My time on the Ottawa - Dash Hall

Being a first time Keener I came into the program with only the knowledge that I’d be paddling on the Ottawa. I was welcomed by friendly faces, and smoothly introduced to the schedule with ease. Then came time to hit the water.

The Ottawa happens to be one of the most unique rivers in the world. Having massive amounts of water running through it, multiple different channels to choose and run, water levels that change every 2 hrs, and endless waves to surf. The Ottawa is a play boaters' dream river, while also being a great place for improving beginner kayakers.

The Keener program seeks out the most fun way to play in any rapid instead of just bombing an hour lap. Keeners works every last wave to the bottom teaching you kayaking skills along with play. Keeners makes the most out of every feature, whether it be jumping off a rock into a rapid, practicing rescue drills, playing in whirlpools in the eddy line for an hour, or trying to take out your boat at an island in the middle of the river.

The best feeling is coming off the water after a long day and stuffing your face with food. Following this you sit down and eat dinner with your coaches and friends and review footage like a football team from your paddling that day. Keeners is one of the best places to improve your kayaking, and make some great lifelong friends.

My first week at Keeners - Bodie Hilleke

My name is Bodie Hilleke. I live in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. I am the youngest of three older brothers and I love the outdoors. My home's cations of river I like to paddle is Gore Canyon, on the Roaring Fork River. Another section I like to paddle is called Slaughter House and is also on the Roaring Fork. Some sports I do outside of kayaking are skiing and biking. 

In the past few days at Keeners I have already done a lot. Some of those thing are surfing in Phil’s hole and getting beat down on Thursday. I also punched Kahuna on Colosseum, swam through McCoys, swam in the whirlpools, did loops and mystery moves, surfed Butterfly wave, ran Iron Ring, got out on a ledge, surfed Waikiki, jumped off a rock into Normans, and got tumbled in the hole at Dog's Leg. 

A couple of my favorite things in that list was surfing Phil’s hole on Thursday. It was one of the most fun because you have all your friends cheering you on so you can just drop into anything. Also when you are in the hole it is really fun unless you can’t breath. But if you can breath it is like if you got in a washing machine and turned it on you just go tumbling down the wave. Those are some of the things about me.

Big Water Beat Down Thursdays: There’s a Method to the Madness - Taylor Conklin

Thursdays on the Ottawa river are spent engaging in what OKS Keeners has named  Big Water Beat Down Thursday. To sum it up, the day is spent pushing the limits of white water and challenging yourself in new ways. While the idea of tumbling wildly out of control in a hole sounds horrific to most kayakers, the Keener program has welcomed the idea of becoming comfortable in the uncomfortable.

The day proceeded with each kayaker throwing themselves into the infamous Phil’s hole on McCoy's rapid. By the end of the morning even those that questioned the sanity of the activity at first had built up the courage to paddle into the hole. The group dynamic could not have been more perfect for a day like today, as everyone was supportive, encouraging and stoked to watch a good beat down. Of course no one was more excited to watch than Steve-O on the other side of the camera!

Fun and games aside, in my opinion, Big Water Beat Down Thursday is the perfect environment to put yourself out of your comfort zone. Growing comfortable in sticky situations such as a beat down on the river is such a vital skill to have as a kayaker. Having confidence in yourself in these situations doesn’t come easily and takes patience and practice. This goes for the boater and the rescuer as both can be equally intimidating.

Today especially, I realized how important it was to get yourself outside of your comfort zone in order to grow comfortable in the uncomfortable. This really hit home for me today as I willed myself to drift into Phil’s time after time. Although the hole never started looking smaller, and although I never got less nervous sitting in the eddy above it, I knew that the only way to significantly grow as a kayaker was to push my limits.

On the outside Big Water Beat Down Thursday might look like a hot mess, but in reality it teaches lessons that you would never learn if you always made the perfect line. Cheers to more Thursdays to come.

Big Water Beatdown Thursday - Henry Blankenship

Big water beat down Thursday was very fun. I only got one good beatdown, but it was more of a surf than a beatdown. The first time that I dropped into left side Phil’s, I flipped immediately and went from the top of the hole to the bottom, so it imploded my spray skirt. My second surf was way better since I borrowed Stephen’s spray skirt. It was more of a surf than a beatdown, but it was still very fun. 

Jude, Fisher, and Jolie had the best beatdowns. Jude’s lasted about a minute and a half, and he got tumbled so many times. Fisher’s beatdown was very good too, and it lasted a little longer than Jude’s, but it was more of a surf than a beatdown. Jolie’s beatdown was the best, although it was very short.

Big Water Beatdown Thursday - Sawyer Battles

Today was the first Thursday of session 2 in the keener program. Thursdays are special days for the keeners because it is Big Water Beatdown Bacon Thursday. On this day each Keener will face their fears of the notorious Phil's hole. There are many reasons why getting a beat down in Phil’s hole will benefit you as a keener, such as making you more comfortable in big water, teaching you how to comfortably surf big nasty features, and also putting on a good show for the spectators on the side.

My experience today was very exciting and fun. I tried four beat down attempts in Phil’s hole. My first attempt was into the left side of Phil’s, which is the less retentive side and I had a short surf but was then pushed out by the tongue. My second attempt was into the right side, which is the more retentive side, and I still got flushed right out by the tongue on the right. I tried two more attempts into the right side of Phil’s before I got a proper beat down and got spun and window shaded before I was flushed.

Overall today was an absolute blast and great learning experience. I’m stoked to get back into Phil's next Thursday and hopefully get a better beatdown.

The Keener Community - Seth Cox

As a person, student, and especially kayaker, community is one of, if not the most important aspects of my life. Happiness, for me, is provided by friends, family, and my loved ones. These aspects are also the reason I become a better version of myself over time. The people who surround you influence so many details of you. The Keener program gives access to a flourishing community of like-minded young and experienced paddlers who are all ambitious and in pursuit of greatness.

Whether small or large, communicating with your community is an essential aspect of life. The ability to portray thoughts well can make for a safer situation on the water, or making sure dietary needs are made for lunch. Being a leader means being able to communicate. When you have 4 people to paddle with there will be ample opportunity to lead. At Keeners we have race day Wednesday, and the first and second races that we competed in were in teams of four. In team Door, my team, every member contributed either thought or action to the race. Although we did not win, the competition was made better by the ability to work with good friends who openly, without judgment shared ideas.

The resources at your disposal as a result of being a part of the Keener community are incredible. An international group of boaters that are almost without fail extraordinarily helpful. Whether it is teaching, coaching, a paddling buddy, or someone to tell you a joke there is always a Keener at your disposal. After two years with the wonderful people in this program, I have met some of my closest friends and people I can rely on who live all across the United States and the world. As a kid you’re often told “The world is your oyster” and becoming a member of the Keener program has shown that to be possible.

By Ryder Crezee

So far during the keeners program I have had lots of fun surfing, racing, and getting beaterd with friends. Some of the current highlights of the camp have been surfing the corner wave and kayaking the Coliseum rapid. I look forward to more fun times.