How to Get More Comfortable During Beatdowns by Kyan Vigoda

Last session and at the beginning of this session I was really afraid of beatdowns and running big rapids like coliseum with no easy sneak lines, but eventually I learned to have fun and forget about my fear using the following tricks I learned. 1: Downtime. On one of the days when returning keeners were not doing srt, David and Aaron took us to brain doosh at the bottom of butchers knife to practice getting downtime. Jumping into the pour over knowing we would go underwater for a long time helped me stay comfortable when running out of breath or having no control of when you come out of the water. This really helped me with beatdowns. 2: Nose plugs. This does not have to be specifically nose plugs, it can be anything that helps you feel more secure and safe. For example, when I play rugby I bite my mouth guard really hard as it helps me feel safer and gives me more power. When I kayak, I squeeze my nose plugs really tight and am constantly adjusting them before entering rapids. All the videos of myself you can always see me holding and fidgeting with my nose plugs. This might not make sense but they help me feel stronger and safer. You could use anything like sunglasses for example. 3: Smile. When underwater in Phil’s, I try to smile. This has many purposes; it’s really helpful. First, it helps me remember to have fun and enjoy myself, which really helps me stay calm. Second, it reminds me that there are plenty of safety kayakers below and that the Ottawa is a really fun and safe river and Stevo and the other coaches would not let us in if it was dangerous. Third, I remember to hold my paddle in the auto roll position Stevo taught us and how to control my boat. This works because when I smile it reduces my fear and lets me concentrate on kayaking. All these are my ways of staying calm and always being stoked on the river. I hope they help you as well.