Its at Michigan State Univ. on Saturday, is anyone else planning on attending?
http://www.quietwatersymposium.org/QWS2007.html
I can’t make it, but …
our local club will have a booth. Look for LAWWP (Lansing Area White Water Paddlers). Despite our name we also do sea kayaking.
Yo. Me.
– Last Updated: Feb-28-07 1:20 PM EST –
I might also be helping out a little bit at the tables for Great Lakes Paddles and WMCKA.
Also visiting my good friends and savvy paddlers Tiffany & Patrick @ the Riverside Kayak Connection display. They promised to bring along a few kayaks ;-)
See ya maybe.
Yep
I’ll be there in the morning. Have to leave early this year though, I’ve got to drive mom to Ohio to see the UFC fights that night.
wish I heard about it sooner
I don’t think i can get anything set up to get me there and all that this short notice. I will try to get up there next year.
Liveoutside
Looking Forward
to a day of canoe-focussed fun.
Look for my White F150 Pick-up
With kayaks/canoes on top. Always looking for open water.
Glenn
yea, i’ll be there
but have to leave in time to catch the msu-wiscy b-ball game. i’m going with a friend who is looking for his 1st kayak. we’re hoping to find a lead on a used rec boat that he can use for flatwater rivers and for fishing. anybody got any tips or suggestions on who to talk to while we’re there?
a-hunting a rec kayak @QWS
– Last Updated: Mar-02-07 12:01 AM EST –
what I have heard is that people will show up with kayaks on the roof, hoping to wheel n deal in the parking lot. It's my first QWS so take FWIW.
the weather promises to be borderline yuk with
wet snowshowers and temps in low to mid 30s.
As far as finding used kayaks in Michigan (any type), transactions are overwhelmingly private party. Dealers just don't have the room to offer used and new, although the occasional high end customer trade in may show up. I have heard other dealers say there is not a single dealer in the state who has a good stock of used boats. Retail space esp near (not on) the water is just too costly & they have to move boats they can make a profit on.
Places to check: garage sales, classifieds in cities near water like Traverse City, Ludington, Wyandotte, St. Clair Shores, etc, and esp. craigslist for all the Michigan regions.
Might be good for your friend to start sitting in the kayaks he thinks he might like, and demo some, so when a good used one shows up he already knows it meets his criteria.
Be prepared to do some drivin'. Good luck!
first time for me too
– Last Updated: Mar-01-07 9:53 PM EST –
I tried to go last year but was busy. Looks like there will be some cool stuff, and some blah weather. I will be there with the wife and 5-month old.
-Tom
ahahaahahaha
bring wife and baby… you are either a very brave man or very clever 
Never too soon to start cultivating a new young paddler… and your wife, does she kayak or canoe?
add to that
some of the local shops have swaps. One to watch is sun and snow in Ann Arbor, they usually have 2 in spring. Like any swap it’s dependent on who brings boats to sell.
I’m going to try and spin through
On my way downstate. Hope to meet some of you there.
Sun n Snow Swaps
Know a few folks there. Just called & one said they haven’t had those for two years and probably won’t do it this year… due to lack of sellers!
I think our little piece of Michigan needs a good old fashioned boat 'n gear swap.
It’d be cool to arrange w. the City of Ann Arbor to have one at Vets Park corner of Jackson & Stadium - easy hwy access, easy to find and plenty of parking. Nice grass for the kayaks n such. Even the canoes.
Maybe charge a modest admission just to cover expenses, a few single malts and a paddle or two
boy do I feel out of touch
I liked them better when they were canoesport and on Jackson Rd. I don’t know what you think but it seems to me they’re less than passionate about kayaking. We need a dealer in the a2 area who is, I think there’s plenty of demand.
passion
ain’t nobody as passionate about kayaking as Brad Burton was when he owned Canoe Sport. Brad was an avowed kayaker before it became trendy.
I did several demos w. the lads at S&S and they were always friendly never pressuring. Alex will always share knowledge about paddle strokes and Chuck, the buyer, will forever reign in my universe for putting a TampicoS in the demo fleet even though it was late August. Ed who does repairs is also a great resource about materials.
But yeah, you need to get out more often
they always did a great job with skis
I just never dealt with them on kayaks other than a few questions about the CDs in stock.
Probably I’m not in the market.
ah…the little one
We have been putting him in his life jacket for short periods to get him used to it. There is a good book called “Cradle to the Canoe” by Rolf and Debra Kraiker we got when my wife was pregnant.
My wife is an avid paddler. She stopped paddling her solo canoe toward the end of the pregnancy (unless she was wearing a swimsuit) because of the whole balance and center of gravity shift. We went paddling twice the weekend before she had the baby because we knew the season would be cut short by the baby.
My Wife at 7 months:
http://tomcook.net/brid.jpg
Son:
http://tomcook.net/ej.jpg
you have much to be proud of…
your son will have an excellent paddling pedigree from both sides of the family tree - esp. love the shot of him w. the paddle.
Wearing a NAME Tag
I’m going to wear a name tag at Quietwater AND at Canoecopia w/p.net “Wildwater”, etc., on it.
Hope to have others from p.net say “Howdy”.
Glenn
Coldwater, MI