Paddler Poetry ~ Maddie Norman

~ Paddler Poetry ~

Rolling sheets of pitch black velvet

Trimmed with a dash of shining lace.

A hungry blade into the current

I choose my line; I find my place.

Rich clouds that creep across the sky

And pine-streaked banks careening by.

The curtained spray that beads my face.

We hunt for holes in which to play

Main channel burgers make my day

And all our fears we must embrace.

Keener gear - West Burge

Keener Gear

              What gear should I bring to keeners? If you are asking this question then you are at the right blog. The keener packing list says to bring a Helmet, lifejacket. spray skirt, paddle, and a freestyle boat. What they do not tell you to bring is some ear plugs, nose plugs, a sponge for your boat, a water bottle, and dry gear. All of these things can be ruled off as nonessential., but on the Ottawa River they are essential. Ear plugs can be used to prevent ear infections, swimmers ear, and bone growth over the ear. This bone growth is caused by the cold water found in Keeners session 1. Nose plugs are very good for sleeping well at nigh. They help to keep the water out of your nose which makes your nose stuffy when off the water. A sponge is essential if you want to learn flatwater tricks while spending time at Keeners. A double pump is a lot harder when your boat is full of water. A water bottle is a must unless you want to be dehydrated and put plastic in the water. I usually bring a Nalgene or similar. Finally, dry gear is for the cold rainy days. It is hard to be stoked for a day of paddling with wet gear, gray skies, and no dry gear. Having my Immersion Research Nano shorty paddling jacket has kept the stoke alive on the rainy days. The last thing that is not on the packing list but is totally essential is a throw rope. There are many kinds and types but you can never go wrong with the one you have. Safety is the number one priority at Keeners and you need a throw rope to be safe.

How to write a blog at 1:30 a.m and still go kayaking in the morning by Max Feild:

         When Sydney and James say your blog is due on Friday, one might argue that that blog should be due at any time within the 24 hour period of said Friday, but, alas, it must be submitted before kayaking. So... here I am, munching on a bowl of dry fruit loops and selling my soul to the devil to get this done. After a hard, exciting week of kayaking, most of us are exhausted and ready for a day or two off the water. I definitely fall into that category, but after 4 straight days without kayaking, consisting of a wilderness first-aid course, followed by a swiftwater rescue course, I’m not too keen on losing any more valuable days on the Ottawa river. If that means cranking out a blog for you, the people, then so be it. Step one for writing a late night blog: fuel up. Burning the midnight oil takes energy, and it’s about this time when the filling dinner and the freezy pops start to wear off. Grab a flashlight and head to the kitchen where you can find anything your heart desires. Just kidding, you can either have fruit loops or cut up some watermelon. Once your belly is content, think of a topic and get to typing. I like to write my blogs on my handy-dandy notes app on my phone, mostly because the computer is so painfully sluggish, but it also helps to show a coach proof that you wrote a blog in the morning, and then you can worry about posting it later that day. Once written, read over your blog for any grammar or spelling errors and fix the ones you can find. If you can find a few, great, but try not to lose any more sleep over it, this is not school. Congratulations! You’ve completed your late night blog and you are now ready to go kayaking in the morning! I would recommend sleeping in until about 10:30 or 11:00 to catch up on sleep and then get out there and shred some gnar! Good night! 

P.S. if you become a Keener, there are a few rules that you need to keep in mind. Two big ones are the go to bed around lights out rule, and the no eating after curfew rule. These are very important and should be followed closely if you want to keep kayaking at a high level and also avoid push-ups. Thank you. 

-a very sorry Keener

How to Make an Epic Fried Egg: Whit

Here at keeners we are charged with making are own breakfast in the morning. All keeners prefer different kinds of breakfast. Pancakes are very popular option for a hearty breakfast meal. Me, I prefer a good ole fried egg. First of all to make the prefect fried egg you have to find the perfect pan. A pan is a huge deal in the world of friend eggs. If your pan is too small you can’t get the perfect flip for the egg. If the pan is too big, well the bigger the pan the better. The bigger the pan the more eggs you can fit on said pan. Once you have your pan you have to turn the stove on and start to heat up your pan. Once the pan is relatively warm you have to drop a big thing of butter and let it melt. Then proceed to spread the butter throughout the pan. Next break your egg onto the buttery surface. Wait for the bottom of the egg to turn a nice golden brown and proceed to flip it to the yolk side. This part has to be snappy because you don’t want the yolk to be over cooked. After the perfect time is reached plop it on the plate and your good, Perfect egg!

Lessons Learned on Race Day - Ian Brown

At Keeners, Wednesday is race day. This raises the question, though: why spend a whole day racing at a playboating camp? What I learned yesterday is that racing improves your overall kayaking skills in a variety of ways.
Racing builds paddling stamina, a vital skill for future multi-days or long days at a playspot. It teaches you how to run rapids  and deal with beatdowns when you are both mentally and physically exhausted.

Racing also emphasizes the importance of the line you take and teaches you to read water. As I learned on race day, it doesn’t matter who can paddle the fastest, whoever takes the best line is going to win. To take the fastest line you must cover the shortest distance from point A to B while staying in the current as much as possible. Some more keys to speed I learned from wildwater racing back home: every wave that crashes over your bow slows you down, the fastest current often hugs the outside of a bend, and it’s faster to skirt the eddy line rather than go over the middle of a wave train.

Getting a bad start in BoaterX

Case in point: during our BoaterX race through No Name rapid, I got a bad start. As we reached the bottom of Upper No Name, the person in the very front went right and everyone else followed. I went left instead, thinking it would be faster, and I passed everyone and won the race.

In fact, Keeners is not just a playboating camp; here we learn how to become better overall kayakers by paddling playboats, and days like race day and “Big Water Beatdown Thursday” help us develop these skills.

Best part of keeners so far- Dan Hilleke

The best part of Keeners so far for me has been racing down no name. This has been my favorite part because it’s not a super difficult rapid so you can really focus on your breathing techniques or your forward stroke. This is also my favorite part because you have to use the river current to your advantage to avoid holes and large waves. Lower no name is also one of the best rapids because when you’re not racing there’s so much to surf from big to small and it’s all pool drop. If you want to just make it through the rapid without flipping then you can always sneak river right. The final reason lower no name is one of the best rapids is because of the eddies is on either side of the rapid make great views to watch your buddy surfing at one of the many amazing waves for any level of kayaker.

The importance of stretching. -Noah Harley

The importance of stretching So why should kayakers bother stretching? Stretching allows for your muscles and joints to have a wider range of motion and make said motion more fluid.  That means you when you are in your boat you can really make your strokes clean and strong, as well as place your boat exactly where you want it to be.  In other words, it means you can keep your line or rapidly correct it in a wicked rapid. Stretching also decreases the risk of injury by increasing your coordination and flexibility.  In your boat, it helps you feel strong and in control of your paddle strokes.  Your core muscles in particular need to be strong and flexible to keep your boat stable.  A wobbly boat is not helpful unless you like being upside down a lot. So how and when should kayakers stretch? Ideally, you should stretch before and after you paddle.  Before heading out on the water your stretching acts like a warm up so focus on more dynamics stretches targeting the core muscles and arms.  For your core, focus on lunges with a twist, hip rotations and leg swings.  For your arms/shoulders, you can try spinal rotations, arm circles, arm crossovers and shoulder circle shrugs. At the end of a long day in your boat, you can focus on static stretching to cool your muscles off and prevent tightening that ultimately keeps you in good shape.  Focus first on any sore muscles, to loosen them up.  If your abs are sore, try seal stretches or side bends.  For your arms and shoulders, you can try simple extensions in various directions. Stay limber and get out on the water!