An Independent Weekend With the Boys-Jonah Bussgang

In my paddling career, I have only paddled with an adult or a coach. At my summer camp, Kabeyun, in New Hampshire, I learned to kayak with a coach at my side, and here at Keeners we have coaches paddling with us to offer advice and set up safety for big rapids. While having coaches and mentors that teach you new things is an invaluable resource, I learned that paddling independently is insanely fun.

As a second year Keener, while the rest of camp was completing wilderness first aid, I had the amazing opportunity to paddle the river with my friends, separate from coaches, schedules, and agendas.

The first thing we had to decide independently was where we actually wanted to go. Many people wanted to run the entirety of the middle channel; however, me and my friends wanted a chill day surfing Waikiki, eating fat, double cheese burgers, and playing cards.

The second we slid into the water, the speaker bumping tunes, I got a rush of freedom and excitement. Without a coach or someone guiding us down the river, we struggled to navigate the labyrinth of various islands and chutes. When we finally found the sound of the rush of the Lorne, we knew we were there.

All of us had run the rapid multiple times before, but it felt like an entirely new rapid when we had to navigate the rapid ourselves. We made it down without any issues and went straight for the lunch site. When we arrived, despite our independence, we were still Keeners and helped out on the grill and soup table. With no time restrictions or schedules, we stayed at the lunch spot for hours, listening to music, playing cards, and feasting on burgers.




After we had our fill, we surfed a lineless Waikiki with out of control bounces and endless fun. From this short but fun trip, I leaneredanh invaluable skills like navigating the river independently, managing time and calculating the time it takes to go up and down the river.

I cant wait for next weekend!