East Coast Canoe & Kayaking Festival!!!

So After flying back to the East coast and adjusting to the low altitude for a bit I drove down to St James Island County Park (Charleston, SC for those who are lost geographically already) for the ECCKF from April 17-20. The festival was a blast and it was information overload. I had classes either in a classroom session or out on the water. I tried to spend a great deal of time on the water as I am seriously lacking in experience.

I really enjoyed my time there but ended up taking classes in a less than ideal order (as they were full the way I wanted to take them). I do feel like I managed to acquire a technique (since I didn’t have much of one before) and picked up some skills while there. Hopefully I can retain and refine them over the summer so I am ready to go. I realize I have a ways to go but I think it was a good way to get started (and sunburned).

Many thanks to my campmates, instructors and everyone at the festival for a sweet time!

-KB

Pool Session & Birthday Party @ VMKS

I went to pool session today to work on my skills. This was my second time at Valley Mill Kayak School and I am still very impressed with them. Jim gave me a few pointers on my forward stroke and I felt like I improved a lot over my first session there. He’s good at his job. I even managed to get him to have the class sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to my good friend which embarrassed her big time – MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!

I hope I can get another lesson with these guys on the river as I feel comfortable with them as my instructors.

-KB

Pool Session/Class at Valley Mill Kayak School

I took my first kayaking class at Valley Mill Kayak School today. Jim, the head guy, got me fitted in the whitewater kayak and then Matt took over teaching us how to wet exit, some strokes and sweeps as well as some other fundamentals. This is my first time in a kayak where I was actually trying to learn something and just screw around/enjoy myself/get someone else wet. I had a good time and feel like I got a good intro but didn’t manage to learn how to roll yet. That’s something I really want to learn how to do as I think it will help me be more aggressive in my learning.

By the end of class I was starting to get a slight case of motion sickness from going around in circles but over all I had fun. We sat in the hot tub after the lesson was over and then went out to dinner with other people that were there. I have an early flight back to Salt Lake tomorrow so do not foresee myself getting much sleep tonight. Hopefully I can come back and get more instruction.

Kudos to Matt for a great job teaching!!

-KB