Ah Sunday, gentle Sunday at Kiptopeke 2014

I am a class-junky, an eternal student. I love classes, and learning. This year Dubside, this guy:
Dubside rolling video

told me something I have confirmed as truth: Instructors hate to be tapped for the last class of a Symposium or Festival as almost none of the students show up. (!) No sh*t, really?! Ah, now I have been that student and I can say in some paddlers' cases it is the physical exhaustion from paddling several days in a row, as Dubside supposed to me. But for myself, since he gave me this nugget, I surge strong at the end, knowing I will have an instructor with less students on her/his hands. Nice.

So Sunday dawns and I am all over this boat control class I have scheduled: Boat Body Blade with Chris Raab. It does not matter that I am firing on yet another bad night's sleep, or that my allergies are killing me. No no, I am gonna kill this. I *need* this class, I am a sloppy paddler whose arms are flapping, elbows akimbo, I know I look like a noob.

I want elegance, like a yoga pose, gentle flowing beauty. I deeply desire boat dancing, even if it takes me another ten years. This is my *thing*.

I have forgotten this young man's name. He was in at least two of my classes with me. Maybe I need to start writing down names, like a journalist.

Liz, looking elegant here, was in all three of my classes. She lives in the WDC metro area, like me.

The "lesson" beach. 

I am *also* sitting on my back deck like Chris and Brian here. I was snapping photos while balancing like a gymnast on the balance beam. Because I wanted to take pictures I did not try to cross my legs like Chris urged a couple of other paddlers into. I am pretty sure Liz nailed it, wow!

Chris is just starting to sit "side saddle."

Oops, lost one, and then another. No shame in that. This is not an easy exercise. Great practice for balance!

This class was the perfect way to end the Symposium. I learned I was turning my low brace turn stroke in to a reverse sweep stroke. That needs fixing! What a fun class, and just what I was looking for in adding finesse to my strokes. I really like Chris, he is amusing, which makes learning easy.

I am definitely "in" for next year. What a great experience. Many thanks to Rick for orchestrating all this!

Saturday at Kiptopeke Sea Kayak Symposium 2014

Friday night was apparently to be my only decent night of sleep during my long weekend. Saturday morning, 6 am, I shambled around like a coffee-starved zombie still somewhat befuddled. Eventually I managed to get my act together and head out to my second all-day class Intro to Rough(er) Water with Brian Blankinship and Paula Hubbard. During the intro briefing we learned we had picked up a third instructor, Chris Raab.

Brian and I live in the same neck of the WDC woods. I know him and have taken a couple of short strokes classes with him. I had met Paula but had not paddled with her, and Chris was brand new to me. 

I like to take lots of photos, but this particular day we knew we would be getting plenty wet so my camera only came out once or twice. Hence, a lack of many photos.

Chris Raab in blue on the left

Sonya in pink on the left

Gary in the foreground had a very interesting kayak-life story to tell: he had never paddled a kayak before owning his current kit-boat. Being a professional wood worker, he agreed to build a pair of boats with his sister as a project. This sturdy wood boat arrived at the Symposium with a damaged stern. A van had hit the boat during Gary's trip down. The boat swept the van's cargo racks clean off the top of the vehicle! And yet, the boat needed only a couple of duct tape bandages to make it through the Symposium. Now, that's a sturdy boat!

Best shot I have of Gary's boat's band aid

Getting ready, once again sharing the launch with another class

We knew we would be wet so we all packed pretty carefully

Lunch on a protected island. We carefully avoided walking above the sand-line.

This day the waves had swelled into "almost conditions." We played in the water for hours, practicing strokes, and catching some rides on waves. I received a bunch of quality instruction this day. In fact, I felt like Chris gave me one or two little nuggets of wisdom that will shine for years as I buff them against my growing experience.

We switched to rescues in the last hours of class and I opted out. My shoulder was hanging in there but it is always on the edge of becoming a problem. I just wanted to avoid making it worse when I was only half-way through my weekend. Yeah, I am sometimes a wimp. Lastly, the class switched to towing. I caught a tow from (argh, I hate when I forget names!) with the sunburst Chatham.

After she took her tow line off I literally surfed all the way back to the launch due to the following seas, winds, and perfect little rollers pushing me along. I had a super day.

I enjoyed all three instructors, each for a different reason. Paula seems thoughtful and asks students perceptive questions. Brian is enthusiastic, encouraging, and has a lot of interesting anecdotes. Chris gave me spot-on advice that helped me catch the waves better. Oh, yeah, it was a super day.

Just want to finish up mentioning this black boat:

Alexa and her friend who gave me the tow, at lunch

Alexa's Necky Chatham 16 is carbon. All carbon. I remember this boat when it was brand new. James and I took Potomac Paddlesport's "bombproof roll sessions" during the winter of 2011-2012. When she unloaded this boat on the pool deck everyone stood around admiring it. It is a shiny jewel of a boat. 

I continue to be somewhat skeptical of the all-carbon boat. My only experience with carbon is as a cyclist. Carbon frames are generally considered trashed after 3-5 years of riding. This is especially true of the light layup road bikes. Alexa said she has had not one problem with the boat, leading me to wander mentally down the path of future boats...

Friday at Kiptopeke Sea Kayaking Symposium 2014

Thursday of last week I left home at 10 am with my Romany on top my car, sleeping bag,  food, cooler, and the giant mound of kayaking equipment I seem to find myself carting around. I arrived at Kiptopeke State Park, found Rick Wiebush in Cabin 3 as instructed, checked in and received my room assignment.

I headed over to cabin 5. I met some roomies, and Brian Stevens, who had beat me there. We sat and caught up for a bit before heading over to check the beach, etc, out. We met Pete Hohman and his group from BCU 4 Star training at Sting Rays for dinner. Then we headed back to Cabin 3 for a meet and greet. Everyone stayed up late getting settled and visiting. Finally around 11:30 the cabin grew quiet and it was time for a fitful night's sleep.

Day 1 class Intro to Surf with Ed Schiller and Ken Fandetti:

Our coaches, left Ed and right Ken, looking grim here, but actually they were both kind and smiling most of the time.

Another class launching before us. Sonya stands in the frame to the right. She was my surf partner for the day

packing and prepping

Looking across at the launch site.

waiting for the whole class

Making our way out into a channel between islands 

channel crossing

In the left distance one can make out the point we would later paddle around to find some ragged breaks and seriously confused standing chop

We left our boats behind and walked around the point to view the rougher Altanlic side of the island

Lunch!

We proceeded around the point, following Ken and Ed

We actually made a landing, or two on the rougher side. This served us well as learning to land on a beach in even little surf is important and not that easy

I pushed my envelope in class.

I made a beach landing although I did not want to. Ken gently nudged me along. I was so glad I did not botch the landing. It had been a few months since my last surf lesson and I was wondering if I would remember how to land.

Earlier I had gotten stuck on a sand bar after riding a wave in too close to the beach. When my boat was forced on its right side by the incoming surf I realized that a) I am on the correct side of this-the ocean side and not getting crushed by my boat; and b) when my right elbow touched sand I decided to pop my spray deck. I climbed out and emptied the water from my cockpit. I was preparing to launch back into the surf when Ed arrived and urged me out into deeper water. He steadied my boat while I heel-hooked back in. A little water came into my cockpit with me and I pumped it out once I had gotten out past the weird standing chop.

We really did not find many breaking waves but instead practiced paddling parallel to the beach inside the break zone, and rotated through the standing chop in a circular conga-line of boats. I think everyone caught a few little waves and rode them for what they were worth.

Ken and Ed are both great teachers, cheerful and steady. I would definitely take a class from either of them again.

This night after dinner at Kelley's Gingernut Pub in Cape Charles we went back to Cabin 3 to listen to first Rick and then Jen Kleck give presentations on paddling the Baja Peninsula.

This night everyone crashed early and I was myself asleep by 9;30.

Ladies of the Lake Sea Kayak Symposium 2014

The Upper Peninsula of Michigan, usually just called the UP, is an incredibly beautiful place.

Credit B Martin 2014

From the first impression while crossing that enormous bridge on to the UP, until we drove off again there was a feast for the eyes in every direction. The weather was mild and pleasantly cool after the heat and humidity of WDC during the summer.

I heeded the advice of the Symposium website and brought my wet and dry suits. I wore the dry suit 3 out of 4 days I paddled there. We had class no matter the weather. We had breezy, cloudy, windy, and blue skies rotating through every day. The water maintained a 52 degree (F) temp. Cold enough I would say. I have got layering skills nailed down. I was warm even the two days I spent 2 or 3 hours in roll class, either practicing or standing in the water spotting.

Generally speaking the experience was certainly positive over all. The students were all enthusiastic and welcoming. All of us made friends that we took away with us.

Sydney's Shark Bay Bar served as headquarters, and also served as our main dinner spot. Our group of eight ladies met every night, along with new friends, to recap our day's classes. Then we would wander upstairs into the meeting hall to hear the evening's presentation. We were also well served by the advice given to us by Symposium staff: stay at the Days Inn, right next to Sydney's. Good advice.

The teachers were all great. But unfortunately I could barely remember their names! There were just so many instructors and students. Also, unlike the East Coast Festival (ECPOF), the line up of teachers changed before class, at the last minute, even. Therefore I had no way to look up the teachers and refer back to their names. I am a bit sad about that.

The gal who taught bracing I also had for boat control class. She was lovely and I am mad at myself that I do not know who she is. Of course, she had also drank the "Romany coolaid," so that might have helped me bond with her.

This was during the boat control class. We had wind and chop, making it a good environment to practice control.

Briefing before class started on the water

And this is my Greenland rolling teacher, Tammy.

Tammy is on the right

And this not great photo is Renee, the other Greenland Rolling Instructor

I think Tammy's last name is White, and she is really amazing! Here are some videos I found of her on the interwebs:

Tammy's butterfly roll

More Tammy Rolling

I am so grateful to her. I had two sessions with her and although I did not complete a roll I did begin to understand the mechanics involved. Up until that point I was sure I would never roll. Now I am sure that I will. Thank you Tammy! You are so awesome!

Tammy in the background working with a roll student. 

random boats

I have never seen that many nice boats in one place before. Not even the Masters Beach at the East Coast Festival had this many boats in it.

Both Greenland Roll Instructors Tammy and Renee

Karen in the foreground taking a break

Jaclin

You know I have to throw in mood shots

I am guessing this is Kelly Blade's boat based on the decorations. Kelly was one of the "token men," and was on hand representing Werner and Wilderness

More rolling

Us at lunch

So I took Bracing, Greenland Rolling, and Boat Control classes. My fourth class I played hooky. I admit it. Jeanne, Laura, Kris, and I went out for a paddle. We were all supposed to take a Rough Water class but when we all separately realized it was a basic class for beginners we artfully, one hopes, faded into the background, We grabbed our safety equipment and launched our boats. It was a lovely jaunt out into the lightly stormy, ruffled Lake. We were stopped on our way out by a "hall monitor," but she let us go. Whew!

From the left: Jeanne, Laura and Kris

War canoe!

And now for the critical analysis: The Symposium was flooded with beginners. I would say half or even 60% of the students were very novice. The teachers and staff admitted, when asked, that they had not planned for that many beginners. The teachers did the best they could and therefore shaped their classes to the lowest denominator. This meant that some of the classes I chose were not challenging. Some of the staff for the Symposium was not very helpful when I looked for solutions to my dilemma. For that reason, I played hooky for my fourth class, and switched my fifth class to rolling, by asking Tammy and Renee directly on the beach the morning of the class. I will be more careful in the future to chose classes that clearly say they are designed for "intermediate and above" students.

I had under-appraised myself after reading complaints on the web from different symposiums and classes about beginners placing themselves in more advanced classes and then holding the higher level students back. I did not want to be that kind of student, the over-confident kind. But next time, I will just think of stretching myself up in to a challenging class and not hold myself back.

All in all, great instructors, great location, great time. It was an experience to remember, that is sure. It may be one to repeat.