How to get vertical - Justin MacArthur

So you gonna want to start practice bow at stern smashes, then you can link them together to get closer to vert, now try introducing an edge making it closer to vertical. From here you’ll want to bring in your paddle taking a stroke backwards or forwards to elongate the motion thus getting higher each time. Then your gonna want to practice these concepts a lot; a good time is on the flatwater witch most rivers have quite abundantly so it shouldn’t be that hard.  Once you get the hang of this you can start adding more edge, thus getting even more vertical. For the final step you’ll want to focus on standing up on your feet and pushing them underneath you, thus completing the motion and becoming fully vertical. Congratulations!

How to flat spin in a wave - Noel Weisenburger

A flat spin is one of the easiest tricks you can do on a wave or a hole. It consists of a full 360 degree rotation with the boat flat, and is worth ten points in the icf scoring system. One of the most important things for the success of any trick is your position on the wave. On a larger wave it is easy to throw a flat spin anywhere flat in the wave where you will not lose the wave when you start rotating. In a smaller wave, it is often better to find a sticker corner of the wave or hole where you can stay in the hole during the flat spin. 

The first step of a flat spin is to use a back sweep to rotate the first 180 degrees to a back surf. During the rotation, you need to keep your eyes upstream otherwise you will flush. Now that you are backwards in the wave, you can look over the other shoulder upstream. To finish your flat spin, use a forward sweep on the opposite side of the back sweep you used to initiate the spin, and you should come right back to a front surf. A flat spin can be initiated from a side surf or a back surf as well, the only requirement is that you rotate a full 360 degrees.

About Rain - Colin Glackin

There is lots of rain here in Canada. You always see these photos and videos of it being nice and sunny but that is not the truth there is lots of rain for the past week. It has been raining a lot while we are on the water and when we are off of the water. The weird thing is that even when it rains a lot the water in the river does not rise sometimes. But the rain is nice sometimes when you are going up to a rapid and there is mist on the horizon line and it is dark and gloomy. But the rain can also suck because there is lighting, we have to stop kayaking for a bit, also when you get out of your boat at the end of the day or lunch you get very cold and your boat starts to fill with water. But besides all of the negatives about rain it is still very nice and its good to have once and a while.

Skeeters, a critical analysis - Finn Blankenship

There are 67 different species of mosquitoes in Ontario, however around 30 percent of the mosquitos you see will the of the Aedes vexans variety, otherwise known as inland floodwater mosquitos. The female mosquitos are the only ones who take blood meals and they prefer cattle, horses and birds. This said, mosquitos will gladly feed on humans if given the opportunity. Male mosquitos feed on nectar and sap and are generally not a nuisance to humans. Mosquitos are eaten by birds, bats, frogs and dragonflies. Mosquitos, informally known as “skeeters” can prove to be a nuisance to keeners as when the females bite they create large welts that can irritate and itch for several days. When there are possibly hundreds of mosquitos swarming each keener these bites can appear all of their body in great numbers. 

There are several ways to prevent skeeters from affecting you as a keener. Firstly during morning workouts is one of the times where skeeters are the worst. To prevent them you can wear long clothing like pants, a hoodie, and a hat. Secondly preventing skeeters in the indoor areas can be integral as warding them off while you sleep is difficult. To prevent this you can check screens before you open windows to make sure there are no openings. You can also shut the door quickly once entering to prevent skeeters from following you in. Using these techniques you can minimize mosquitos impact on your keeners session. You can see an example of a skeeter-proof outfit below. 

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.