The past weekend a number of Vancouver Island, Vancouver, Chilliwack and Squamish based Paddlers and Whitewater Instructors converged to paddle and volunteer at the Brentwood College organized Cowichan Youth Kayak Festival. There was a number of different sections for the youth to paddle on. With 35 paddlers ranging in age from 10 – 18 and over 15 instructors/ safety boaters from a variety of whitewater backgrounds there was lots of learning. It was fantastic to see paddlers out working different skills, progressing and big smiles on their faces.
Arriving in time for lunch on the 1st whitewater day, I joined the group running the section down to s-bend rapid. The participants did great, we spent a bit of time warming up and playing in a small hole at the start and then caught a number of eddies, checking for hazards, working on stern squirts, then running the S-bend rapid. Other groups were out on the river closer to Lake Cowichan.
That evening a couple of us went for a run down Marie Canyon before and then after dinner. It is a nice paddle through a beautiful canyon.
The next day we split the group up and 8 of the instructors took 11 youth through the Canyon while another group worked on the S-bend section and one group went up toward Cowichan Lake. Afterward we had a short mass paddle down so everyone could paddle together. Afterwards the award ceremony, a few prizes, hands were shaken and people were back off toward their respective communities.
Look forward to seeing some of them at the Vancouver Kayak Club Festival and the Puntledge River Paddle Festival.
Enjoy these Pics
Heading for the Eddy
Colourful Boats – regrouping
Cowichan River
Eddy Catching
Riverside Camp
Nighttime Moon
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