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. 

          

ReplyForward

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!!!

My time on the Ottawa - Dash Hall

Being a first time Keener I came into the program with only the knowledge that I’d be paddling on the Ottawa. I was welcomed by friendly faces, and smoothly introduced to the schedule with ease. Then came time to hit the water.

The Ottawa happens to be one of the most unique rivers in the world. Having massive amounts of water running through it, multiple different channels to choose and run, water levels that change every 2 hrs, and endless waves to surf. The Ottawa is a play boaters' dream river, while also being a great place for improving beginner kayakers.

The Keener program seeks out the most fun way to play in any rapid instead of just bombing an hour lap. Keeners works every last wave to the bottom teaching you kayaking skills along with play. Keeners makes the most out of every feature, whether it be jumping off a rock into a rapid, practicing rescue drills, playing in whirlpools in the eddy line for an hour, or trying to take out your boat at an island in the middle of the river.

The best feeling is coming off the water after a long day and stuffing your face with food. Following this you sit down and eat dinner with your coaches and friends and review footage like a football team from your paddling that day. Keeners is one of the best places to improve your kayaking, and make some great lifelong friends.

My first week at Keeners - Bodie Hilleke

My name is Bodie Hilleke. I live in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. I am the youngest of three older brothers and I love the outdoors. My home's cations of river I like to paddle is Gore Canyon, on the Roaring Fork River. Another section I like to paddle is called Slaughter House and is also on the Roaring Fork. Some sports I do outside of kayaking are skiing and biking. 

In the past few days at Keeners I have already done a lot. Some of those thing are surfing in Phil’s hole and getting beat down on Thursday. I also punched Kahuna on Colosseum, swam through McCoys, swam in the whirlpools, did loops and mystery moves, surfed Butterfly wave, ran Iron Ring, got out on a ledge, surfed Waikiki, jumped off a rock into Normans, and got tumbled in the hole at Dog's Leg. 

A couple of my favorite things in that list was surfing Phil’s hole on Thursday. It was one of the most fun because you have all your friends cheering you on so you can just drop into anything. Also when you are in the hole it is really fun unless you can’t breath. But if you can breath it is like if you got in a washing machine and turned it on you just go tumbling down the wave. Those are some of the things about me.

Big Water Beat Down Thursdays: There’s a Method to the Madness - Taylor Conklin

Thursdays on the Ottawa river are spent engaging in what OKS Keeners has named  Big Water Beat Down Thursday. To sum it up, the day is spent pushing the limits of white water and challenging yourself in new ways. While the idea of tumbling wildly out of control in a hole sounds horrific to most kayakers, the Keener program has welcomed the idea of becoming comfortable in the uncomfortable.

The day proceeded with each kayaker throwing themselves into the infamous Phil’s hole on McCoy's rapid. By the end of the morning even those that questioned the sanity of the activity at first had built up the courage to paddle into the hole. The group dynamic could not have been more perfect for a day like today, as everyone was supportive, encouraging and stoked to watch a good beat down. Of course no one was more excited to watch than Steve-O on the other side of the camera!

Fun and games aside, in my opinion, Big Water Beat Down Thursday is the perfect environment to put yourself out of your comfort zone. Growing comfortable in sticky situations such as a beat down on the river is such a vital skill to have as a kayaker. Having confidence in yourself in these situations doesn’t come easily and takes patience and practice. This goes for the boater and the rescuer as both can be equally intimidating.

Today especially, I realized how important it was to get yourself outside of your comfort zone in order to grow comfortable in the uncomfortable. This really hit home for me today as I willed myself to drift into Phil’s time after time. Although the hole never started looking smaller, and although I never got less nervous sitting in the eddy above it, I knew that the only way to significantly grow as a kayaker was to push my limits.

On the outside Big Water Beat Down Thursday might look like a hot mess, but in reality it teaches lessons that you would never learn if you always made the perfect line. Cheers to more Thursdays to come.

Big Water Beatdown Thursday - Henry Blankenship

Big water beat down Thursday was very fun. I only got one good beatdown, but it was more of a surf than a beatdown. The first time that I dropped into left side Phil’s, I flipped immediately and went from the top of the hole to the bottom, so it imploded my spray skirt. My second surf was way better since I borrowed Stephen’s spray skirt. It was more of a surf than a beatdown, but it was still very fun. 

Jude, Fisher, and Jolie had the best beatdowns. Jude’s lasted about a minute and a half, and he got tumbled so many times. Fisher’s beatdown was very good too, and it lasted a little longer than Jude’s, but it was more of a surf than a beatdown. Jolie’s beatdown was the best, although it was very short.

Big Water Beatdown Thursday - Sawyer Battles

Today was the first Thursday of session 2 in the keener program. Thursdays are special days for the keeners because it is Big Water Beatdown Bacon Thursday. On this day each Keener will face their fears of the notorious Phil's hole. There are many reasons why getting a beat down in Phil’s hole will benefit you as a keener, such as making you more comfortable in big water, teaching you how to comfortably surf big nasty features, and also putting on a good show for the spectators on the side.

My experience today was very exciting and fun. I tried four beat down attempts in Phil’s hole. My first attempt was into the left side of Phil’s, which is the less retentive side and I had a short surf but was then pushed out by the tongue. My second attempt was into the right side, which is the more retentive side, and I still got flushed right out by the tongue on the right. I tried two more attempts into the right side of Phil’s before I got a proper beat down and got spun and window shaded before I was flushed.

Overall today was an absolute blast and great learning experience. I’m stoked to get back into Phil's next Thursday and hopefully get a better beatdown.

The Keener Community - Seth Cox

As a person, student, and especially kayaker, community is one of, if not the most important aspects of my life. Happiness, for me, is provided by friends, family, and my loved ones. These aspects are also the reason I become a better version of myself over time. The people who surround you influence so many details of you. The Keener program gives access to a flourishing community of like-minded young and experienced paddlers who are all ambitious and in pursuit of greatness.

Whether small or large, communicating with your community is an essential aspect of life. The ability to portray thoughts well can make for a safer situation on the water, or making sure dietary needs are made for lunch. Being a leader means being able to communicate. When you have 4 people to paddle with there will be ample opportunity to lead. At Keeners we have race day Wednesday, and the first and second races that we competed in were in teams of four. In team Door, my team, every member contributed either thought or action to the race. Although we did not win, the competition was made better by the ability to work with good friends who openly, without judgment shared ideas.

The resources at your disposal as a result of being a part of the Keener community are incredible. An international group of boaters that are almost without fail extraordinarily helpful. Whether it is teaching, coaching, a paddling buddy, or someone to tell you a joke there is always a Keener at your disposal. After two years with the wonderful people in this program, I have met some of my closest friends and people I can rely on who live all across the United States and the world. As a kid you’re often told “The world is your oyster” and becoming a member of the Keener program has shown that to be possible.

By Ryder Crezee

So far during the keeners program I have had lots of fun surfing, racing, and getting beaterd with friends. Some of the current highlights of the camp have been surfing the corner wave and kayaking the Coliseum rapid. I look forward to more fun times.

Week 1 at OKS Keeners - Judah Franczy

OKS Keeners is a life changing experience that can help up kayakers learn and perfect many skills as well as becoming an overall better human being. At the moment it is week one of my Keeners experience. So far I love it. Between surfing, tricks, and rescue I have already progressed immensely. You get to paddle with world class coaches that can teach you almost anything you want to know. The Ottawa river is also a world class river that has some of the best waves and rapids. It’s very deep with big pools after every drop, which make for ideal safety conditions. The rapids range from class I to class V. Having a big range of difficulty is great for people to push their limits and put themselves out of their comforts zones.

For most Keeners the best day of the week is big water beatdown Thursday. On this day you will paddle around the river going in the biggest holes you can find and trying to get massive beatdowns. Doing this may be scary at first, although it teaches you how to deal with curtain situations for when you start paddling harder whitewater. Overall Keeners is an superb program for anybody trying to level up their freestyle kayaking skills.

First week at Keeners - Griffin Crezee

Hi my name is Griffin Crezee. I am from Truckee California. I grew up in a small town near Lake Tahoe, CA called Truckee. I have a dog, a mom, a dad  and a brother. I started kayaking when I was 13, (2 years ago) on the Truckee river. I came to Keeners because I wanted to become a better at kayaking but when I got here I realized Keeners is way more than just kayaking it’s hanging out with friends, meeting new people and last but not least learning how to be an independent person and learn how to clean, cook, and everything else independently. Also the Keener program teaches you how learn to persevere, like today I was flipped in Big Kahuna and came into the second hole up side down and didn’t swim because I knew all my homies would clown me if I swam. So the Ottawa kayak school's Keeners program has already made me a better kayaker, person and more independent.

The roundhouse - Noel Weisenburger

The roundhouse is a fun trick that I learned at Keeners, and it becomes a blunt with practice. A roundhouse scores 15 points in a competition and a back roundhouse will score 20 points. A roundhouse is a 180 degree rotation around the bow in the green water with a vertical angle between 0 and 45 degrees. A back roundhouse is the same but you rotate around the stern instead of the bow.

To do a roundhouse, you will take an acceleration stroke into the green water of a wave in a front surf, drop an edge to the side you want to roundhouse to and take a back sweep on the same side. The back roundhouse is done with the same idea but you take a forward sweep and start from a back surf. As you get better, you will start to get more vertical and it will turn into a blunt or a back blunt.

How to properly make microwave popcorn - Sol Obregon

 

1. Place the popcorn so the folded sides are sticking up  
2. Set the time of the microwave to one and a half to two minutes depending on your microwave
3. Stop when the popping slows because overcooking the popcorn could burn it
4. Take out the popcorn and open it enough so there is a small hole in the top
5. Turn the bag upside down and shake it over a trash can so the kernels that didn’t pop fall out of the bag 
6. When kernels stop falling out of the bag,  turn it right side up again and grab two of the tabs that are diagonal from each other 
7. Carefully open the bag away from your face because any hot steam could burn you
8. Pour the contents of the bag into a large bowl and enjoy! 

Phil’s surf - Brody Ast

When you surf Phil’s it is an extremely powerful retentive hole. When you are in the hole and it is stumbling you and flipping you, you don’t really know what is going on you just adjust your paddle to the spot that you feel is right. In the hole it feels like it is trying to rip your paddle free from you, you just have to hang on really tight. A strategy that I found was helpful is the Harry Potter roll, this is when you flip your paddle blade up and you hold your paddle blade out right in front of your chest and the water on the downstream side will catch the blade and flip you up. Surfing Phil’s is extremely fun and not very bad as long as you know what you’re doing and have the correct safety set up.

Why we do kayak competitions - Blake Booth

We do competitions for lots of reasons: from just having fun to using what you have learned in other aspects of kayaking and using them in a competitive environment.

I am going to start on why people do it just to have a great  time. A lot of people compete just for this reason, this is the main reason why I compete in kayaking. Because I love kayaking it makes it easy to love competing. But if I did not like kayaking it would be hard to love competing. Another reason people compete in kayaking is to meet a lot of great kayakers that can help them and give them feedback on anything they need help on. Another main reason is that people just want to see and learn from other people that are around the same level as them.

There are so many ways you can compete such as freestyle, individual races, boater cross and the list goes on. But most people just want to get better at the way they kayak.

Comparing the Ottawa and rivers in Colorado - Colin Glackin

Coming from Colorado to the Ottawa river was a big change. The difference between all the rivers and the Ottawa River is crazy. In Colorado we have shallow not very wide cold snow melting creeks but here in Canada the Ottawa river is huge warm deep and very powerful. Changing the way you paddle in white water with some thing that it took a day or two to get used to. Because you have to think about lines differently and you can see where you’re going when you’re in the raffle, because they’re a big waves and such. But it’s also nice here because the water is warm and you can go "skin-to-wind" or wear a shorty. Button Colorado all of our rivers are termined by snowmelt so the water is very very cold. Comparing the Ottawa and rivers in Colorado - it’s pretty incomparable, because they are so different and not much alike at all.

New keeners read this - Lev Weisswasser

Hi, my name is Lev and this is my final week and I want to say anyone reading these blogs as I once did before you came to keeners and aren’t sure and are scared just do it. The videos and blogs make it sound way scarier than it is. Yes you can make it intend but most of the stuff you choose to do and can opt out if your not feeling it. So you know what send it and come here, you won’t regret it.

The importance of a wet exit - Brody Ast

The Wet exit is a very important skill when it comes to Whitewater kayaking. Typically you will see the wet exit a lot if you are paddling with the average "liquid logic" boater, or you are new to kayaking or helping someone get into kayaking. The wet exit is a simple move where the kayaker exits their boat while flipped upside down.

The wet exit steps are very simple steps that require you to reach across your cockpit rim and grab the grab loop on your skirt and pull your skirt off your boat and swim out of your boat. There are times when a wet exit is not a safe choice, if you got sucked into a massive whirlpool and you were to pull your skirt that would not end well, the same goes for if you got sucked into a very sticky retentive hole you may swim and keep getting sucked in. Those are the reasons I think the wet exit is a important skill in whitewater kayaking.

Pros and cons of the different vans - Sasha Sach

At keeners we have two different vans that drive us campers and coaches. There is a big red van and a white van, a bit smaller. Both vans have their pros and cons and sometimes it is hard to choose.

The red van is overall a nicer van with comfier seats. The red van is bigger and more spacious, however in the red van the music sucks. The only music available in the red van is the radio which isn’t that great especially if the driver focuses on driving and not DJing.

The white van is a bit smaller and a bit more run down, however I find comfort in the white van. The white van is the van I typically chose and here’s why. In this van though the seats aren’t as comfortable the atmosphere is filled with stoke which gets created by the power of good music. In this van there is an aux cord and us keeners are allowed to choose the music. We all choose songs together and sing along.

Overall the red van may seem nicer on the outside and on the inside but once you spend time in each van the white van and it’s greatness is unbeatable. 

Who would’ve thought the older, less comfy, worse smelling, smaller van would become a keener favourite?

Movie Marathon - Skylar Borof

On Sunday here at Keenerville we had a movie Marathon. We watched Mamma Mia one and two. Both Mamma Mias are great movies and great to watch during Keeners because of many reasons. Number 1, it makes the boys uncomfortable. Number 2, it makes everyone want to sing and dance for the rest of the day. Number 3, the movie demonstrates that you can have amazing adventures spontaneously. These movies show how to love, how to cry, to sing and dance and how to have an adventure. The Keener program teaches all those things as well expect I teach the singing and dancing.

Why should we forgive? - Charlotte Ilies

Why should we forgive? In the book The Tempest by William Shakespeare, Prospero, a wizard who had been deeply betrayed by his brother, chose to not take revenge on him. He stated “The rarer action is In virtue than in vengeance”(5.1.27-28). In this line, he is implying that forgiveness is very scarce or “rarer” and the more likely way for him to have handled this situation would have been to take revenge on the man who betrayed him. It also shows that forgiveness, although not the most common choice, was much more needed than revenge in this situation. It shows that forgiveness is a virtue and something that possesses a high moral standard. 

Getting revenge on someone will not resolve the problem, it will just give them another reason to resent you. It creates more conflict. Revenge just goes in a loop until someone gets the final word, and even then it might not be enough.

Prospero forgiving his brother put an end to their fights and in the end brought them closer together. Being able to forgive can be hard but in the end it's truly more effective and impactful than getting revenge.

The Meaning of Life - Charlie Dockendorf

The meaning of life is a question that has been long debated throughout time. Luckily, I have found the answer. In order to explain it, I’m going to need some help from French Philosopher, Albert Camus. In Camus’ book “The Myth of Sisyphus” Camus introduces a groundbreaking idea in the last paragraph. "I leave Sisyphus at the foot of the mountain. One always finds one's burden again. But Sisyphus teaches the higher fidelity that negates the gods and raises rocks. He too concludes that all is well. This universe henceforth without a master seems to him neither sterile nor futile. Each atom of that stone, each mineral flake of that night-filled mountain, in itself, forms a world. The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy." Sisyphus is a Greek figure who tried to cheat the gods out of death and was punished with rolling a Boulder up a hill for all of eternity and every time he gets to the top it rolls back down and he has to start again. 

Camus answers the meaning of life question by explaining that even though Sisyphus and an unbearable and mundane task, one must imagine him content with his curse. Camus uses Sisyphus rolling his Boulder up the hill as a metaphor for human life. Even though the task of life can be mundane and repetitive, if we can create our own meaning and purpose in life then we win. If we can be content with whatever happens in life and try to do whatever makes us happy then we are doing something right. Sisyphus being content with his task shows how the worst of situations can be positive and we give our own meaning to our own experiences.

By Cam Lenhart

Respect for the wild is hidden in every lesson OKS Keeners teaches, the acceptance of the river however it may be, no matter the water level or any other factor. Keeners does not teach a "Minibus or nothing" mindset, rather a "there is always something" mindset. From Kahuna to Phil's to Waikiki, the variation in the Ottawa river teaches a flexibility in those who visit the river. There is never a reliance on any specific feature, and the variation in surfable waves creates mental flexibility as well as physical flexibility. All Keeners emerge from the program with the ability to look at a river and never turn away disappointed, to find something in nothing, and possessing the physical skill to create from little. 

Respecting the river in its natural state is respecting just one aspect of the wild. As with the other aspects of the wild, the only way to gain true awareness is to fully immerse oneself in the environment. I still feel the power and beauty of the Ottawa beating through me day and night, on and off the water. Only this can gift me the true understanding of the water. 

Nature is wild. The wild is unpredictable, it fluctuates, it evolves, but it is not indestructible. When we live in a world that favors green paper over green trees, the wilderness is at risk. We live in a society that the vast majority of will never feel the power that I've felt, that will never understand what I understand, and will never respect what I respect. I truly wish that my home country of the United States could be influenced by those who have been immersed, not by those who chase money and power. Many recent decisions have been made that affect parties not represented at all within the decision-makers. Our wilderness is at risk and so are the rights of many. 

I appreciate the isolation that I have had at Keeners because it has allowed me to focus on the beautiful things and ignore the not-so-beautiful things. When I return to normal life, everything will come to the surface again and I will see that not everything is as wonderful as it seems out here on the river. I will continue to be a kid for as long as I can, and I will forever live in search of the wonder I've experienced here.

Lyle's Moon Plan - Lyle Hering

One day when I am rich, I will hollow out the moon and live in it. I will travel there with a rocket. My rocket will be fast and it will only take a minute to get there. I will have a ski mountain inside the moon. I will also have a river on the surface of the moon in a glass tube so I can gaze at the stars while I paddle. I will also host huge parties with all of the worlds important politicians and celebrities. 

It will take a lot of work to hollow out the moon. Luckily I will one day be rich and able to pay for others to do it for me. Everyone knows the moon is made out of cheese. I will sell the cheese and become twice as rich. Moon cheese is delicious and expensive.

If I decide the people of Earth arn't worthy of my moon, I will have a giant motor built in it, and I will fly away to different galaxies to party with raddest aliens in the universe. I will hire Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars to play at my parties (David Bowie is alive and in space).

Food war of 2022 - Blake Booth

It all started on the Twentieth of June at 6 am, Magnus and Finn snuck into Robinson's while everyone was asleep. They knew that we had just gotten a refill of food, so they decided to steal our popcorn. We found out that they stole it later that day because when we went to grab popcorn for a movie, we did not see it there so we went over to the White House to steal the food back. but they had already popped it so we just stole the popcorn from the microwave. They did not notice that we had taken there popcorn until the next day we ate all of the popcorn before they could steal it back. The next morning, I had made almost twenty pancakes so that we could freeze them. But when we were getting ready for dinner they came and took them. At that point we started to hide the food. When we hid it they never could find the good food. That is how we resolved the food war of 2022.

Middle vs Main - Lev Weisswasser

Hi, my name is Lev and I’m going to compare the Middle and Main in this blog. 

The Middle is widely known to be the easier channel and has less water. The Main has almost three times more water than the Middle and is known to be harder although the both start and end in the same place. Even though the Main is considered harder I would actually rank them as equal or the Main might be a little easier. I think this because Little Trickle is very technical and shallow while the Lorn is deep, wide and only needs one move. 

Moving down we have Butterfly and Angle's Kiss on the Middle and Butcher's Knife and Box Canyon on the Main. I would say Butterfly is harder than Butchers Knife but less consequential. While Angle's Kiss is easier and less consequential than Box Canyon. Now we have Garvin's vs Norman’s. This is an easy win for the Middle Garvins is more consequential and harder. Next we have Upper No Name vs Coliseum. Coliseum takes the win here it is massive intimidating and consequential. While Upper No nName is relatively easy. Next up we have Lower No Name vs Blacks. Lower No Name is way bigger than Blacks so it easily wins. After this the channels join back together. So overall they tie 3-3.

McNasty - Magnus Monson

I really enjoy doing freestyle kayaking in a hole. One of my favorite hole boating moves is the McNasty, because it looks steezy and scores high in competitions. The McNasty is initiated from a back surf, then you spin around and do a loop. To perform McNasty, start in a side surf and back sweep so that you are now in a back blast. Once you are in a back blast you need to drop edge and forward sweep to swing your stern above the green water and plug you bow. After all you will need to do to perform a McNasty is to do a loop. The McNasty is a great move and if you can do a spin and a loop then you can learn a McNasty. The McNasty is a hard trick, and is often very frustrating to fail and do a McBeater. Even though it is hard the McNasty is very fun. To conclude, the McNasty is a very fun trick and satisfying to land.

Pushing our limits at Keeners - Alex Mueller

At Keeners all the instructors do a great job at pushing your limits but also staying safe, they will let you know if it is something you can do and if it is something you should do. On Thursdays they make you do something that you normally wouldn't do on any day like surfing mini-bus or running a bigger rapid. They also help you push your freestyle skills and learn new tricks. They give everybody advice on what they should practice and what they should try to learn.

I am so glad I came to keeners because I am already doing things I would've never thought of doing before I came here.

Why do I kayak? - Gabriel Deschenes

Whitewater kayaking is one of the most adventurous outdoor sports on the planet these days. It takes a lot to get in the proper mindset. Going from the comfort of your living room to the rowdy crashing waves and hydraulics of the river is not easy. When I kayak, I often get to the bottom of big rapids wondering “That was sick! But why do I like that stuff?” In this blog, I will be revealing exactly that. 

I’ve always been very curious since my earliest presence on earth. As I grew older, stronger, and braver, this need to explore grew substantially stronger as I started doing stuff outdoors. I always wanted to go bigger. For the longest time, I had been looking for something to fully satisfy my curiosity. I got introduced to whitewater through rafting on the Ottawa river and kayaking a little later that year. I immediately fell in love with the idea of riding the most destructive force on planet earth in a kayak. I knew I wanted to stick with it for the rest of my life when I first started. For the longest time, the parts of rivers and creeks that I was unable to see from the bridges or roads along them made me want to go. There is also something nostalgic about paddling down creeks that run through territories my family hunts in located in the middle of the woods. With whitewater kayaking, I fill my need to go on river adventures and explore new streams. Another thing kayaking brings me is thrill, kick, and adrenaline. Whitewater kayaking is VERY FUN! Just the feeling of plugging, and punching a big hydraulic or stick that move feels unreal each time. It never gets old. It’s always an extremely good feeling to look back at a drop and realize how few people are brave and skilled enough to do such a thing. It’s an iconic feeling, making it so special to me. I’ve always liked being pushed out of my comfort zone and taking challenges. When I'm on the water, pushing and challenging myself is a daily occurrence. Even with whitewater kayaking giving me such a thrill in my life, paddling down a class I-II boogie can be extremely relaxing once the big rapids are upstream. 

Kayaking in a lake can help solve all my social problems. It’s just so relaxing to be in your own world observing wildlife and the surroundings. This brings us to my next point. Whitewater kayaking often brings you in deep canyons, and forest topped creeks. A person having kayaked his whole entire life could have easily seen waterfalls and canyons from a way different perspective then an average Joe having lived for 100 years. It allows me to see incredible things regularly and early on in my life. Overall, I consider whitewater kayaking as by far my favorite sport. There are so many types of kayaking that it produces in my opinion extremely well rounded athletes. It also keeps me in incredible shape. I am more than stoked that I have discovered this amazing outdoor extreme sport, and I can sincerely say that my life would not be the same without it. It makes my life a lot better, keeping me away from all the bad things in life and cleaning me up. This is the reason why I like whitewater kayaking and am willing to take the risks relating to it.

Rain - Emery Slothower

Rain often starts with the scurry of activity as keeners dash without hesitation to the gear on the porch. Gear that had spent the previous twelve hours drying, only to be undone in a moment. The soft pater against the thin roof proves effective in keeping the covers on for three, four, five cycles of the alarm clock as we muster the strength to haul our tired bodies out into the vinyl floored kitchen. Rain evokes naive hopes of a resurgence of mini-bus in many keeners, for others just a feeling of what might have been.

Rain in a kayak is a different story. Droplets gather on the brims of helmets, dripping onto the gore-tex outers of our dry tops. The water loses whatever tranquility it once had at the hands of the turbulent entropy of ripples of raindrops. Water pools, then drains in every fold and cavity in our water repellent clothing. Rain leads to misplaced efficiency to get out of the rain but keep the rapid.

How to treat poison ivy - Sol Obregon

Poison ivy grows all along the Ottawa river, so there is high chance that you could accidentally rub against it if you aren’t careful. In the instance that you do get poison ivy you should resist the strong urge yo itch it. This could make the oil spread to your hands, and from there, anything you touch. This could mean spreading to your face, stomach, or even other people. The oil that is on poison ivy leaves can also get on your paddle, and then it will get on you when you touch the paddle. 

When you have access to medical supplies, you should get cortisone cream and apply it to the affected area for a few days. You should also apply a calamine lotion to the rash. Antihistamines like Benadryl will make the rash less itchy and should help you sleep better. If you keep using these things, the poison ivy should be completely gone in two to three weeks.