Being a somewhat crappy WW paddler I've often wished there were some unique or specific events. I know I'd love a weekend event where I could have my Blackfly and have some of the good playboaters offer assistance/tips on how to improve playboating skills. I know like at the East Race I'm pretty much the only canoeist there and it's really difficult trying to figure things out not really knowing much. IT's hard to figure out things like where is the best spot in the hole to loop, which spot is easier for cartwheels or flatspins for example, etc. IT would be cool to be able to meet up with knowledgeable guys and just work on that type of stuff. It'd even be worth paying for something dedicated like that. I know one could just hook up with some of the instructors individually but it seems like something like this could entice a few more to try it out or work to improve?
Or like some of the kayaker groups do...have a boofing clinic weekend, running waterfalls clinic, stepping up river running/reading skills, etc.
I know a lot of you lucky guys can run stuff all the time and get to paddle with great paddlers routinely so it might not be so enticing, but for those of us who live farther away from decent water it would be cool!
IT seems like it could help grow interest in the sport? The logistics and legalities could be a nightmare I suppose.
Non-events maybe?
Just wondering
That's how the Armada's started, and to a certain extent how ALF has grown:)
We had a clinic one year with Davey Hearn as part of the North Branch Armada (was the Thursday before the weekend), and the original Concordia that was the reason the "C Forum" was originally created by Scott W. and Dave M. had clinics from Billy Hearn, Kent Ford, and others.
So it has happened, it just takes someone taking the time to organize it:)
Being a fellow crappy paddler I too feel the need for a loosely organized meeting/session/armada here on the west coast. There is a canoe paddling club up in the northwest, but none that I know of here in the Sierra. It would be so sweet to actually get to paddle with other open boaters for once rather than being the one single-blader in a group of butt-boaters who all share the same "go big or go home' thrashfest mentality.
You just need to make it happen. I'm a weekend warrior where there's few mentors/instructors around and no events, so I stopped complaining and started an event, copying the OC slalom event in Ontario. More and varied instruction is still needed, but at least we've now got something (beyond clubs) that's bringing people together and promoting the sport, including getting a few kayakers into canoes at least once a year.
You do need a handful of interested open boaters around, and you probably need an organization of somekind that can help with legalities and logistics, but for the most part, the main ingredient is just somebody to make a plan and take the leap.
The other thing that's been done here is to occasionally import instructors for a western tour. I hope somebody here organizes more of that!
The most basic level would be to try and establish a club or a forum or a core group of open boaters, even maybe just using c-boats.net for an annual destination. Build it and they may come.
If there's just no open boaters around, well, then you're resigned to paddling with kayakers and travelling for OC events. If you can't make it to ALF, the club in Portland, OR seems it would be worth a trip (based on Milkman's videos)!
Maybe a few of you guys could get Eli, Mark S, or Kaz to fly over, it is the nature of their businesses? And after a couple events the base would be there for possibly a more self contained local gathering. Or maybe even alternate among these (or other) instructors. Large gatherings are great to see where you stand in a group, and to see what's possible. However it's not always the place to learn, but rather see what to learn or from whom. Also don't knock paddling w/decked boaters, for if that's where the best paddlers are in your area.... then perhaps you might want to boat with these guys more often. Personally I wouldn't get to do half the quality, if only boating with my openboat brethren.
^~^~^ different strokes ~ for different folks ^~^~^
I'd be interested in a Western and/or Rocky Mountain armada (assuming I can fit it in my schedule). Pick a place and a date and start spreading the word.
I also agree with Phil- Paddling with decked boaters is good for you. On some level, it's all just boating.
i know i am interested in learning OC playboating .... IRolled has helped me a bit lately with that but i dont know how to even start doing all of the "Fancy" tricks that a competition is based on ... i have a mean stand up surf on really small features and a mean side surf (small features in an Ocoee i can sometimes stand on the gunnels) ... but not many OC playboaters where i live
SG86
here in the south east god paddles on the left and that's how he made our rivers ~ oc1paddlr
Have you considered coming up to PalmerFest, or I guess it's called the Palmer River Festival now at the end of May? You might not be that far away depending on where you are in Michigan. Its usually a fun weekend with top notch instructers.
philcanoe wrote: Also don't knock paddling w/decked boaters, for if that's where the best paddlers are in your area.... then perhaps you might want to boat with these guys more often. Personally I wouldn't get to do half the quality, if only boating with my openboat brethren.
We are lucky to have access to a lot of good OC instructors in this region, but a friend of mine took a clinic with a big name local kayak instructor and found the instruction to be excellent. A good kayaker who's used to teaching would be able to adopt the teaching methods.
Obviously if you can afford to pay for some of good canoe instructors to fly to your region, it would be ideal, but that's not in everyone's budget.
It's probably far more cost effective for a group of people to fly Eli or Kaz somewhere for a clinic than it is for a large group to travel to them or someplace they might happen to be... have you seen the price of gas lately?
Does anyone know the etiquette regarding piggybacking upon an already established event? Here in my neck of the woods we have the Reno Whitewater Festival (usually the first weekend of May, annually) which is a pretty fun that draws boaters from all over and pretty substantial crowds.
I'm not talking about poaching the event with a bunch of open boaters, but maybe using it as an opportunity to gather like-minded boaters together for a few days before or after the main event. We of course wouldn't want to harsh upon anyone else's scene (and boy is it a scene down there!) but does anyone see this as being a worthy, or even an acceptable way of gathering boaters from different disciplines together?
I've had the Palmerfest as well as ALF on my wish list every year. Unfortunately, it seems I get in less and less trips every year...but am always hopeful
As for paddling with the decked boaters, that's where I've gotten the most help when I'm at the East Race. I got one really good kayaker interested in C-1 and he even got one, and he has given me lots of good tips...although the "you'd be a really good Kayaker" advice hasn't been headed
I've been fortunate to have met a lot of really great paddlers who I can bug for help and do... but just seeing what a lot of my Kayaker friends have available just made me curious about more specific gatherings.
ALF< Palmersfest, and the others are great for meeting/paddling with other canoeists and good for gleaning helpful tips, but they aren't so specific from my experience or have been told. So like my earlier statement, a day or two of just playing at one spot learning/getting help with techniques would be awesome from my viewpoint. One of my biggest disappointments is not making any of the slalom stuff through the years. KAz and Davey have made it to Wausau and I just couldn't make it work at those times, but eventually it will happen if those type of things keep happening.
I guess our numbers are so small compared to the Kayaking crowd that having enough interest or instructors could be a real issue?
I just need to convince my wife of the need to move to PA
Thanks,
Mikey
Great thread, folks! Interesting (but not surprising) to note the strong response here from western boaters.
While a trip to rub shoulders with top boaters at ALF would be a wonderful way to get some quality mentoring, Craig's comment about the price of fuel is relevant. I made a road trip down to Utah to pick up a boat from Smurf this spring, and the cost of fuel was more than the boat was worth (though I had fun! Thanks, Smurf!)
Organizing events to bring the clinician to the students is certainly the most cost-effective way to stage some instruction -- HATS OFF to Yukon for bringing Eli to the north last July. And THANKS to Gonzo for his willingness to take on a group of noobie C-1ers in central BC this spring. Wonderful experiences.
Pat's comment about "make it happen" is significant. But we don't all know each other well enough to tap into the expertise. It would help if we had some kind of directory of, or even response from, "instructors" or "clinicians" or "experts" so we know where to turn.
Who's out there? When are you available? How much do you charge? Le'me know, and I don't mind doing some of the grunt work to put something together.
Rick, apparently "we've" had Eli out here before, just before my time, and we had Paul Mason out when I was just getting started in 2000-and-something - but nothing in the past number of years! I almost had Eli out the other summer, but schedules didn't quite work out (though Eli was very patient in trying to make it work!) - and I no longer have time to pursue coordinating that, but I would love to take advantage!
Truckee, maybe worth checking with the organizers, but the "it's all just boating" idea works both ways - most "paddling" (i.e., kayaking) festivals are happy to have canoeists participate and would not object to a bunch of canoes showing up to their festival. In BC, canoes have taken part in the kayak club's annual festival and others like Puntledge and Likely, and some local friendly surfing events and slalom races - always been welcomed, and we should be having more canoes going to more of these events more often!
At bigger, regional festivals I'd think there's lots of opportunities for "piggybacking" without it being bad etiquette - there are threads on cboats by us Western canoeists looking for opportunities to do this, and there was talk that "a bunch of us" (maybe we'd get a handful of canoes? - hardly overrunning the event) should show up to the Wenatchee Festival. Sadly it didn't happen, and even more sadly it's something else I won't have the time for right now, but it's still a great idea for other people!
There's probably lots of "paddling"/kayaking festivals where we canoeists could encourage each other to go - piggybacking might be the best idea if there's no critical mass locally.
However, this would probably just be an opportunity to meet & paddle with other canoeists. Setting up instruction is a separate issue. Likewise, getting some instruction is great, but probably won't count for much unless you find like-minded people to get and practice with.
I've often wished there were some unique or specific events. I know I'd love a weekend event where I could have my Blackfly and have some of the good playboaters offer assistance/tips on how to improve playboating skills. I know like at the East Race I'm pretty much the only canoeist there and it's really difficult trying to figure things out not really knowing much. IT's hard to figure out things like where is the best spot in the hole to loop, which spot is easier for cartwheels or flatspins for example, etc. IT would be cool to be able to meet up with knowledgeable guys and just work on that type of stuff. It'd even be worth paying for something dedicated like that. I know one could just hook up with some of the instructors individually but it seems like something like this could entice a few more to try it out or work to improve? 
