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  Washington Kayak Club
Fun and safe kayaking through trips, education, skill development, and conservation

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July WKC Newsletter

Published on 7/17/2016

NEWSLETTER

July 2016 Join Our Club
Check out our Kayaking Resources tab: One stop for all the information you need to go paddling!

From the Prez

By Sybille Fleischmann
I hope you are all out enjoying paddling adventures this summer. We have had a full calendar of events and have been busy with training and trips!

We are gearing up for the annual WKC Beach Party, Coastal Clinics, and Luau at Hobuck Beach from August 11 - 14.  It has been a great success each year and we are pleased to continue the tradition again.
There will be several clinics offered for kayakers of every skill level:
 
 
- A 4 day Coastal Clinic will teach skills required to experience remote challenging waters of Washington State and Vancouver Island.
Surf Zone Clinics for surf, whitewater, and SOT kayaks will teach techniques for edging, stroke proficiency, and techniques for reading moving water.
- An Intro to Surf and Rock Gardens class will teach skills to maneuver a kayak through safety, play, transition, and hazard zones.
 
These courses are taught by some of the most respected, passionate, and generous kayaking instructors in the area; Deb Volturno, Rhonda Schwab, Mike Germani, and Hamp All. We thank them for sharing their knowledge and love of the sport with the rest of the kayaking community. If you are interested, details and links to register are included in the Training section below.
 
Tomas Tabisola will be organizing the Luau at the Beach Party, again. He is planning another delicious pig roast. Please register for the Luau if you want to join the feast, so he knows how many to plan for. This is a pot luck event, so bringing an island themed dish to the Luau will be appreciated.

We hope to see you at Hobuck Beach again this year! Register for events now to hold your space.
Sybille

Featured Trip

2016WKC Hobuck Beach Party, Coastal Clinics, and Luau: August 11-14

Photo credit to Gary Luhm
Last year the WKC Hobuck Beach Party was such a success we are going to do it again. So come on out to party and have fun playing in the ocean with boats at Hobuck Beach (Makah Bay).
 
If you have never been here, Hobuck is fabulously beautiful and good for the soul. The beach is soft and flat, perfect for exploring ocean conditions. If you come out of your boat, simply walk back to shore.

Paddling opportunities will be available for all club members, including; Surf Zone Clinics, WKC Coastal Clinic, and Intro to Surf and Rock Gardening.  
 
See details and make sure to REGISTER FOR CLASSES in Training section below.
Enjoy the Luau on Saturday night.This is a potluck event so plan to bring your favorite island-themed dish.Tomas Tabisola will be roasting a pig so please register ahead of time, so he knows how many to expect!
 
 
When: August 11 - 14
Where: Hobuck Beach (Makah Bay)
Organizer: Tomas Tabisola
 
Come for the day or stay for the weekend.Hope to see you there! It could be the most fun weekend of your life...
 
 
 
See our Events Calendar for more upcoming trips!

Training

Washington Kayak Club Coastal Clinic 2016: August 11 - 14

Photo credit to Gary Luhm
This 4-day Coastal Kayaking Clinic introduces the skills required to experience thebeautiful, remote, and challenging waters of Washington State and Vancouver Island’s open coastline. The clinic is at Neah/Makah Bay and is designed to improve sea kayaking skills and confidence, which will lead to increased enjoyment of your sea kayaking experience.
 
When: August 11 - 14
Where: Neah Bay / Makah Bay
Contact: Rhonda Schwaband Mike Germani
 

Surf Zone Clinics For Surf / WW / SOT And Sea Kayaks: Aug 13 - 14

Photo credit to Sean Watson
The surf zone is an amazing environment for developing many kayaking skills at once and it can be a fun place to learn! Improve bracing, balance and edging skills and progress in stroke proficiency. You will learn new techniques for reading moving water and have opportunities to practice the skills in a supportive environment. For more advanced paddlers, begin to learn, improve or refine surfing maneuvers and skills.
 
When: August 13 - 14
Where: Neah Bay / Hobuck Beach
Contact: Hamp All
 

Intro to Surf and Rock Gardens: August 14

Photo credit to Gary Luhm
Introduction to kayak handling skills and strokes in moving water along a coastal environment - where the sea meets the shore. Learn how to read the water, develop skills to maneuver your kayak through some surf, and in moving water in rocky environments. Learn to identify safe zones, play zones, transition zones, and hazard zones.
 
When: August 14
Where: Neah Bay / Hobuck Beach
Contact: Deb Volturno
 

News and Events

WKC Hobuck Beach Party and Luau: August 13

Last year the Luau was such a success we are going to do it again. So come on out to party and have fun playing in the ocean with boats at Hobuck Beach (Makah Bay).

Paddling opportunities will be available for all club members, including surf clinics and the Coastal Clinic that starts on Thursday the 11th.

If you have never been here, Hobuck is fabulously beautiful and good for the soul. The beach is soft and flat, perfect for exploring ocean conditions. If you come out of your boat, simply walk back to shore.

Hope to see you there! It could be the most fun weekend of your life...
 

Help Support Upcoming WWTA Events

WWTA works hard to protect our waterways.Your efforts to support events sponsored by this organization help ensure all of us can continue to enjoy the beautiful paddling sites available in Washington.
WWTA events planned for July/August:
 
July 23: ShellFest – Twanoh State Park
August 13: Puget Soundkeeper – Arboretum Cleanup.
 
 

WKC San Juan Seven Challenge

We love circumnavigating islands and want to encourage more paddlers to join the fun, so we have launched the San Juan Seven Challenge.
The seven islands selected for the San Juan Seven challenge are San Juan, Orcas, Lopez, Cypress, Guemes, Lummi, and Stuart.

You can circumnavigate the islands in any order that you like and can take as much time as you need or want to circumnavigate each island. To qualify for badges you need to circumnavigate the island during a WKC trip that has been announced on the WKC website.
 
Upcoming WKC Trips:
 
July 9Lummi Island Circumnavigation
July 29 - 31: San Juan Island Circumnavigation
Contact Steven Exe for more information.

San Juan Seven Challenge

WKC Seven Rivers Challenge

WKC members who participate in club trips to the seven designated rivers will receive collective paddle/boat stickers designed by a whitewater kayaker and artist Zeus Rudner.
Challenge yourself to get all seven stickers! When a member completes all seven rivers, he/she will receive a finisher’s sticker. To make it easy to keep track, participants must register for the club trip online.

The designated rivers and in Seven Rivers challenge are: Nisqually, Nooksack, Sauk, Sol Duc, Stillaguamish, Wenatchee, and White Salmon
 
Upcoming WKC Trips:
 
Aug 27: NF Nooksack (Class II - III)
Sept 3 - 5: White Salmon(II - III+)
 

Swim for Life Needs Volunteers on Lake Washington: August 17

Now in its 19th year, the BloodworksNW Swim for Life event raises critical dollars for testing and life-saving matches from the national bone marrow donor registry, while providing a great opportunity for memorable team fun that saves lives. Kayaking support boats are needed to follow teams of swimmers across Lake Washington. Register below to support a team for this worthwhile cause.
 

ACA WW Kayak Instructor Development Workshop: Aug 19 - 23

Interested in sharing your passion for whitewater kayaking with others? Consider becoming an ACA Certified Kayak Instructor. Mo Bergmann and Quinn Daily are teaching an instructor certification workshop in Bend, Oregon August 19th - August 23rd. Why get certified? Here are a few great reasons...
 
Read More

Northwest Slalom Cup Race Dates

The Northwest Slalom Cup continues in 2016. Highly valuable points are awarded at each race. The best 6 out of 8 race results are totaled for fabulous awards. Come out and compete or just learn some whitewater slalom moves and have some fun!
 

2016 Kayaking Events

Don't miss out on these great opportunities to enjoy the water.Start planning your 2016 kayaking adventures now!
Sea Kayaking Event Links and Dates:
Hobuck Hoedown October 1 - 2
Gales Storm Gathering - Michigan October 6 - 9
Lumpy Waters - Oregon October 7 - 9
WW Kayaking Event Links and Dates:
Wausau Jackson Freestyle Clinic & Midwest Freestyle Championships August 18 - 21
Hobuck Hoedown October 1 - 2

Looking to Buy/Sell Used Paddling Gear?

Maybe kayaking isn't your sport. Need to sell some gently used gear? Looking to purchase some paddling treasure? Check out the WKC Classifieds Forum to list your items or to purchase kayaking gear from fellow paddlers. Easy to follow instructions for posting items included below:
 
 

Schedule forACA and PNA (formerly BCU) Paddler Certifications

Thinking of taking your paddling skills to the next level? Become ACA or PNA (formerly BCU) certified this season. Special awards signify specific paddling, safety and leadership skills at different levels and in various craft. These awards provide a way to track your own progress as a paddler, and give others a reliable indication of your preparedness for trips and further trainings. Improve your skills or become a certified coach and lead others on the water:
ACA Certification
Founded in 1880, The American Canoe Association (ACA) is a national nonprofit organization serving the broader paddling public by providing education related to all aspects of paddling.River, coastal, and surf kayaking certifications offered.
 
PNA Certification
Paddlesports North America (PNA) was formed in 2013 to provide access to British Canoeing (formerly known as the British Canoe Union or BCU) paddler awards and coaching certifications in North America, including canoe, kayak and stand up paddleboard.
 

Recent Trip Reports

Check out the Trip Reports tab to see more WKC kayaking adventures.

Team Petty Adventure - St. Joe


By Kanako Iwata-Eng
For the Memorial Day weekend, Captain Bill Petty led the Team to Idaho’s panhandle near Avery to run the St. Joe and nearby rivers. Bill, Doug, Ken and I got there on Thursday, May 26 and found a free campsite on the river, five miles above the Tin Can Campground.

Nisqually River - 7 River Challenge


By Shanna Gachen

The Nisqually River is fed from the slopes of the Nisqually Glacier on Mt Rainier. The river is regulated by the two dams upstream, the first being the Alder dam and the lower one being the La Grande dam, however, sometimes when there's too much water or not enough, the dams can control the flow allowing boating most of the year throughout this river reach.

Down River Play Clinic


By Paul Brower
There are times I don’t like being a beginner at a sport and this was one of those times. The first time I remember feeling this way was when my kids talked me into giving up skiing and taking up snowboarding. Going back to falling when I got off the chair lift and having to stay on the bunny slopes is hard when you yearn to be up on the diamond runs on your skis.

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Copyright 2014 Washington Kayak Club

President: Sybille Fleischmann president@washingtonkayakclub.org
Secretary: Bill Porter
Treasurer: Jackie Brown
Editor: Brenna McVety newsletter@washingtonkayakclub.org

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