Advice for a Returning Keener by Evan Bate

This is my second year at keeners, I have learned a few things. First thing I realized is that some things will be different and you just have to roll with it. This year some of the rules we different and I had a new cabin. We also have a new “keener mom”. Some changes I did expect were the water level to be different and for the other keeners to be different. So far this year the water level is a few feet higher than last year. This means that many of the rapids are different than when I was here last. Also all but one of the keener were not in my last season, but they are still just as awesome as last year. It’s also helpful to know what to and what not to bring. This year I bought some extra snacks and I chose not to bring my drone. We have the same coaches as last year but one extra this year. So don’t expect everything to be the same and you will have a great time again.

How to Crush the Competition in Foosball by Blake Booth

1. Get a great teammate that will play amazing defense 2. Take the position of offense 3. Remember that the game starts before the ball hits the wood so get in there heads. This could include things such as. “You leach” “ you are a clown” and if the balls are on their side say "where are all the balls," showing that you did good the last round. 4. Serve the ball by spinning into the other teams goal, it doesn’t have to go in but get it to your teammate 5. Stay locked down in defense don’t let any balls get in your goal 6. Once you block a goal you will have the ball between the goalie and the two other score blockers 7. Pass the ball between them till you have a good shot with the goalie 8. Take the shot with the goalie and get bonus point making it be +2 9. After making the shot celebrate with your teammate keeping the moral high. Some examples are “let’s fricking go baby” “Stand on business” 10. Continue the game keeping the strategy and win the game 11. Stay ready for the next opponent

First Day Running Rapids on the Middle by Jackson Gratz

The rapids on the middle channel are super fun and can be really easy if you make them. Let’s break down the rapids you’ll do most often and what lines you can take. Little trickle: From the top start middle and look for the green hump on the left, after that punch through the curler and either book it left or turn and book it right. If you turn right you can just eddy out and continue. If you choose to turn left make sure to go just right of the red rock to clip the hole. (The hole is pretty sticky at higher but less at lower, it will probably flip you and might keep you so don’t try to punch it.) After the top it’s just a little fun chute, just remember to paddle. Angels kiss: Super easy, lean forward and paddle, barely a rapid but great surfing Butterfly: Also super easy and same as Angels kiss, lean forward and paddle, AMAZINGLY GOOD SURFING You won’t do Garvens on the first day so don’t worry about it Upper No Name: Big wave train, a good surfing hole on the top and a pretty sticky hole on the right near the bottom of the turn, just start middle and go left, easy. Lower no name: BIG wave train, not main sized but the biggest you’ll have on the middle, stay right-middle to avoid the river right hole on the top and then BOOK IT RIGHT to get right of Vampire, it is big, it is scary, and it will flip you, but going right avoids all that, JUST PADDLE. Alternatively you could go middle and book it left of Vampire, however this line is more difficult and has a much higher chance of flipping you. Overall, remember to have fun and try new things, the coaches are amazingly knowledgeable, helpful, and supportive, they have your backs if you swim so don’t worry about the big scary rapids.

Finding your People by Owen Forster

My name is Owen Forster I'm a 13 year old Whitewater kayaker from Colorado. Since I was 8, I've been trying to find friends that paddle and enjoy it just as much as me, but I just couldn't. They weren't in or around Colorado, so I started thinking I was the only one like myself, until I went to keeners. My first day at Keeners I was already seeing t-shirts that said what my t-shirt said. Seeing people just as stoked to get on the water as I was and I knew that I fit in here. Everyday when we woke up we were watching kayaking movies and so stoked to get on the water, talking about all the moves we were going to try and our favorite moves. Even though it's only my third day here I already feel like some of these people are my friends for life. Keeners brought me to my people and now I feel I have a place.

The Bricks that Make Up our Cabin by Dylan Dale

Do you like your eggs frozen? Today i walked into our cabin to make breakfast and went into the fridge and couldn’t find the eggs i was going to use, so i open the freezer and guess what was in front of me… The eggs so i grab them out of the freezer thinking Surely they didn’t think they are supposed be in there and they just set them down because they had full hands. I go and crack one open and it wont crack? Then another one of my cabin mates comes and cracks one open and its completely frozen. A few days later, we just got our food order and we have 3 new cartons of milk and we’re all like yes we can have cereal for breakfast and this should last us until next food order, but we were very wrong within 5 hours and to many glasses of milk and us telling each other we can have as much milk as we want because we will just get more we were out and had nothing for breakfast.

Quad Surfing Triple Nipple (attempted) by King Eyben

 It was day 2 of being at Keeners and Steven took some of the group down the main channel. For the first half of the day we were surfing Waikiki and practicing kick flips which was sick! Then we worked our way down to butchers block and practiced mystery moves before heading to surf Triple Nipple. 

When we got to Triple Nipple we got the run down from master Steven and he told us it would be the “smoothest wave you have ever surfed!” It was. Every time you thought you were flushing off the glassy part the ball of foam behind you would just catch you and you’d be fine. It was perfect for spins and blunts on the right side! When I hiked back up for my second lap Blake had come up with the great idea for a 4 person party surf and convinced Ian, Emery, and I to join him. Blake entered first then Ian surfed the top wave and dropped in and then it was my turn. I also caught the pre-wave then as I was dropping in I realized that Ian was right behind me but we both tried to move out of the way so I got hit by Ian’s bow and then rejected off the wave which was a bummer. Then Emery comes along and flushed himself and Blake then Ian pulled off and it felt anticlimactic but still kinda sick. 

After Triple Nipple we decided to surf Big Kahuna which was MASSIVE! We got 3 laps of Coliseum in and every one was crazy. Then we paddled back to WT and since we were early we got some free time. 

The End

How to Run the Main Channel Rapids at Medium Flow by Sam Gravel

 McCoys :

At the top there are 2 massive holes, Phil's and Sattler's. There's 3 main lines you could take to avoid these hazards. Either take the meat line through either Sattlers or Phils. Another option is to thread the needle, you can punch the end of Sattler's at the side and paddle hard to miss Phil's. Once the top section is complete you paddle straight down and follow the wave train.

The Lorne :

It's a simple rapid, you go straight down the large tongue in the middle of it and get hit by all the crashing off center waves. Once you reach the bottom there's multiple channels. Your best bet is the far right one which is just a large wave train.

Butcher's Knife : 

This rapid is mainly a large wave train that bends to the left. On the right wall there are very sharp rocks which are unpleasant to hit. To run this rapid you stay left of the central hole and away from the right shore. Follow the wave train down

Norman's: 

Norman's is a gorge-style wave train. There are a few holes on the right of it. Most of the rapid is a large diagonal wave train. To run it you start center-left, and drive right of center through boils.

Coliseum : 

Coliseum is usually the biggest rapid on the main with many features. Avoid the top left and right as there are many hazards such as : nasty pour overs, large holes, and rocks. In the middle-left there's a huge wave-hole called Big Kahuna. Many lines are possible. Either sneak left of the big Kahuna, punch it, or sneak right of it. Then follow the big wave train down and eddy out in either the right or left eddy.

Blacks :

Blacks is the final stretch before the take-out and just a simple wave train with a few hazardous rocks is at the bottom which divides it into 2 small channels. The smoothest liner is the right channel.