Why You Are Better Than Most - By Carver

 The reason you are better than most is you keep trying, you are willing to try new things,

Willing to fight for the ones and things that are important to you.

Most of the world does not keep trying to be better. Most people stop once it gets hard they take the easy path witch will leave you in even harder times.

Plus you are willing to try new things. even if they scare you even if no one else you know will try it.

You will also always fight for the ones things are important to you. even if it puts you at risk you will push for them.

These are the reasons that you are better than most. Why you should be the one to get to your goal. 

Jackson Gnarvana: By Xavier

Now, the Gnarvana was the first boat I had ever paddled besides the rockstar, a playboat. So I found that very different and hard to get used to. It was hard to steer and maneuver in the rapids. It was also super hard to catch waves and maintain surfs. BUT it was extremely fast in rapids and white water which made it easy to catch Eddies and move around. It was also very hard to tip, I think I flipped like once on the whole river. In the end I thought it was interesting to paddle a very different boat but I typically have much more fun in a playboat. That is just my opinion and I would still recommend trying the Gnarvana out for yourself.

Yakistan Music - By Maia

I’ve been the Yakistan (now dubbed Swiftistan) music person for a while now. I play music in the mornings and sometimes afternoons when we’re all in our cabins making food. It’s a tough job being the music person. You have to be able to play music for people of all ages and music types. You also have to be able to play music that is keener appropriate. This means that there cannot be any bad language or references. You also have to be able to play music that the boys in White House will hate. Examples of this include Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Demi Lovato etc. it’s a hard job but a necessary one to be able to produce the most hype cabin of Swiftistan. Thank you.

Week 3 Blog - Anna

In my family’s sprinter van we have enough seats and beds for 5 people. We also have enough boat storage for up to 10 boats. We can also store all of our tools and extra things we need including bags with clothes and stuff like that. We go on adventures with the whole family or with just some of us. I love going on adventures with my family but there are some downsides. One big downside is that every morning when you wake up you hit your head on a metal bar. Another downside is that there is not that much space.

Week 2 Blog - Andrew

I got into kayaking not that long ago compared to some other Keeners that are in this program. My family bought a raft about eight years ago when my dad turned forty which we did day trips for a couple months and did some overnight trips but nothing major. As the years went on we did cooler and cooler trips that were bigger whitewater and more fun. Eventually me and my brother got tired of just sitting in the raft, just casual observers, and wanted to really be in control of what we hit and didn’t hit, what lines we took, and overall what happened. We asked our parents for something to do and they thought of the plan to get us two duckies also known as inflatable kayaks in 2020. These duckies were amazing I got that control that I wanted and my parents no longer had to deal with a bored me and my brother. As we continued going on trips me and my brother were simultaneously making the realization that cool people didn’t ducky they hard shell kayaked. 

This observation led my brother to start going to kayaking lessons and pool sessions while my parents thought I was too young and I sat at home jealously. My brother bought a boat and began running things while I still sat in my ducky sad that I wasn’t cool enough. The next winter my parents yielded and let me start to learn to roll in a pool although my parents still made me ducky our longer trips. I was pretty slow to take to rolling but by winter of last year I had it confidently in the flat water but in actual current I would usually swim or just miss it and need a rescue. 

I didn’t let that make me stop kayaking though and I kept going to pool sessions and to the play park and that was working to make me better at my roll and give me surfing experience.

Anna - Week 2 Blog

 I love kayaking with my family. I also love kayaking with friends. I love kayaking at the Whitewater centre because it has the conveyer belt. I can do lots of tricks like a loop and spins both ways and shove it both ways. I will always choose to kayak because I love it so much. I also love spending time with friends. I love to ride my bike or scooter. I can twist to go kayaking today.

How To Loop In Pushbutton: By Wade

 Hi my name is wade and I will tell you how to loop in push button. 

Step 1: first you are going catch the wave hole up high on the foam pile.

Step 2: then you are going to set a Ritter on the right Step 3: next you will bow stomp in the trough Step 4: after you bow stomp you will look forward and leap out and up into the air Step 5: finally when you feel your stern hit you will throw your weight and paddle back forming a loop stroke Step 6: enjoy a front surf Step 7: once you fish off the wave you will claim your trick with a fist pump Step 8: finally you will get back in the eddy and try to go bigger

How To Get Past A Log On The River: By Toby

If you are swimming on a river and you see a log there are ways to get over it. In order to stay safe going past the log you must try and get over the log. This is because if you go under the log you can get stuck in unseen branches or get snagged by something. Once you get your chest on the log try to lean up and bring you ankles up in order to get over the log. Getting your legs up is essential to getting over the log. If you do not get your legs up the water will push you under neath the log meaning you could get snagged. Another way to avoid the logs is to scout the river ahead for any logs beforehand. You should only try to swim or kayak a log if you have no other choice.

Food At Keeners: By Alex Mueller

At Keenerville we have to cook our own food, while this sounds good and all it causes some problems. Some of the problems are catching the stove on fire and burning popcorn in the microwave. But the most Annoying problem is how many people are in the kitchen at once.

Another problem is the amount of food, we will have hundreds of eggs but only 1 box of eggos which is all some people will eat. I think that we need to have a balance. I also wish we would get something other than chicken everyday for dinner.

How To Make A Breakfast Sandwich: By Bertie McCrea

Breakfast sandwiches are yummy and an essential to any morning breakfast as they are easy and quick to make

Ingredients: Cheese Bacon Two eggos

Step 1 : defrost your eggos by placing them in the toaster

Step 2 : heat up a pan on the stove while eggos in the toaster

Step 3 : place eggos on the pan

Step 4 : put cheese on eggos and place a cover on the pan to ensure the cheese melts correctly

Step 5 : balance bacon on top of cheese on the eggos and place the cover back on the pan and wait

Step 6 : when you can see that the cheese has melted place other eggo on top of the cheese and bacon covered eggo

Step 7 : remove eggo from the pan and plate it

Step 8 : eat eggo sandwich and enjoy

Step 9 : do your dishes cause savannah makes you

Drying Things By: Orin Gartner

When you are drying things you want them to be dry. The problem with that is that the air, the wind and the sun doesn’t dry your stuff in time for the next day of kayaking. I like to do it a little bit different. I put everything but my rashy on the hooks. I like to spread the things out to make it easier to dry. I put the rashy by a fan to make it dry. In the morning the rashy/base layer will be dry. This should be more comfortable to put on than when cold and wet.

Blog Week 2: By Brayson

I believe candy is essential for keeners. I can not physically survive on other food types. I am extremely glad about going to Walmart. At Walmart I bought a ton of candy about 20 dollars worth of it. Personally my favorite was sour patch kids. The other food groups are not necessary in a keener diet. I also think peach gummies are really yummy. The candy gets me ready to start my day.

How To Know If There's A Chipmunk In Your Cabin: By Chloe

To find a chipmunk in your cabin, you don’t have to look too hard. When you leave, the chipmunk comes out and explores through the kitchen. When you come back, it scurries to the underside of the refrigerator.

To know if there’s a chipmunk in your cabin you have to look/hear two things. You must first look for the bushy tail somewhere and must listen for the claws walking across the floor in the morning. (Yakistan has now accepted that there will be a chipmunk living in here with us for these three weeks!) Good luck finding this new roommate In your cabin and make sure to close all your food at night and during the day, especially your Nutella. Thank you and remember chipmunks may be cute but when you have to chase them around your cabin they might not be so cute anymore…

The Panic of Forgetting to Write Your Blog: By Pascal Fels

Monday: You see your name on the list for Friday. You have so much time to write it. No need to start right now.

Tuesday: Friday is forever away. You will for sure remember to start before Friday morning hits. At least thursday. You will start Thursday. Wednesday: You glance at the schedule for the blogs and shrug it off. You’ll start tomorrow. Thursday: You totally forget. You’re off doing all sorts of different things. The day is wild. Evening comes around, everyone’s in the thunderdome when Savanna yells “Remember blogs are due tomorrow!!!” You panic. You pull out your phone as fast as you can to start as fast as you can. Remembering as all the days of the week flew by while you were procrastinating. It’s too late. You manage do fumble something onto your phone. You promise yourself to not let it happen again next week. But little did you know, the power of procrastination is against you.

Pushups: By Miles

Although pushups are a great way to exercise everyday.

There is a better way. 

Pushups bring pain. 

Without enough gain. 

After I finish my first. 

They just get worse. 

After every time I’ve sworn.

I just get more worn. 

Every time I’m late. 

Pushups seal my fate.

I’m just so scared. 

And not really prepared.

I’m sure this will never stop.

But at least I fought

Risk vs Reward: By Ian Cieslak

Risk vs reward is a way to decide whether to do something based on the risk and how rewarding that thing is. For example, in kayaking we have easier rapids that have a lower reward. With this, we also have harder and typically scarier rapids that have a higher reward. By reward I mean how much stoke you will have by doing whatever it could be.

So how do we decide? I feel with low reward easy rapids there are just simple and nothing to be worried about but you should still be humble when you’re done and you don’t have the most stoke ever. With a higher reward harder rapid you have to make a real decision. For this you should scout and find the dangers of the rapids and where not to be. Decide if you are confident to miss the hazards that could be deadly. Then this, if I run this successfully will I have stoke? Will I be proud? Will I improve? These are all difficult yet good questions you should have answered but in reality the decision is up to you and only people can encourage you to not or to do something. You make the final decision by walking away or doing whatever it is.

Emery Slothower - How To Have A Successful Footage Review Session

1. To start you Keener Footy review session, you first have to connect your computer to the TV. This should be a 15 minute process at least. To make it better, try to solicit opinions from everyone in the room, preferably all at once.

2. Start at the top of the SD card, to build hype. The first couple shots from the GoPro should be the inside of a dry bag, or maybe a confused shot of your face as you try to turn it on. Then, comes the sweet sweet clips.

3. When you start getting to the really nice clips, you should do one of two things: first, you could accidentally disconnect the hard drive, and panic as a alert blinks in the top right corner of your screen, urging you to eject the disk next time. Second, you could sit back and watch as the audience starts to scream in excitement.

4. Continue watching clips, till hype hits an all time high. By the end of the session, everyone should be more stoked on kayaking than they ever had been before. Sit back and watch the airdrop line build, and the stoke build as people get hyped for tomorrow.

How To Befriend The Yakistan Mouse: By Maia

First things first, to befriend the Yakistan mouse, it is imperative that you understand the basic mannerisms of mice; they only respond to the highest of cordial behavior. The first encounter between you and our furry little friend is likely to be a little awkward, as is any first encounter, but exchange pleasantries to the best of your ability. Next, you must arrange a follow up; send a formal invitation to have the mouse over for tea. Now this part is key: do not scream if the mouse decides to pop in by way of falling through the ceiling—that would be most rude. Falling is his most common mode of transportation, and if this occurs you’ll know you’re doing the process right. Likely by this point you are receiving impromptu visits from your mousy friend and can enact the final stage: friendly extermination. Buy the mouse a plane ticket to a Hawaii vacation, a present from a new friend, and forgetfully decline to inform the mouse it is a one way ticket. And the last step, enjoy a mouse free cabin, and stay in touch with your new beachy mousy friend.

DO'S and DONT'S of the Ottawa River: By 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 there 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 ediquette on the water and look out for others.

Why I Don't Like Chicken: By Mathew

 Even though chicken is a popular cuisine that many people appreciate, I don't care for it at all. I feel this way for a number of reasons.

First off, I don't particularly enjoy the taste of chicken. I've tried eating it, but I find the flavor to be bland and not as delicious as other things I prefer, like pizza or macaroni and cheese. It seems as though chicken doesn't agree with my palate! Second, there are times when chicken can be rough and dry. It becomes difficult to chew when it's not cooked just properly, which reduces how much I enjoy eating it. Tender and luscious dishes are my favorites! And finally, I dislike handling chicken bones. They may be a mess and a pain.

Putting Yourself Out There: By Ian Cieslak

In kayaking one of the most important things is just putting yourself out there. Lots of people definitely struggle with this simple thing.

Putting yourself out there requires lots of confidence and effort so something to make it a bit easier is peer pressure. An experience like Keeners involves coaches supplying you good peer pressure to do this. While peer pressure may make you nervous and feel vulnerable it’s good because typically the impact it has is positive. Now that you know an example of peer pressure and how it could affect you, you just need to do it. If you feel confident you can do something even in the slightest just try it. Obviously look at the risk involved for whatever that may be but if it’s low risk and high reward why not go do it. Putting yourself out there might make you improve as a kayaker but also as a person. It builds confidence which is great for your mindset when it comes to kayaking or pretty much anything.

Why I shouldn't Do Pushups: By Miles Van Der Linden

I think that the push-up punishment system should be abolished. I don’t like doing the push ups and they are not fun. However on top of that I think that push-ups will encourage me to do bad things so I can get more of a workout. So you are basically helping me profit off of being bad. I therefore think that we should enforce the law in a different way. For instance saying “nuh uh” or no. This way of punishment is way more humane and acceptable to our modern day society. Maybe even the entirety of keeners will be a better safer place. This new way of enforcement shall be implemented tomorrow please.

The Phils Experience: By Emery Slothower

It’s a full blind drop in from above, as I watch new friends disappear down the foreign horizon line. When they all pop back into view at the bottom of the rapid, they’re all smiling ear to ear encouragingly at the outlooks who sat on the island. Still, the knot in the stomach works in direct conflict with the rational thought processes churning in my head. Slowly, the eddy empties, one by one, till I sit on the decision point, between the eddy and the current. Pushing past the knot, I plant my paddle in the faster current moving downstream, and I’m on my way.

The waves go under my hull one by one, until there are no waves left, just the horizon line. Then, the churning mass of pale water suddenly reveals itself over the glassy roller above. Square on, I half paddle, half fall into the pit of right side Phil’s. The water slams the back of my jacket, and washes up over my head. Pure chaos, but in the midst of it, a sense of calm. The side surf, then the front surf, it all more or less linked itself without my input at all, and suddenly all is OK. At least until the upstream side catches the green water. What started as a tip has now sunken half of the playboat deep into the green water, and I could feel myself accelerating into the flip, till I smash into the trough. The violent water is almost soft as it surrounds my body, and carries me off the backside. After I roll up, I spot the safety eddy, and start my ferry, already excited by the thought of the next ride.

10 Ways To Not Run A Rapid: By Andrew Slothower

Running a rapid can be a very fun way to get a good adrenaline rush it is however important to do this in a safe manner to manage risk. Here are a few major do nots while running rapids.

1. Backwards is a bad idea cause you often can’t see where you are going and that can be dangerous. 

2. One hand on the paddle is often a bad idea due to the control list by not having a hand on the paddle.

3. Upside down is yet another bad idea for the same reason as the backwards due to the lack of vision. 

4. Running a rapid without a skirt is a bad idea given the amount of water that could get in your boat without any form of protection. 

5. Running the rapid without a boat is also a bad idea given that without a boat it is harder to control the boat. 

6. Running a rapid fully in the nude would not be a good idea given the consequences a run in with a rock would have on your skin. 

7. Running a rapid with no prior experience as a human (such as being an infant) is also a bad idea given your very small body would get messed with in waves and holes. 

8. Running rapids with a pack of bears and wolves would be a bad idea given how scared you would be it might distract you and you may end up swimming. 

9. Running a rapid during a military attack on your area may not be a good idea given that the government may need your assistance in the fight. 

10. Running a rapid during all out nuclear warfare is a terrible idea given the toxic chemicals released by the bombs and their effects on the water and if you contract a virus you may have to miss day’s paddling. 

I hope that this guide can help you with the start of your whitewater journey and assist you with becoming a better kayaker.

Keeners: By Anna

Hi my name is Anna and I love kayaking especially when it is with other kids. One of my favorite rivers is the Ottawa because of how big and fun it is to kayak and do tricks. I am working on a consistent loop right now which is pretty hard. Keeners is a kayaking camp for teens that want to level up their kayaking skill. I also love hanging out with the other people at Keeners because the community is so great. I also love kayaking in Charlotte because it has the Whitewater Center which has a conveyer belt to get you back up to the top of the channel. The conveyer belt makes it super easy do up to around ten laps a day. I also love to hang out with my family when I am not kayaking.

How To Catch A Wasp: By Bertie McCrea

 Wasps can be annoying when you eat your dinner so it is essential that you know how to catch them

Step 1: locate the wasp

Step 2: find a suitable cup and piece of paper to catch the wasp in 

Step three: wait until wasp is lying still

Step 4: quickly place the cup over the wasp

Step 5: open cup slightly and place paper underneath the cup

Step 6: now pick up the paper and cup and take it far away from where you are eating breakfast 

Step 7: now release the wasp 

Well done you have now caught and released a wasp away from your breakfast or dinner

How To Cook Scrambled Eggs: By Orin Gartner

Step 1

Heat up the pan to 3/4. While the pan is heating up put in the butter. It is better to put more butter in than less in.

Step 2 Crack and mix eggs in a separate bowl.

Step 3 Put the eggs in the heated pan and stir.

Step 4 Add some pepper, cheese and other things, keep stirring.

Step 5 When the eggs are solid scrape all into a plate. Done! The cooks only clean the pan.

My Week 1 Experience: By Pascal Fels

When I first heard about keeners I was very excited. Then, when it started to get closer I started to get more and more nervous in actually realizing what was ahead of me. I had watched some videos of beat down thursday and was even more nervous for that.

A few days in, I learned what my living situation was and started to get used to it. Once I got used to it I started to get more comfortable and acknowledged that it actually wasn’t that bad, and I was worried for nothing. And I also learned that my coaches/counselors are awesome. I was especially nervous for beatdown thursday. But, after swimming it I realized I was ready to send the gnar. I went down left side phil’s and had so much fun. Another awesome thing about keeners is everything that they teach you off water. Like ropes and knots, first aid, and just how to be a better person in general. That was my awesome and incredible experience (so far) of keeners week 1. I’m so excited for the next two weeks!

Faith in The River: By Noah Arbuckle

 Keeners aren’t all the same. Everyone of us comes to camp with our own histories, experiences, and beliefs, but one thing we all have to share is our faith to commit and to always know that the biggest line is obviously the best line. Whether we’re jumping off cliffs or choosing our path through Mccoys, the people I’ve met here aren’t the type to go small and always push to live every moment to the fullest. As beat down Thursday comes to a close I remember how every one of us knew we wanted to go as big as we could and stretch our limits. The way that we acted today wasn’t the way most people would respond in the situations we were in, as we headed straight for the meanest feature in the rapid, but if we didn’t want to push ourselves then what would really make us keen on whitewater. The people who aim for the whirlpools and not the eddy when they plunge as deep as they can into the river are the people who show up at keeners. Because that's what being a keener truly is. Being keen and enthusiastic about whitewater isn’t just limited to the easy parts. It's about passionately pursuing everything all these beautiful rivers have to offer and not shying away from the parts that scare you. 

Last Day of Keeners: By Jonas Tiedje

At keeners you get to spend your last day on the river doing a freestyle competition with all of your friends. At first it’ll feel like a normal keener day but as the day goes by and you get off the water you slowly start to understand that this will maybe be your last time on the mighty Ottawa. If you haven’t done it yet I suggest trying to swim the flat water to the takeout since you’ll probably have enough time to swim it on the last day.  Then you go back to keenerville and you get to eat pizza while watching the competition videos and learn from them. When reality will really hit is when the coaches will do the wrap up speech and then you start to realize that you only have a few hours left with your new friends before they all leave. It is pretty sad saying goodbye to everyone but it makes it easier if you keep the hope that maybe one day you’ll get to see them again.

What Kayaking has Taught me About Life + Death: By Ash

Here on the Ottawa river, just about everything is safe. Other than maybe the sharp rocks on the island at Mcoys or the hole at Butchers Knife, not much on the water can truly hurt you. It’s deep, powerful, and safe.

But what even is “safe”. One could say it is not safe to drive a car. Which most of us do nearly every day. One could say that biking to work on a busy road isn’t safe. And even simply sitting in your home, tragedy can strike at any moment. Most people look at my kayaking and see only risks. They go about their day to days and then stumble upon a video of someone doing something extreme. Death diving, mountain biking, climbing. These things feel so far removed from their day to days, so risk must be high. Yet, I look to the world, and I see risk. Everywhere. We are constantly taking risks. It is an inherently human thing that we haven’t yet discovered how to avoid. In this way, kayaking is much safer than the day to day of life. There are only so many variables on the water. There are often answers or ways to get answers when paddling. This is not at all like our lives. We are a confused bumbling people on a planet hurtling through space. And yet, kayaking is also very dangerous. It is a sport that if you do long enough, you will know people who die. It is a sport that requires a certain level of dissociating from trauma. It is a sport that requires us to rewire our brains into active problem solving and not always processing. Oftentimes, there isn’t time to process. I do not know the antidotes to these traits. People will continue to die paddling. We can do everything right and the river can still be unpredictable, unkind, and cruel. Perhaps that is part of it all. That instead of staring down the tunnel that is the unknown and saying you’d rather not go down there, we get in our kayaks and paddle it. Kayaking is equal parts surrendering and collaborating. In this way, it is nothing but a dance. With water. With life– and death.

How To Make The Best Grilled Cheese: By Sawyer

The first step in making the best grilled cheese is to find a friend to cook it with. My preferred grilled cheese buddy is Phil.

The second step is to take out butter, bread, shredded cheese, sliced cheese, and bacon.

The third step is to cook the bacon in a large pan, big enough to fit the sandwich in, at a medium high heat until crispy and cooked. Make sure to leave the grease in the pan after cooking the bacon.

The fourth step is to prepare the grilled cheese. You do that by buttering each side of the bread, putting two layers of sliced cheese on each side, and then the desired amount of bacon in the center (I personally go with 4). 

The fifth step is to put the pan on a medium low heat and put the grilled cheese in the pan. You want to grill it in the bacon grease until the cheese melts and the bread is nice and crispy. You want to make sure to flip the sandwich occasionally for the most even grilling.

The sixth step is to take the sandwich out of the pan with a spatula and put shredded cheese into the pan in the shape of the sandwich. You then want to put the sandwich down on the cheese and let it grill onto the bottom. This step takes longer to complete than you would think but you have to be patient if you truly want the best grilled cheese. Once one of the sides is finished you want to repeat this step on the other side of the sandwich.

The seventh step is to take the grilled cheese out of the pan and cut it evenly down the center. Then you and your buddy (for example Phil) get to dig into the best grilled cheese and enjoy every cheesy, crispy bite until gone.

A tip that that is optional but I personally recommend is it to find a nice chair to put in front of the stove so you can sit and get a good viewing angle. While this step is optional, in my opinion it makes for a better overall grilled cheese experience.

Lunch At The Camp: By Megan Box

The lunch spot on the river is a place to take a short break from paddling and eat grilled food to get the energy back to your body. But, it's also great to show that you can be helpful to the wilderness tours employees. Helping at the grill is fantastic on a cold day because while everyone else suffers in the cold you can be by the nice warm grill. While on the grill you may get lunch last, but that also means that you can control when other people get food. Which is a lot of power. Then, on the days when there is only sandwiches and no one goes to the lunch spot you could have a nice break and hope that you could go back. Another perk is that you can listen to a wide variety of music. Whether it's early 2000s white girl music or modern rock there's never a dull moment with music. This is only a small reason to volunteer at the lunch spot.

My Keeners Rap Career: By Blake Booth

Ever since the start of keeners this year Luke has been encouraging me to be a rapper. I don’t know why, but it has become this joke. It’s a lot of fun and yesterday I made it a reality. Yesterday was speech night so obviously, I rap the speech. It was a lot of fun and it was really funny. Though I am not actually a rapper. Luke really encouraged me to try something new. That is very similar to all aspects of keeners. Even if you’re not good at something, they still encourage you to try something new. That’s probably my favorite particulars, always learning something new. 

Community Living: By Aidan

Living in a group for the first time can be difficult. There will be struggles and issues in the group, things like cooking, dishes and cleaning. For example no one wants to clean the sink because it’s a communal item so we often get held up when it’s time to go on the water. I think there should be some way to ensure these jobs are done. One way could be to have a schedule for tasks so each person would have a chance to do the same jobs. Another could be cleaning as we go clean what you used and also do some small job. I think having a communal living space is hard for people our age and younger and that is why things don’t get done. In conclusion I think that we need to have more responsibility for ourselves and our stuff to make sure the community living space stays clean.

How To Be A Cleaner Keener: By Patrick Minnehan

As a Keener it’s easy to let your personal hygiene get away from you. Here are a couple tips to keep you in tip top shape. After the river everyday be sure to put in ear drops and change into a fresh pair of socks and shoes. Next be sure to shower everyday. My favorite time to shower is after dinner before going to bed. However showering before leaving for dinner works also and many people prefer this. Also, have a day set aside once a week to do laundry. You will smell and feel better. Lastly, keep your area clean in your cabin. It’s a great feeling after a day of paddling to collapse in a clean, made bed.

How To Make Good Breakfast Food: By Leah Gard

How to make good breakfast food. For one you need to know what you want for the day and I am going to tell you how to make the best bagel sandwich. To start you want to set the toaster to 3 on the thing and then put your bagel in. Now you want to put the stove on a medium heat with butter. Then put 2 eggs in a bowl and mix well, put a little splash of milk in to make them fluffy as well. After that put the eggs in the pan and pull the edges of the egg to the center till all of it starts to clomp in the middle then flip it and add cheese to it. When the cheese is melted then turn the stove off and get a plate and grab your bagel, put hot sauce on the inside of one part of the bagel it don’t matter what side. Now put the egg on and add bacon or some kind of meat of your choice. Put cheese on the top and put the other half on and put it in the microwave for a minute and you’re ready to eat.

Paraphrasing AI: By Brenden

When I paddle I use my paddle not only for propulsion but also for balance on the turbulent water. Each rapid presents a new set of challenges that challenge the paddler to use their paddle in different ways. Using the paddle also gives the paddler a way to show their agility on the raging whitewater. Paddles also are used for support when walking in whitewater. They can create a tripod with your two legs to give you the support needed to walk against current. When rolling a whitewater kayak a paddle is also a very important component of doing it successfully. Bracing in a kayak is also a skill that relies heavily on the paddle to help the paddler not fall down. Overall paddles are an incredibly important part of being a whitewater kayaker.

Whats You're Why?: By Ash

I like to ask people what’s their why behind kayaking. Especially the older paddlers who’ve lived through tragedy on the water. What keeps you coming back, even when you know first hand how much the river can take. I’ve gotten all kinds of responses, but I’m always most inspired by the people who tell me how the river shaped them. That the river isn’t just a fun place they go to kayak, but its become a close friend. A place to experience inexplicable joy. That when the world stops making sense, the river stays.

—————— This also feels most similar to my experience of the world and the river. Each morning I wake up and there’s usually news about another shooting at a synagogue, an anti-trans bill, a thousand miles of clear cut forest. I go to the supermarket and know there are millions of people starving across the world. That when I turn on the air conditioning, it’s likely directly pulling from the Colorado River, which is, as we speak, drying up. To be frank, I think most people choose to ignore this reality. That our very existence requires sacrifice, even now, when we’re so very separate from the interconnected side of living. The worst part is that each of us are simply doing the best we can. The farmers who are spraying their fields must do so to keep up with demand and constantly lowering subsidies on their products. The states in the West must pull from the Colorado as millions of people rely on it for energy or water. Nothing is as simple as it appears and while we’re all likely trying to live better, more sustainable lives, so much progress is still needed. —————— This is what exists in my brain at any given moment. The impending doom of human overconsumption. The ever present implications of a colonial society that values conquering and success and isn’t always aware of what it demolishes in the process. And of course, the fact that my very existence makes me a target. That simply the intersections of my identity put me in uncomfortable and sometimes unsafe situations. Driving through Idaho. Using the restroom. Speaking up when there’s a micro aggression made against me or other minorities. So, to put it lightly, I’m pretty frequently overwhelmed and exhausted. Sometimes that’s by choice. The choice to refuse to ignore these pressing realities, even if in the process I exhaust myself. But often, its simply me absorbing what’s going on around me. Letting it all in without filter. —————— But what does this have to do with my passion for kayaking I hear you saying. Put simply, the river doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t consider the people who paddle it any differently. It doesn’t weed me out, or make me feel like an outsider because of my identity. It can’t. Additionally, the river feels ancient. The same waters we paddle in today were once the pee of dinosaur’s. I know, a little gross, but that’s also incredible. That we exist on a planet with a closed loop water cycle. A water cycle that’s worked so perfectly to manage the billions of creatures that have, do, and will exist. That even with the massive strain we’ve put on this system, it’s still holding, and, that if we lessen this strain, it will work perfectly. The river reminds me that nature knows what works. And that we’re a part of that. That even today where it feels like humans are screwing everything up, there are solutions. Solutions that require us to reconnect with the world around us. To stop trying to separate ourselves from each other, the planet, and each other. You can’t be on the river and be separate. You are leaving a mark, visible or invisible. More marks will come, but yours will still be there. Forever. And the river makes me want to leave a good one.

Blog #3: By Saige Shulda

“Or you can go through it for fun” - Stephen Wright

He said this the first day, we were standing on the rocks looking at the Lorne, I was hyping myself up, making sure that I would 100% be able to go around the massive wave in the middle because why would I want to go in there? But then he asked the question, who wants to go through it for fun? And that’s when my entire perspective started to shift. 

We have been surfed in massive holes, banged up against rocks in the meltdown, swam in a pore over, jumped into whirl pools, and we did it all on purpose. Because it is fun, and really, what’s the worst that could happen (in this safe environment)? I am no longer scared to surf the smaller, safer waves next to my house after being face surfed in right side phills. I am excited to surf all the waves that I have been avoiding because here, getting beat down is something fun, something to celebrate. And it surly gives you a better video to laugh at later. 

The coaches at this camp are truly amazing, they encourage failure in a way that I’ve never seen before, I am excited to get beat down in whatever wave they choose for the next beat down Thursday. They push us in a safe environment and make scary things fun. In these two weeks I have run more lines that are the scarier harder option, rather than the safer easier option, than I have in my entire life. And I did it, not because I had to but because it’s fun. In two weeks I have stopped looking at the river as an obstacle course with too many scary things to avoid, and started looking at it like a playground with so many fun things to do. With this new perspective, I am excited to run all my home rivers again, this time excited and ready to try anything rather than scared and waiting to flip. 

So thank you keeners, for pushing me just enough to try things I would have never tried, and learn things I would have never learned. Thank you for teaching me lessons on and off the river. And thank you for making me more excited about kayaking than I ever have been before. I cant wait to go home with my new knowledge and try things I was previously too scared to try, because scary things can be fun.

Third Week Of Keeners: By Wade Polk

In the world there are a lot of great waves to kayak on. There is one in particular that I know a lot of people can agree is one of the best or even the best in the world. This wave is Garbarator on the Ottawa river. Also known as garb, it is such a great wave for so many reasons. It is a very easy wave/rapid that you can portage or sneak down if you want to you can make it harder by punching it or taking the pipe line down. After running it, it is very easy to get into the eddie on the river left side. Once you catch the eddie you just have to paddle up it and most likely wait in a long line full of excited kayakers and then you can surf one of the best waves in the world. Me personally I struggle with catching garb but when I do I try to make the surf count. It is a great wave to do a lot of surfing tricks if you can like blunts, back blunts, panam, spins, shovit, round house, and many other tricks. With all of these things in mind you can see how so many people think this is one of the best surfing waves anywhere.

Approaching The End Of Keeners: By Philippe Laniel

It’s the final week of keeners and it will be sad to leave after so long in this place. Already two weeks have passed and two weekends but it feels like we just got here yesterday. We have had so much fun and funny moments on the river during the 10 days of kayaking with coaches and 4 weekends days. Not only on water but off water, we have had so many fun moments as well like playing mafia or spoons together or simply watching kayaking videos in the thunderdome. One way that I think keeners is different than other camps is the off water experience and fun that we have with so many new friends that we make over three weeks. This third week will bring fun experiences like a new river but in my opinion, doing the same thing again will never get old because we kayak with our friends. Heading into this last week I am reminding myself to take every moment to its fullest and enjoy every moment on water with the great coaches to learn but also with my friends to have fun. As much as it will be sad to leave and go back home to any other river than the Ottawa, it’s exciting to have made so many new friends that I look forward to paddling with in the future outside of keeners.

Why It's Important to Enjoy the River at Keeners: By Luis

Often times at keeners you find yourself in a surf. In that surf you do your best to land tricks. Sometimes it’s just not your day and nothing will land. This might leave you frustrated and will result in a snit. In the competitions at keeners snits take points form your overall freestyle score. The coaches here do this to foster a positive environment that gives paddlers a lesson to enjoy the river. I personally realized this a few days ago when I was surfing horseshoe. For me horseshoe isn’t an easy wave to excel in racking up lots of points. In this particular surf I couldn’t land anything and was beginning to become angry. Then I had an epiphany. I understood that this wave was better than anything I had at home. After that I was able to enjoy the wave for what it is and the tricks came naturally.

My Rankings of Dinners at Keeners: By Patrick Minnehan

Keeners eat 5 different dinners. At Wilderness Tours we eat chicken on a stick, bone chicken, and steak. On the weekends we eat pizza Friday and tacos Saturday. In the number 5 position I put bone chicken because I like it but it’s also the worst night for the salad bar at wilderness tours. In the number four position I put chicken on a stick due to the fact that there are no leftovers from chicken on a stick. This is also what sets apart number 2 and number 3. Number 3 being tacos and number 2 being pizza. Finally my favorite meal, the number 1 position, steak night at WT.

Why Chicken On The Bone Is The Most Underrated Meal At Keeners: By Geoffrey Stevens

During keeners, meals can be a conversation topic and a heated one at that. During keeners I have also heard blasphemous statements degrading to the name of bone chicken, saying that stick chicken is better. The first reason why bone chicken has been underrated is because of user error when selecting which cut of meat to eat. The obvious choice is of course leg/dark meat as the white meat is dry while the dark is tender and juicy. Secondly, the side of Mac and cheese is heavenly underrated because of a freak on off occurrence were the Mac and cheese was watery but this has been disproved to be the normal standard of the Mac and cheese as it was not watery last time it appeared in the meal rotation. Lastly the apple crumble that comes with the meal as a desert is heavily underrated because of its competition, lemon squares and s’mores but this is for unfair reasons because s’mores has only been had once and therefore has heavy Rosy retrospect bias (our tendency to recall the past more fondly than the present). This concludes my blog about why bone chicken is criminally underrated in the keener meal rotation. 

How To Get Rid of A Dent In Your Boat At Keeners: By Jonas Tiedje

 While you are at keeners you might try to do some plugs or some down river tricks and some spots are pretty shallow to the point that you might dent your boat like I did. If you happen to dent your boat you have a few options open to you depending on where the dent is and how big it is. One of the options is to get some boiling water and poor it on the dent to warm up the plastic. The other option is to leave your boat in the sun and wait for the boat to get warm enough so you can move the plastic. Once your boat is nice and warm you can use a paddle, a piece of wood, a broom or anything that you can use to reach the dent from inside. Once you reach the dent you push it back to normal and in the process making sure you don’t create more problems in your boat. Once you’ve done all these steps congratulations you now have a beautiful and fixed boat.

Whirlpools: By Colin Glackin

The whirl pools on the Ottawa are some of my favorite things. They are like no other place that I have ever been to. There’s so much fun to Swimmin. You can get sucked down really deep for a long time. It’s a surreal experience. They are also really fun with your friends going down and everyone popping up at different times. There’s definitely something to check out and go in. And if you’re here at any water level, they’re always there they just get bigger as the water goes up.

Getting Stitches: By Max

Going to the hospital in Canada was a different experience than in America. I had never been to the hospital without my parents and it made realize how little I know about my medical history and how much I rely on them. Clay and I had to wait in the waiting room for almost three hours and I felt very bad because he had to wait with me the whole time and I'm sure he had better things to do. The hospital was very full but the doctor there was nice and did my stitches first because they don't take as long. I had gotten stitches before and I remembered them hurting but this time the numbing shots they gave me worked very well. The hospital charged me before I left because I am not a Canadian citizen and they didn't take insurance so it was very expensive. I am very grateful for Clay for taking me to the hospital and waiting there with me.

How To Kill Flies at Keeners: By Sol Obregon

For some reason, all of a sudden there is a rapidly rising number of house flies around keenerville. Naturally, we have to find a way to deal with all of these pesky flies. Your first thought might be to set up some fly traps or simply get a fly swatter. This would be great, but I haven’t been able to find either of these things around keenerville. This made me have to come up with 2 nearly flawless fly killing strategies. Number 1 is the easiest and most reliable of the two strategies. It only requires a cloth towel or napkin. Whenever you spot a fly you need to take the towel or napkin and whip the fly. Most of the time, this will kill the fly instantly. The only downside is now you have to pick up the fly and throw it away. Number 2 is more of a waiting game, so if you aren’t patient just stick to number 1. The first step is to find a small plate or bowl. Once you are satisfied with the size of your dish, you need to add about three to four tablespoons of maple syrup to it. Now for the hard part. You have to find the perfect place to put your trap. It should be somewhere where there is a lot of flies, but also where people won’t really see it like on top of a fridge or in a corner or something. Good luck!

Blog # 2- Beau

As my time at keeners comes to an end, I have realized some important things that makes kayaking at keeners so much better than in Richmond. At home, I’m used to not having very much play spots and long runs on the river. I’m used to rarely having anyone be willing to go kayaking with me. At keeners, there is so many spots to stop and play for hours on end. Here, at keeners, some of these guys have become very good friends with me and I really enjoy going out kayaking with them which is something I don’t really get to at home because I don’t have many friends that kayak. Lastly, keeners is some of the best kayaking I have ever gotten to do throughout my life.

Why More Girls Need To Come To Keeners: By Leah Gard

  Well for one we don’t have enough girls to out rule the boys. For two we need more girls here to show the boys that girls are capable of doing anything that they can. The third reason is because all the girls at this camp are really nice and not going to think that you have to be perfect.

Why we don’t have enough girls here is because not a lot of people know about whitewater kayaking and think it really dangerous so they don’t get in to the sport. In reality it's the opposite. It's a lot of fun and full of a lot of really good people. This camp is all about making friends and learning new thing and we love it when you fall as well as succeed in learning new things. We would love to have more girls join because it would make it easier to beat the boys as well as making new girl friends to go paddle with. Why should we show the boys up well the reason for that is because there are more boys then girls and it would be nice to show the boys what girl power is. We want to to show the boys how kayaking is really done. Mostly we want to show them that we can have better beat downs and come bake stronger then ever as well as show them that they should not underestimate us. This camp is all about learning new things and improvement based on failure and success. The people at the camp and within the boating community are really nice and good people over all even the rafters or guides. They are super supportive and want to help you improve. Don’t be afraid to ask for help because 99% of the time the person will give you tips to help you get the trick or whatever you are working on getting. Over all it is is an amazing community and group of people even the guides that sometimes will run you over, at the end of the day they are just as supportive as the rest of us. More girls need to come to Keeners to show girl power and show the boys that we can do what ever they can. Also for the people that are here to make new friends and a meet an amazing group of people. Over all we need to show the boys up and have fun.

How To Hand Surf Phil's Hole: By Dan

Step 1: Pick which side you want to drop in on. I recommend left to start and then maybe right. Step 2: Hand paddle upstream of the hole. Try to go over one peak or the other of the marker wave to get a good setup for Phil’s. Step 3: Question your sanity. This doesn’t really need explaining. Step 4: Hit Phil’s. Preferably with as little downstream momentum as possible. Step 5: . Get trashed and tumbled. Step 6: Fall out of the hole. Preferably upside down. Step 7: Get pulled back in against all odds. Preferably still upside down. Step 8: Repeat step 5 through seven multiple times. Step 9: Wash out upside down. After violent tumbles. Step 10: Handroll up and go to the safety eddy. Maybe Clay will put this on instagram and you will get famous.

How SRT Ruined My Garb: By Philippe Laniel

One of the things that I love most in my kayak is to surf and there is not much for me that comes close to surfing garburator. At keeners, we surf garb sometimes but for me, I could surf it all day everyday. The more opportunities that I get to improve my surfing skills and have fun surfing one of the funnest waves around, the more my happiness scale goes up. 

This week, most of us are doing a great course that is very important known as SRT which is a course that teaches us to rescue people in whitewater. Even though this course is great and important, seeing the other people get to surf garb all day did make me a little sad. The fact that today I did not even put on my skirt was simply sad in my humble opinion.

I was watching my kayak as I was leaving for the bus and seeing it sitting in the shed without any new scratches from the seal launch made my heart break. In the future I hope to surf more garb and less SRT that takes away my garb time and airscrew potential. If I could change it I would have done my SRT course before keeners and grab this golden opportunity to surf more of garburator.

Why Kayaking At Keeners Is More Fun Than Anywhere Else: By Wade Polk

Kayaking is so much more fun at keeners than anywhere else. First of all if you’re kayaking at keeners then it is the summer and you don’t have to worry about school. You also get some separation from home so you don’t need to worry about what your friends are doing at home you can enjoy the time that you’re here. Another reason why keeners is so great here is that you get to make great friends. With those friends you make you get to kayak with them every day so you pretty much kayak with your best friends of the last 1-3 weeks everyday. At keeners you get to paddle with some of the best kayakers in the world and there coaches can teach you so much. Keeners is also obviously on the Ottawa river witch is one of the greatest rivers of all time compared to the rivers I get to paddle near me. So that is why I love paddling during keeners more than anywhere else.

How Keeners Has Helped Me Build A Better Sleep Schedule - Luis

Sleep is a very important thing as we need it to live. Doctors recommend kids my age to get 8-10 hours of sleep.

Due to the rules at keeners we are told to go to sleep around 10. With a savanna “GOOD MORNING CASINO” wake up time around 745 we get almost 10 hours of sleep. Now it’s is a little hard to fall asleep so we can adjust for 11. Even then we are still getting more than enough sleep. Waking up in the morning can feel like a bit of a task because of the calming sound of the river. 

Once you’re up for the day compounded with a good breakfast this is a perfect start to the day.

Is Wilderness First Aid Fun? By James Van Geilswyk

 Well is it? It can be but it’s only fun if your patient enough to sit through the talking. If your able to, you’ll be able to splint and mess around with friends. However you need to be able to be serious at the same time because you will fail if you do not listen.

The first day is extremely boring, it’s a lot of talking about sad things like death and fatal injuries. This is also the day that you will do CPR and I recommend you take notes. The second day is better. As I said, you can splint and do emergency situations. Personally I didn’t really have that much fun, but will you?

Why You Shouldn't Be Scared for Competition Day If You Can't Surf - By Saige Shulda

This is my first year at keeners and I have little to no surfing experience. I was scared for the competition day, convinced I would get zero points and very not excited for everyone to watch my video at the end of the day. But in the end, I had a lot of fun.

Firstly, the coaches give keener points. All you have to do to get a point is catch the wave, and celebrate even if you fail. Additionally, you will definitely have gotten better and more comfortable with surfing by the time Friday rolls around because of the amazing coaches. And finally, all the keeners are super nice. So when they watch the video of you surfing at the end of the day they are quick to give points for even the most questionable tricks. Friday was a lot of fun and I’m even looking forward to the next one!

Food is Currency At Keeners: By Megan Box

      At Keenerville real money does not matter. The real currency is food, and it doesn't matter which type. If a person wants to make the most of this they should first figure out the main food that everyone is eating. In my session, eggos are the main food that are in high demand so they can be used to trade for types of foods that your cabin wants. Your first trade can create a long lasting system that makes trust between you and other cabins. Make them trust you. 

Then, you need to request these items that are in high demand on your grocery list so that you can make more profit. More eggos equals more bacon. This is really what happens at the resort of Keenerville.

Week 2 Blog: By Sawyer Battles

 My blog is about why I am against writing blogs. My first reason is that blogs are a thing of the past. When is the last time you read a blog? Maybe 2015? My second reason why I don’t like blogs is because I am not a big fan of writing. I have never been a fan of writing mostly because of how it was taught in school. In school, they teach you that there is a correct and wrong way to write your piece. The whole point of writing is to be creative and I feel that takes away from it. Another reason I am against blogs, especially at keeners, is because we all came here to kayak, not write. That is why we have the school. While at keeners, the whole point is to spend time meeting new people and having fun, instead of staying in your cabin writing away to post on a website that hasn’t been looked at in years.

Poison Ivy: By Sol

 This is a guide on how to identify and avoid poison ivy. 

First of all, identifying it. Poison ivy is a short, shiny plant with three smooth wavy leaves. It usually can be found growing in open spaces in woods like around trees and along the edges of trails. Where there is one plant, there is most likely more so be careful if you think you see some.

 If you know these things and still end up getting poison ivy you should try to scrub off as much of the oil as you can with soap and water. After you do this, you should apply calamine lotion to the area where there was poison ivy.

 I hope this helped!

Week One Blog: By Leah Gard

 Mental health is something that people don’t talk about as much as it should be. Today I am going to talk about how Keeners has helped me cope with the loss of a friend. 

         Me and my family got in to rafting and kayaking in 2017, we fell in love with it. My mom loved to stay high and dry so she got to go on the big boat and my brother got me and my dad into the little kayaks. We would go out every now and then as a family. My brother wanted to go out every day, he loved it and he was good at it. He was self taught with everything and by the second year he had his loop. He got better and better but wen Covid hit in 2020 it was really hard on him because our mom would not let him do anything. Later in the year he passed away due to suicide. It was heartbreaking. After his death all I wanted to do was be on the water. The days that we were on the water it was hard because I lost my roll and swam a lot but the water is the only place I wanted to be. As the years went on I got my roll back and just improved over the year and getting up to being able to run class 4 to 5 rivers.

            This year I got the opportunity to go to Canada and join the Keeners program. On my way here I got a call from one of my friends telling me that one of my best friends was shot and killed. It was so hard to know I was going thousands of miles away from friends, family, and all the people I care about. I ended up going to the camp. I was up front with the coaches and counselors. I found a lot of support in the people that knew what had happened. It was a safe environment for me even though I wanted to go home.Talking to my family it was not possible to get home with flights. I pushed through the first couple days but I was off and was not doing my best. I did not want to do much but going out on the water with other kids at the camp made me feel a lot better. Later on on in the week all the other kids asked if I was doing ok because I seemed kinda sad so I told them what happened and I got a lot of support with in the other kids. They really helped me get back to where I know my skill level is at. I even landed my loop which was a big breakthrough for me. 

          Keeners was what I needed when I was going through a hard time because I know that the river is a good way to get away from all of it. Keeners was a friendly environment to get through the hard times. This is just a reminder that you should check on your friends to make sure they are ok because nobody should have to go through a loss like that.