Falling on my Face

First off before I get into my intended blog post topic I would like to thank my parents for supporting me in kayaking, even in the icy spring when things were not the safest looking. My amazing foster parents Tony and Gena Morrow even though I am not biologically related to them treat me just like their own children. They care for me and provide alot of support for my kayaking making it possible for me to enjoy and take part in this amazing sport. Be it taking time out of their busy schedule to drive me to the river or pitching in money to help me out on replacing my broken equipment I am very thankful for what they have done, not only to get me to the river but to raise me into the person I am today. So thank you very much Tony and Gena not to mention all my relatives that have supported me through my life and been there for me when I needed it. Especially my wonderful and kind grandma that spoils me. (THANK YOU GRANNY!)

So my intended topic for my blog is the Airscrew. The airscrew is a kayak trick that you can perform on a wave. To do a airscrew you time a bounce and switch edges to make your kayak do a barrel roll in the air then land still upright in the wave. (Easier said that done >_<)

Rush Sturges does an Airscrew

When I was sitting in the eddy at one of my favorite waves babyface I began to get bored of trying the same trick over and over again which was the blunt. The blunt is when you bounce on edge and do a 180 with the stern higher than a 45 degree angle in the air. So I decided to try to do the airscrew as a joke in front of the other Keeners on the weekend. My first attempt ended in failure but I realized the airscrew isn't as tough to do as I thought, it was actually possible and something I believed was within reach on the last week of Keeners if I applied myself enough.

So I spent the next few days constantly bouncing up in the air then flipping upside down and falling on my face. But each time I fell I could feel myself just beginning to understand it a tiny bit more, my attempts getting just a tad bit better as the days drew on. Since it was the weekend no coaches were with us on the water but today Juan also known as Juanito helped me. First he mentioned that it was very important that I get to the top of the wave where I can get the biggest bounce that would actually make doing the trick possible. So after falling on my face more getting used to actually reaching the top of the wave he then told me that I needed to edge alot more. So there I was again falling on my face after messing around with how much I need to drop one side of my kayak down to "edge" when I began to get it. My last ride on babyface wave was the closest I had been to doing a airscrew. I bounced with enough edge and leaned back but instead of staying tucked in I threw out to the side trying to force the rotation through the air which was where I failed. Even though going away from the center of rotation slowed me down I still heard the splat of the boat hitting the water meaning I did do enough to almost complete the rotation. But I still flipped and landed on my face flushing out of the wave. I don't really remember the exact details only the loud splat of my boat hitting the water on landing. That splat made me feel so good, it gave me a sign telling me I was improving and getting close to doing the trick. Knowing I have come close and improved has given me increased motivation that will make me try harder to complete the trick. When I started Keeners this session the thought of doing the airscrew seemed impossible and I didn't even try. But just from trying I realized that something that looked tough was actually not as tough as it looked. (its still tough but easily do able if you try enough) The only way to get good at something is to try and where better to learn then here where you're surrounded by the best kayakers in the world.

Corner Wave with Max Rayner

Hello internet! Welcome back to my blog. Has anyone ever wondered where the word blog comes from? Say "web-log" a couple times and you'll work it out.

Corner wave is feature on the Ottawa river located at the top of the bottom half of McCoys chute. It is fast, diagonal, green, hard to surf and difficult to get back into the eddy after you fall off the wave.

Reasons I like Corner Wave:

1. Always short lines

Is it because people are intimated of the Horse Shoe feature below, is it because it's hard to stay on for long periods of time, or maybe it's because the easier to surf Baby Face wave is just downstream. There are short lines because of all of these reasons. Corner Wave is just above where the river makes a 90° turn to the right, after this turn is the shallow and powerful Horseshoe hole where there is a small tongue in the centre. This hole has been the reason for many injuries and damaged egos. Corner Wave surfs are generally short and sweet which isn't appealing for beginner boaters.

2. It makes you strong

Corner Wave is always a workout. Once you arrive at Corner Wave you will quickly find yourself out of breath. Generally a Corner Wave surf will last around 30 seconds. As soon you fall off the the wave you have to start sprinting to make it back into the eddy. Sometimes it only takes a few strokes but other times when you flush off the far side you need to go into "Usain Bolt" to make the eddy. Effort is ALWAYS required to catch the Corner Wave eddy. There's a rule that if you miss the eddy and walk back up you must do 15 push-ups. Push-ups are done to make build strength so you don't miss the eddy in the future.

3. It makes you focus in your technique.

Corner Wave is very flushy (hard to stay on) this means that when you throw tricks you need no make sure they are done perfectly in order to stay on the wave. Theres a saying on the Ottawa river that if you can do a trick on Corner Wave you can do it anywhere. Moves such as a spin must be done with the correct technique i.e. Weight and paddle blades in the right positions and shifted at the correct times.

4. It's where all the good kayakers hang out.

Two years ago myself and my friend Quinton went for a surf at Corner Wave after dinner one night. In the eddy was Ben Marr, Joel Kowalski, Rush Sturges and Pat Camblin. These kayakers are some of the best wave boaters in the world. My point though is not to go to Corner Wave and get star-struck from the gods of kayaking, it's to learn from them. Every time I'm in the Corner Wave eddy I'm constantly watching the good kayakers surfing. I take notes on where they place their paddle, move their weight and dig in edges. I try to do tricks the same way they do and build my skills off this.

Corner Wave is a great wave to improve skills, build strength and make friends with awesome people. I highly recommend it to everyone. Have a nice day! 

Trying to get the proper technique of a blunt

Paddling hard to catch the eddy.

Keener weekends

Compared to weekdays, weekends at keeners are much more laid back. Most people get up at around 9:30 or 10:00, and then proceed to eat breakfast for a few hours. You then have the option of hanging around and doing nothing, (probably) watching a movie, exercising, swimming, or going kayaking. Seeing as how this is a kayaking camp, most people choose to go kayaking. The weekends are also a great time to rest, since most people are sore after a week of paddling. If you do choose to go kayaking, you will probably end up somewhere at McCoy's, surfing one of the many waves/holes. Being able to come back from kayaking whenever you want is great if you find that you are getting sore and want to rest for a little bit. After resting (and watching another movie) you obviously go back on the river to kayak even more and surf as much as possible. Dinner at keenerville is great because you can lie down on a couch and watch yet another movie while you eat. Weekends also involve staying up late, and watching horror movies until you are told to go to sleep. Once the weekend is over and it is time to start the week, you feel refreshed and ready to conquer the upcoming week.

Once Upon a Time...

    Once upon a time in a distant land, there lived a man.``
        ``A very attractive, smart, strong, and good at just about everything man``
       ``Ahhh yes did I mention he was humble, anyways this man journeyed too... another distant land in a
  quest``
        `` A brave and incredibly heroic quest``
           ``Hey! We both agreed that I would tell the story. He went on this quest to vanquish a monster. This monster was known throughout the world, and its name brought chills``
        ``Like you just got dropped into a giant fish tank of freezing cold water... that is frozen... with ice cubes chills.``
         ``What was that you were saying about incredibly smart? It brought chills to all who knew the stories which surrounded it. This fiend had a deep frothing mouth that had an..."
              "...unquenchable thirst for blood and an unfor(PHIL)able appetite for both plastic and flesh."
           "......Sure. This demon was known to all who dared to ask as Phil`s. Our brave warrior wearied many a mile in his journey to the Ottawa river, the stomping grounds of the mighty creature. Our protagonist made sure to prepare himself with the best equipment he could get. The ``Safety Vest of Reflection`` fashioned by the armorers of Walmart, a legendary workshop visited by only the bravest and most ``interesting`` members of humanity. He also acquired a sword forged from foam, the strongest of all materials. The master smiths of the ``Dollar Tree``produced a legendary blade solely for the hero's mission. Feeling fully prepared to tango with the ``Beast to End All Beasts,`` the man mounted his steed. Jacksonious Rockstaramous Prime the 2014th. Jacksonious was the best horse in all the land, and the man had not a doubt in his mind that Jacksonious would serve him well."
            "Into the jaws of the beast we flew. I fought valiantly with a stab left and a jab right."
        "First off you were defiantly not flying and your 'fighting' was more like you getting demolished. Unfortunately the powerful teeth were able to rip off the man`s armor and disarm him. Defenseless, the man was torn from the saddle and plunged to the depths."
          "I single handily, like all by myself...jussssst me managed to drag myself and my steed from the river."
         "That is about the farthest thing from the truth I have ever heard!"
         "IT IS NOT!"
            "There were at least four people hauling your pitiful body from the torrent"
              "ONE! and that is being generous"
         "Four!"
         "ONE!"
             "Four"
          "One!"
         "FINE!  A FEW BRAVE SOULS who were sympathetic with the soldier pulled him to shore. As the hero sorrowfully surveyed the battleground, his sword  magically floated onto an island. A kind bystander fetched the weapon for our worrier. If this was not enough to reignited his taste for battle.
       "A damsel in distress soon emerged from the river having also been dismounted by the beast.:"
       "*shaking his head* She was perfectly fine."
        "DAMSEL IN DISTRESS!!!"
        "*sigh* Why do I even bother"
        "She had lost her shoes in the violence and was weary from her travels. The knight..."
        "Oh so now your a knight huh?"
         "Yes! I have a sword do I not? mmhhmmm? Yes as I was saying the KNIGHT loaned her his iron boots..."
         "I.. I have nothing to say."
         " He began the long trek to the layer of the beast.
         "One hundred yards at most"
         "*ignoring* He crossed many a dessert of sand and tall mountain ranges with sharp rocks."
         "Oh good God this is just ridiculous"
         "These petty obstructions did not slow our determined hero down.
         "It took you at least thirty minutes to walk fifty yards"
         "*still ignoring* He had no time for pain now.
         "You Looked like you were dying!"

Vanquishing the Beast that is Phils Hole

         "stiiiilllll ignoring* He mounted he trusty steed and prayed to God for protection for he had lost his armor in his last encounter with the beast. Jacksonious galloped toward the gaping mouth of Phil's. Our hero drew his weapon, and into the froth they flew.
         "Again with the flying thing?"
         "He plunged it deep into the heart of the monster. This time our worrier emerged from the river unharmed. Having vanquished the beast, he set his sights high in search of new challenges and new monsters.
         "He does not like to brag about his achievements by the way if you have not noticed.'
         "Oh yes and there is defiantly not a video disproving pretty much all of the awesome things mentioned above so what ever you do, do not go looking for one...EVER."

I hope you all enjoyed my story. I have been having a wonderful time here at Keeners. This is the most diverse Keener session ever, and it has been amazing learning about all the different cultures represented. Besides all of my awesome new friends, it has been quite an experience paddling with all of my idles such as Stephen Wright, Ryan Whetung, Joel K., Devyen Scott, and "Mom" Anna Bruno. Sorry if this was a little hard to follow. I tried to make it entertaining. :)  PICTURES COMING SOON SO CHECK BACK!

Keener's Night Out

Every session, halfway through the second week, the Keeners take a trip to Walmart to buy some food and/or 'necessities'. For the trip all 20 of us hoarded into Walmart, and headed straight for the food isles. Teenagers being teenagers we grabbed as much junk food as we could; Fruit Loops, Freezies, chips, Twinkies, you name it. As you can imagine, not many of us will be sleeping due to the amount of sugar intake that will likely occur. A couple of us decided to buy some funny things for beatdown day, these included a reflective vest, a boogie board, a pink floaty for little kids, and a foam sword. These were bound to make for a fun beatdown day and they sure did. After the trip to Walmart, the Keeners headed to the mall food court for dinner and to watch a movie. After a very quick dinner as we were late for the movie we went into the movie theater to watch 22 Jump Street. Although not necessarily the most appropriate choice for camp, the majority of the Keeners enjoyed the movie. All in all it was a fun experience for everyone and a great change in our daily evening activities.

My keener experience so far has been incredible and I can't wait for the next 4 weeks that I am here. I have learned so much since being here from coming in with not much experience to beginning to understanding the basics of wave and hole boating, to almost having a bow stall, to learning about running rapids and choosing lines to run. Although I am missing being at home, I am very happy that I came here to become a better kayaker.

How to Maintain a Sugar High by Katie Jackson

*Disclaimer. This diet and advice is not Keener Mom approved. Please read with a grain of salt.... 

Most people think a good diet is necessary to sustain energy throughout the day. False. I have discovered the sugar high. It is a magical way to make sure you have enough energy to paddle hard through every rapid and playboat in between. The process is simple but requires preparation. 

     Start the day off with as much sugar as possible in order to jump start the rush. A bagel is only acceptable when loaded with butter, chocolate chips, brown sugar, and Nutella. At lunch, a hot chocolate should be the first thing you go for if cookies are not available. Four scoops of coco powder make for a concentrated amount of sugar in one cup. This should last the afternoon. At night you have to be sneaky. Each Keener is allowed one dessert. This can be a problem if you don't want to crash before bedtime. You must take your dessert, then send at least two more people to get you another. 

     If you want to come down slowly from your sugar high, eat a handful of chocolate chips before bed. Repeat the next day. 

I'm Back For More Banter

Once again ladies and gentlemen I am here for another blog-a-roo-ski, but this time you will be far more entertained because my stories have become that much more banterous. This blog will be about this weeks race day wednesday which was extremely entertaining and filled with a bit of harmless banter. It started with a boater cross relay on the one and only McCoy's Chute where there were 5 teams of 4 people in each team.

My Team of Katie, Jack, Myself and Jonny With Our Runaway Baton

Racer number one had to run to their kayak at the top of McCoy's and sprint into an eddy on the river left above Sattler's and Phil's hole and then back to the river right where the number 2 people were waiting to  receive the baton from  their team mate, which is located on the paddle. I was in the number two place and was off to a small eddy right above sattler's where I was in third place, coming out of the eddy through the tongue of Sattler's was extremely tight and was a move that could potentially win the race for your team if you get it right. Well lets just say that Max( in first), Isaiah (in second) and myself absolutely blew the line and ended up all getting a sexy back loop into beat down. I rolled up and was in front of Max and Isaiah! really happy I sprinted to the eddy of corner wave where the 3rd racer was ready, but I looked down to the baton on my paddle and it was gone!!!!!!!. Sattler's had stolen the baton and should be convicted for murder of the race. Utterly disappointed I went over to my team and told them the news =(     Anyway what a race and the banter that was included was rather healthy so it was a good day!!!

JEREMY.N