How To Surf Garb Passably - Patrick Kyle

The first time you drop into Garb feels like you get hit by a bus - don't panic, everything will be OK, so long as you edge the right way and don't face plant the rapidly moving water. If this doesn't deter you follow the next couple of steps to place yourself at a confidence level where you can start to have fun and learn some moves:

1) Make sure you avoid the curler coming out of the eddy - the large bubbly, foaming line of "don't go overness." This will rocket you far to river right and you will miss the wave or catch an edge and capsize. Drop in further down to miss the curler.

2) Don't stop paddling, once you're out of the eddy and dropping down, keep paddling towards Moby Dick and the full impact shouldn't overwhelm you. Keep your bow pointing right and lift up your left edge. Now you are off to the side comfortably skipping along the rail.

3) Wait until the top of the foam pile is to your left and carve on top of it - you may flush, but if you don't to begin with, you aren't trying hard enough.

4) Now you are sitting at the top of the foam pile, high up and in the perfect position to zoom down the wave. Lean forwards and your boat will drop down the foam pile and hit the green water. You will probably bounce, maybe get a little air depending, but make sure the face forward the whole time and you should be fine.

5) Point back to Moby Dick and surf out to the right of the foam pile and drop back. Follow steps 3 and 4 again. Repeat until confident on positioning on this wave.

All is set - if you follow these 5 simple steps, you should easily be able to attempt some epic tricks without being frustrated about the set up... enjoy.

Race Day!

     For some race day is the least favourite day of the week, personally i love it! i find race day not only a friendly competition but also a time to figure out your paddling strengths and weaknesses of river running. This past Wednesday we started out at the Mcoys rapid and proceeded to make teams of four and paddle different sections that linked together. Unfortunately we were one person short and had to make a team of three, which meant that one of us would have to paddle two legs of the race.... 

Well turns out the communication skills of teenagers at 8 o'clock in the morning are not always the best.  Thinking i was running the very last leg of four in the race i took my position just below right side Horseshoe and prepared to ferry the fairly nasty hole in the hopes that it would go well and be a fast line. In reality i was supposed to complete the second leg and tag Bean, he would then complete the last two. Shorty after the race we discovered i messed up and our team was awarded last place. That does not really matter though because the laughs after the race were priceless! Turns out Alex P. Speech about "Communication On The River" and it's difficulties was actually very applicable to our situation! 
                  Rule of Thumb: Always Double Check Your Plans and Communicate with your team!  

I Didn't have any Race day photo's so i choose a cool shot i took of Nick on competition day

By: Aidan Sweeney 

How to do the best trick ever!!

How to Pan am!

A pan am is a super fun trick that is surprisingly easy to learn if you know already know how to air blunt! A pan am is a over vertical air blunt, the boat must be inverted and rotate 180 degrees while landing upright in a back surf or side surf. It is by far one of my best tricks as well as one of my all time favorites. Not to mention it looks awesome on the water! The steps to pan am are simple, yet they can become very complex if you make them.

1. Practice doing the blunt motion in the flat water.
2. Cycle to the top of the wave and charge down the wave on edge. Practice this step often so you make sure you can get good air.
3. Once you charge down on the wave on a edge and can get air, do the blunt motion.
4. As you air blunt, push on the paddle blade to turn the boat backwards, and flip your boat on top of you.
5. Once you are upside down, crunch with all your might to pull the boat underneath you. As you crunch, rotate the paddle blades so the water can pass under them, but you can still power the boat under you. 
6. Add a recovery stroke if needed!

While those steps may seem hard, once you break them down they are surprisingly easy. Then all you have to do is put them all together on the wave and you are all set!

The secret to doing a pan am is get the best take off possible. The best take off’s consist of hard edging, a strong initiation stroke. Most importantly do a pan am you need the confidence to flip the boat over on the wave. The pan am is a instant hit once you do it, and will absolutely “wow” your friends. The Keener program is a awesome way to learn this trick and many others, while you get to paddle sweet waves! Hope to see you out on the water!

Jacob Walker

Otis - week 2

On my second week of keeners the mighty river gods smiled upon us and lowered the water level, this meant that the waves Baby Face and Garberator where in.

Baby face is a great wave because its slow, great for blunts and spins and it is right next to keenerville this means in the afternoon or weekend us keeners can have a 2 minute paddle to a great wave. Garberator however is down by the lunch spot and takes at least 15 minuets to paddle there, but is an extremely fun wave, its big, its hella fast and is great for pulling tricks like aerial blunts or airscrews.

Surfing Garb

In Keenerville I am staying in the prestigious white house cabin, where are many community bonding activities that take place in the white house this includes- Bacon rationing, to keep our supply of bacon high and to teach self discipline. Nightly foosball matches, to have a bit of competitive spirit into the group and to bond the whole cabin as a team. Also this week the keener program did the 'Wall mart trip' where everything is super cheap, for example 8 litres of bagged milk costs only 7$. On the trip I also purchased a tub of protein shake powder and a box of 10 grape flavored cool aid drinks.