NEWSLETTER
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| October 2017 |
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| Check out our Kayaking Resources tab: One stop for all the information you need to go paddling! |
From the Prez
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| By Mike Germani |
Hey all,
This month, the WKC Sea Kayak trip leaders were thanked for their trips and treated to a nice dinner at Bistro Baffi in Burien. After a random drawing a new Gear Lab Greenland paddle was awarded to Jose Reyes. Congratulations, Jose! A total of 9 trip leaders led 30 trips from Aug 1, 2016 to July 31, 2017. Please thank them heartily next time you paddle with them. Beer and/or cookies work well. This might also work to bribe them into leading future trips. Let us know where you would like to go.
As fall begins, it's time to start working on skills for next season. We are scheduling a series of tutorials with world renowned kayaker and accomplished author Nigel Foster - details below - check back for dates!
The pools are open and there are still a couple WKC Roll Clinics you can jump-into this month. There are several sea kayaking trips coming up - including a beautiful paddle through the San Juans from Washington Park to Orcas island and Bird Watching on Hood Canal. Sign-up early to reserve your space. If you prefer rivers, then don't miss trips to Middle Sauk and SF of Calawah, or spend the weekend at Metheny Creek. The Cedar River Whitewater Races #2 are scheduled Nov 4-5. And the Seattle/Portland Kayak Polo Team is looking for participants to play in the U.S. Kayak Polo Nationals - check event calendar for details!
See you on the water!
Mike
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Featured Trip
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Washington Park to Orcas Ferry: Oct 28
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We will launch from Washington Park then head up Rosario Strait with a little current ride. We'll stop at Strawberry then head to Peavine Pass tand lunch at the Blakely marina. Then a few more miles through Harney Channel to the Orcas Ferry where we'll have dinner at the Orcas Hotel and a free ride home on the ferry. Kayak wheels are required.
Participants must be prepared for paddling 15+ nautical miles (with some current assist), and a 3 mile crossing of Rosario Strait with the potential for 1-2 foot waves and 15 knot winds.
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When: October 28
Where: Washington Park, Anacortes
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| See our Events Calendar for more upcoming trips! |
Training
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WKC Roll Clinic: Oct 1, 8, 15 & 22
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WKC’S annual Roll Clinic is now on the calendar and we will be at the EVERGREEN POOL again this year.
There will be four morning classes. You can take just one or two classes if you like but will be limited due to signups for all four classes. There will be enough skilled instructors to accommodate both beginning students and those trying to improve their current rolling skills. This is a Bring-Your-Own- Boat (WW or SK) program and pre-registration is required.
When: October 1, 8, 15, 22
Where: Evergreen Pool
606 Sw 116th St, Seattle, WA
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WKC Pool Sessions: Tukwila, Shoreline, and Tacoma: Open Oct 1
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Continue to build your skills at weekly pool sessions offered by WKC in Tukwila, Shoreline, and Tacoma.
The fee for weekly pool sessions is $10 for WKC members and $15 for non-members.
The pool sessions are typically available on alternating mornings and weekdays.Be sure to check the schedule - and thank your pool coordinator forvolunteeringtheir time to make the pools available!
If you have any questions about pool sessions:
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News and Events
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2017 Hobuck Hoedown Surf Festival Wrap-Up & Results
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By Hamp All
The Hobuck Hoedown was started in 2007 as the Pacific NW's first Surf and Sea Kayaking Competition. Ten years later, it has become a very successful event!
This year, it began in true PACNW style, with rain, wind and chunky surf, but featured plenty of tight competition in all categories to keep chilled WKC members and guests attentive from within the shelter of their Cags and raingear.
Fortunately, the fall conditions abated in time for the Saturday night catered dinner and raffle - an opportunity to raise additional funding for Makah kids programs and the Makah Cultural and Research Center (MCRC).
Sunday dawned with perfect conditions for finals - beefy 4’ surf with clean shoulders and enough power to make advanced maneuvers possible in both long and short kayaks as well as SUPs.
2017 Hobuck Hoedown Results
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Thanks to all sponsors and volunteers!
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2017 Lumpy Waters Wrap-Up
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By Tomas Tabisola
I wanted to provide some feedback to this past weekend's Lumpy Waters Kayak Symposium which was its 9th annual event. This was my 4th time participating and it was the first time that there was sunshine all three days! Even one day would make it great but all three days? Wow!
There were quite a few WKC members attending this year -- Skip Haverly, Barry Walstead and his wife Kyra, Romuald a Thorn, Pam Powell, and myself. Did I miss anyone? Like previous events, this is an international affair with coaches coming from as far as South Africa and Scotland. I met paddlers who drove from Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. Two very avid paddlers flew in from New York.
Read More
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Other fantastic regional Kayak Symposiums
Paddle Golden Gate
Bay of Fundy Sea Kayak Symposium
Baja Kayak Fest
Storm Gathering
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UPCOMING EVENT: Winter Tutorials with Nigel Foster
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CHECK BACK FOR DATES & LOCATION!
As the days get dark and dreary, it's a great time to build skills and get ready for next season's Sea Kayaking adventures! Do you have the skills you need to take you to the places you want to go?
World-renowned kayaker and accomplished author, Nigel Foster, who is considered one of the most charismatic and talented instructors on the planet, has offered to present a series of classroom navigation tutorials from his new book, The Art of Kayaking, which is suitable to sea kayakers of all levels.
Topics covered include:
- Charts explained
- Basic navigation
- Tides
- Weather
- Buoys
- Transits
Course Sample
The Art of Kayaking
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Check back for dates!
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2017 NW Whitewater Slalom Cup Dates
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The NW Whitewater Slalom Cup continues with highly valuable points awarded at each race and the best 8 out of 10 race results are totaled for fabulous awards in each.Come out and compete or just learn some slalom moves and have some fun!
Upcoming Slalom Events:
Nov 4-5: Cedar Whitewater Races #2
Nov 25 -26: Bull River Races #2
Race Calendar
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WKC San Juan Seven Challenge
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| 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:
October 21: Cypress Island
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WKC Seven Rivers Challenge
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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:
Oct 28: MiddleSauk III
Nov 11: Middle Stillaguamish III
Contact new Whitewater Trip Chair
or 7RC Cheerleader
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Looking to Buy/Sell Used Paddling Gear?
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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:
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Schedule for ACA and PNA (formerly BCU) Paddler Certifications
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| 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: |
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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.
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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.
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Recent Trip Reports
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Check out the Trip Reports tab to see more WKC kayaking adventures.
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Team Petty Adventure: British Columbia 2017
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By Kanako Iwata-Eng
This is our fearless leader Bill Petty’s 40th year of paddling. He has been leading annual whitewater road trips to British Columbia almost every year for the past 28 years, and BC continues offering endless rivers he has never run. To paddle unknown rivers again this year, the Team headed to the northern capital of Prince George this time.
Read More |
Three Sport Loop: Lake Chelan
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By Rich Feffer
Rich and his wife recently completed a loop trip in the east and north Cascades -kayaking from Manson (near Chelan) to Stehekin, hiking through to Highway 20, and then cycling back to the start. Mileages were 46, 21, and 105 respectively, totaling 172 over 8 days. They enthusiastically recommend this trip if you like to combine multiple sports and get a good weather window (especially for the paddling portion).Beautiful scenery as you watch the landscape change from desert to mountains and back.
Read More |
Fall in the Wall for First Timers
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By Shanna Gachen
Shout-out to one of our lifetime members, Jon Almquist, who never stops volunteering his time to help others adventure and experience our beautiful rivers. Whether it's helping out with the whitewater class, heading up skill builder trips right after class, leading adventure trips to the beautiful Olympic Peninsula or pushing any level paddler to their next level - he's always game!
Thanks Jon for all your guidance!
Read More |
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Copyright 2014 Washington Kayak Club
President: Mike Germani president@washingtonkayakclub.org
Secretary: Bill Porter
Treasurer: Jackie Brown
Editor: Brenna McVety newsletter@washingtonkayakclub.org |