.  Each symposium has its own personality. This one’s character is highly influenced by Bill Thompson of Downwind Sports, whose enthusiasm, energy and openness make everyone–instructors and students alike–feel welcome and appreciated; and by Kelly Blades, who possesses a...