Canada Cup by Max Culbreth

It was the morning of the Canada Cup and I woke up with excitement and anticipation for the afternoon. I couldn't wait to show off the new things I had learned in the prior weeks of Keeners and hopefully place well. It was my first freestyle kayaking competition and I had no idea what to expect or how I would handle the pressure. When we got to the event I was feeling confident and even more excited but I knew it was possible that I wouldn't do well so I also mentally prepared myself for a loss. I planned to throw a pan-am in the preliminary round, followed by blunts both ways. These were tricks that I was fairly confident in but garb was very flushy so none of the pan-ams were going. I kept throwing them and they would go big but immediately flush. This meant by the end of my four rides I had zero points. I knew that this was a very real possibility before the competition but I was still very disappointed knowing I could've done so many other tricks. I wasn't able to surf garb for the rest of the day but I still had lots of fun cheering and watching my friends make it to finals and do well. In the end it was a great learning experience and I am very glad I entered.

Pieces of Advice for the Next Keeners by Tilly Knight

Outfit your boat so that you can fit good water shoes while sitting in it. Bring not just a shorty, but also a drytop in case of unexpected cloudy or rainy weather. Bring a journal to record what you did each day at Keeners. Set an alarm for each morning at 7:45 in case your Keener mom arrives late or forgets to wake you up. Wear longer pants or shorts while kayaking to prevent your knees from running too much in the boat. Don’t forget to ask for veggies and fruits on your grocery order list. Make banana bread and cookies! If you forgot to bring insect repellant or insect itch relief cream, buy it at Safeway when you go. Do full body tick checks each night before going to bed in case some are hiding. When it gets hot take a cold shower before going to bed and/or wet a towel with cold water and lay it over yourself. Stretch before and after you go kayaking to stay less tight. After a full day of spending time in the Ottawa river scrub your feet with soap and water, dry them off, put Tinactin powder on them and then socks overtop to prevent nasty foot rot. Treat any wound, small or big, unless you want an infection. On the weekends take one day to fully rest (not kayak). But maybe go swimming instead. Do your laundry in the middle of the week instead of on the weekends, because that’s when everyone does theirs. Take advantage of all the flat water! Try to learn as much as you can from the coaches. Ask them questions! Sauce up your chicken. Remember to re-apply sunscreen! Have fun, because it goes by quick!

Keenerpult by Isaac Sinton-Remes

On the way back from the Gatineau, Stephen tasked me with the project of making the Keenerpult a catapult that could launch the average keener halfway to Corner wave. After careful consideration despite Keenerpult sounding much better than Keenerchet, a trebuchet is a much more effective design for launching keeners (and other object I guess). This blog is the initial calculator to determine the viability of such a device and weight of the counterweight needed. Using Google Earth I measured the distance from Keenerville to Corner wave at about 1400 feet. So, the Keenerpult needs to launch the average Keener, which I estimate as 150 pounds, 700 feet. For the purposes of making the math easier during operation of the Keenerpult the atmosphere will be removed so that air resistance can be ignored. The max distance that a trebuchet can launch something is 2 times the mass of the counterweight divided by the mass of the projectile times the height of the trebuchet. If we use a 12 foot tall trebuchet the mass of the counterweight needed is 4375 pounds. Unfortunately this seems to not be particularly viable as it would require seven full Rockstar Vs filled completely with water and the pivot would likely not be able to support that weight. In conclusion, the Keenerpult as currently imagined will likely never exist.

I'm too Cool for Holes on the River by Tyce Aldrich

As the keener three session comes to an end I have come to the very real and realistic conclusion I am simply too cool and good at kayaking to get stuck or recirced in a river hole. No matter how many times I went into Phils hole which is known to give people some solid beat downs it would chew me for a second then spit me out because it couldn't handle my awesomeness. Phil’s is located at McCoys which is a three to five minute paddle from Keenerville. From its right to left side it's about the size of a small school bus and yet it still wouldn't hold me. Next I tried to go to the Gatnau River in Canada to try my luck at the notorious Lucifers hole. That's where I found out even the devil fears how good at kayaking I am, I proceeded to try not once not twice but 4 times to get crunched but to no avail. My cherrie on top is when I was trying center slot and doing the ferry of destruction I totally bombed it and was heading right for center slot but, yup, you guessed it I skipped right out of it. That brings me to my conclusion that I'm simply too cool for the holes on the river. I guess my only choice left is Log Trap 🙂.

Tuesday by Will Rainey

Today I’m going to tell you about my Tuesday. I started the day with a good morning from Becca and then got dressed and headed outside to the field for the morning activity. We played a fun game where we paired up and one person put on a blindfold while there partner guided them to a tree. The blindfolded person had to feel the tree, get to know it, and then be led back to the starting point by a different route. Once the blindfold came off they had to try and find there tree again. After the activity we had breakfast. I ate four eggs, a kiwi, and two slices of toast. The eggs were sunny side up with crispy bottoms and perfectly runny yolks which made the meal delicious. After that we had a meeting in the Thunderdome to go over the plan for the day. Then we hit the water, did a warm up, and headed to McCoy’s Rapid where we ran the thread the needle line backwards which was a blast. After that we surfed for a while and the did some flatwater practice where I landed my first flatwater loop. Next we stopped for lunch and then worked on rescuing each other out of a hole. It was cold but fun. After that I went to surf Push Button where I learned how to do a space godzilla and an entry move. Then I we arrived at chopping block where I finally made the ferry of destiny. Below that I threw some macho moves which were super fun. Then it was on to Colosseum where I got a tomahawk that I was really happy about. We wrapped things up at Black’s where I threw some big loops. After an awesome day on the river we got back and made cookies. At first we thought they were a disaster. They looked like one giant blob, the edges were burnt, and we were not sure they would be edible. But they turned out great! They came out gooey and delicious. After baking we sat down to eat burritos which were also fantastic. Then we finished the night by trying the cookies which everyone ended up loving. And that brings me to right now where I’m writing this blog. Thanks!

The Canada Cup Catastrophe by Lucas Shutz

The Canada cup went TERRIBLE for me this year. I didn’t compete in it last year when I had the chance and regretted it so much. I was a little nervous for it until I was there. My practice rides were going great. For me at least. Getting consistent 100+ point rides with blunts and roundhouses. The nerves were gone. I was in the perfect position to make it to finals or maybe even place. I was first heat and ready to throw down. I didn’t throw down at all. First ride, they announce my name and my bib number 9. I took a deep breath and started paddling out. I missed the wave…. All of the keeners were joking about it and now I’m living that nightmare. No I’m not I thought it was just one ride. We get 4 total and they only count our best 2 rides. I could flush again and still be totally fine. Well, I did flush again. Some feelings were coming out that I wasn’t proud of. Some sadness and mostly embarrassment. I felt like everyone was looking down at me. They weren’t and no one was there to win they were just there to have fun and support each other. I was so embarrassed I wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out. Third ride I get the thumbs up from David silk and I pierce through the Eddie line like I was on a mission. I was. And that mission was flushing for a third time. AHHHHH. This is unbelievable I told my self and screamed out under water as I flipped on the Eddy line. Wow if there was one moment of that entire competition that I wouldn’t want to relive it was that. I scream at one of my friends “WHAT IS HAPPENING” they go “I don’t know man” great. This is just great. Okay whatever now I have to catch it this time or I get a BIG FAT ZERO. But as I would learn no one gives a crap about who scores what. This event isn’t designed to headbutt against each other, its designed to have fun. I was not having fun in that moment. But at the end of the day at least I showed up and at least I got points. Anyways back to my 4th and final ride. I wanted to catch this wave more then I’ve ever wanted in my life. I peel out and……. YESSS I’m on it. Now time to show everyone what I can really do. I go to cycle and can’t get up the pile. Whatever I have 45 seconds I’ll be fine. I got for a roundhouse and land it but I flush. NOOOO. This sucks. I flushed so many times to the point where everyone was cheering when I caught the wave. I wanted to roll and never come back up. My face turned red and I wanted to cry. This is the nightmare everyone was joking about. And I was living in it. But as I learned, no one cares how well I did. No one cares that I got 15 points and didn’t make it to semis. No one cares…

How the Canada Cup Competition Helped Me be a Better Paddler by Jackson Lillie

This past Sunday we had the Canada cup freestyle competition and it was humbling to say the least the competition consisted of The preliminary round and the final round in the preliminary round you only need around 25 points or more to pass, but unfortunately, we had two people get zero points. One person get 25 and another dropout Because of an injury I and in the preliminary rounds, you would have four rides and two of them count we were going to do a semifinal round, but to save time they decided to skip to the finals after the preliminary and we ended up doing a 10 person finals which is three rides and one counts my first ride. I flushed off the wave and that was the same for my next two and I ended up with zero points in the finals which isn’t bad because I went into the competition with not extremely high expectations for myself, even though I didn’t get any points in the finals. but I still had a ton of fun and I would totally do it again. It really shows that even though you can have 1 million great practice laps it won’t always translate into competition.

Canada Cup by Jack Flemming

Last weekend, I got the amazing opportunity to compete in the Canada Cup, a whitewater kayaking freestyle competition at the Lorne on Garborator wave. The freestyle competition took place on Sunday, and there was a downriver race on Saturday. I slightly regret not participating in the downriver race because I enjoy challenges. I did not do the downriver race for a couple of reasons. First of all, I did not have a racing boat. John brought an RPM, which I thought about using, but decided against. Second, I was really tired on Friday from a week of SRT and other activities. Finally, and most importantly, none of the other Keeners wanted to do it. If the opportunity to race downriver arises again, I will most definitely take it. As for the freestyle competition, I am so glad I stepped outside of my comfort zone and participated! When Becca asked who wanted to compete, I was on the fence. I figured I might enjoy another day of rest and just spectating, but after some persuasion and peer-pressure from my friends, I decided to do it. When we got there, I realized that this competition was not life or death. During practice and preliminaries, I had a lot of fun trying tricks and cheering on the other Keeners. While I was nervous before my runs, especially my final ones, it was a good kind of fear that I believe is crucial in becoming a better kayaker. Overall, the Canada Cup was a highlight of my Keeners experience and has encouraged me to improve my freestyle skills and maybe try some more competitions in the future.

How Two Weeks at Keeners Got Me Better at Kayaking by Jackson Lillie

Apart from paddling about six hours other keeners have helped me progress because we are constantly pushing ourselves to be better and the coaches are always helping us it also is good that on Friday’s we are pretty much only surfing and reviewing our surfs and on Thursdays we are purposely dropping into holes to make it so when we accidentally go into a large hole we are less scared. We are also always getting tips on skills and tricks we are learning. And on Wednesday it’s race days which help me and others get more comfortable going fast through rapids. And on mondays and tuesdays we are working on skills but this week we did our swift water rescue course.

How to Get on your Bow by Tyce Aldrich

The First step to learning to balance on the bow of your boat is how to sit. The correct way to sit is to sit up straight, not too far forward or too far back. Over doing one or the other will completely throw you off balance. The next step is making sure you know how to double pump. You learn to double pump by getting as far onto one edge as you can without falling over and then start to rock back and forth separating your upper and lower body as you get better. After you get good at double pumping you're now going to learn to twist your body up and plant your paddle. You do this first by sitting in your boat and just twisting your upper body side to side. Once you're comfortable with it, try pushing your paddle down into the water. After that you're ready to try putting all the steps together. Do one double pump lifting your bow and feet towards the sky then snap down your paddle well twisting your body. After that shove your feet down and unwind yourself pushing the paddle even further down. Then boom you've gotten on your bow!!!!! Congrats now you have to learn to balance because right now you'll be falling on your face a lot.

Pan-Ams/Injuring my Knee by Max Culbreth

Learning blunts was a long somewhat treacherous process with many trials and errors. During my time surfing Garb I practiced my blunts very intently without focusing on any other tricks. As my blunts got bigger and bigger with more air, I began to realize that pan-ams may be within reach. Tyler had told me that my blunts were starting to look like pan-ams which is when I realized how a few more degrees of verticality could land me a little pan-am. After trying many times I couldn't quite get my stern over 180 degrees. Tyler gave me a great tip which was to keep my head looking upstream as long as possible before fully turning my body to set the boat down. This helped me get a snappier rotation with more degrees rotated than before. Shortly after implementing what I had learned I started to land pan-ams. A few days later after really honing my skills I threw my biggest pan-am with the most air I've ever gotten on Garb. When I landed I had to much momentum I hit the rock under Garb which hurt really bad and I ended up injuring my knee. I was still so stoked and the injury healed up in a few days with minimal pain.

How Stephen Ruined Kayaking by Isaac Sinton-Remes

It started innocently enough, I was surfing a pushbutton and Stephen asked if I wanted to try his carbon boat. I assumed this was simply a kind offer and didn’t see the malicious intent behind the offer. I excitedly got out of my boat and hopped into Stephen’s kayak. After paddling out to where it was deep enough to double pump I got up onto my bow and was surprised with how easily the bow went under. I then did a flatwater loop and was surprised at how easily it went around. After trying a few more things in flatwater and being continually surprised by how little effort it took. I then went to surf Pushbutton and when I plugged for a loop it seemed to come around almost automatically. I did a couple more surfs and was continually surprised by how much easier everything was to do. Eventually we had to head down and when I got back into my plastic boat I realized the malice of Stephen offering to let me try his carbon boat. The plastic boat suddenly felt much more sluggish and I needed to put much more effort into everything in flatwater. I realized that what I thought had been a kind offer was actually incredibly malicious. However, I have yet to figure out what Stephen's motive was.

Rafting on Babyface is So Much Fun by Saul Glick

At keeners, we live right next to McCoy’s. This gives us a lot of freedom on the weekends to be able to go out and have a surfing session on either Baby Face or Corner Wave, or you could just go swim around in the current and bay. However, I think that your best option is to take a raft out and try to surf Baby Face in the raft. Me and a friend Will recently went out for a little surf session and had a blast just figuring out how to catch a wave like Baby Face in a half deflated raft. We also got to go out during sunset which was such a pretty view over McCoy’s and just added to the whole experience of surfing Baby Face in these fun little rafts. To finish, I feel like being a keener is such a privilege because of all the amazing stuff you get to do both with the coaches and with friends and you make memories that will last a lifetime. Surfing on Baby Face with my friends in rafts was definitely a highlight from keeners.

Learning by John Wagner

I’ll admit the first week felt like I was years of skill behind everyone else but I think I have been making progress and growing in confidence. I have made it my goal to get my kick flip by the end of next week. This would be a great skill to have because it fits my home river perfectly. The Kennebec is a river made up of large wave trains following each other so being able to kickflip off of those waves could make it so much more fun. Today was the first time I tried it and to be honest it was a lot more successful than I thought… but I still landed on my face. I hope I have time to work on it next week. Other than that I also want to work on my bow stall but I think the kickflip will prove more useful and I can already do a stern stall. I thought I needed my backdeck too but only because it is needed for a kickflip and I think I can try to get it without the backdeck and even landing on my face is kind of fun. No matter what, I have already learned a lot and plan to continue learning stuff.

Chicken by Lucas Shutz

Wilderness tours food is apart of the fun they say. It’s not fun to say the least. Chicken chicken and more gosh darn chicken. I’m very taken away at the fact that no keener has turned into chicken. Due to the fact that every meal during the week is mainly chicken. I dreamed about chicken last night…. I’m getting haunted by it. Also for lunch it used to be amazing burgers that the keeners would cook up but that ended last year and never to be brought back again. I do understand because around 40 burgers a day for 9 weeks straight is very expensive. The wraps are good but some of the sandwiches taste like dandruff . But they feed us pretty well here. Some keeners eat like it’s their last day on earth and some eat like ants. Not much but still getting some nutrients. The iron chef award is given out to the Keener who is an outstanding cook. Tyce has that one in the bag this session with the burritos and sandwiches he cooks for the cabin during breakfast. We had this amazing bacon egg sandwich for breakfast it was so elegantly cooked, to perfection. However with great food comes a great pile of dishes. And with bacon come a ton of grease. I don’t think Robertson cabins floor will be the same after max and tyces bacon adventures haha. Anyways don’t eat the Mac and cheese you will soil your pants

The Ultimate Keener Breakfast by Will Rainey

Today I’m going to tell you about the ultimate Keener breakfast. It has to be delicious and nutritious. So the secret is Nutella, Eggos, bacon, and eggs. This isn’t just breakfast it’s a feast. To start spread a generous spoonful of Nutella onto your Eggos. Make sure you don’t hold back because the more Nutella you use the better it gets. Then cook the bacon until it’s perfectly crispy. You don’t want it to chewy, but you also don’t want it burnt. Next fry the eggs until the bottoms are golden and crispy, but keep the yolk runny. That way you get the best of both worlds. First eat the bacon and eggs. Pro tip: dip the bacon into the runny yolk for maximum flavor. It’s salty, smoky, and rich all at once. Then move on to the Eggos and Nutella. It’s basically dessert for breakfast which makes it even better. The best method is to sandwich a thick layer of Nutella between two Eggos and dig in. The outside is crunchy, the inside is smooth, and every bite is awesome. By the time you finish the bacon, the eggs, and the Eggo sandwich you’ll be stuffed but happy. And if you can finish this whole meal you’ve officially mastered the ultimate Keener breakfast.

What the River Taught Me this Week by Jack Flemming

This week has been one of the most educational experiences of my life. The coaches here at Keeners are some of the best paddlers I have met, and overall, amazing people. While they have been able to teach me new tricks and improve my skills, only the river has been able to teach me some key lessons. Here is one of them: Water is stronger than you. When we were cliff jumping and swimming at Norm’s (AKA the Kickflip of Destiny), Tyce and I were trying to see how far underwater we could go by jumping on seams created by the rapid. On one particular attempt, I made my jump in a mediocre place. I swam back to the surface, and just as I was able to breathe in some air, I was sucked back down by a much larger whirlpool. At this point, I am borderline panicking. I did not get a good breath of air, and when I open my eyes, there is no light. As I try to swim to the surface, I make no progress and only go deeper. In the past, when I have swam in whirlpools, I have been able to swim to the surface against the force of the current. Not this time. I finally succumbed to the force of the river and let it decide when to let me return to the air. I finally arrived at the surface, where I took a huge breath of air and cheered with Tyce. I can not wait to see what amazing experiences I have next week!

Finally, I got it! by Tilly Knight

I have always thought the “blunt” in freestyle kayaking seemed like a really fun trick to see and do. And so for a long time I had my eyes on learning this trick. Before Keeners I spent hours searching on YouTube a “how to blunt” video. However when I got to Keeners these YouTube videos came to life and became my own one on one coach, which was something I had never had before. One morning during my second week of Keeners while surfing at the powered up Garborator wave, I decided to commit all my rides to attempting and hopefully finally getting a left blunt. Every surf I mustered all my strength to cycle over and over on the right edge of the wave in an attempt to get that acceleration necessary for a blunt. But each time my boat slid fast down the wave by gravity, my attempt at the blunt only resulted in some air bumps. Quickly I grew tired to the point where rolling after flipping became a burden. After one surf as I floated up the eddy by Garb with my hands resting in the water beside my blue and yellow plastic boat, one of my coaches Tyler Curtis, waves me over. Over the roaring water he says to me: “Tilly, I can see that you are getting stuck in your blunt, but if you stop taking that right paddle stroke you are doing as you drive your right edge you will have more time to twist your torso and complete the blunt.”

Day in the Life by Felix Noreau

I started off the day by waking up to becca knocking on my door . I then put on my clothes and say good morning to my cabin mates and head out for morning activities .Once that’s done we go back to our cabin and plan a breakfast. Next we clean up and meet in the thunder dome to go over the kayaking plan for the day. After that we gear up, put on sunscreen and seal luanch into the water.We do some drills in the flat water and paddle up to mccoys or go down river to the loran to surf garb(best place to surf).After surfing and having lunch we paddle down the rest of the main where I fail my kick flip on the kick flip of destiny wave in Norman’s, we then get out at WT load the boats and take the bus back to kennerville.Finally we bus back to WT for about two hours for dinner and game.Once we get back we finish off with some games and chill time where I get to take a shower and go to sleep in a very hot room.The end

Ferry of Destruction by Max Culbreth

In the spirit of beat down Thursday, I asked Steven about the ferry move across center slot above one of the nastiest ledges on the river. I remembered a few people attempting what Steven called the "Ferry of Destruction" in a previous session two years ago so I figured I would try it. I asked a few of my fellow Keeners if they would attempt it and a few agreed under the condition that I would go first. I got into the eddy on the river right side and considered just taking the tongue on the right side but ultimately decided to go for the ferry. I made it all the way to the river left side but as soon as I hit the tongue it shot me right into the worst part of the hole. I got a beat down far worse than anything I had experienced in right side of phil's. I was completely disoriented as I tried to surf out of the sides without continuing to be window shaded. Eventually, my skirt imploded and I immediately jumped out of my boat and tried to push myself out of the hole just to get body recirculated moments later. I did a few laps out of my boat before being sent into a rock and then deeper than I've ever been. I remembered to decompress my ears as we had practiced earlier that day while swimming the pour over. I came up very far down stream hoping that someone had seen what had happened.

Ways to Fall on Your Face by Isaac Sinton-Remes

Imagine that you’re paddling up to Normans. Stephen has you all hyped up for the kickflip of destiny. You’re paddling hard up to the wave and you launch off of it. You get a lot of air but you just don’t have the rotation to bring it around. You fall right on your face and have to roll up in the boils. This is just one of many ways to fall on your face while kayaking. You’re working on flatwater loops. You get into a good bow stall. You pull hard to try to get some air and you throw forward but you don’t loop stroke hard enough and you land right on your face. Maybe you’re on Garb. You carve to the right, get over the curler you look back up at the foam at go back left on top of it. You come down the wave slam hard on your bow and though your body over the side of your boat to airscrew. However, your body isn’t far enough ahead of your boat and you fall face first into the green water in Garb. Falling on you face is an intrinsic part of kayaking and I have done it many times in just this first week and I expect to continue to fall on my face.

The Keener Curse by Lucus Shutz

You wake up on your flight to YOW, Ottawa’s airport, as it bumps to the ground and the pilot announces “welcome to Ottawa, local time is 5:32 pm and it’s a nice 19 degrees” you step off the plane and deal with all of the things airports have to offer. Sveta meets you at departures and once all of the other kids are there you get in the van and off to keenerville you go. You get there and the keener gods, or whatever you want to call them, put your name on a wheel. A wheel of pain. Who’s going to get sick or hurt first out of the many many keeners. And it’s landed on me EVERY SINGLE TIME. Last year I had a terrible terrible bee sting. Had to go to the hospital because it started breaking out and filling up with liquid and puss then popping and it wasn’t good. Then this year. Literally the first day on the water my throat started feeling a little sore. Becca said it was just the smoke and not to worry so I did exactly that. It wasn’t just the smoke, I don’t know what I had but my bunkmate Tyce was not happy. Apparently I dry heaved over him in the middle of the night. He was terrified that I was gonna puke on him and frankly, I felt like I was. I’m better now but Tyce not so much. Oops heh heh. Get better soon man

Thursday by Will Rainey

Each day at Keeners is jam packed with pure awesomeness so picking my favorite day of the week was no easy task. After some thought I have to crown Big Water Bacon Beatdown Thursday as the winner. The day starts with flatwater time to earn your beatdown certification. To get certified you have to roll your kayak while pulling off every excuse in the book for why someone might miss a roll. For example you’ll pop your backband, pull your knees out of the thigh braces, and then still roll back up. If you can do this you are officially beatdown certified. Next it is time to take a swim through McCoy’s Rapid. This part is pure fun. Swim to the middle, let the current take you, and enjoy the ride through big waves and holes. After that the real beatdowns begin. We drop into Phil’s, a wild and rowdy surf where tumbles are almost guaranteed. After an adrenaline filled morning at McCoy’s we get lunch and then jump into even more epic activities. The legendary ferry of and kick flip of destiny, the meltdown, and if you are feeling brave, the hole at center slot are a few things that keep the day going strong. In the end Big Water Bacon Beatdown Thursday is truly awesome.

How to Win and Lose on Race Day by Saul Glick

It’s you’ve ever been to keeners you’ll know that every Wednesday is race day, full of competition, teamwork, and fun. During the day you partake in many fun races that can be anything from timed individual runs to relay races around McCoys. For me most of them went really smoothly, except for the ones that didn’t. One of these races was on Garb. We were each timed to see who could finish the course and high five Heidi the fastest. Most people did very well at this race. However, the same cannot be said for me. I was having a pretty good run until I couldn’t find Heidi and missed the eddy. I think spent the next 10 minutes working my butt off trying to get that high five but just couldn’t make it. But, I still managed to have a pretty fun time running the race and I think that’s what counts. The other race that I failed at was a legs out team race down Blacks where I unfortunately ran into my own teammate and flipped only about halfway down the rapid. I then proceeded to climb onto my flipped over boat and float down praying that this time I would get to the finish line which was once again, a high five from Heidi. In the end my boat floated away and thankfully, I had a team of people go and save my gear for me. To conclude, I had a super fun day kayaking and racing and I had a smile on my face the entire time. But, I sadly never got a high five from Heidi.

Kayaking Block by Ender Guthrie

We’ve all heard the keener horror stories like foot rot, ear infections, and even flesh-eating bacteria. But probably the most underrated horror story of all is the horrible writer’s block the night before your blog is due. You sit in front of your screen for what feels like forever hoping an idea will come. Then, right before lights out, you start grabbing at any idea you can think of, small thoughts, half written sentences, hoping something will get typed out before lights out. Then I realized. This isn’t just a writing thing. That stuck, frustrated feeling? It shows up in kayaking too. When you’re learning to kayak, especially at the start, it feels exactly like writer’s block. You’re out there trying to figure everything out at once like how to ferry, how to roll, how not to look at a barely class 2 rapid and panic, and nothing is clicking. You watch other paddlers run huge rapids like it’s nothing, and meanwhile, you’re flipping over on eddy lines and questioning every decision that led you here. It’s like staring at a blank page, trying to find a way to start writing on the page rather than just staring at it. But here’s the thing. Just like writing, you keep trying. You show up even when you don’t want to, you mess up more than you’d like to, but yet you try again. And eventually, something clicks. Your strokes get cleaner. You hit that one eddy line you’ve flipped on a dozen times and somehow you make it in. You start to go with the flow of the river rather than fighting it. The same way the words eventually come when you stop overthinking, the boat starts to move with you when you stop fighting it. Writer’s block and kayaking are both about getting through the uncomfortable part, when it feels like nothing’s working. And once you’re past that, once you start getting your rolls and catching those eddy’s, you find your flow rather than just following the rivers, and it all starts to feel a bit less scary.

Arriving at a Lake that is Actually a River by Tyce Aldrich

Step one: Sign up for Keeners Step Two: Wake up at 2 am and take two flights one from Denver to Chicago and the other from Chicago to Ottawa. Step Three: Git off the plan and wait for the big red van. (Pro Tip!) (As much as it looks like its going to kid nap you its not) Step Four: Ride another hour and a half with 4 other boys some have been here before some are just as lost as you Step Five: Arrive at the lake that's actually a river (Personal Note Coming from colorado it was the widest river I had ever seen) Step Six: Meet the coolest keener mom evaaaa!!! (AKA Becca) Step Seven: Move into your new room meet your roommate and eat the chicken you'll be eating for the next 3 weeks (Big Step) Step Seven and a half: Play ultimate frisbee before dinner (Optional) Step Eight: Wake up the next morning and make breakfast and get hyped for kayaking. Step Nine: Meet the 3 most stout coaches ever Stevin, Tyler, Heidi (If I miss spelt I have dyslexia) Step Ten: Paddle out to the biggest surf wave you've ever seen. Then outta nowhere you're expected to ride it. Step Eleven: SHRED THAT WAVE Step Twelve: Proceed to have more fun that day and learn more than you ever thought possible in a day. Step Thirteen Realize you made a good decision coming to keeners and you cant wait to shred the rest of the days away!!!!

It's Time to Wake Up by Tilly Knight

When I first got to Keenerville nothing felt like home. The people were strangers from other states, I could no longer hear the morning call of the hummingbirds and black capped chickadees, and I loaded all of the clothes I would be wearing for the next three weeks into a dusty little house with tubs of forgotten Nutella and stale bread lying around. Or sometimes I could even find small traces of the previous owner. Like maybe a small piece of hair sticking to the peeling floor. However one element of Keenerville from day one did bring me to the comfort of my real home, and it happened each morning at 7:45 on the dot. A door slams and rattles my bed frame. With each rock, my mind slowly dismissed my dream allowing it to fade. Heavy footsteps thump on the fake tile floor, allowing a soft echo to float steadily into my bedroom door. Then suddenly they stop. I without opening my eyes I can feel the shadow of her feet creeping ever so slightly beneath the crack under the door. No! I think. Not yet. Not yet! My dream hadn’t finished! But before I fall into the fantasy land of dragons and princesses a high pitched voice seeps into my ears like water. “Good morning Tilly!” I hear Becka, my Keener mom yell. I grunt something back, attempting to say the words, but all that comes out is a “goo” and “ma.” “Good morning!” Becka says again. And after I gather up all my strength, I say it back. Now I am awake.

Day in the Life of a Week One Beatdown by Noah Levin

After waking up at 7:30 and completing our morning stretches, all keeners returned to their cabins for breakfast. In Robertson’s we enjoyed breakfast burritos with eggs, cheese, and bacon. After completing our dishes and making our beds, we headed back to the Thunderdome. After choosing our preferred dinner for the night, Coach Tyler and Steven gave us some tips about being beat down before we put our gear on. Once we were finally on the water, we started to do some roll drills. These involved a fully vertical paddle roll and a spinning roll. After the warm up we hiked over to Mccoys. Upon scouting the line, each keener swam down the rapid which was not as bad as I initially thought it would be. We then hiked back up to our boats for our first beat down. I ended up going into left-side Phil’s getting my first beat down — certainly an experience. My boat ended up getting swept downstream after my swim so it was a little bit of a hassle to get it back. We then went down the Lorne and enjoyed a chicken-wrap lunch. After lunch the group split in two, one half learning to swim in pourovers and the other half surfing the Garborator wave. After a lengthy session at the Lorne, we headed down the rest of the river to Wilderness Tours, marking the end of our day.

The Ottawa is Huge! by Jack Flemming

When I was coming to Keeners, I thought that we were going to paddle on a river comparable in size to that of a large river in the southeastern United States. When I arrived and we got on the water for the first time, I was blown away by the scale of the river. Not only did it have many islands creating channels, but humongous flats between rapids that make it feel like a lake. On our first couple of days, I had fun playboating on some of the biggest water I have kayaked. As my friend and fellow keener, Max, put it,” It is like a lake with rapids.” My experience around Keenerville and Wilderness Tours has also been different from what I thought it would be. First of all, I did not expect there to be so many Keeners! It has been awesome to meet people from all over the United States and Canada. Also, I did not expect to see so many people on the river, whether they are kayaking or rafting. The first day that we were on the water, there were so many people at McCoys that I was scared it was always going to be like that anywhere on the river. Thankfully, as the weekend traffic died down while the week went on, the river became much less crowded and more enjoyable. Overall, I am stoked to be here and I can't wait to see how the rest of the session continues to blow my mind! The end.

Race Day by Alex Levin

Today was Wednesday, race day which meant we started the day off at mccoys doing a team relay race. I started above the drop paddling with two paddles to hand one to my teammate. I could not see who won the race from above, but I was confident in my team. After that I ran mccoys for the first time. I went through sattlers tongue, it was a lot fun. As we moved down the river, we continued the racing theme. We ran lorn, had some delicious wraps, and hiked back up it to race down. Despite my lackluster performance in the race, I had a great time. We had our next team race at the whirlpool eddy. It was a rescue race that ran very smoothly which was nice. I did some stern squirts and messed around in the whirlpools before going swimming which was a little scary at first. We continued down the river and ran Norman’s and coliseum which are two of my favorite rapids. Our final race was a very exciting feet out of the boat race which we won to solidify our victory. It was a great day that was capped off by a delicious dinner.

how to take cool videos and photos (best guide ever from personal experience) By Jackson Lilly

Step 1. (Optional) Hurt your back extra points if you have to go to the ER, this choice makes everything unnecessarily harder I don’t recommend but I decided to do this. Step 2. (Option 1) go surfing and have a very good time and run stuff downriver. (Option 2) spend a bunch of time in the ER. Step 3. The next day go out to the corner wave and with a camera or two your choice then take great videos of people shredding. I recommend blurring the background of the video so the surfer is more isolated and I recommend 4k for better resolution. If you follow these tips you will be able to take videos and pictures of other keeners and not be able to do much stuff for however hard you decide to make your life. ( I don’t recommend doing any of this except for videos but you could go surfing instead) 👍

Keeners Road Trip by Evan Bate

Typically, in the last Thursday of each session, all of the Keeners will load up into vans and go to a river that is not the Ottawa. This year the coaches decided that we were gonna go to the Gatineau. We loaded boats Wednesday night. Thursday morning started with an early wake up and we went to wilderness tours for breakfast. It was nice to not have to make breakfast for a morning. We picked up our river lunches while there and then continued on to the Gatineau. We did beat downs at the first rapid on the Gatineau. It is known as Lucifer’s. Not everyone has to go through the main hole, but there are still multiple very fun surf spots on this rapid. The rest of the river has a few big water Rapids, but is very beautiful. On the way back we stopped at the gas station and also got poutine. We finished off the night with our normal dinner back at wilderness tours and then karaoke in the thunder dome. While, I would not want to go to the Gatineau every day of Keeners. It was really awesome to be able to experience a new river while here.

Slow Exposure and the Fear of Swimming Coliseum by Dan Meisenheimer

Last week we ask swam Coliseum. It overall was pretty fun and everyone’s was ok, but standing on the rock at the top was terrifying. My first year at Keeners, I was freshly traumatized off of a bad swim, and I hated swimming. I was very scared of swimming mais and got a bad headache afterwards. When I found out that Keeners sometimes swim Coliseum, I had decided that if anyone told me to do that, I would say no. Over the years, I swam more big rapids and slowly over time improved my confidence until the point where I could now gauge rapids based on actual risk instead of fear. I then realized Coliseum wasn’t so bad, it was just big, and that’s how I worked up the storage to swim Coli.

Take Risks While You Have the Chance (Safely) by Wil Scouten

Taking risks can be nerve wracking for many Keeners, especially when it comes to intimidating features. But avoiding them can lead to missed opportunities and disappointment. The infamous Dragon’s Tongue on the Ottawa River is one of those rapids. It’s known for its reputation as a scary undercut death trap. I first heard about whitewater kayaking when I was five. My dad told stories of all the rivers he’d run, from sketchy slides to the Seven Sisters on the Rouge. He always mentioned the risks, but also talked about how important it was to try new things. That encouragement, however, never extended to Dragon’s Tongue or anything on Garvin’s Chute. He’s never run them. His fear, based mostly on rumours and speculation, shaped my own view. I figured if he wouldn’t run it, I never would either. While it is true that dragons tongue can pose real danger if ran improperly, there are safe ways to do it. I am proof of that, as are many keeners. As of this week I’ve now run Dragon’s Tongue three times. (Albeit some lines more successfully then others) One of the best things about Keeners is learning how to gather information from different people and sources. You’re taught to respect the river, but also to ask questions, to watch, to learn. You get to make some of your own decisions, not just follow fear. Running Dragon’s Tongue wasn’t about being reckless. It was about knowing the risks and deciding to go anyway. Trying something new. Knowing that you could get hurt, but trusting your group and judgment was there to protect you. Keeners has taught me that it’s important to take chances while you have them and can do so with proper safety.

The Double Pump by Dylan Dale

I have been paddling for 2 years now and the double pump has always been a goal of mine that i have been trying to learn and no matter how hard i tried i couldn’t ever get it but i came to keeners and i made some attempts but just told myself it was impossible and gave up, however a few days later in the trip my brother in a c1 kayak started trying and he started getting it and i was like if he can do it with one paddle then i definitely can so i try and try but still fail so i go to Stevo and ask him for tips and he tells me some stuff but it doesn’t work and he tells me to stomp my left bow down and i do and it goes down some but then he tells me to try my right side and it goes down so much so i start trying it on my right side and i get it finally. So my word of advice is if you cant get a trick on one side try the other side you might get it.

How to Come Over your Fears at Dragon's Tongue by Maddie Gerard

ran Dragons tongue for the first time this week. It was super scary because you have so many things to worry about. I worried about missing the boof, getting stuck in the hole on the tongue, and the hole at the bottom of the rapid. This is how can over my fears. I knew I was in a safe area and that I was in good hands running this rapid. I followed Owen so I had the right line and would not get stuck in the tongue hole. I kinda had to go because we were in a rush to get back and also it would be a tuff video to brag to my sister. Just go! I did a few pretty good job on the first half of the rapid ( the tongue) but the last half was kinda nasty. I didn’t make the sneak so I went in to the hole. After a couple cart wheels, I got control and side surfed for about a 1 1/2 until I flipped around and finished the rapid without swimming! That’s how you face your fear and also if you think you might be to slow it is never a bad thing to keep going a push harder.

Entry 3 McNasty by King Eyben

It was day 2 of my swift water rescue training in week 2 of our session and we started by heading up to the top of Mckoy’s. When we got there we discovered that Stephen had set up a log across the river. We were told 2 different ways to deal with the log, 1 was hitting the log feet first and walking on it and the other was pulling yourself straight over it. After practicing this we ran Mckoy’s and stopped at 7/8 hole for a second where I got a loop. Afterwards we were coached on many ways to wade in current which were all somewhat unsuccessful. Next we rushed down to Garvins where everybody scouted Dragons Tongue and I ran the Boof of Destiny. It was the end of the day and finally we get to the good part where Heidi gives me a really quick rundown on how to entry Mcnasty. I head in to Infinity Wave and I am surprised that I actually make it to a position to throw the Mcnasty which I manage to pull off and the stoke was crazy high for the rest of the day. THE END

Yard Sale by Conall Plunkett

As I finish the long hike up the side of the rapid, I make the decision that could determine my fate. I drop my paddle at the shore and get in my boat. Sattler's. I wanted your acceptance, your power. I wanted the beatdown, yet you released me. No matter, I will try again. I drop into the water, feeling the cool water between my fingers. I wait until I am clear, then I begin to paddle. After a few seconds, the horizon approaches. I feel the impact, the sudden stop. I try to breathe, but only water enters. I quickly spit it out, and finally get a breath. I stay on my side for as long as possible, before I spin backwards and flip. I get ready to hold as long as I can, when I suddenly roll back. I continue on my side until I ultimately flip again and wash out. I try to roll, knowing I could do it on flat water. I fail my first attempt, then my second, before knowing the futility of it all and pulling my skirt. The glorious other keeners where there to aquire the yard sale I became, and returned my boat to me.

Walmart by Andrew Slothower

A cherished keener tradition is the once per session trip to Walmart, a time to buy the much needed variety in the food offerings. There are usually two ways that keeners approach this trip, one of which is the practicality method, in which you buy things you need like bug spray, sunscreen, and other useful items. Another frequent method is shopping for comfort. These purchases often include food, drinks and more poorly thought out options. The second option is much more popular, however finding a balance between these two factors is important for a successful Walmart shopping experience. First time keeners often miss this balance, as I once did buying snacks, soda and candy without thinking about breakfasts, lunches or long term food. When I first went to Walmart, I bought one soda and a tub of peach O’s which I finished on the bus ride home. On the more recent trip to Walmart I think I found a successful balance with my purchasing list being the following: Eggos, Ice Tea, Ramen, After Bite anti Itch cream, Duct Tape, and a carabiner. I think that by shopping well, I have set myself up for a more successful second half of the keeners session, more so than people who have only purchased teas and candy

How to Make Friends with Other Kayakers by Nevan Hindmarsh

Im Nevan and I am here today to inform you on how to befriend other kayakers or Kuzz. Step 1. If you want to be around kayakers you need to be somewhere other kayakers will be. So find your way to the nearest river, play feature ,or paddling store and we will start your journey. Step 2. Before you approach anyone you need to prepare by wearing a steezy outfit. (As much Arcy as you can) or just be like Owen. Step 3. Scout out your targets. Stay as far away from the slalomers and only look for people in a freestyle boat. Also don’t approach people that are paddling Lettmans. Step 4. Introduce yourself. Maybe let them know your name and call one of their tricks steezy. Be sure to compliment them but be sure not to glaze them as it may lead them to think that you are an inexperienced paddler. Step 5. Tell them other times you might be at the river. Introduce that you should meet up again sometime for a frestyle sesh. Step 6. Be sure to follow them on insta and just be a fun but chill person. This is how you make new friends that are kayakers and fun cool people.

The TV Chronicles of Yakistan by Callan Fox

On day one as I first entered my new home for the next three weeks, Yakistan, my mom made an observation. “That is a VERY old TV.” It was like a warning sign for what was about to unfold with our old little television. The first time that we used our TV was that first night, while we were trying to watch a movie called Dear John. Key word here is tried, because it took about thirty minutes to even get to the proper channel for the TV. We found out that none of the buttons worked as they should- the “up” volume button turned the volume both up and down, the “down” button on the channels didn’t work, and many more funky features. Alas, we continued to use our TV, each night just getting a little quicker with our channel switching to over a hundred. I wish I could say that there was a happy ending to this story, but unfortunately all this ends in is Maddie’s grievance about how annoying it was every night. But hey, at least we’re getting some good bonding time over how horrible it is to get twenty minutes of a very old movie?

My Snack Stash by Ian Seckington

So I flew in from Northern California and I had to take two planes to get here. Everyone can agree that airplane food is not great and they give you hardly any so whats even the point. So of course I brought a whole lot of snacks to eat on the plane. Some time in the middle of the first plane ride, one of the flight attendants comes up to my seat and says, "Sir your seat is very special and you get a choice of a meal and two snack and hands me a mini airplane menu." I thought I just had a normal seat like who rides in economy and gets special meals, like the lady sitting next to me didn't get nothin. Anyways I went with it because who wouldn't. Free food right? So I go ahead and have a little cheese and cracker platter with fruit, and I pick out my two snacks, Twizzlers and Kit-Kat. Well of course I expected a little fun sized Kit-Kat and a couple Twizzlers. No! I got a king sized Kit-Kat and a whole half pound of Twizzlers! So then I was loaded on snacks. My plane rides were shorter than I expected and so I didn't eat any of the snacks. It's currently Tuesday of week & and I still haven t run out of snacks and I've been slowly chipping away at them. The Kit-Kat bar melted and so I decided to put it in the freezer because frozen chocolate is the best, but I didn't want anyone to steal it so I put my hat over it. My cabin mate goes, "Oh good idea, putting your hat in the freezer" and proceeds to keep his hat in the freezer the rest of the week to keep it cold. I was cracking up.

Don't be Scared by Big Water by Jackson Gratz

The Main Channel is BIG Water, we all know that and paddling it might seem scary, but you shouldn’t be worried. Let’s break down why the Main Channel isn’t as worrying as it seems. The Lorren: There are some big waves and Bus Eater looks terrifying, a massive and fairly shallow hole at the bottom of the rapid but it’s super easy to avoid. Go left or right, and if you swim you have a lot of room, just go whatever way people tell you to go. Norman’s: It’s some huge waves but it’s super simple, go straight through the middle and a little right, that’s it. Swimming here isn’t wonderful because a Coli swim isn’t fun. Swim whichever way coaches tell you to and if you are 100% sure you are going through Coli, swim left. Coliseum: Stay in your boat as long as you can, it’s not a fun swim, if you flip on or before Kahuna and you can’t roll wait it out as long as possible. If you swim Coli, go HARD left, you do not want to get pushed into the pour over, it’s a nasty swim but easy to avoid. Overall, don’t be scared, the Main is super fun, so be stoked not scared, the other Keeners and the coaches are super skilled and nice. Have fun!

Chocolate Chip Pancakes - the Perfect Keener Breakfast by Dan Meisenheimer

At keeners, it is made abundantly clear that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. The highest form of Keener breakfast is the chocolate chip pancake. I am eating a chocolate chip pancake as I am writing this. Here is my favourite recipie for Keener chocolate chip pancakes. Step 1 - Find Wil. If you find Will you can get him to help you with pancakes. This stereo is optional. Step 2 - Obtain pancake mix. Get a heathy scooping of pancake mix and put it on a large container. Step 3 - Add the wets. Add water as instructed on the package but replace some with milk. Also make sure to add eggs. Eggs vastly improve the pancake experience by making them taste less like they came out of a box. Step 4 - Add chocolate chips. Here’s the fun part. Chocolate chips! They add the sugar content to the pancakes. You can say you dislike chocolate chips but deep inside, you know your opinion is stupid. Add a healthy serving of chocolate chips. Congratulations! You’ve successfully made chocolate chip pancakes! You can now eat them with make syrup, Nutella, or you can just go at it with your hands.

Don't Touch Chipmunks by Liv Howard

Today there was a chipmunk in Yakistan. It’s been there the whole time really doesn’t cause an issue. But today it ran into Maddie and Anika’s room. Then the bathroom. Then the toilet. Then Anika decided to grab it. Foolish chance. We said no she did it anyway, then proceeded to grab it again. Ultimate bruh. Then she was bleeding, in conclusion don’t take foolish chances. Then we were a man down on cleaning which was definitely a blow, but we persevered. But the shower is now sparkling, hair out of drain and all. And the floor is swept, the bath mat hung and sink cleaned. Also I might add my room is pristine. So the quality of cleaning is 100 percent still there. Now I’m writing my blog right before it’s due because of this big ruckus. Anywho, don’t grab chipmunks. Because then they will bite you and if they bite you you will bleed and when you bleed you will slow down your whole cabin in the morning and then you’re cooked. But even if someone does, still clean your cabin. Because dirty cabins attract more chipmunks and more chipmunks means more potential foolish chances.

Another Round by Conall Plunkett

The cool water of the Ottawa rise against my bow as I enter the river, the tension rising as I look at my destination. Sattler's hole. I see the signal, a paddle raised vertically. I peel into the current, the force of the water infinitesimal to what I will soon face. I see the drop, then the foam, then I hit. My momentum is instantly stopped by the force of the hole. I struggle, at first, to breathe, as the water enters my mouth. I quickly spit the water out, and finally feel more comfortable on my side, before shifting to my back, and finally flipping. I remained calm and held my paddle horizontal so I could be rolled. I feel the force of the water halt, and I knew I was free. I rolled once, and sank back down, then again, and came up. Sattler's failed to take another swimmer. I noticed how close I was to Left Side Phil's and frantically paddle to enter, but alas, it was never ment to happen. I slowly exited the backwash of Phil's, ready for another round I noticed how close I was to Left Side Phil's and frantically paddle to enter, but alas, it was never ment to happen. I slowly exited the backwash of Phil's, ready for another round. I leave my paddle at the top as I get ready for the next round

In the Bush by Emery Slothower

Games permeate our time as keeners, and keep our off-water life as full as stoke as our on-water. As I write this blog, I as sat deep in a bush, 1000% invested in a game of hide and go seek. Bugs are eating me, seekers are closing in, and the paranoia is building; it’s really the whole shabang. I’ve been taking breaks as the seekers get close, and burying my phone to hide the glow, but never the less, my dedication to this blog (and my desire to get on the water tomorrow) justify the peril I subjected myself too. All this to say, if I’ve learned one thing about me and my fellow keeners, it’s that we hate half efforts, and if we’re going, we’re going all the way in (notably, the the game has ended and I’ve left the bush). There are people hear that make sure there’s nothing that’s done halfheartedly. Breakfasts, games, even First Aid trainings are filled with zest and imagination from my compatriots and it’s such a fun energy to be around. Someone’s always ready for a game, able to help out, or interested in whatever you’re doing. There truly is never a boring moment, and I suppose it’s what helps to make the keener magic happen.

Anvil Falls by Owen Forster

On week two of Keeners we got to run anvil falls an awesome 6 ft waterfall on the Ottawa River The day had been a really fun day we got to surf Waikiki, 7/8 hole and a ton of other features, so it had been a great day but when Steven said we are going to go run a waterfall I was so excited, when I first got to the waterfall I wasn't just excited to run it I was thinking about trying to freewheel off of it, the free will is similar to a wave wheel just off of waterfall, and I was about to do my first one... hopefully. Dan, told me he was going to try a freewheel, so I watched him hoping to see how to do it off that drop, but when he went off the waterfall and didn't do a free will I thought something went wrong, but he just said he didn't have a good setup, so I went up got on my boat,got the thumbs up from Steven I started paddling to the edge to throw my first free wheel. The first one didn't go as planned I under rotated it and kind of got stuck in the hole but I paddle my way out, I tried it three more times and none of them went great but all them were a really fun time, I'm so excited to try free wheels in the future.

The more Chaos the more fun by Wil Scouten

Every time you attend Keeners, whether you attend first, second, or third session, who you end up with is a toss-up. There’s always questions like: who will I be rooming with? Are they messy? Do they cook? Can they McNasty? Even though the outcome is unpredictable, I’ve found that some of the people you meet while at Keeners will become your lifelong friends and paddling buddies. I’ve especially noticed this with bigger groups. You might be thinking, how is having a bigger group better? Let me explain with three reasons. Number 1: bigger groups, even if they’re messier and louder, give you more chances to make friends. Sure, smaller groups might seem easier for getting close with people, and that can be true, but large groups give you the chance to meet way more people. Even if not everyone clicks with you, the odds of finding people you get along with are just better. Number 2: more people means more hands to clean. Yeah, bigger groups can make a bigger mess. But I’ve found that the more people there are, the more likely it is that someone’s willing to help clean up or actually care about leaving a space better than they found it. Usually it’s the older Keeners, but sometimes the younger ones step up too as the session goes on. Number 3: you get to learn more. When there are more Keeners, Wilderness Tours brings in more coaches. It usually works out to about five Keeners per coach. That means even if the attention is split, you end up getting tips and advice from more people with different styles. And it’s not just the coaches. A lot of Keeners are super down to help each other out and share what they know. In the end, I think big Keener groups are better. More people to clean with, more people to be friends with, and more people to learn from.

Prep for Gatineau by King Eyben

Step 1: Get of the water on Wednesday and get a rundown on the plan. Then go for dinner at WT and find out that it was BBQ chicken two nights in a row. Eat dinner then play some pool and then go repel off of the cliff with Greg and Liam. Drive to shore in a J-rig then take the van back to Keenerville. Step 2: Once at Keenerville soak your booties in the forbidden milk and prep all your gear for the Gat. This includes your life jacket, spray skirt, helmet, and an optional short which you stuff in your boat and then put your spray skirt on the boat to seal all of your gear in. Once all the boats are ready load them on the trailer and tie them on then put you paddles in the cage and go to bed. Step 3: Wake up at 6:30 then get everything else ready and hop on the bus. Eat Breakfast at WT for a change then hop in the vans (preferably the red one) and drive to the Gatineau. Step 4: Get to the Gatineau and get on with your day. And since it’s Thursday it is the best day of the week by far!

How to Catch a Chipmunk by Conall Plunkett

Step one. Go to Robersons. Step two. Have The Danimal with you. Step three. Aquire the target through a small hole in the cabinet that it comes from. Step four. Trap it behind the oven. Step five. Block off all escape. Step six. Aquire some plastic storage containers. Step seven. Move the oven so it can run behind the drier. Step eight. Have Savanah join you. Step nine. Drive it out from behind the washing machine. Step ten. Have Savanah drop a plastic food container on it. Step eleven. Slide a thin, sturdy piece of cardboard, such as a pizza box, under the container. Step twelve. Transfer to a clear container for inspection. Step thirteen. Release it far from Robersons in an open field. Step fourteen. Watch as it runs into Istambul.

How to (Successfully) Fail at Getting out of your Boat in Hard Places by Callan Fox

First step: Mess up the first day of “getting out in hard places” by putting your paddle in the wrong spot and then letting it fall. Then, frantically try to get your paddle back on the rock while standing up in your kayak. Lastly, stand up out of your boat and flip over, fall into the water, and swamp your boat. Second step: Go to Iron Ring, where last time (at much higher water) you had to be pulled out in the Room of Doom because you got stuck in it. Third step: Run Iron Ring without flipping, but miss the Room of Doom (where you were told to go to practice getting out of your boat). Proceed to ferry across the wave hole to get back to the eddy. Fourth step: Attempt to get out of your boat in many different places on the rock, unsuccessfully. Eventually find a spot that looks good, and get your paddle onto shore. Stand up and try to climb out of your boat. Fifth step: Flip over in your boat while trying to get out and swamp your boat for the second time in this activity. Contemplate whether it is even worth tying to finish, but decide it is. Sixth step: Yank your boat on shore as hard as you can, but lose your footing and slide in the water. Get back on shore for better footing. Seventh Step: Use your legs to pull your fully-swamped boat as hard as you possibly can, and eventually get it on the rock!

How to Stay Stoked on Kayaking by Andrew Slothower

Kayaking, one of the best sports on this earth, and maintaining stoke is often not hard, however there are two times in which maintaining stoke is harder. The first time is the off season or the mud season. Although it is easy to supplement your adrenaline with other outdoor activities such as skiing and other seasonal activities. However to stay pumped up to kayak, I often watch hundreds of kayak movies, stakeout edits and adventure videos. Also if I like it or not I can self maintain stoke by spending exuberant amounts of money on kayaking gear. The other time when stoke can be low for myself, is when I get burned out. I often find myself burned out after long stretches of freestyle only. This can become hard to just keep going to the same below average play park near my house. When this happens, I look to creeking and rivers running so I can keep kayaking. Exploring new rivers, meeting new paddlers and changing up what you do are all incredibly important in maintaining your love for the game. Even though my motivation occasionally drags. I always come back and remember why I do the sport that I love.

Getting Beat Down by Ian Seckington

So basically I was so hyped to get beat down on the first big water beat down Thursday, but I missed the hole every time I tried to get into the right side of Phil's hole. I got a cool kick flip but went through the tongue, and also got a short beat down in Sattler's hole. I was dying for some action in right side though. The next Thursday I said I was going staight for right side, and I did but it took a short tumble and it was my first time so I was scared and my knee popped out so I swam. On the next one I knew I just had to stay calm and stay in my boat. I kickflipped into it and started side surfing. I focused on breathing good breaths when I was upright, and when I flipped over I relaxed and let the water flip me back upright. The most important thing to remember in these moments is whether you flip back upright quickly or after a few tumbles, you just have to be calm and patient and hold your breath. My paddle also got ripped out of my hands and I found that it's way easier to stay calm when you aren't holding a paddle. I did dry exit on that one because I took a big tumble, but I know I can get beat down longer. Its all about the focus and staying calm.

Swimming Coliseum by Nevan Hindmarsh

So last Thursday it was big water bacon beat down and we approached colesium and started scouting it. I heared rumours from some people that we may be swimming it and I started crapping myself. I’ve even been pretty scared swimming rapids like Phil’s and this was like Phil’s on drugs. The main wave big kahuna was pretty big but the part that scared me the most was the ticket to hell boils that followed on the river left side. I thought that I was 100% going to be dragged down and would not have a pleasant time. As we started scouting I became more and more nervous running through all the possibilities of bad scenarios that could happen. After we finished scouting the whole group started going to drop their squirts off and walking upstream to a put in. I was so dumbfounded at the thought that every single other person was not as scared as I was to run this. Out of pear FOMO I started following the group while I tried to shut my brain off and not think about the 500 foot tall foam pile that lay a bit downstream. Everybody started jumping in one by one which left at the back of the line thinking if I should stay back and be a wimp or drown myself in colesium. I followed jumping in as the last person and waited for the rapid to give me one round knockout and I would be dragged underwater but unlike what I expected there was a big punched but I resurfaced shorty after. Then I hit the next wave and came back up, and the next wave and soon after I found myself swimming for the Eddie. It wasn’t so bad. So that sums up my experience and shows how expectations are not always reality. Sent from my iPhone

What the Weekdays are like at Keeners by Kyan Vigoda

Monday - On the first Monday you will all go out together so the coaches can see your skills on the second and third you just go out kayaking normally Tuesday - This is the instructional day where in the first week you have small groups based on skill level but on the second you have Swift water rescue. The third is normal Wednesday - This is race day where you do a bunch of races but on the second week you have swift water rescue again Thursday - Big water Beatdown is where you go choose something to run in McCoys rapid that you are not comfortable with like surfing Phil’s. The last Thursday you go run another river Friday - Friday is competition day and you just surf to have fun and get scored for you runs. You can choose the difficulty of the wave so if you are newer to play boating you can get an easier wave

Montreal EU Vive

During my three weeks at keeners, I got to do a lot of kayaking and two of those kayaking days were in Montreal, I went to Montreal to compete in the competition called Montreal EU vive, and to say the least it was amazing. First when I got there I got to go paddling on the amazing machine rapids with perfect waves everywhere and jet ski rides back up to the top, there's four main ways mojo pyramid Big Joe and Mavericks but my favorite was Big Joe pyramid Big Joe was fun cuz you could go massive air screws pan AMS clean blunts everything went huge there, and pyramid was a perfect green glossy wave that when you do one spin it immediately kicks you into a clean other one, it's so fun. My competition went pretty well I ended up beating the danimal and he is a really really good kayaker, so I was pretty proud of that, I ended up getting the second place medal and it's cool about Montreal is the metals there are so pretty! I definitely want to try to come back up for Montreal next year.

Why White House is the Best House by Jackson Gratz

1: The People: The people in White House are GREAT, everyone is super nice, helpful encouraging, and enthusiastic if you live in White House and need help, they have your backs. (This is the one non cynical part btw, people are super awesome.) 2: The Utilities: White House is super “Vintage.” Whether it’s the VHS TV that weighs more than Nevan, the chipped decorative floor that’s over 50 years old, the paper thin walls, or the one working outlet, White House will make you learn to love its little things. 3: The pets: White House contains a variety of critters that may or may not live in the walls. If you move into White House you can expect things like; mosquitoes, chipmunks, mice, and lizards. But don’t worry, they love sharing food with you, usually without asking and while leaving little brown gifts. You might not get the privilege of seeing them but if you would like to just know they get more bold at night. 4: The Water: This lovely building comes with all inclusive hot and cold water that will leave you saying wow! The cold water is normal, just water flavored water, but the hot water, that’s about story. Do you like smelling eggs, how about the taste of old eggs, then White House hot water is for you! The water heater comes with sulfuric buildup which is non toxic but will make the WHOLE house smell great. And let’s not forget to take short showers, if you take one too long, the septic tank leaks and smells like old waste, yay! Overall White House is great, so look forward to staying there next time, you’re in for a treat.

Showering is a Burden by Liv Howard

I think showering is a burden. 9/10 times that I shower I do it because I have to not because I want to. Because if I don’t I’ll be stinky and maybe get staff or something. Which has happened to me due to not having access to a shower. So when I am getting dirty and have the ability to clean myself I make myself do it. But you have to go so out of your way to get it done. Here is my keeners shower routine: 1. Take off all your clothes (might even be wet if kayaking) 2. Put on a towel 3. Hang up wet clothes 4. Grab shower things 5. Go to bathroom 6. Hang blanket and shower caddy 7. Get in shower 8. Find a spot to put your stuff in the shower 9. Turn on shower 10. Get clean 11. Turn off water 12. Dry off 13. Walk with damp feet picking up dirt on the way back to room 14. Pick a stye fit 15. Put it on Extra credit : moisturize This furthers my point that showering is a burden. Because it takes so much work just to be clean. Also if I haven’t been kayaking and am dry it’s even worse. Then you have to motivate yourself to get wet. Which I also don’t like to do.

An Ode to the Thunderdome by Emery Slothower

Three couches and a donut shaped table, and a TV from which stoke oozes. 19 other kids and a coach or two and unanswered questions in the air. Many days start and end here in at keenerville as a meeting location or last hangout as the sun goes down. Many times I find myself in this space just to hang out with my fellow Keeners, and we gel in here just as well as we do on the water. To quote one of my fellow keeners, "smart minds think alike but keener minds think aliker," meaning we always are down to play the same games, watch the same videos, or laugh at the same dumb jokes. And obviously, kayaking dominates conversation forever and alway. As magic as the thunderdome is, I don’t believe the magic is made by the duct-tape reinforced walls, but is formed like a surging foam-pile whenever keeners are together. Be it in a Walmart or around Wilderness Tours dinner tables, the support, the silliness, and the enthusiasm of my peers is something I will always remember. There is no fun like keener fun, and no friends like keener friends, and more than anything I hope I’m able to find the magic again, different people but same euphoria.

A Collection of Stories by Annika Vigoda

On Tuesday morning after breakfast I was cleaning my room and a huge chipmunk ran across the room. It was a foot long from head to toe and seemed to be foaming at the mouth. I followed it and, scared, it ran into the bathroom and launched itself into the toilet bowl. I ran in and it was drowning in toilet water. As I was calmly deciding what to do it hurled itself at me so in self defence I raised my hand to protect my face and it sunk its 4 inch teeth into my finger. Heroically I grabbed it by the neck and at this point I noticed it had red bulging eyes and was choking on its own foam. Knowing the lives of my cabin mates rested in my reluctant hands I courageously risked my life and flung the rodent at the wall. Then I peacefully and bravely told it to go out the door which it did. On Wednesday we ran Dragon’s Tongue and it was my first time so I was very scared. But I ran it anyway and managed a perfect line down the first part. I celebrated, very proud of myself. Then I went sideways into the left pocket of Purgatory and 30 seconds later came out tragically separated from my boat, foot blocks, and both shoes that were taken right off my feet. The moral of the story is don’t celebrate until you are done.