ca·thar·tic (kĕ-thär’tĭk) adj. Meaning #1: emotionally purging Synonym: psychotherapeutic

Now is as good a time as any to sit down here and write. Yesterday’s darkness will carry on for a time, but one cannot possibly stay under water for ever. So here’s the bit where I resurface and re-focus for a moment.

We drove the 6 hour drive north to Washburn in a mere 7.5 hours due to some crazy detours worked out by the apparently inebriated folks at the Wisconsin DOT. At one point we were weaving through industrial parks and residential streets for no apparent reason while crossing obviously more direct routes at every intersection. All I could guess is that a large number of Hyacinth Bucket wannabes would just not have cars going up and down their streets.

We were lucky in that we showed up at the camping area a couple days early and could still find a spot on the symposium grounds. That first evening passed in a tired blur of setting up the tents eating something I can’t remember and falling asleep in on a tent floor quickly molding in the mud below to become a form-fitting mattress. Luckily the storms that caused the ground to be mucky had passed and the Symposium weekend would be blessed with sun.

ACA UPDATE

Morning came quickly and just as quickly I was pulling in the driveway of Living Adventures in Redcliff to attend an ACA instructor update. Which is basically a one day jam where information is passed down from on-high to all of the “troops” on the ground. Gale Green and Grant Herman are blessed with a beautiful location right on the shore of Lake Superior and yet sheltered by Basswood Island. From their beautifully landscaped grounds you can quickly be on the water and exploring the world famous Apostle Islands. Which by the way, I got to do on Friday but more about that later.

What was billed as a classic ACA instructor update was actually an invitation to witness to a renaissance. Lead by Dale Williams of Sea Kayak Georgia, this was the first introduction to the new “kinder, gentler” approach to instruction. As this “new” religion is SO new, I don’t want to interpret or mis-interpret the new scrolls here. But soon new emails will be traveling out to instructors across the country. I can say with confidence that they will tell us in essence to “lighten up”. I truly look forward to that.

Another fun bit is the new “Awards” program that is being introduced. Interestingly similar to the BCU Star program, when fully implemented the ACA awards program will give you a pretty good idea exactly where you are in your learning progression. This is one of the main draws to the BCU for American kayakers in addition to the fact that the BCU has always had some very highest caliber coaches from around the world. By conforming to a more standard program I bet the ACA will much more easily keep many good coaches “at home” as it were.

We were also treated to a Canadian perspective as well. Dave Wells, founder and owner of Naturally Superior Adventures in Wawa, Ontario and AECSKO instructor, shared with us the many unique teaching methods and ideas from the great white. By the way don’t miss the great picture of Dave and his hula-hoop in the Symposium gallery.

On a more personal level I was again feeling out of place amongst so many skilled paddlers. It was a real honor to have some instruction from Dale Williams. Barring the fact that every time I have to perform in front of such skilled personalities I forget which way to edge my boat! For the first time in a long while I had one of those “epiphany” moments where you gain a skill you had no real grasp of before. For me this was having Dale demonstrate turning in wind and using the wind to turn your boat while you assist with sweeps and trim. WOW! Suddenly the wind is not an aggravation but an assistant, a helper. Thank you wind for turning my boat for me instead of making me do all the work!! ( I will certainly write more about this skill in detail in the future)

In kayaking as in all things really, understanding the environment is a very important part of the puzzle. You need to understand that you cannot dominate it, you must understand your place in natural world to survive. Our superstitious side may come to believe that the sea will understand our benevolence. Poseidon will know we are trying to honor his power and he will cup the liquid hands of the sea around us and keep us safe. However, we also need to get the hell out of the way when his trident is slammed into the surface. When Poseidon is angry the time for sacrificing horses is over. Just get the hell out of there!!

In the following days the thing that stuck in our minds and was most often repeated was from the Dave Wells. So allow me to pass on to you his great words of wisdom. . . “Just Give’r!”