Midwest Canoe Symposium

Advice
#1

There is still time to register for the Midwest Canoe Symposium.







The Midwest Canoe Symposium 2015

Camp Butler - Peninsula, Ohio

September 11-13, 2015



The Midwest Canoe Symposium offers excellent instruction in a quiet water venue for people wishing to improve paddling and precise boat control skills. Courses are offered in all skill levels and are taught by ACA certified instructors. We are located in the scenic Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and can provide info on activities such as hiking, biking, historic tours, shopping, etc. for non-paddling friends or spouses upon request.



Full information can be found at www.freestylecanoeing.com

#2

Will see you there
if Elaine needs me.

#3

I will be there, also…
even if not needed. It’s a great time!

#4

Time to bring this back to the top
Because of the “Laughing at Ourselves” thread on the Discussion Forum.



Portlandia doesn’t really capture what freestylers do (although we do like wine!). So check out some of the videos on http://www.freestylecanoeing.com/



Being able to turn your boat around in a small space is handy if you want to go back and take a photo of a flower growing along the bank.

#5

Or oops
That’s a dead end. And the channel is 16 feet wide or less

I’ll not be there though. Returning from Newfoundland after five weeks

Kayaking

Need to practice and three docs and a dentist and my kids 390 miles the other way want to see me

#6

We’ll miss you Kim.
Sounds like you had a great time in Newfoundland. We’ll cover for you in Ohio and expect you in the Pine Barrens.

#7

I’ll be at the PB
and before that I have an Algonquin Provincial Park solo scheduled in my new Colden WildFire. Its so nice and light. It will be a bit of a change from my normally no rockered tripping canoes. After chemo I am most afraid of portage endurance.



But some 20 years ago I attended my first FS symposium with one of those no rockered things… And you know, dang nab it, it worked anyway! I learned how to make that puppy heel and avoid biting dirt out of the riverbanks.



So if any of you got one of those Wenonah go straight things, come anyway… You can learn to make it obey you in the Barrens or any twisty bank banger river.



And thanks to FS I can take one of those turny darned canoes and go straight… or back up… or flip around.



So…if one boat can do it all… by learning some paddling skills that work the whole boat, why do I have seventeen canoes?

#8

Because
each one is so damn beautiful!!! At least those of us with the canoe disease think so…

#9

or the kayak disease
We have had several kayakers come and try it…They catch on really fast because there are more alikes than differences between canoe and kayak.



And we have five instructors at least who both canoe and kayak. There is no dark side.

#10

Got back last night
We had a great time, even with the rain. If you couldn’t make it, Laura posted several little “bits” on the FB page so you can get a taste: https://www.facebook.com/FreeStyle-Canoeing-Events-and-Instruction-1499192006999985/timeline/



Next event is in the Pine Barrens: http://www.freestylecanoeing.com/pine-barrens.html



Like at Midwest, instructors will spend a lot of time on helping people understand the connectedness of Boat, Blade and Body: We’ll help you and your boat work together to get where you want to go.

#11

There is still time to register
for the Pine Barrens Functional Freestyle Workshop. This event will focus on practical techniques for controlling the canoe. Outside of an abbreviated exhibition, there won’t be much fancy stuff. This event will be all about precision boat control in real world situations.

http://www.freestylecanoeing.com/

#12

I’ll be totally covered in mud
most likely!

But dam I intend to go down gracefully…