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.  

How To Get The Triple Crown Beatdown - By Dan

 Step 1: Acquire a kayak. This can be achieved using money.

Step 2: Ignore the fact that you are about to get beaten in three holes within a minute of each other.

Step 3: Drop into sattlers. Bonus points for dropping in while making a claw.

Step 4: Get demolished in sattlers. Bonus points if you land a loop. 

Step 5: Wash out of sattlers. Best done dazed and confused.

Step 6: Regain composure. Roll up if required.

Step 7: Drop into left side Phil’s. Best done while making a claw.

Step 8: Surf over to right side Phil’s. Take care not to wash off of the tongue. 

Step 9: Take a beating in right side Phil’s. Preferably with many tumbles. 

Step ten: Wash out of the right side tongue. Walk back up and do it again.

Next week: How to hand surf Phil’s hole.

Beatdown Thursday: By Colin Godwin

I was counting down the days till beatdown Thursday and I could wait forever for it to come. I seriously thought about asking one of the coaches to see if I could sit out on it so I didn’t have to do it. The coaches told us that we had to swim the rapid first and I was nervous for that but I was more willing to do it. Once I went through my nerves were almost completely gone and I got in my boat and hit Phil’s and only flipped. I basically wasn’t scared at all anymore and was ready to go some more. I went two more times and on my last one I got a few good tumbles in Phil’s. I was ready to go even more after I saw nothing was wrong. After doing beatdown Thursday I saw there was nothing to be scared of and I was ready to do it next week. 

How To Get A Good Farmer’s Tan At Keeners: By Jonas Tiedje

 Your goal while being at keeners might be to have the best farmer’s tan in the whole valley and let me tell you it’s not easy but I’ll teach you. First of all you want to always be wearing a short sleeve top while on the water and it needs to be tight around the arms. Second step is to not apply sunscreen at all, it might be mildly painful for a few days but that sunburn will turn into a nice and crisp tan line. Third step is to apply a lot of aloe Vera on that sun burn, for obvious reason’s. Fourth step is to make sure you repeat that process on every day that is sunny so you can keep it nice and crispy. Once you’ve done all those step for the whole session you might have a farmers tan just as good as mine. Just keep in mind that you have to be careful to not tan any other part of your torso if you want to keep it nice and defined. 

How To Make The Perfect Breakfast Sandwich At Keeners: By Luis

 It is a fact that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. This is especially true at keeners. At keeners we spend most of the day kayaking so it’s essential that we have fuel to get us through the day. Lately my cabin White House we have been cooking breakfast sandwiches. Based on many food reviews I have been told that they taste great. These sandwiches appear to have egg, bacon and your choice of bread. How do we make them? 

Step one: break eggs into bowl (2 per person) 

Step two: add salt pepper and milk Into bowl. Mix all together 

Step three: cook bacon (one per person)

Step four: take your bread (bagel, English muffin or sliced bread) and toast it. After toasted wrap in paper and keep warm in the oven. 

Step five: scramble eggs in a pan. 

Step six: assemble all together. 

Now you have your perfect sandwich to start your day at keeners. 

Ottawa River Shocks Coming From Colorado: By Saige Shulda

 Many keeners at this camp come from Colorado, including me. The Ottawa river is very different from any river near me, and in this blog I will explain why. 

1. The water is WARM. I am used to kayaking in my dry suit with base layers (for skiing) underneath and still being cold. Here, I can kayak in a t-shirt and shorts and be warm. The river here is warmer than lakes near my house. 

2. The water is deep. Many rivers near my house are much shallower than the section of river we are kayaking here. I have scratch marks on my helmet from hitting many rocks on the bottom of rivers, especially in play waves. 

3. You have to paddle between rapids. Never in my life have I actually had to paddle between rapids like I have to on the Ottawa. It almost feels like lakes of still water in between the rapids.  

These are all of the points that I can think of at this moment, although I will probably think of more later. So far I love the Ottawa river, and I hope I can come back! 

Burned Eggos - By Aidan

 This is how I learned how not to cook eggos. 

One quiet morning in Robertsons while a large amount of eggos were cooking and the toaster was full I decided to use a pan. In this pan I placed an ego it cooked wonderfully and then a second. When I cooked the third I forgot to oil the pan and it burned and stuck to the pan, and when it burned it smoked and smoked a lot. All this smoke annoyed the members of Robertson. This received backlash but I blame the lack of ventilation and the fact that I was not the only one cooking. I cooked one more and it was also great. In conclusion the pan was not the correct choice for cooking eggos. To this day there is still ego burned to that pan. 

First Week Of Keeners - Colin Glackin

When I arrived at keeners I was excited for new water levels. I saw that it was lower but that meant nothing to me. When I got here I was shocked the water was low. The seal launch was almost 20 feet longer. We started paddling the river banks looked the same but the river changed a lot the features that I knew were there, were gone either rocks or blended into the banks. New waves and holes had appeared replacing others or where flat water used to be. I liked it but was also sad that some features were gone. I am glad now with the new waves making the same river different it was exciting I am stoked to get on these fractures more and get some new tricks and try new lines that did not exist last session. 

Beatdown Thursday: By Philippe Laniel

 Going to keeners for the first time has you looking forward to a lot of things like kayaking everyday and surfing waves but the most exciting for me had to be beatdown Thursday. Going into the right side of Phils and getting a massive beatdown is something that I have seen many times but never done and on Thursday I thought it would be my time. I have gone close to Phils many times before but never had the right amount of peer pressure to get into the worse part of it. I was in the intention of going into left side Phils at first to then ease myself into going in right side Phils. I followed my plan at first and went into left side Phils but I was surprised as I went straight through as the hole gave my boat no resistance. After seeing how little of a beatdown I got in the left side, I was now ready to go to the right and again, not a lot of resistance was given by even the biggest side of the hole. I went and tried to get a proper beatdown many times after and got some tumbles but did not quite manage to get a proper beatdown this Thursday. My experience of beatdown Thursday was so much less scary than I expected it to be and it now is most definitely my favorite day of the week and for future first time keeners, it is not as bad as you may think.

First 4 Days Of Keeners: By James Van Geilswyk

As a first year keener, it can be an extremely stressful few first days. In this blog I will explain the average first week of keeners. 

Sunday is the drop off day, and the evening is mostly orientation. Now it can be a fun finding out who you will be bunking with. For the most part this day is very calm compared to the next.

Monday is warm up and more orientation. You’ll be running the river, which is fun. Being in session 2 we ran the main at -0.30 on the gauge.

Tuesday will be more fun than Monday. At this point your kitchen should have run out of eggos, I know mine did. Because of this you will resort to eggs and bread. The river run is faster and you will have more time to surf and have Stephens least favourite activity, mandatory fun time. 

Wednesday is mostly the same as Tuesday except for the amazing races. The relay on McCoy’s is the best of the 3 we did however that number is subject to change.

Thursday is the BEST. Big water beatdown is the best day of them all. You shall have fortune of surfing left and right side Phil’s if you dare. Afterwards you’ll do the get out in hard places game. If you fail you’ll have a good swim. 

This was my blog about the first week of keeners. If you go, have fun.

My First Bigwater Beatdown Thursday: By Wade Polk

Every Thursday at keeners is “Big Water Beat Down day”. Thursday was my first experience of it. We woke up that morning and it was pouring rain and I was very nervous. When we had our morning meeting and we decided to wait until the afternoon to go to Phil’s and get beat down which just added to the suspension. So after we ran the river once and got lunch we headed back to Keenerville to paddle up to Phil’s hole. Once we got there we first swam down the rapid to get a feel for what was about to happen. After we swam we walked back up to the top and got ready to go down. My first two attempts I went down the left (easier) side and I got flushed out of the hole pretty fast and not much happened. I walked back up to the top and decided to go down the right side and I got worked. I panicked a little bit but once I flushed out and rolled I was so relieved. After being nervous for months after I signed up for keeners till last Thursday I was terrified for beat down Thursday but now I just can’t wait for the next Thursday. 

Settling In: By Beau Hurst

        I arrived to keeners at almost 10pm on the first day because of a flight delay. As anyone else would, I worried that some people would have already been close friends because they had a full day together. I walked into White House not knowing what I would expect. As I sat there with my fellow cabin mates and went to bed, I started to rethink my decision of coming to keeners. I thought that I would not become friends with some of these people and I would have a terrible time. As I woke up the next day I was still feeling bad about my decision. Some people were already becoming friends and I felt like a loner. Over a few days I started to feel more comfortable around everyone and it seemed  like everyone began to like me and think I was funny. Today, I feel like some of these guys are my best friends and it is only the 4th day. 

Being Healthier At Keeners: By Patrick Minnehan

 Since I’ve arrived at Keeners I’ve made two major changes to be healthier. The first is I started talking cold showers. I’ve really enjoyed this because not only do I take shorter showers I also find myself refreshed, more awake, and relaxed after the showers. This was really hard at first but is becoming easier by the shower. The second change I’ve made is I’ve only eaten one sugary item a day. So far I have stayed away from the cookies at lunch and the syrup and Nutella at breakfast. Due to this I’ve been getting better sleep and performing on the water at a higher level. I recommend all keeners to try these changes for themselves because of the results I’ve gotten.

Indigenous People and the Ottawa River Watershed - By Ash

 If you’re a play boater, the Ottawa River during spring run off is the go to location. Massive waves go in and out of prime levels. Stakeout, Cheese Wave, Molly. For kayakers, these waves are a joy to paddle, for the indigenous people here, these waves and rapids have very different origin stories. 

The Algonquin’s believe that the many rapids we paddle today were created by a giant beaver, the Manitou Amik, who dammed the river as it escaped from the trickster, Wiskedjak.

For the indigenous peoples here, the Algonquin, the Ottawa river was much like a highway. Using birchbark canoes, they’d travel its many miles hunting, gathering, and fishing. Living semi-nomadically, they’d build wigwams which are easy to deconstruct, transport, and reassemble at a new location. 

By the 1600’s, the French had arrived in search of beavers for fur trade. Traders continued to move northward as beavers became scarce in the southern regions. In this, the French continued to push into Algonquin lands. At first, the Algonquin and French were friendly. Many French also attempted to recruit Algonquin peoples to defend trade networks, requiring them to convert to Christianity in the process. However, the Mohawk, who sought to control the fur trade, began heavy raids on the Algonquin, slaughtering many in the process. Disease brought by European’s also spread across the Algonquin, causing populations to drop significantly. 

In the 1660’s France managed to send more troops which allowed the Algonquin to reclaim some of their territories. The Algonquin’s remained allies with the French until British Colonization in the 1750’s and 60’s, when they agreed to neutrality between the two European parties. However, the British broke these agreements, selling Algonquin land without consent or consulting in the 1780’s. The Algonquin’s however, continued to fight by the British’s side in hopes that continuing to support the British would stop the selling of their territories. This proved untrue and in 1822 a majority of the remaining Algonquin territory was sold. 

Horrors against the Algonquin people only continued with the introduction on Indian Residential Schools which forced indigenous children into European assimilation. These schools which ran from the late 1800’s up to as recently as 1997 abused many indigenous children and leave an indelible mark on First Nations communities. 

Today the 10 Algonquin communities along the Ottawa river are negotiating for one of the largest land claims in Canada, covering around 36,000 square kilometers. While an agreement hasn’t been made, this negotiation may prove a big step in returning lands and rights in indigenous peoples, specifically along the Ottawa river. 

So the next time you find yourself paddling the Ottawa River take a moment to consider all that came before you and all that is yet to come. What you can do to be a steward for the land and all peoples who use or rely on the river?

Citations: 

Algonquin History in the Ottawa River Watershed. (n.d.). Ottawariver.org. https://ottawariver.org/pdf/05-ch2-3.pdf 

Government of Canada; Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada. (2023, March 1). Algonquins of Ontario land claim negotiations. https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1355436558998/1539789262384 

Ottawa River. (n.d.). The Canadian Encyclopedia. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/ottawa-river 

Rice, K. (2022). Residential Schools and their Lasting Impacts — The Indigenous Foundation. The Indigenous Foundation. https://www.theindigenousfoundation.org/articles/residential-schools-their-lasting-impacts 

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (1998, July 20). Ottawa River | Facts & History. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Ottawa-River

Wikipedia contributors. (2023). Canadian Indian residential school system. Wikipedia. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Indian_residential_school_system

My Centre Slot Beatdown: By Brenden

 This is how i got beat down in centre slot. I attempted the ferry and did not paddle hard enough therefore getting trashed in the hole.  My helmet got ripped off my head and i freaked out because it had been hitting rocks so i was sure my head was about to hit a rock without a helmet. After window shading about five times i pulled my skirt and could not get out. I eventually got out but then found out the hole did not let me go. I kept getting pulled down and turns out i can’t breath underwater so that was like really stressful. I eventually got let go and Luke pulled me up from my pfd and blew a whistle. Luke pulled my up on a rock and I loosened my pfd. 10/10 don’t recommend. 

First Week As a Returning Keener: By Blake Booth

 I am from Colorado, where I live there are not many big waves. Though here on the Ottawa there are dozens of amazing waves. My keener experience is so different than what I am used to in Colorado. Even though it is different it is so much fun and I love learning all the new tricks. Last year I was here I learned tricks like back deck rolls and stern stalls. But his year I want to learn donkey flips kick flips and bow stalls. Even though I will not be able to do a lot of these things. I will go back to my house and it will still be the same River. I will still have all those skills that I learned during keeners.

How To Make The Best Breakfast: By Megan Box

Step one: Cook it at night

Step two: Put it in the fridge either on the plate or in a bag if you're feeling fancy.

Step three: Go to sleep.

Step four: Wake up

Step five: Go to the fridge again.

Step six: Take out the breakfast (preferably bacon)

Step seven: Put it on a separate plate.

Step eight: Eat your perfect delicious breakfast. 

Step nine: Eat more.

Step ten: Think about your perfect breakfast more. 

10 Things To Make Your Experience At Keeners Better: By Sawyer Battles

 

1. Make sure that you get enough sleep to ensure that you have energy throughout the day.
2. Drink lots of water, staying hydrated is important while being on the water all day, especially when it’s hot outside.
3. Try new things everyday. Keeners is the best place to learn and try new things in a safe and enjoyable environment.
4. Get along with all the other Keeners. When everybody gets along, it makes for a much more enjoyable and positive time for everyone both on and off the river.
5. Stay positive, even if you are having a bad day. If you are an unhappy baby all day you will effect other people’s times and they will not want to be around you.
6. Make sure you eat a good breakfast. If you don’t eat a good breakfast then you won’t have enough energy to paddle at your full potential all morning.
7. Help other Keeners with certain skills and moves. If someone is having a hard time learning a new trick or line, help them out and encourage them to get it.
8. Push your limits on the river. The Ottawa is a very safe river and you should always be trying new tricks and lines, even if they are big and scary.
9. Socialize with the group. Keeners goes by way faster than you would expect and if you spend the whole time on your phone or being by yourself you will regret not getting to know everyone.
10. Savor the stick chicken nights. Stick chicken is better than bone chicken.

How To Deal With Heat: By Connor Clemens

 The past few weeks have been especially hot at keeners and I have put together a guide on keeping cool. First, a fan is a must for your room if you don’t want to wake up in a pool of sweat. Also, stay hydrated it’s essential on and off the river to drink water. Third, dress for the weather. I’ve been stuck with just a hoodie to go to WT and it’s been awful. Also keep in mind that the temperature isn’t always right. Here by the river it’s pretty humid and it can feel a whole lot hotter than it’s supposed to be. In conclusion Drink water, Dress for the heat, Get a fan, and accept that it still won’t be enough. That is how you beat the heat at keeners.

Bugs: By Owen Zinsmeister

 The bugs in Canada are really bad. There’s so many of them. There are flies, nats horsefly’s, bees etc. Just about every bug there could be is trying to attack you. There is no bug spray at camp and even if there was you would still probably get bitten. You will probably have to kill at least 30 bugs a day and it isn’t fun when you’re trying to sleep and bugs are flying around your face. There is also no place you can hide you can go underwater and hope but they will be waiting for you at the surface. Just know there is no way you can escape the bugs.

How To Deal With Temperature At Keenerville: By Tiller Johnson

 The high today on the water was almost ninety degrees Fahrenheit  Last week the temperature was in the fifty’s. With all these changes in the weather, you need to do certain things  to not freeze and to not overheat. On the cold days, to stay warm it helps to wear a dry top with layers underneath to keep you warm on the water. Make sure to wear synthetic socks or neoprene socks to keep your toes warm. When you get off the water, a hoodie should be plenty to keep you warm. For the hot days, a rash guard and lots of sunscreen is needed. You might be jumping into the water more to cool off. When you get back to the cabins they will be burning hot. To keep your room cold, you need to prop up a fan in the window to blow in fresh air. With these tips, hopefully you can be comfortable on the water. 

The Final Straw: By Nolan Adcock

 Writing blogs has always been my “passion”, my creative outlet, and a way to share my thoughts with the world. But lately, this seemingly harmless activity has taken a toll on me. It's slowly withering me away, draining my energy and vitality. The countless hours spent typing away at the keyboard have led to repetitive strain injuries, making multiple fingers numb and immobile. The pain is unbearable, yet the deadline that Savanah has imprudently set looms over me, a constant reminder of my impending doom.

As I sit here, contemplating my fate, I can't help but worry that I don't have much time left. The words blur on the screen as my vision fades, and the letters dance before my eyes, taunting me. It feels as if the act of writing is consuming my very essence, devouring my life force. I want to finish this blog, to convey something important, but the weight of my condition continues to get worse, and I know that I have mear minutes left.

In the end, all I can do is hope that someone finds this unfinished piece, that someone understands the importance of my words. The world needs to know...

How To Practice Holding Your Breath: By Matteo Ouellette

 Holding your breath while kayaking is crucial for safety and performance. It allows you to stay calm and focused in case you flip over on a heavy wave. To practice holding your breath, you can start with simple exercises such as inhaling for a few seconds, holding your breath for a few more, and then exhaling slowly. You can also try swimming underwater for short periods and gradually increasing the time. Remember to never push yourself too hard and to always have a buddy nearby in case of an emergency. With practice, holding your breath will become second nature, and you'll be able to enjoy kayaking with confidence and ease.

How To Get Out Of A Scary Hole: By Landon Shulz

 So you may get into some holes in your whitewater career and getting out of them and staying calm is very essential to be successful at kayaking. So one day you will be paddling down the river and be super confident on any rapid and then you will go down the rapid you’ve been down a thousand times and get stuck in the hole you’ve never been in. Then you will flip, roll up and be in a side surf. Then you are going to assess the situation, look at the shoulders of the hole and where the backwashes are. You wanna keep that edge up so you don’t window shade and hit your head. You will then see the shoulder, paddle very hard to get to it and bounce a bit, then you will maybe get there and flush which is the best case scenario. Worst case you window shade then hopefully flush once your upside down but most case you will swim then you will go deep and then pop up. That is how to escape a scary hole.

Why Sleep Is Important: By Owen

 Sleep is important for many reasons. The main reason is you don’t feel good without it. Without sleep you can be grumpy, feel like you have no energy, and feel bad. Your body can’t function the same bringing your whole day down. To make sure you get enough sleep you can go to bed when your body feels tired and no later. You can also have a consistent sleep schedule. This will help because sometimes you may get enough sleep but you're off your sleep schedule so you could still be tired. Ideally you want at least 8 hours but if you’re doing super active things upwards of ten hours could be necessary! These are the reasons to get lots of sleep and how to feel great!

I'm Glad My Phone Broke: By Connor Clemens

 Through a series of unfortunate events, that occurred on the first beatdown Thursday, my phone ended up breaking. At first we tried to dry it out in rice. Then, after a few days I realized that it was gone. While I miss listening to music and talking to my friends at home, I’m glad that it broke. I’ve been able to teach myself how to edit pictures, and I’ve been doing more photography. Also because I haven’t been scrolling through social media I’ve gotten to read the book my uncle gave me, and I’m really enjoying it. While it has been annoying not being able to listen to my own music. Same with talking to people back home. It's given me the opportunity to explore hobbies that I might have put off doing in order to be on my phone. So, all in all i’m glad my phone broke.

Why Keeners?: By Matteo Ouellette

 First of all, at Kenners, we practice every aspect of kayaking, no matter how big or small. In just the first week, I learned how to double pump, squirt, and how to stay calm in big features. All the Keener coaches are passionate about helping Keeners develop their skills and become better riders overall.

Secondly, Keeners can teach you important skills whether you're on or off the river. We took the first aid course, which is very important skill to have, or the swift water rescue course which personally I think every paddler should have. All the courses are made interesting by some of the best coaches.

Lastly, social skills. Knowing how to communicate with people is a valuable skill to have. At Keeners, we do speeches every Monday, write a blog every week, team work and much more.

I appreciate the way that Keeners helps us develop not only as kayakers but also as better people ;)

Corner Wave: By Tiller Johnson

 Corner wave is a perfect practice wave right below McCoy’s rapid. It’s a smooth glassy wave where lots of tricks can be landed. The wave is diagonal and constantly wants to push you off on surfers right, so it is key that you keep your bow pointed upstream and surfers left. Before you start trying tricks on corner wave, you should take a couple of surfs to warm up and figure out the wave. Once you know how to surf on the wave, tricks will come easier. My favourite trick on corner wave is a left spin. Spinning to the left prevents you from coming off and you are less likely to flush to the right. Right now I am working on a blunt. To blunt you need to get to the top of the wave, lean forwards to come back in, and on the first bounce you land and edge hard on your left edge, bounce, and switch to your other edge. Hopefully it looks like a blunt, and if you’re getting there it will look like a roundhouse. Some tips for the blunt are to keep your head and chin up stream while you rotate. It’s also important that when you rotate you put your paddle in vertical in the hip. Hopefully this helps you on your journey to landing a blunt. Whether you are trying a left spin all the way to trying an airscrew, corner wave is the perfect practice wave.