Eve's Big Water Beat Down Thursday

Learning how to make a Z drag in Ropes and Knots

Hello, it's Eve again. Today was our second Big Water Beat Down Thursday. To start the day off each keener ran two different lines down upper Mccoys, either through Sattler's or Phil's. My first run I tried to surf left-side Phils. I didn't make it, and flushed pretty quick, so my second ride I tried to surf left-side again, and this time I made it. Our next challenge of the day was to surf Horseshoe on lower Mccoys twice. That was amazing. Almost everyone got some really great surfs. I had so much fun doing that I went for a third, incredible surf. Before lunch we ran Mccoys, and the keeners who have gotten onto the water late for the past few days recieved their punishment; to run the rest of river backwards, starting with the Lorne. After lunch we split up into two different groups, group A surfed at Garb for a bit while group Pie surfed at Pushbutton for a bit, before heading on down the river. I was in Group Pie. In some flatwater, we found a nice tall rock with a clean drop down to the water, and the coaches thought it would be a perfect place to practice a seal launch. The first ride we practiced setting ourselves up with our paddles as if going off a waterfall while Clay pushed the boat off the rock. For everyone's second ride we practiced throwing our paddles as our boats fell through the air towards the water and brace ourselves against our boats with no paddle. At the end of the day, group Pie got to surf on one of the holes there, where most people got worked. It was awesome! :)

Big Water Beatdown Bacon Thursday

Bacon in Yakistan!!

Hello from the Ottawa River! My name is Eve Preucil and I am from Idaho. Today was Big Water Beatdown Bacon Thursday. In honor of the name, most keeners started the day off with a breakfast of bacon before heading off to Mccoys to throw themselves into the biggest hole they can find. I, unfortanatly had to miss out on the bacon as I am a vegetarien. The whole idea of Big Water Beatdown Bacon Thursday is for Keeners to become more comfortable in huge, seemingly scary, whitewater holes or waves and also so that when they are in situations like that, they know what to do to stay safe. At Mccoys, each Keener had to  choose at least three different lines to run, either hitting Sattlers, Right-side Phils or Left-side Phils. So far Beatdown of the week was tied on Right-side Phils by Kalem and Tim. After that we headed on down to run the Lorne before eating some lunch. After lunch we continued Big Water Beatdown Bacon Thursday by swimming in the pourover at the Lorne to see who could have the most downtime. As we continued on down the river to the takeout we took part in various activities such as swimming in the whirlpools and surfing or punching through large holes. All in all, it was another awesome day in the Keener Program!