Date: 22 Oct 2012 Comments: 1

Christine Burris  -Sunday 7:30PM

This has been my first visit to the Lumpy Symposium.  I’ve had friends return from past years with tales of great water and even greater instruction.  My vision for this trip was to sit in on advanced rock gardening and see how others develop a class in this exciting yet potentially hazardous venue.  Initially I was disappointed that those classes had to be canceled, however the change provided opportunities to sit in on so many great teaching moments and student successes that it proved even more fulfilling. To our surprise we passed snow on the side of the road as we headed out to join Intro to Rock Safety and rescues in Tillamook Bay.  The course, designed for students new to this venue, began with the instructional team artfully assessing their group through boat control play.  After assessment they began to lay a foundation of rock rescue techniques and drilled on specific boat control maneuvers.  Bob and I had planned on bugging out early as we had a long drive home.  I was annoyed to have to exit before the students had a chance to experience their dynamic classroom when suddenly Kim Allen and Nick Cooksy paddled by.  Their class had been canceled and they had decided to check out the rocks just inside the protected bay, so Bob and I took a quick run through a nearby small surge channel and I had a chance to photo friends in the location where our class was destined later in the day.  

Sitting tonight at the Pelican Pub and Brewery with several lumpy alumnae, stories of the weekend ensue. The laughter and smiles made it worth the long drive ahead. When I asked the group about any non kayaking surprises they said “pizza!”… and beer and crab fests and Setsuko doing shots of crab “nectar!”…  the amazing movie showcasing classes and students, the trivia competition and the most unexpected friendly  black and white bunnies all over Cape Kawanda. The only regrets were the aggressive conditions that canceled several classes, but all agreed the decision makers modeled good judgment ensuring everyone’s safety. 

Sean and Susan Arducci checked in with their take on locally made Salt wood Paddles. Both agreed they were thumbs up, stating they:  “liked the feel and weight of the indexed wood shaft and the smooth catch of the blade”.  You can find out more about Saltwood paddles on line at saltwoodpaddles.com. 

To close my thoughts on this weekend, my takeaway was how much this event strengthens the connectivity of the kayaking community. To all the coaches and students I have had a chance to reconnect with or get to know:

 If not before then, I will see you in the Lumpy Water next year.