What are your thoughts about responsibility when friends get together to paddle? Have you ever found yourself in an uncomfortable or even dangerous situation when there was no clear leader? I spend a lot of time in leadership roles on the water. I lead sea kayak trips on the Great […]
Tag: kayak instruction
Why Whitewater Kayakers Should Try Sea Kayaking
Whitewater paddlers are a unique species: part athlete, part river wizard, part chaos enthusiast. You thrive on unpredictability, hydraulics, boofs, and the unspoken thrill of “Will I flip here?” But even the most loyal river junkie can benefit from stepping into a different world; a world with grand horizons, sea […]
First-time paddlers try whitewater
Northeast Wisconsin Paddlers’ (NEWP) annual student whitewater outing on the Red River took place this past Saturday. Each year this event gives students from NEWP-led kayaking classes in Appleton, Green Bay and Fond Du Lac the opportunity to practice skills they learned during indoor pool classes. For some it was […]
Team River Runner – Apostle Islands 2018
For the second year in a row, it was a pleasure to lead a Team River Runner kayak camping trip in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Last week, 17 participants, (including nine military veterans, some with disabilities) enjoyed the spectacular beauty of this Lake Superior archipelago of 21 islands. SATURDAY, […]
Team River Runner’s Wausau Whitewater Weekend 2018
Team River Runner‘s sixth annual Wausau Whitewater Weekend was a huge success this past weekend, with 128 vets, volunteers and family members. This was by far our best-organized Wausau weekend ever, thanks in large part to event organizers Tom Schrader, Linda “LT” Tomsevics and Craig Esposito. A big “thank you” […]
Great Day for a great Dane
Sabastian, our Rotary club’s 16-year-old exchange student from Denmark, was introduced to whitewater kayaking on the Red River, which was running at a low, beginner-friendly level on June 12. He did great! A natural on the water. No capsizes other than premeditated ones for safety training purposes at the beginning […]
Assessing a Kayaker’s Skill Level
Have you ever wondered how your paddling skills and knowledge stack up against other kayakers? There are ways to find out. Informally, you can paddle with more experienced kayakers. Observe. Ask questions. Emulate what they do. Maybe you want a more definitive rating of your skills. Or maybe you’re thinking […]
An Unsettling Follow-up
This morning I received unsettling — but not completely surprising — news about the identity of a deceased kayaker from Appleton, Wis. Before I tell you about it, let me take you back to March 4 of this year. On that date, NEWP board member Bill Merrick sent an email […]
The Myth of the “Experienced” Kayaker
We’re now in the most dangerous time of year for paddling. Air temperatures are rising. River and lake ice is breaking up. River levels are high. The desire to get on the water in marginal conditions — possibly without proper equipment and training — inevitably leads some people to the […]
My Encounter With Traveling Ted
For the past seven years I have served as an instructor at the annual Door County Sea Kayak Symposium (DCSKS), held the second weekend in July and presented by Rutabaga Paddlesports. This year there were 160 participants with more than 40 instructors and assistants. One of those participants was a […]