This clinic is designed for persons who have some previous whitewater kayaking experience and a refresher or are ready to develop further whitewater skills. The emphasis here is on information and technical skills. The days are a combination of technique discussion and drills that are designed to hone these techniques. Each day begins with an introduction to a specific set of skills revolving around river travel and is followed by extensive drill work to develop the idea into a reflex practice. Proper stroke placement, boat position and posture are continually emphasized. This clinic will be held on water with a difficulty rating from flat to easy class III. Surfing will be introduced in this clinic.
Topics covered in this clinic are:
- Using your boat: angle, lift, speed, edging, entrances, exits and in between
- Stroke technique: the "Duffek" stroke, timing, power, rotation, placement
- Eddy work: peel-outs, "s"-turns, jet ferries, one stroke exits
- Using different currents: identifying varied currents and diagnosing what they mean for the kayaker
- Feeling the water: drills emphasizing an understanding of the current force and how to use it
- Surfing: how to catch a wave, how to stay on it, what are the good waves to surf and why
- Ratios of momentum: how far your stroke takes you and why
- Scouting: Identifying all the lines in a rapid and picking the easy one
- Drills: flat water drills, eddy drills, moving water drills
Schedule
This two-day course is typically offered on Saturday and Sunday.
Saturday
- 9:00 am: Meet at Sound Bikes & Kayaks.
- 10 am to 12 pm: Lake Mills (link to map).
- 12 pm to 1:30 pm: Lunch
- 2 pm to 4:30 pm: Lake Mills, Elwha River or Cresent Beach (link to map)
Sunday
- 9:00 am: Meet at Sound Bikes & Kayaks.
- 10 am to 4:30 pm: Elwha River and Cresent Beach (link to map)
You will need
- Long-sleeve synthetic (polypropolene/capilene) shirt and pants
- Change of clothes and warm hat
- Wool or synthetic socks
- Strap for eyeglasses or extra contact lenses
- Nose or ear plugs. Swim goggles.
- Swimsuit or swim-trunks, and towel.
- Sunscreen
- Water
Remember you are going to out all day in weather that can change in an instant. Be preparedand make certain you have what you need for an enjoyable weekend.
Lunch will be provided Sunday. If you have allergies or special requirements, please let us know in advance.
Kayak gear is not provided in this class. Rental gear is available.
This clinic is designed for people who have nailed down their basic skills, are completely comfortable in class II and III or are already into class III water but want to really refine their skills so that they may fully enjoy the river. There is a great deal of emphasis on "playing" the river. This includes lots of surfing, enders and retendos, and flat-spins as well as being able to really get a grip on the currents in rapids and have fun in the actual whitewater. Rather than simply running through the rapids we emphasize dynamic movement within the rapid itself, ferrying on the fly, spinning on rocks and waves, catching multiple eddies, and really exploring all the possibilities of river-running.
Topics covered in this clinic are:
- Working with the current: using the current to your best advantage, minimizing/conserving energy
- Running specific lines: scouting out plan A, B, C and running those specific lines
- Dealing with fear: how to recognize the different levels of fear and identifying pre-emptive shock
- Technique: (some things never change) rotation, stroke placement, timing
- New moves: the boof!, the pivot turn, the flat turn, the opposing lean
- Play moves: enders in waves and holes, flat spins, wave spins, squirts
- Subsurface current: what’s going on down there and why it matters
- Drills: 1-stroke ferries, eddy turns, squirts, "Duffeks"
Don't just live the length of your life, live the width of it as well. -Diane Ackerman