Why we do kayak competitions - Blake Booth

We do competitions for lots of reasons: from just having fun to using what you have learned in other aspects of kayaking and using them in a competitive environment.

I am going to start on why people do it just to have a great  time. A lot of people compete just for this reason, this is the main reason why I compete in kayaking. Because I love kayaking it makes it easy to love competing. But if I did not like kayaking it would be hard to love competing. Another reason people compete in kayaking is to meet a lot of great kayakers that can help them and give them feedback on anything they need help on. Another main reason is that people just want to see and learn from other people that are around the same level as them.

There are so many ways you can compete such as freestyle, individual races, boater cross and the list goes on. But most people just want to get better at the way they kayak.

Comparing the Ottawa and rivers in Colorado - Colin Glackin

Coming from Colorado to the Ottawa river was a big change. The difference between all the rivers and the Ottawa River is crazy. In Colorado we have shallow not very wide cold snow melting creeks but here in Canada the Ottawa river is huge warm deep and very powerful. Changing the way you paddle in white water with some thing that it took a day or two to get used to. Because you have to think about lines differently and you can see where you’re going when you’re in the raffle, because they’re a big waves and such. But it’s also nice here because the water is warm and you can go "skin-to-wind" or wear a shorty. Button Colorado all of our rivers are termined by snowmelt so the water is very very cold. Comparing the Ottawa and rivers in Colorado - it’s pretty incomparable, because they are so different and not much alike at all.

New keeners read this - Lev Weisswasser

Hi, my name is Lev and this is my final week and I want to say anyone reading these blogs as I once did before you came to keeners and aren’t sure and are scared just do it. The videos and blogs make it sound way scarier than it is. Yes you can make it intend but most of the stuff you choose to do and can opt out if your not feeling it. So you know what send it and come here, you won’t regret it.

The importance of a wet exit - Brody Ast

The Wet exit is a very important skill when it comes to Whitewater kayaking. Typically you will see the wet exit a lot if you are paddling with the average "liquid logic" boater, or you are new to kayaking or helping someone get into kayaking. The wet exit is a simple move where the kayaker exits their boat while flipped upside down.

The wet exit steps are very simple steps that require you to reach across your cockpit rim and grab the grab loop on your skirt and pull your skirt off your boat and swim out of your boat. There are times when a wet exit is not a safe choice, if you got sucked into a massive whirlpool and you were to pull your skirt that would not end well, the same goes for if you got sucked into a very sticky retentive hole you may swim and keep getting sucked in. Those are the reasons I think the wet exit is a important skill in whitewater kayaking.

Pros and cons of the different vans - Sasha Sach

At keeners we have two different vans that drive us campers and coaches. There is a big red van and a white van, a bit smaller. Both vans have their pros and cons and sometimes it is hard to choose.

The red van is overall a nicer van with comfier seats. The red van is bigger and more spacious, however in the red van the music sucks. The only music available in the red van is the radio which isn’t that great especially if the driver focuses on driving and not DJing.

The white van is a bit smaller and a bit more run down, however I find comfort in the white van. The white van is the van I typically chose and here’s why. In this van though the seats aren’t as comfortable the atmosphere is filled with stoke which gets created by the power of good music. In this van there is an aux cord and us keeners are allowed to choose the music. We all choose songs together and sing along.

Overall the red van may seem nicer on the outside and on the inside but once you spend time in each van the white van and it’s greatness is unbeatable. 

Who would’ve thought the older, less comfy, worse smelling, smaller van would become a keener favourite?

Movie Marathon - Skylar Borof

On Sunday here at Keenerville we had a movie Marathon. We watched Mamma Mia one and two. Both Mamma Mias are great movies and great to watch during Keeners because of many reasons. Number 1, it makes the boys uncomfortable. Number 2, it makes everyone want to sing and dance for the rest of the day. Number 3, the movie demonstrates that you can have amazing adventures spontaneously. These movies show how to love, how to cry, to sing and dance and how to have an adventure. The Keener program teaches all those things as well expect I teach the singing and dancing.

Why should we forgive? - Charlotte Ilies

Why should we forgive? In the book The Tempest by William Shakespeare, Prospero, a wizard who had been deeply betrayed by his brother, chose to not take revenge on him. He stated “The rarer action is In virtue than in vengeance”(5.1.27-28). In this line, he is implying that forgiveness is very scarce or “rarer” and the more likely way for him to have handled this situation would have been to take revenge on the man who betrayed him. It also shows that forgiveness, although not the most common choice, was much more needed than revenge in this situation. It shows that forgiveness is a virtue and something that possesses a high moral standard. 

Getting revenge on someone will not resolve the problem, it will just give them another reason to resent you. It creates more conflict. Revenge just goes in a loop until someone gets the final word, and even then it might not be enough.

Prospero forgiving his brother put an end to their fights and in the end brought them closer together. Being able to forgive can be hard but in the end it's truly more effective and impactful than getting revenge.