Canoe Camp

Laid out on the bank and ready to go...

This weekend Graham and I went to Regina for a marathon canoe camp. We got to meet a bunch of local canoe keeners and get some technical input on a new kind of paddling. Graham has already raced marathon a bunch of times so he was in high demand as a strong guy to paddle with. I was more of a project for the camp’s mentors/veterans, since I have done a lot of other kinds of paddling and theoretically should make some progress with a little input. We paddled on Wascana Lake and the Q’appelle River (which is actually a winding ditch about 4m across and made for some AWESOME wash riding. We did a little video analysis so I got to learn more about the biomechanics of this kind of boat and paddle. I’d love to have taken more pictures but it doesn’t make sense with a non-waterproof camera. I may borrow Niels’ GoPro and see how that works…

I came away with lots of technical pointers for this kind of boat, some thoughts on fueling a race that lasts 2-3 hours or more, and endless strategic pointers. I did some rehabilitative yoga this morning and my blisters are mostly hardened, so I am looking forward to getting out on the water to practice what I learned. I also can’t wait to try some of it out at a race – and to see my new Regina/Lumsden/Winnipeg buddies again!

2 Comments

  1. Cool – did you guys met the Vincents? We met Fiona and Mike at the Yukon River Quest many years ago. They won!!

  2. Yes we did – Mike and Fiona ran the camp! They are canoeing all-stars for sure. This reminds me that I didn’t respond to your request for a high-quality image of the landscapes for reproduction. Feel free! If you click on the images, you should link to a high-res version. Although perhaps you would prefer if the images were taken in sunlight? I can give it another try. 🙂

Comments are closed.