Reflection by Jackie Kimmel

Over the past 3 weeks, I have had the opportunity to grow confidence and skills in the kayak, but also grow as a person. The people and coaches have allowed me to do so. 

I believe it is important to recognize that critique does not mean hatred, but it is the encouragement of growth. However, to an extent, it is overwhelming. Always trying to be a better person, to be a better boater, makes you critique yourself, and what you could have done. In my experience, I am always trying to grow, which also causes me to think “what should I have done?”. Leading to tunnel thoughts of hyper critical thinking, causing a regression of growth. Growth is not linear, meaning it rises and decreases, while going through slumps as well. In order for an increase of growth, you need to have confidence in your ability to grow, in addition to wanting to grow. By having good mental health, that will boost your positivity and confidence in yourself- allowing you to grow character and paddling skills.

By Graham Strachan

This final week at keeners has been amazing! Even getting beaten down was some of the most fun I've had! My favorite highlights of said beat downs are as follows: 

Going over left side Horseshoe after just finishing a roll. That was super fun and terrifying at the same time. The next one is getting beaten down in left side Phil's. Also super fun after the fact. And my final one is going over the pour-over at Garb upside-down. That hurt but was fun. Somehow, I only swam after just 2 of those beat-downs. The 2 I swam in are left side Horseshoe, and the pour-over. I still don't understand how I didn't swim at Phil's. But in the end, it was a super fun week!

My time at Keeners - Quince Mock

So far the most memorable part of keeners for me has been my progression, I came here struggling to surf and unable to do any tricks, and over the course of the past two and a half weeks I’ve nearly doubled my kayaking ability.

I can now do flat spins, roundhouses, stern stalls, bow stalls, cart wheels, blunts, kickflips and all other sorts of flatwater tricks. I’m well on the way to throwing both flatwater and whitewater loops.

Aside from tricks, my boat control and confidence have skyrocketed, my understanding of how to read and run whitewater enables me to continue to grow my kayaking journey outside of the keeners program. I feel comfortable now going out with fellow kayakers and running local rivers to me.

Updates from Timmy Hill

Keeners has  been loads of fun  so far. I’ve started to train on waves for the upcoming competitions I’m excited to progress all my tricks separately and focus more on specific areas I’m excited for some more hard-core training sessions! Super excited to see Abbie and Ottie here! That would be nice to see Ottie before I get home as won’t see her for a while same with Abbie! Really enjoyed Wednesday and the races I really need to focus on listening to the racing brief!!! Beat down Thursday was lots of fun! Got beat down hard going for tricks and right side Phils! Love the afternoon as got to go underwater for ages! Plus get a few air screws in before tomorrow! Super excited for Friday let’s get some competition practice and smash out some cool rides! It will be super useful for my long term goals for world champs as well! Can’t wait for the rest of keeners!!!!!!!!!!!

Magic of kayaking - Xavier Noreau

My name is Xavier and the topic I have chosen to write my blog about is trying to describe the magical experience that is kayaking. Kayaking is like no other sport, it varies a lot, and every different type of kayaking has its own unique experiences. Slalom and River running can be like a game of chess, or painting a beautiful tapestry, one where you are in tune with every stroke. It could easily become like a boxing match when you punch a big hole or struggle against the flow of the water to get your body to the surface. 

Surfing is like no other. It’s like riding a bucking bronco or a roaring sports car. One slight mistake like putting your upstream blade in the water or leaning upstream and you’ll be gone so quickly, into what usually feels like a washing machine.

In the end, all aspects of this incredible sport are magical. It is an art form, an extreme sport and a workout all in one. As The Great Donovan once said “it is extremely exciting, the fear and excitement together make for a very fun sport”.

Weekend on the Ottawa - Sacha Payne

Yesterday, me and some guys decided to go out and do a lap on the Ottawa Main channel during our day off. Me, Sam M, Q and Vivi set off on our intrepid expedition, skipping McCoys and trekking across the flat water straight to the mighty Garburator. Once there, we joined Issie, Jamie and Sienna, and after swimming in the pourover for a bit, Georgia, Lincoln and the Danimal showed up. Once we had our merry band all together, we hit some mad clips on the wave.

There were a few tense moments, like when Donovan happened onto the wave while Issie was surfing, but all turned out fine. After that we played on Push Button and in the whirlpools under Butchers Knife. After a fairly unenventful test of the run, we chatted up the raft guides and helped them load boats to secure our passage home with Zach. We then grabbed some grub at Wilderness Tours and brought dinner home, leaving Q behind with the other group to catch the 6:45 shuttle.

Raccoon Jerry - Dan Meisenheimer

I miss Jerry. Our beautiful racoon is gone. There is now Jerimiah, but he is not the same. Jerimiah is far worse than our beloved Jerry because he is far more elusive. Jerry was so often and fluffy. So cute that the residents of Robertson's were able to pet him, but his replacement is invisible. Please bring back Jerry.

Reflection on my week - Brayson Cudmore

For this week in Keeners we had a lot of fun. We started off with the big surfing day. We went to Garb and Push Button which is really fun. Then after that we went to run the river - it was great. The next day we started a rescue training which is very helpful and gave me lots of knowledge on things like river safety and other things regarding that matter. The first day we did more classroom work. Then the second day of the training we did more a real world rescues which was very fun, like the log jam and then yesterday on big water beat down day we went to Phil‘s and did a big beat down Thursday. I got two flushes and one surf on the left side of Phil’s. Then the next time after that we went to run  the river and was great we also did some surfing at Garborator and swimming at the pour over.

The importance of role models - Jackie Kimmel

In these past 2 weeks, I have learned the importance of role models. Personally, I believe without role models, you have a lack of inspiration and goals of character. Role models are people who you look up to, causing growth. For example, yesterday I left my dry bag in the whirl pool eddy, and Stephen helped me by coming with me to attaining from Norman’s all the way up. He didn’t shame me, he didn’t lecture me, instead he told me a story similar to the situation, and told me it was ok that I forgot, and that it happens. Through this, I look up to Stephen because of this event. It taught me the importance of compassion, and how you make an impact on others. He also wasn’t negative when he came with me, and stayed positive the entire time. Therefore, through my forgetfulness, and the lesson taught, I learned the importance of character and the impact role models make on their students.

River skills - Sienna Edwards

This week we learnt about swift water rescue. We practiced skills like swimming in rapids, swimming over logs, getting out our boats in hard places, tethered swim rescue, and walking in current . Although I thought some of these skills would be simple some were quite challenging. Throughout the activities I had many successes but also some fails which helped me learn and improves my ability to rescue myself and others. We also learnt who is the most important in a rescue and that a rescue should safe, simple, and quick. Learning these skills is very important to so you can act effectively and efficiently if you need to rescue yourself or others whilst kayaking on a river in the future.

Communism or Democracy? - Xavier Noreau

My name is Xavier and the topic of my blog I have chosen to write about communism versus democracy. In Keeners, I learned a lot about paddling but also I learned a lot off the water with my cabin mates in the White House. There’s a lot of stuff to organize such as dividing up the cleaning work or sharing with other cabin mates. Especially after a recent store run, we had to determine how and whether or not we would share what we have.

Which led to the age old debate, Communism or Democracy?

There is much to gain from Communism, sharing all our candy and food, but it could lead to other cabins taking a lot from us or one cabin mate eating much more then others. This benefits the weak seeing as they can eat more then what they’ve bought. But it could seriously hinder the wealthy from eating their share of food that they purchased. I find it interesting that communism is seen as a bad thing in the real political world but it seems like the more morally right option because sharing is caring. The benefits of democracy are you eat exactly what you have chosen to buy but you can’t get much diversity in candy or food. This means the poor don’t get much candy but whoever spent the most money gets the most candy. Which kinda makes sense but we are a team and sharing is kind. 

Which is why we decided on a partial communism, we share most of our candy but we can keep some of our favourite candies to ourselves. This system benefits everyone and is morally right.

By Ethan Fallon

My Keeners week so far has been awesome but here’s how a typical week should go.

You start off on Monday with a day of surfing at Garburator wave or, above that you could surf Babyface either way there is no shortage of good waves the next day pretty much is another fun surf day where you can just surf whatever you think is best.

Wednesday is considered race day where we will race most rapids will running the Main channel well do things like mass races or relay races which is a ton of fun.

To sum it all up my week at Keeners has been a ton of fun so far and I can’t wait to paddle more.

Paddling on the Ottawa - Issie Wormall

Over the past week I have had the opportunity to paddle on the Ottawa. To start, we go to McCoy's, where we paddle Satler's, Phil's, and Corner wave. So far we have ignored Satler's, yet on Phil's we have attempted to get beat down. Then, Corner wave, a glossy wave, feeling magical to surf. After Horseshoe, there is a feature that is perfect to practice all tricks called Baby face. Sadly, we paddle roughly 15 minutes of flat water to reach our next destination: Garb. Personally, it is one of my favorites, being big, powerful, and bouncy, allowing me to get air. Then, a wave train to the next stop, Push button. A small wave perfect for blunt, spins, mcnastys, and more. Lastly, we have Butchers knife, Norman’s, Collie, and Blacks, all of which are hard class 3, big wave trains, and small places to surf and play.

By Sacha Payne

When I first came to Keeners, I wasn’t sure how well I would get along with the other campers and I was a little nervous about that. But upon arrival I found out that Keeners was a place I could be myself and hang out with loads of people who were on my wavelength and tons of fun to hang out with. I feel like I’ve made a lot of good lasting connections with my fellow campers and hopefully I’ll be able to paddle the Ottawa with them sometime after camp is done. Going into the program, I could barely back deck roll and my surfing was pretty negligible but even six days into the program I’ve improved a lot. The atmosphere here really pushes me to improve myself and I’ve grown a lot more confident surfing and running rapids. I love all the opportunities to swim in fun places and get beat down in places like right pit Phil’s. All in all, this has been a great first week and I’m psyched to spend two more with you guys!

Reflection - Sam Mullen

I’m having a fun time at Keener’s. Between letting Jerry the Raccoon and throwing kick flips at Norman’s, there’s plenty of activities to fill everyday. We are currently learning First Aid so we can be safer on the river. I’m really excited to get certified so I can surf Garb on the weekends. I’ve also been really enjoying evening swims and whirlpool downtime. 

Even though it can be scary it is really fun to be out of your comfort zone. I hope to get a deeper dive soon. I’d also really love to try squirt boating with Stephen and Clay if we have time at some point. Lastly I’ve really been enjoying McCoy's rapid. I really like surfing right side and missing macho flips. One of my goals for the end of the session is macho move to beat down so I hope I can get that down soon.

My first week at Keeners - Cormac Long

My first week at Keeners was great I am close to getting a kick flip. I hope to get a kick flip by the end of the week. My highlight this week was getting a sick! Surf on Garborator. This morning we made French toast it wasn’t very good. It was beat down Thursday so just like the name I got beat down in Phil's hole. The team also swam the rapid and I had a perfect line and high fives Sattler’s hole. After lunch we paddled down to Garborator we had a learning session on what to do when being surfed in a hole and it was so much fun being able to body surf the overflow/hole. 

The first week at Keeners - Noah Koppens

The first week of Keeners is an awesome experience. However I would have to say my favorite day so far has been big water beatdown Thursday. 

Thursdays are not only really fun you are desensitized from big water. This helps you to not be so scared when accidentally going into a big hole, not only that it will cause what you previously thought to be really big to not feel so big, and will make it feel easier to do tricks. It’s also just really fun to go into big waves just to get beat down. 

We also got to play to games later on in the day. we got to play get out of your boat in difficult situations, and we got to swim in a poor over. Theses are both important skills to learn, because if you do ever have to get out of your boat in a difficult spot it’s good to have practice doing it. It’s also important to know how to go deep in a poor over. If you don’t know how and get stuck in retentive hole you will know how to go deep to get out of it.

By James Mallen

It has been only one week as a Keener and it has already shaped my life and attitude towards kayaking in so many ways. The Keener program teaches determination, independence, perseverance and many new kayaking skills as well as increasing confidence in old techniques. This program gives the keeners many life skills that will be shown throughout the rest of their life. Though I have only spent a week here, I am very glad that I became a Keener and I know that the connections and skills that I have and will learn in this program will change who I will become later on in life.

By Dashiell Hall

Going for 2 sessions at Keeners I got a lot of different reactions. Misty positive, thinking I was going to get so good with such amazing coaching, and that I’d have double the fun overall. And some just stoked that I got to paddle more. But there were also the negatives. The repetitiveness of going for 2 sessions started to settle into my mind once all the keeners from last session left. The same chicken for ant other 3 weeks, the same on water and off water activities, the same stretch of whitewater. There was also the question of should I have just gone home played video games, hung out with friends and train flatwater in my pool while preparing for college, some regret started to form in my mind. But then the next session of new faces some I knew came in. Soon the faces became familiar and I felt myself pushing to train harder on the river than ever and trying even more to improve. The new interactions with the second session gave a whole new flavor to the experience of Keeners, and really showed me how to people at keeners can change your experience. It made it worth experiencing both great flavors of 2 sessions instead of just going for 1 and calling it quits.

Growth at Keeners - Jacqueline Kimmel

At Keeners, athletes are able to grow and learn through themselves, coaches, and the other students. Keeners are not only able to enhance their character, but their athletics. Keeners encourage and teach one another safety and skill on the water. Personally, the girls have supported me and helped me be excited on the water and land my tricks. Through Keeners, I have already seen my growth as a paddler, thanks to my teammates. 

First few days of Keeners camp - Lincoln Chalmers

My first few days at Keenan‘s Camp was great. We were on the water a lot and learned a bunch of safety rules and how to keep our cabins clean. Our first day we learned flatwater trick and I haven’t quite got it yet but I think a little more practice and I will cabinet. After that we did some surfing and we ran the rest of the river. My favorite rapid on that river has to be either Normans, Coliseum or Butcher's Knife they are really fun rapids. We also did some surfing and I got a lot more confident on my surfing. I didn’t surf big waves but I was like able to surf Moustache wave and sit on that for a while which I was pretty happy with. Then we came back from the river did some activities and went down for dinner. The first night I did not sleep the best but I still had some energy.

The second day was even more surfing and I was able to get onto Baby face and I was really happy with that. On Wednesday we did some racing. Our first race was on McCoy’s rapid and it was a relay race, my team came second which was pretty good. The next race was down the Lorne and it was a mass start race. I did not do very well in this race. The third race was a time trail down Coliseum and you had to touch the left shore with your paddle. The last race was a feet out race on Blacks and I did kind of well. Today is Big Water Beatdown and we throw ourselves into Phil's hole and try to get surfed by it and I am very excited. That is all for now.

Week #1 at Keeners - Brayson Cudmore

Hi, my name is Brayson Cudmore and this is my blog for Keeners. 

Starting off the weekend on Sunday we all got here around three and then we all kind of got to know each other a little bit before dinner. Then we kind of even got better known with our cabin mates and hung out for the night and then that night we slept with a roommate. 

Then the next day comes around and we got went outside for a morning activity and then we went to Thunder-dome for meeting. We got to the water and then we were working on our rolls and other stuff to warm up. Next, we got ready to go then we went down the river and surfing at Garb it was really fun and then we went back to Keenerville we got a little snack and then we went back to dinner and we woke up the next day to the same routine but that day we went to Baby face where are you had more of a choice what place to go to to surf. Then we just went on the river again and when we got back we did some stuff at the Thunder-dome overall pretty chill and is a great day. 

Now at the third day we would race on rapids with the time Trials, teams and relays and then single mass races which is really fun that’s that’s about it.

By Vivi Diaz

Something I deeply appreciate about Keeners so far is the opportunity to bond with and really get to know the girls in my cabin. Though we are all different ages and skill levels we really are our own team and we support one another both on and off the water. I’m grateful for this amazing experience we get to learn through together and the deep friendships I know I’ll take with me when I leave.

Fun at Keeners - Graham Strachan

So far my intro to Keeners has been a ton of fun. Paddling on the Ottawa river is very different when you have 10-20 friends joining you at every rapid.

When I paddled with my dad, it's fun but not the best experience because it's just the two of us. Now I know that I should paddle withmore friends! Overall though, it has been a very informative week. I'm almost done my back-deck roll! Other than that it been one of the most fun times in my life, if not the most. One especially fun moment was punching GARB shown in this photo. It looks like I am about to roll but I somehow did not! Yay!

By Fisher Jacober

This session has been epic. We started off the week with a normal surfing Monday. The water had risen so Garburator wasn’t in any more but we still had Corner wave and the Horseshoes. 

Tuesday was also a surf day, I spent a lot of time at right Horseshoe and left Horseshoe. 

Wednesday is race day, we did a race down McCoy's rapid. The race was you had to start in an eddy on the left bank and then touch the opposite bank, in time to get back and touch the bank in another eddy on the left. We then did a boater cross through the Lorne, and hand paddle through Norman’s, finally a beach ball race through Colosseum. 

Of course Thursday, since it’s the last Thursday of the session your goal for the day is to last as long as possible in Phil’s before swimming. I went into left side for my first two rides, they were pretty good but nothing crazy, I was trying to get a good steady surf but forgot how crazy aggressive left side still is. Joshua’s dad bought him two inflatable dinosaurs, so we inflated them, Quin and I went into right side on one together but as soon as we hit the foam pile the Dino folded and we fell off. For my third surf I went into right side without a paddle, but I ended up to far right, and only got a ten second surf. But it was still fun. I enjoy hand paddling fluffy holes like that because you don’t have to worry about hurting your shoulders. 

Overall I have really enjoyed this session and have learned a lot. Thank you to all my coaches and all the staff.

Reflection - Taylor Conklin

I’ll start off this blog by recognizing what a truly incredible 3 weeks it’s been here at Keeners. Never in my life have I felt this exciting about kayaking the same stretch of river every day. I wanted to quickly compile some of my most valuable takeaways from this trip. 

1. You have the power to change the group dynamic, for the better or for the worse. There have been so many times in these past weeks where opportunities have arisen to make a day or activity go south. I’m so thankful that our session built a community based on stoke for kayaking and each other as well as a need for laughter. This greatly helped everyone choose to have a great day every single day. 

2. When in doubt, add secret special sauce. After eating the same 2 dinners every night for the past weeks we learned two things. First, your either going to be eating your chicken off a stick or off the bone. These options alternate in order. WT kitchen never misses their schedule. Ever. Secondly, there is one way spice up these two dinners. And that is to add sauce. Sauce steps up the dinner game and makes the same dinners more enjoyable night after night. 

In reality the idea of “adding sauce” is just a metaphor for the stoke that we brought to each new day on the water. The same dinners can represent the same stretch of river that we did everyday while the sauce represents the excitement and stoke that was felt. Trying something new everyday was such a fun way to spice it up and make things more interesting. Without the undeniable positivity of the coaches and keener community I don’t think it would be possible for me to have had this much fun.

3. The people around you make things the most special. I was fortunate enough to come into this session with a handful of friends from Keeners last year. With that said I’m so happy that we’ve been able to get closer and reunite after a full year apart. On top of that I made so many new friends of all ages. I truly think that the Keener experience is 40% what your given and taught and 60% what you make of it. Adding onto that the people that you surround yourself with and the friendships you create along the way really make the experience one of a kind. 

I’m so thankful for these past weeks and everyone that I met along the way. Thank you Keeners. 

Seeking Discomfort - Seth Cox

What does it mean to be uncomfortable? Unfamiliar places, feelings, and people can make us uncomfortable. It is easy to live without risk and to enjoy living simply. For me, however, I find discomfort and fun often come hand in hand.

As kayakers, we are constantly pushing our bodies and minds at the same time. Holding your breath for extended periods, often longer than expected, giant crashing waves, and even whirlpools all test what we are capable of. Of course, you can not instantly expect to be right at home in a Class V rapid, it takes time to become ready for that challenge. 

Feeling, and overcoming fear happen in a similar way. 

Over the last couple of years, my friends and I have actively sought discomfort. Whether that means ordering food in weird accents or trying new kayak tricks there is always something that can push our limits. The more and more comfortable you feel in life, the more and more joyful moments start to present themselves. Living uncomfortably will lead to living happily.

By Quinn Goddard

We’re finishing up our 2nd week here on the Ottawa and it’s starting to feel like the trip is too short. In this blog I want to just talk about some of the highlights from the 2nd week.

On Monday we spent the entire day surfing and playing down at the Lorne. It was also the first day that Garberator came in, and it was even more powerful than I thought. It took a while getting use to it but once you figure it out, it’s an amazing wave. We also got the chance to swim in this pour over. When you swim into it, it shoots you down pretty deep. The idea of it was super scary, but once you do it, it’s actually pretty calming.

Tuesday and Wednesday were pretty chill cause most of the kids needed to do their swift water course, but 6 of us have already done it and we got to go surf and do races with the 2 funniest coaches.

Then came Thursday where we had another amazing big water beat down day. This time Phil’s was being a lot meaner than last week. I never got any good beat downs, but I definitely have a lot more confidence after yesterday.

Frustrations in paddling - Nayra Garcia

While playboating, it is really easy to become frustrated with yourself and your skills. For example, missing a wave or failing a new trick can make you upset and want to give up. While at Keeners, I've learned that in order to grow as a paddle, you need to overcome these feelings and try again. By doing so, you can be open to much more criticism and achieve more as a paddler and even more so, as a person.

Reflection - Olin Pekarek

My time at Keeners has been an especially unique and exciting experience. When my parents first asked me if I wanted to join the Keener program with some of my friends, I was a little questionable of the program. I thought it could be a waste of my time, their money, and wouldn't be a fun experience. However, on our first day on the river, I was greeted by 4 smiling coaches with nothing more than the intent to have a good time teaching youth to be proficient and safe kayakers. 

I came into Keenerville with a nervous look everywhere I went, and my first day on the river was terrifying. Every single wave and hole was bigger than everything I've ever paddled, and I was terrified of the upcoming Thursdays. The pressure to push my boundaries was overwhelming, but looking back, it did make me more confident on the water. Each day on the water felt like ages and I felt overwhelmed with the thought that I would have to do it for 20 more days, yet looking back it flew by. Every friend pushed me to push boundaries, and try things I never thought I would do coming into the camp. All in all, the Keener program was one my favorite experience in my life.

My favorite part of kayaking - Nayra Garcia

My favorite part of kayaking is not the beauty of the river or trying stout lines. While I also love those things, I continue to kayak because I get to meet new people. Spending time with other cool kayakers from around the world is so fun. You can goof off with one another, and learn about each other. You can learn so much from each other as well. At Keeners, I have met people from all over. Because the kayak community is so small, I hope that I can paddle with all of them again at some point. 

My time at Keeners - Kai Burge

Life as a Keener is a experience that you will not forget. You learn to cook, clean, and communicate with your cabin mates.

You lean that taking care of yourself is a very big part of Keeners. By not taking care of yourself you can no go kayaking.

Keeners is a very fun place to be and I have a great time. It was so fun and to make friends and go kayaking every day. Looking back at Keeners I am very lucky to have come here with such a nice group of friends.

Reflection - Hannah Musgrove

Just one session of Keeners has shaped me into a person completely different from when I came here. When I came here, I was completely terrified. I did not want to get beatdown or give a speech in front of people or get worked in Garb. Leaving Keeners, I am grateful for these opportunities, and I don’t dread (most of) them. It goes to show that I am way less scared of things that are inherently safe after this program. I’ve also grown my love for mustard and salsa on this trip which would have never happened if not for the camp. 

However, I still have healthy fear; thanks to the safety program and the videos that Stephen shows us every morning. I think that it’s so important to keep this bit of fear for Keeners so that we don’t go home trying to attempt stunts that are possible on the Ottawa but not on other rivers.

Going home, I feel so grateful for the improvement that I can see in myself on and off the water. I am so glad to meet this generation of kayakers that I will no doubt meet again later in life. 

By Henry Blankenship

This is the last blog I will be writing, so it is about this last week. On Monday we had speech night, but I didn’t have a speech topic so I just made one up. Some of the speeches were good, but most were just really funny.

On Tuesday we had tacos, but instead Elevator's Shaft and Dragon's Tongue.

On Wednesday all we did was go down the Main channel. On Bigwater extra bacon baconator bojangles beatdown Thursday there were a ton of good beatdowns. Nayra's was the best. I did ok, but I got the triple crown beat down and I’m happy.

Importance of rest day - Dashiell Hall

I paddle around 4-7hrs 5 days a week. Feeling sore after paddling is quite common in the shoulders back core, and even hips, it is important to take time off to allow my muscles to repair themselves and for my body to rest off fatigue.

If you don’t take a rest day after multiple days of kayaking straight, it can lead to overtraining symptoms, this lead to increased body fat, your mood can also become be more moody in general. Your chances of injury are also reduced by resting so you have a lesser chance of that shoulder injury acting up. To much training can mess with your sleep
it can also help your immune system. It allows you to relax, socialize with your friends, get something done (like your laundry, blog or maybe give you some time to cook up that spicy new freestyle edit to show all your friends all your hard work), or free up some time to pursue another one of your hobbies

What to do during your rest day:

You can either passively rest or actively rest. Active rest may consist of doing light physical activities like throwing a football or playing spike ball. Active recovery increases blood circulation, which helps remove waste products from soft tissue that have been broken down by intense exercise. Fresh blood flow then delivers nutrients that help repair and rebuild muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Passive rest is when your just chilling, watching a movie, or scrolling through tik tok. Another super important part of passive rest is sleep, most muscle repair and growth happens during that.

So if you want to see those paddling gains, or don’t want to feel sore or super tired the next day when you go back to paddling make sure you grab a lot of sleep, go to bed early or take some naps in your free time

Overall even if you don’t want to take that weekend rest day, you should - since you’ll feel better in the long run. You’ll be able to get more out of coaches on the water, have more fun, get more gains, and be happier in general. So take that rest day as a blessing to make you a better kayaker overall, be more attentive, happier, less tired, be able to do and learn more on the water.

Reflection - Quinn Goddard

Tomorrow is our last day on the Ottawa river and this trip has been nothing but perfect. It’s very rare as a young kayaker to paddle with 20 other kids your same age with some of the best coaches in the world. Like most summer camps there are a couple of those kids that I might never talk to again, but some of the connections that I’ve made will be life long, some of us are already planning trips together for the future.

Some of my family have asked how it stays fun paddling the same 5 rapids every day, and when I think about it, there was never a day I was bored. Every day we would almost be a little late to takeout because we spent to much time playing. The coaches have been very creative and good at making sure every day is the best.

I feel like I’ve improved in many different areas, from being a better person to getting more confidence in my kayaking to even being able to cook more food for myself. Keeners will definitely be one of my highlights in my life that I’ll remember until the day I die.

Last week at Keeners - Bodie Hilleke

My name is Bodie Hilleke. This is my last day at Keeners.

First, one highlight was getting the golden ribbon on freestyle Friday. Another thing that I liked was the First Aid course. I liked the First Aid course because we got to play with fake blood and stuff. Also I liked learning a flat water cartwheel and some other flat water tricks. I also got to run Dragon's Tongue and Elevator's Shaft lastly I dropped into right side Phil’s and got tumbled. That concludes my blog.

By Peter Murray

To start off my blog I will write about my challenges. My biggest challenge was and still is overcoming the after effects of covid. Boating while still tired has been difficult, and when surfing people will see me gasping for air and coughing on the wave and think I’m shouting. Something I am proud of overcoming would definitely be covid 19, and being able to go out and paddle. Something I am proud of doing learning and becoming good at roundhouses despite still being on covid recovery path.

My time at Keeners - Griffin Crezee

First I would like to thank my coaches and every one else who works at Keeners especially Savannah and Sveta. Also all my coaches have help me learn a lot: like, front loop, roundhouse and kick flips. Also I have made a lot of life long friends. Before I came to Keeners I kinda had like a closed mindset with meeting new people I would only hang out with them if we had the same interests. But here at Keeners I have learned they can still be cool pepole if they don’t have the same interest as you. So in conclusion Keeners was one of the best times of my life. Thank you.

My time at Keeners - Judah Franczyk

My time at Keeners was one of the best 3 weeks of my life. It taught me tons of skills that I can use on and off the water. It dramatically improved my kayaking skills. Between the First Aid and CPR course and the Swift Water Rescue course now I am also much more prepared in case something were to go wrong on the water. I learned how to clean, cook, and overall care for myself which will be very helpful once I move out and am on my own. I made some amazing friendships that will last a lifetime. And last but not least I want to thank my coaches such as Luke, Silky, and Stevo for teaching me new skills and tricks, I also want to thank Sveta and Savannah for putting up with us and having to keep us in line while off the water.

By Ryder Crezee

This week at Keeners so far has been very fun. I overcame fears that I never would have expected to come across. I did things like Tomahawk and run the Dragons Tongue. Although, I have been a little bit uncomfortable at times on the water because my nose plug broke. It is a bummer but is a blessing at the same time because it will eventually make me immune to being uncomfortable with water in my nose. Overall this week has been very fun.  

Competition Friday - Maya Musgrove

Hello, my name is Maya and this is my second Keeners blog. Every Friday at Keeners we have a freestyle competition all day, and sometimes it doesn’t go your way. Sometimes you will get flushed, flip, or even miss the wave altogether. It’s really easy to get upset over your run, so I remind myself if something’s that help.

The two runs that you get don’t determine how good at kayaking you are, they only represent a small part of your abilities. You could have an amazing run and learn a trick, then get on the wave for your comp run and immediately flush. That doesn’t mean that you're bad, it just means that you had a bad run. 

It’s really easy to start comparing your runs to other peoples, which does not help at all. It’s also not fair to yourself, everyone is at a slightly different level and if you compare yourself to others who are at a higher level, the only thing you're going to be thinking is that they’re better. However, if you start comparing your runs to your other runs you might be able to find ways to improve.

Being a Keener is all about improvement - Olin Pekarek

On the Ottawa river, one of the most important factors on the river is confidence. Being confident on the river can contribute to a number of things such as your skill level, the amount of control you have in a given situation, and your comfortability in large rapids. Being a Keener is all about improvement, whether it's physically, through the training and day to day paddling, or whether it's mentally, meaning improving your confidence in stressful situations and in large rapids. Fear is known to be an emotion that leads us to smarter decisions, and the safety of yourself, but Keeners are taught to defy that feeling and make sure you can make it through stressful situations with a calm and controlled mindset. 

Other feelings of discomfort in large rapids are led to make us push ourselves past our limits to makes sure we nail our lines and ultimately improve our confidence in the water. Comparing the situations that the Keener program has put me through, opposed to the situations I have experienced on a variety of rivers, helps show that in a stressful situation in the future, both my first aid training and swift water rescue training will be extremely helpful, assuming that these situations do occur. All in all, being a Keener includes overcoming fear to ultimately feel more calm, controlled, and comfortable in terrible situations.

What happened this week two session two 2022 - Fisher Jacober

This week was a super fun one. We started off Monday pretty slowly, we all stayed up way to late and where super tired so no one wanted to do anything. 

Then Tuesday and Wednesday where swift water training days. I already have my SRT certification, so me and five other keeners spent those two days with Clay. On Tuesday we have a big day of surfing and just having a whole lot of fun. Then Wednesday was race day, but because it was just the six of us we spent a lot of time practicing our race starts. We did this by starting facing or touching the bank and the practicing starting and getting going fast. We then did some super fun partner races on Normans rapid and Colosseum rapid. Each team of two had a beach ball and you had to push it down the rapid, you couldn’t hold onto it, you had to throw it or push it. 

And then of course Big Water Bacon Beatdown Thursday, this Thursday was a ton of fun, there where soo many good beat downs. Jolie had three good ones, her helmet came of in one of them. And then of course Chloe, she has her amazing beatdowns and won beat down of the week. And then she went into right side Phil’s in a Dynamic Due with Ben Marr and they got thrashed for a little bit. 

We can’t forget about Fancy Frito Freestyle Friday, at these lover levels Push Button and Garburator are in, so those where the two competition locations. I chose Push Button, we didn’t try very hard, instead we just had a fun chill session. That’s what happened this week two session two at Keenerville. 

Thank you.

How the repetition of a single river leads to progress - Hannah Musgrove

Hi, my name is Hannah Musgrove and my blog is about how the repetition of a single river or section leads to progress and success.

When you do a river a lot of times, you obviously become aware of the nature of the water. You feel more comfortable which allows you to take more risks. If you are worrying about getting hurt or about the hazards below, you are less likely to throw a kick flip or a wave wheel. If you know about where the risks on a river are, you leave larger margins for throwing tricks and having fun. Additionally, after you do the same section a lot of times, you know where which tricks work best. You become an expert on catching specific waves and which tricks work on each wave.

On the other hand, running the same section multiple times has the potential to become risky. If you’ve already done a trick in a risky spot before, your brain basically eliminates the risk factor in your head. You think, “Well I already did it once and nothing bad happened, so what’s the worst that can happen?”. Repetition of the same section also makes you more comfortable, leading to someone maybe forgetting the danger of the river. Finally, when we get bored of the same features, we might go searching for something more dangerous, for the thrill.

So while paddling the same section many times almost guarantees improvement, it also leaves room for error.

Beatdown Thursday reflection - Henry Blankenship

My blog today is about beatdown Thursday (again). There were a TON of good beatdowns yesterday. I had one of the best ones where I almost got triple crown by dropping into Satlers, then into left side Phil’s. I almost got into right side Phil’s, but I couldn’t. Another good surf was my 2nd beatdown, where I dropped into right side Phil’s, and was beatdown in there for 37 seconds. I had gotten a blunt in there “on purpose”. The best beatdowns were Benny Marr's and Chloe’s. They took a duo and were in there for like 40 seconds.

Stepping up every day to make each day a good one - Taylor Conklin

Something I’ve noticed in the past few days at Keeners is the element of committing to becoming a better person and kayaker. Recently in the Keener community everyone’s been feeling pretty rundown and tired but something that’s been super cool to see is how everyone steps up each day to complete our daily chores or to give more than you take.

I think the main reason that this is so cool to see is that everyone is in the same boat with the way they’re feeling yet, they are still putting their best foot forward to make each day fun and exciting.

At Keeners everyone is super excepting and supportive. This is especially true when someone might be more afraid to try something or they are working on a new trick. Everyone goes out of their way to hype them up and to make them feel good about themselves, which I think is super cool to see.

All in all I think the community that we’ve built up of stepping up every day to make each day a good one is really paying off.

How to roundhouse on Garburator - Joshua Mendes

In this blog I will be explaining how to catch, get on top of, and roundhouse on Garburator. First you need to get on Garb. To do that you should start beside the rock island by Garb, then ferry out a couple feet in just below the reactionary coming from the pourover. Then you turn back a bit, look over your right shoulder and catch the reactionary going into Garb. If you did this correctly, you should be on Garb!

Next you will want to get to the top of the wave to roundhouse as you go down it. To get to the top of the wave you will want to carve off the right side of the wave, it will seem like the water is moving fast there but it's an eddy! Then you want to carve back on to the wave. Now you're on top of Garb.

Now it’s time to roundhouse! First you want to start going down the wave, to do this you just need to lean forward and paddle. Then you want to lift your left edge and put in a right rudder, then as you get to the bottom of the wave you need to pull your bow up by pushing your back left edge down, then you switch edges and push your bow down and push with your paddle, and you should have roundhoused!

Competition day week 2 - Sawyer Battles

Today is our second competition day. Competition days are my favorite day of the week because you get to try new tricks all day and surf with your friends. Today the competition will be on these two waves called Push Button and Garb. I am planning to do my run on Garb because that is my favorite wave on the river. Last week I was not very successful in my two runs but today I am hoping to do better and get a few blunts and round houses. I am excited to see how everyone does and it will be a great day.

Garburator - Judah Franczyk

Garburator is one of the best waves on the Ottawa river, especially for air tricks. The wave comes in at around 0ft on the gage. And is in the middle of a rapid called the Lorne. It has a huge eddie on the river left side which is great for eddie access. Two shoulders one on each side with slow moving water make it very useful for getting to the top of the pile. Once your on the top of the pile you will shoot down and are almost garenteed a good bounce. Because of how easy it is to get a big bounce and how big the pile is this wave is ideal for learning many tricks such as blunts, airscrews, pistol flips, and much more. Overall Garburator is one of the most spectacular waves in the world and is definitely worth checking out.

Garb - Kai Burge

Garburator is a very big wave that has lots of power.

To catch garb you need to paddle upstream on river left. Then once you are in you can surf the main wave which is fast with a big foam pile on top that is slower than the rest of the wave.

To throw tricks you need to side surf your way to the top of the wave and come down fast the through you tick. To take a break you can surf of to the surfers right side and point left. Then when you want to go back in point surfers lent and lean left.

Garb is a very good wave to learn new things and progress in kayaking.

By Griffin Crezee

This week at the Ottawa Kayak School Keener program I learned Swift Water Rescue and Wilderness First Aid. These are helpful because when I am not with coaches or very experienced people and when I am the most experienced person on the water I will have to run and lead the rescue. With these courses I will have opportunities to save lives. Also this week I surfed Garburator and learn back and normal round houses. Also I learned kick flips. I have gotten three so far. Also I have made a lot of new friends. 

Cricket farming - Dash Hall

An important thing to do for any kayaker is eating. At Keeners we are privileged enough to have daily meals prepared for us (with varying quality) and a fridge stacked with food to snack on (plus a giant tub of Nutella). Making sure you get your daily calories is important to keep your body/health in shape with the long days of kayaking. However, in many parts of the world people lack the ability to get their daily calories. World hunger right now is on the rise, according to the UN’s report 10% of people globally are suffering from malnutrition. So I present a solution to this crisis, vertical cricket farming.

First let's look at how efficient per space most modern day crops and cattle are. We can say an acre of beta rice (probably the densest most nutritional  grain I know of that's GMOd in 3rd world countries to have a ton of nutrients, grows fast and is compact) gives us 10000 nutritional meals of rice per yield 12 times per year (120000 meals total per 1 acre). Using that same acre we can harvest GMOd cattle in cages at 10000 meals of beef per year (assuming these cattle have been bred and fed to correct size in only a yr). Now these #s are light estimates but they show us how effective crops and cattle may become in the future.

However there’s an even more efficient way to produce food, bugs. Using crickets as an example (they come to mind as commonly eaten and nutritious, but you could swap them out for whatever bug that’s small, low resource, breeds fast, and has high nutritional value) getting an acre tall skyscraper, of wall to wall, floor to floor, of cricket breeding containers, you could easily get millions of cricket meals per month (or whatever timespan crickets breed in to full size, I assume it’s relatively fast). Now if we genetically modify those crickets like we do with plants and animals today, we could the breeding times down to weeks and nutritional value even higher than it is now, increasing cricket production 10 fold. So 10s of millions of crickets worth of food, that would be super easy to produce, maintain, and they’d be cheap in whatever mass produced cricket protein bar you could buy compared to all the usual horizontal farming methods known today.

The main issue that cricket farming would run into is not that many people enjoy eating bugs. So first you’d introduce into cultures that already readily eat bugs, then into cultures with more diverse palates (southeast Asian cuisine), and then introduce to the youth of western civilizations from birth. A child whose grown up eating bugs will think of them as the norm, and if their friends and family eat then as well it will catch on as a societal norm. Though this would be akin to brainwashing an entire generation and onwards into eating bugs, within an authoritarian state such as China, such is easily possible atm. Even if you don’t brainwash the population in eating crickets, by simply finding a way to make them really good and then getting celebrities to endorse it you could easily integrate into western meals and snacks, while also exclusively serving it(assuming it tasted good) to those of low social economic status, and replace the need for food kitchens with government subsidized vertical cricket farms.

Vertical cricket farms are by far the easiest way with our current technology to solve world hunger and sustain the exponentially growing human population on earth.

My time at Keeners - Fisher Jacober

Our first week of Keeners session two 2022 was amazing. I have been really enjoying the coaches and all my fellow Keeners. We have had one COVID case, but so far we have been able to contain is because, the Keener that tested positive move into an open cabin immediately. Wednesday was race day, we did a relay race in McCoy's rapid. And then a safety race in the Lorne rapid. 

Thursday’s big water bacon beatdown day. The name explains it, but it’s when you go into huge features of the river and just hold on and learn to deal with them. We did most of the beating down in Phil’s hole, which is this huge hole that is pier safe because if you swim there is a huge Eddie to go and swim into. 

Friday is competition day, we have a surfing competition in McCoy's rapid, there are two good waves in right now, Baby Face and Corner wave. 99% of us surfed and competed in Baby Face. Everyone gets tow videoed runs, we then come back to Keenerville and score them. 

Then Saturday and Sunday are free paddling days unless you are doing the Wilderness First Aid training. So far I have had an amazing week at Keeners. 

Reflection on the last week - Hannah Musgrove

Hi, my name is Hannah Musgrove. I have enjoyed the Keener program so far because I can see my progression as a boater in the short time that I’ve been here. Even though I haven’t learned any new tricks or made any progress that you could track on “paper”, I can see my progress in terms of knowledge of the wave or understanding of current and running rivers. 

The Keener instruction is so valuable because it focuses on a wide range of topics that aren’t just subjective to kayaking by itself. The rescue and safety education is a big part of Keeners and one that shouldn’t be overlooked. While the Swift Water Rescue and Wilderness First id obviously support kayaking, they also transfer into everyday life. 

The social aspect of Keeners is also one that promotes growth and development. The close quarters forces Keeners to pitch in through peer pressure. 

Reflection on the last week - Ryder Crezee

This week at Keeners, we got all of our certificates. On the weekend we did first aid and on Tuesday and Wednesday we did SRT. The swift water rescue training was very fun. We did things like swimming into the pour over at the Lorne and swam over strainers in the Death Slot. The First Aid was sort of boring but was good information to have in case of an emergency. I’m also looking forward to getting beat down in Phil’s hole once again. I’m looking forward to the other fun activities to come.

The experience of OKS Keeners - Kai Burge

At OKS you experience great levels of progression in the 3 weeks of kayaking. 

So far in 4 days I have learned how to loop, kick flip, and blunt. The coaches are nice and know what to say and teach you how to do kayak in a new way.

The Ottawa is a big river with little consequences and it has pools after every rapid. The play is endless and we can go on the river for hours and not be bored.

This river is my favorite river to paddle it has big waves that make you feel like you are on a trampoline. At OKS you feel like you are a part of a family and you experience a great level opportunity to improve.

The coaches at OKS are amazing and enjoyable to kayak with. They have invented the trick learned the trick from other OKS coaches and mastered it. The coaches know how to make everything super fun the make the river very fun and enjoyable.

In conclusion OKS is an amazing place to learn and try new things. The river is very safe and big with lots of eddies and pools. The environment is very fun and safe this means that you can try many new things that you never have done.

To sum up everything that was just said OKS is a very healthy environment to learn and have word class instruction.

Give More Than You Take - Chloe Tippett

Ever since I was little my parents have supported my summer Keener trip partly because they believe that river skills taught at Keeners are life skills. This includes everything from blog writing, to public speaking, to packing and planning, to on-river risk mitigation, to traveling in the midst of pandemics, airline debacles, and most recently country-wide telecom meltdowns. 

One of the important life skill that I have learned though is how to show up every day as part of the community - to “give more than I take.”

At Keeners this manifests in many ways, both on and off the river. There are obvious examples of giving more than you take when you see dishes in the cabin sink and just do them, without wondering whose they are or checking who did them last. Or picking up trash at the lunch spot, even if it’s not yours. Or when a cabin mate forgot some gear and you offer yours even if that means you will go without. 

There are also the more subtle examples of giving more than you take. The ones that are about how you choose to make other people feel. Like when you take the high road in a dispute or misunderstanding. Or when you stand up for someone who can’t stand up for themselves. You also give more than you take when you are inclusive and create a sense of belonging for everyone. Or when you refrain from judging other people and when you empathize with them, even when their decisions and perhaps even mistakes create problems for you. Another example of giving more than you take is when you encourage others to try something that they are ready for but apprehensive about (like surfing a big wave or going for a beat down), cheer them on, and celebrate their successes.

Giving more than you take is an approach to life, a quality of character, that we should strive for in all situations. I have found that when I approach a situation that way, others quickly do as well, and together we create a community that we love being a part of. And that’s part of what we all love about Keeners. 

Week one at Keeners - Jolie Peek

Week one at Keeners has been amazing. The Ottawa river is so fun and is a great temperature that allows you to paddle all day. The entire Wilderness Tours property is incredible and provides perfect places for our camp, put in and take out. So far the experiences made by the camp and staff have been incredible. Not only does the camp teach you important skills when it comes to kayaking but it is also a youth development program. 

One way that they imply this is by shared cabins. Sharing cabins with multiple other strangers allows you to figure out ways to share and work together with others even when you don’t know them. It allows you to problem solve together on a day to day basis.  Whether that problem solving is a system of dishes, laundry, bathroom use, sleeping arrangements, cooking or chores, it all plays a part into the way we work together to handle these scenarios. Sharing cabins is also a great way to make new friends. 

After only a couple of days we have all gotten so close. We have all learned to be kind and respectful of each other’s space and we also try to help each other out as much as we can. Making new friends is often something that many people fear, at keeners it is so easy to do. Coming to Keeners as the worst paddler here was terrifying at first, but after the first day, I saw how nice everyone was and how helpful everyone wanted to be. My coaches and peers were constantly celebrating every small accomplishment I had. Every person here has been so welcoming and it’s very special to see how everyone is stoked to be here all the time, it’s something that I am looking forward to being apart of for the next two weeks. 

What is community? - Olin Pekarek

What is community? In the Keeners program in Ottawa, Canada, community is based around a number of things. Kayaking, competition, and even dinner are just some factors that create a strong bond within the Keeners. Everyone has accepted that no matter the skill level of an individual. Everyone has come to the camp for the sole purpose of getting better and has made sure not to be judgmental of each others abilities. Everyone encourages each other to push their boundaries and despite their nervousness above a given rapid or possibly above a hole, cheers each other on for the confidence boost they need. 

Both on the river and off, everyone knows the importance of comfortability within our community. Every keener has tried their best to get to know their peers on a personal level within just the first week.

In the Keener program, each and every Keener knows just how much community means and how to improve it. Every Keener and Coach have established bonds to ensure that by the end of these 3 weeks, we feel more like family than just friends.

First week at Keeners - Maya Musgrove

Hi, my name is Maya, and this is my first time at Keeners. During my first week I improved in ways I didn’t expect. My freestyle skills have improved a little bit, but what really improved was my fear. Don’t get me wrong, the stuff we do here still scares me but not nearly as much as at the beginning of the week. 

The coaches seem to make sure we are constantly out of our comfort zone, especially on beat down Thursday. This Thursday I got surfed in Phil's, seal launched into a whirlpool, got out of my boat on the edge of a rocky slope, and jumped off a 16 foot high rock into the river. Now that it’s the end of the week I already feel much more comfortable in larger water. In this way this camp has already helped me have more confidence in myself on the river.

DO’S and DONT’S of the Ottawa river - Wade Peek

Hi my name is Wade Peek, and here are some DO’S and DONT’S of the Ottawa river.  

Absolutely don’t drop in to surf a wave/hole from the top of a rapid, when their are other paddlers waiting in a below eddy. 

Absolutely do support and cheer on all other paddlers. 

Absolutely don’t throw a snit when you miss or flush out of a wave. A snit is were you get so angry that you sometimes slam your paddle on your cockpit, and occasionally say push-up words. 

Absolutely do claim your surf, for example a fist pump in the air showing your stoke. This may be hard to do especially during competition day with OKS Keeners, when you are not super stoked on your surf.  

Absolutely do wait your turn in the eddy before a surf. 

Absolutely don’t snake people in line for a surf wave. Always try to have good edict on the water and look out for others. 

          

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My first week on the Ottawa - Nayra Garcia

This week has been a bundle of new experiences for me. As I drove into Canada for the first time, I immediately noticed the scenery. The forests and rock formations are beautiful and everywhere. All of the nature seems pristine and clean, even on the highways, which is unlike the U.S. 

The Ottawa River is similar in that the water is clear with no trash. It is easy to tell that the kayakers and rafters value the wilderness and the water that they paddle. 

Getting to experience the Ottawa River in a kayak is also a privilege that I will always remember. The River and its scenery is stunning, and the rapids are so fun to experiment in. I have to admit that the first day on the water I was extremely nervous because I had no idea what to expect. Quickly I realized the forgiveness this River has. Unlike my home rivers and creeks, flipping and getting beat down has little consequence and is actually kind of fun. One of my biggest fears in whitewater is that I will hit my head on a rock, but here, there are no rocks. I really hope that as I continue to paddle the Ottawa, it will allow me to open up and overcome some of my innate fears of whitewater.

By Quinn Goddard

My name is Quinn Goddard and I’m 16 years old from Truckee California. This is my second year coming to Keeners, but last year was in West Virginia due to the Canadian border being closed.

Last year might have been two of the best weeks of my life, I learned so much about kayaking and myself. And so far this year has also been just amazing. Every day has gone by in a flash. Before coming to the Ottawa I thought it would get boring doing the same section everyday, but with all the games, challenges, and activities we do I could never get bored of this river.

There have been many special moments this week but so far for me my favorite was on Friday afternoon some of us went out for an afternoon sunset surf session above Keenerville. There was no one else out there and we could just do laps on some of the best waves I’ve ever been on. Out there I realized how special this sport is and how very few kids will ever experience what we did this afternoon. Also I realized how beautiful the kayaking community is; even though I’ve known some of these kids less than a week, this afternoon it felt like I’ve known them my whole life. Everyone laughing and cheering for each other no matter their skill level or who they are is so amazing to see in a community. The first of our 3 week session has been a huge success and I look forward for another 2 weeks!!!