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| Plugging For A Loop |
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| Charging through Corner Wave |
A big thank you to my parents, to all the staff members involved in making this summer great and to Joe for being the brains behind the operations.
ND
Showing posts with label Nicole Diviney. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nicole Diviney. Show all posts
Tuesday, 21 August 2012
Last Day Of Keeners Ever :'(
Hello!
Nicole Diviney here. It is Tuesday morning and I am looking forward to a great last day paddling with keeners. I am flying back tomorrow to start my very last minute school preparations. I would have loved to go to the Rouge Seven Sisters with the keeners tomorrow; however I am not too under the weather as it is hard not to be happy here! I will really miss the people who helped to make this an unforgettable summer and the features that made every day paddling a learning experience and a truly fun time. Otherwise, what can I say! I love it here and will be working here next summer. The time between now and then will fly, and I look forward to coming back to familiar faces and to see how much everyone has improved as well as show off my new skills that I will work on back home in Switzerland.
A big thank you to my parents, to all the staff members involved in making this summer great and to Joe for being the brains behind the operations.
ND
A big thank you to my parents, to all the staff members involved in making this summer great and to Joe for being the brains behind the operations.
ND
Monday, 6 August 2012
SESSION 3: Week 1!
Good evening ladies and gentlemen
I am Nicole D and the first day of the last session is coming to an end! So far everything is going swimmingly, literally. Well, no, I only swam once (twice if you count the fun brain douche stuff), and with good reason. Today was really fun, as we got to run McCoys. Me and the other Nicole were the first to run 2 different lines as we have been here for a couple of weeks and so are more familiar with the rapids than a lot of the other keeners. After scouting and running several lines on McCoys, we surfed Baby Face and then went onto run the Lorne, before proceeding onto the delicious, juicy lunch.
After lunch we spent some time learning to ferry across currents in an S turn and then went onto surf Push Button. We then ran the entire river, and I didn't swim once and so I am no longer nervous when approaching big water! Our coaches today were Stephen, Clay, Joel and the former keener, 19 year old James, who goes by the name Night Hawk for reasons unknown to me and fellow keeners. He has been really motivational and will undoubtedly go on to be a legend like the older coaches guiding us every day.
Tonight was the first speech night and I was the critique, meaning that I commented on peoples' performance. There was hardly anything negative to say, as the night was both entertaining and more or less civilized. Stephen concluded the night with one of his inspirational and amusing talks! The new keeners have been really nice, and it is definitely the most culturally diverse group this session! One of the Yakistan girls is from Chile, and there is a boy all the way from South Korea! (who gave one of the entertaining speeches).
I am super happy to be a part of this group of young, enthusiastic paddlers. I think that my summer will end nicely with great company alongside me on and off the water! Stay tuned for exciting tales from exciting young people!
Sleep tight
ND
I am Nicole D and the first day of the last session is coming to an end! So far everything is going swimmingly, literally. Well, no, I only swam once (twice if you count the fun brain douche stuff), and with good reason. Today was really fun, as we got to run McCoys. Me and the other Nicole were the first to run 2 different lines as we have been here for a couple of weeks and so are more familiar with the rapids than a lot of the other keeners. After scouting and running several lines on McCoys, we surfed Baby Face and then went onto run the Lorne, before proceeding onto the delicious, juicy lunch.
After lunch we spent some time learning to ferry across currents in an S turn and then went onto surf Push Button. We then ran the entire river, and I didn't swim once and so I am no longer nervous when approaching big water! Our coaches today were Stephen, Clay, Joel and the former keener, 19 year old James, who goes by the name Night Hawk for reasons unknown to me and fellow keeners. He has been really motivational and will undoubtedly go on to be a legend like the older coaches guiding us every day.
Tonight was the first speech night and I was the critique, meaning that I commented on peoples' performance. There was hardly anything negative to say, as the night was both entertaining and more or less civilized. Stephen concluded the night with one of his inspirational and amusing talks! The new keeners have been really nice, and it is definitely the most culturally diverse group this session! One of the Yakistan girls is from Chile, and there is a boy all the way from South Korea! (who gave one of the entertaining speeches).
I am super happy to be a part of this group of young, enthusiastic paddlers. I think that my summer will end nicely with great company alongside me on and off the water! Stay tuned for exciting tales from exciting young people!
Sleep tight
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| Dropping into the Big Joe Wave at Lachine |
Tuesday, 24 July 2012
Week 2 By Nicole Diviney
Good morning/afternoon/night readers!
Week 2 has begun and today the sky is looking surprisingly grey. Nonetheless, everyone is really excited about their tremendous progress and about today's trip to Walmart and the cinema! (or movie theater, as they constantly correct me here). Yesterday was Monday and so we simply ran the main channel, surfed, and received a scary but necessary "lightning talk" from Stephen Wright. The lightning decorating the afternoon clouds was sublime above our colourful heads.
As far as on-river skills, I am very happy to have managed my first spin on Sunday. I may have credited myself for managing one before, but I do believe that I was merely shuv-it-ing my way through the wave. I am also rolling much more consistently, as I only swam three times yesterday (four if you include the intense log session). Ah, yes! The log thing was super fun. We got to paddle through a narrow channel, which at first intimidated me, but ended up being fine. We had to kayak under a log, which got closer to the water as every person completed level 1. I was told off for "loving" the log too much, as I was hanging onto it for dear life. It was a fun and different experience though, and so I'm happy we did it. It was good preparation for potential stumblings into unforeseen obstacles on the river!
All the keener girls, and keeners in general, are still getting along. We spent a nice weekend (if we were not enjoying the exciting course that is First Aid). We went swimming, paddling (baby face spin, oh yeah), watched movies, ate, and in general always had something to do as we are all great company and the Ottawa river is a delightful place to be! Well, I shall tune in next week for more news!
Peace
ND
Week 2 has begun and today the sky is looking surprisingly grey. Nonetheless, everyone is really excited about their tremendous progress and about today's trip to Walmart and the cinema! (or movie theater, as they constantly correct me here). Yesterday was Monday and so we simply ran the main channel, surfed, and received a scary but necessary "lightning talk" from Stephen Wright. The lightning decorating the afternoon clouds was sublime above our colourful heads.
As far as on-river skills, I am very happy to have managed my first spin on Sunday. I may have credited myself for managing one before, but I do believe that I was merely shuv-it-ing my way through the wave. I am also rolling much more consistently, as I only swam three times yesterday (four if you include the intense log session). Ah, yes! The log thing was super fun. We got to paddle through a narrow channel, which at first intimidated me, but ended up being fine. We had to kayak under a log, which got closer to the water as every person completed level 1. I was told off for "loving" the log too much, as I was hanging onto it for dear life. It was a fun and different experience though, and so I'm happy we did it. It was good preparation for potential stumblings into unforeseen obstacles on the river!
All the keener girls, and keeners in general, are still getting along. We spent a nice weekend (if we were not enjoying the exciting course that is First Aid). We went swimming, paddling (baby face spin, oh yeah), watched movies, ate, and in general always had something to do as we are all great company and the Ottawa river is a delightful place to be! Well, I shall tune in next week for more news!
Peace
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| Playing Log Games in the Death Slot. Photo by Rafa Ortiz. |
Saturday, 7 July 2012
Yakistan Clan
Hey it's the Yakistan cabin!
Us girls have had an amazing week. Both on and off the water, we've learned that four girls can become very close in a very short period of time.
We've cheered on and supported each other on the water, to try new things, push our boundaries, and make the most of our experience with OKS Keeners.
Hannah surfed Garb for the first time ever, Nicole managed to achieve a solid hand roll, Rebecca has been succeeding her spins on Push Button and Baby Face, and Sydney has continued to surprise everyone with her keen and persevering attitude.
Off the water, we've shared late night laughs, stories, and friendships. We have also been tempted to kill one-another upon hearing each other's alarms early in the morning... (ahem....Rebecca...)
Three weeks sure goes by fast, yet it is long enough to create memories that we will all cherish forever.
We're all looking forward to our last week together, as we make the best of our friendship, and our kayaking.
Stay tuned!
~ Yakistan Girls
Rebecca Haflich
Nicole Diviney
Sydney Nixon
Hannah Gaudet
Us girls have had an amazing week. Both on and off the water, we've learned that four girls can become very close in a very short period of time.
We've cheered on and supported each other on the water, to try new things, push our boundaries, and make the most of our experience with OKS Keeners.
Hannah surfed Garb for the first time ever, Nicole managed to achieve a solid hand roll, Rebecca has been succeeding her spins on Push Button and Baby Face, and Sydney has continued to surprise everyone with her keen and persevering attitude.
Off the water, we've shared late night laughs, stories, and friendships. We have also been tempted to kill one-another upon hearing each other's alarms early in the morning... (ahem....Rebecca...)
Three weeks sure goes by fast, yet it is long enough to create memories that we will all cherish forever.
We're all looking forward to our last week together, as we make the best of our friendship, and our kayaking.
Stay tuned!
~ Yakistan Girls
Rebecca Haflich
Nicole Diviney
Sydney Nixon
Tuesday, 3 July 2012
2nd Week Begins!
Hello again!
After several failed attempts to write this blog post (including a post with only a title, 'Week 2 Begins!'), I have managed to find the right spot to record my experiences on this beautiful river. Yesterday, for the first time, I paddled with the Keeners as I did not want to spend a day with complete beginners on the calm water. I ended up going through rapids I would have never pictured myself doing and, though I swam no less than ten times, the waves that I did manage to push through sent shivers down my spine and a grin from ear to ear. The swims were always worth it.
In addition to my knowledge of how safe the Ottawa river is, the support on and off the river never ends. My boat and paddle always find its way to the shore, either by one of the many world class instructors or by the really good fellow kayakers. My white water roll is definitely coming along. As well as the expert guidance on the river, empathizing with my saviours helps me to roll as I would not like to be in their shoes, constantly looking out for the beginner being dragged down the rapid! I have started panicking less as well which is always a plus. My amount of breath is almost as large as my vocabulary and so I know I have nothing to worry about. Anyway, I'm really happy with how everything is going. I had my First Aid training last weekend, and so this knowledge also adds to my calmness while on the river. The FA course was taught really nicely: we were lucky to enjoy a small break every hour and had many practical exercises to do so as to familiarize ourselves with potentially dangerous situations. (Though these are very rare here on the Ottawa river!)
Anyway, it's past my curfew, so I better end this! I never imagined I would love kayaking this much, but, despite the callouses and mosquito bites, the journey is full of surprises, mainly positive. Not much more to say! The food is good, the air fresh and the people friendly (and good looking)!
Stay tuned
ND
After several failed attempts to write this blog post (including a post with only a title, 'Week 2 Begins!'), I have managed to find the right spot to record my experiences on this beautiful river. Yesterday, for the first time, I paddled with the Keeners as I did not want to spend a day with complete beginners on the calm water. I ended up going through rapids I would have never pictured myself doing and, though I swam no less than ten times, the waves that I did manage to push through sent shivers down my spine and a grin from ear to ear. The swims were always worth it.
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| The view from our Lunch site. |
Anyway, it's past my curfew, so I better end this! I never imagined I would love kayaking this much, but, despite the callouses and mosquito bites, the journey is full of surprises, mainly positive. Not much more to say! The food is good, the air fresh and the people friendly (and good looking)!
Stay tuned
ND
Monday, 2 July 2012
Yakistan Ladies Here!!
One thing that us girls, Rebecca, Sydney, Nicole, and Hannah have noticed is how close you can get with the people you live with. Already we have gotten to be supportive of any of our efforts on and off the river. Doing anything together we try to be as supportive as possible. Even though we are all at different skill and comfort levels, we don't let that stand in our way. Although kayaking can be a bit more of an individual sport, there is always a group of people there to support you and often we have found the support in everyone at Keeners but especially the ones we live with. With the support of everypne involved with Keeners we have all found ourselves pushing past our limits and comfort zones. Evem though it's only the first week we have all surprised ourselves and are looking looking forward to continue the support and improvement throughout the seesion.
Tuesday, 26 June 2012
Keeners first 2 days!
Hello! My name is Nicole and I am 17. This is my first time on the Ottawa river. I have always enjoyed being outdoors. I decided to become a Keener because it is exceptional in that it focuses on producing world class kayakers, but also great individuals! My major fear is public speaking and I believe that, in joining this unique program with its weekly public speeches and many occasions to interact with people, I will become a better speaker and will be more at ease when talking to people. So let me tell you a bit about my experience two days into this life changing summer!
Loving the Keeners program so far! All of the staff members are great: friendly, helpful and very encouraging. The kayaking instructors are amazing! On my first day of white water kayaking ever I managed to successfully do the roll! This shows the extent of their expertise on the river. Today was my first time kayaking in white water and I have to say, the feeling you get when you don't capsize is super...! I can't wait to see what other surprises the river has to offer me! As well as the staff being very supportive, the Keeners themselves are all very nice. They're all very different which makes the company unique and enjoyable to be a part of. The surroundings and cozy interiors are the perfect combination for a home far from home!
Loving the Keeners program so far! All of the staff members are great: friendly, helpful and very encouraging. The kayaking instructors are amazing! On my first day of white water kayaking ever I managed to successfully do the roll! This shows the extent of their expertise on the river. Today was my first time kayaking in white water and I have to say, the feeling you get when you don't capsize is super...! I can't wait to see what other surprises the river has to offer me! As well as the staff being very supportive, the Keeners themselves are all very nice. They're all very different which makes the company unique and enjoyable to be a part of. The surroundings and cozy interiors are the perfect combination for a home far from home!
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