Big Water Beatdowns Thursday - Elijah Reichart

Keeners is an awesome kayak program for some of the best young kayakers in the world. At keeners there are lots of fun activities every day! My favourite activity at keeners is Big Water Beatdowns Thursday. On Thursday's keeners try to surf and get beatdown in the biggest scariest holes and waves on the river. This Thursday we got beatdown in Phill's hole and on minibus. Minibus was an awesome beatdown because it was super trashy but flushed out the tongue. 

There is also a get out in difficult places game where you try to get out of your kayak in the sketchiest places to practice for having to get out and rescue your friends. We also got beatdown in the whirlpools on Butchers Knife. The whirlpools were so cool to get beatdown in because they swirl you upside down for 10 seconds and then shoot you to the surface. Watching kayakers in whirlpools is so cool because they disappear and swirl around underwater and pop up down stream. The only scary part of whirlpools is that you are not allowed to swim. 

How to Style the Keener Shirts for Dinner - Skylar Borof

Each night for dinner we wear our keener shirts. These shirts show that we are kind, responsible, respectful, and talented young boaters. Each of us holds the keener name while in them. But how do we style these shirts? Well I start off with the shirt, then I put on a super fun pair of denim overalls that are loose enough to see the keener logo. Next, I proceeded to choose the right pair of bombas socks. Now that we are fully clothed we pick out the accessories.

First we start with the head, I throw my hair into a messy bun and I pull out some strands out so that I don't look bald under my hat. Then, I pick out a good hat whether it is a beanie or a flat brim. After that, we throw on the makeup that we want to wear, and the head is done. The next step to the equation is the hands. I pick my favorite bracelets and put them on and then proceed to match them with some rings. Lastly, we need some good shoes to match with the bombas socks, throw on a good pair of birkenstocks, Arizona or Boston style, or choose a sick pair of vans slip on’s. Now we are dressed and ready for dinner, grab your phone so you can take fun pictures and grab your super cool water bottle so that you stay hydrated. That’s it, we are ready to be a stylish Keener!

The Perfect Keener Breakfast - Charlotte Iles

Step 1: Cut a nice fresh lemon in a half

Step 2: Cut a nice fresh bagel in half and toast it Step 

Step 3: While bagel is toasting add butter to a nonstick pan for the eggs (or a non-nonstick pan if you’re feeling a little risky)

Step 4: when the butter starts to sizzle, crack two eggs into the pan and ideally do not break the yolks

Step 5: butter the bagel and squeeze the lemon on top of it (please just trust me)

Step 6: while the eggs are cooking, add salt and pepper to them and wait until all the whites looked cooked on the top (don't flip the egg)

Step 7: place one egg on each half of the bagel, add some more lemon just and MAKE SURE to top it off with some hot sauce.

Why Sleeping is Important - Sasha Sach

While you are asleep your body and mind recharge. If you are lacking sleep your body won’t function at its best and you could catch sicknesses easier.

For teenagers and kids sleep is especially important since our minds are still young and developing. Multiple people would recommend that we should be getting eight or more hours of sleep every night. 

Here at Keeners not getting enough sleep means you won’t be able to kayak as well, and you will probably be in a bad mood the next day. Being sleep deprived your body won’t be as alert and you may say things you don’t mean and end up getting push-ups. Nobody likes doing push-ups while everyone watches you.

With all this information I hope you will reconsider your sleep schedule and get all the sleep cycles along with a solid eight hours of sleep.

The Mental Game - Charles Dockendorf

During keeners, one is more than certain to experience fear. From running a big rapid to being without the comforts of their home for three weeks, fear is something that is everywhere. In the keeners program, fear is what helps us get out of our comfort zones and push ourselves to become better and stronger people. Though it is crucial to developing as a person, it is not always easy to deal with.

Over the past week, I have frequently found myself scared either due to surfing mini bus at a hungry level or hitting colosseum on the main. One thing that has helped me deal with this fear is the stoke of my fellow keeners convincing me to do things as well as the reassurance of the instructors showing me that I am safe. One of my key mottos throughout this session has been “if you’re scared to do it, just do it scared”. This shows that we don’t always have to get away from our fear and we can learn that fear is an integral part is progressing to the next level and pushing yourself.

The Importance of Nutrition for Keeners - Cam Lenhart

Kayaking every day for three weeks for 6-7 hours is no normal task, and the athletes participating in Keeners are no normal people. During my stay here at the Ottawa River I have realized what it feels like to be truly physically exhausted, and how to deal with it. White House, the bunkhouse for 6 Keeners that ends up feeding 9, sees food come in through delivery and disappear immediately very frequently. The only way to keep hungry teenage boys running and performing at peak capacity is to eat more than average and supplement our bodies with calories. 

In White House, 3 eggs a morning per person is no surprise and over 20 eggs can be eaten in a day. This fuel is what allows our bodies to regenerate, our shoulders to repair their muscles and prepare for the next big day, and our minds to approach every day satisfied and ready to rock and roll. Food is power, and one's performance on the river can be solely dependent on their caloric intake and the quality of the food eaten. In order to style the river like a proper Keener, the first step is waking up to a hearty breakfast that is sure to rejuvenate and provide success on the water. 

Keener blog week one - Lyle Hering

I didn’t write my blog last night because it was speech night but I will still write about yesterday. Yesterday half of us went to the main and half of us went to the middle channel. Even though I was excited to paddle the big water like Colosseum, I went to the middle to work on my freestyle. I tried to loop all day. I got a close a couple times  but wasn’t sure I would succeed. It wasn’t till we were on our last hole of the day when I got my first loop on Warm Apple Pie. I was so exited. Now I can die a happy man. 

We had some swimmers today. One of them was David. He swam little trickle even though it’s just A class 2. Therefor, I must be a better paddler then David.