The outdoor paddling season is far from over, but for those of you that are keen to plan your winter paddling season - we have released our pool session dates and pool-based kayak clinic dates. As in previous years, we will be hosting our pool sessions and clinics at Mount Royal College pool on Sunday evenings from 7:30 to 9:00 PM. You need to pre-register. Parking is free! Make the most of the remaining outdoor paddling season. Afterwards, we'll hopefully see you in the pool!
It's been a great summer in the store! But, things slow down after Labour Day, so we will be switching to our fall hours, as of September 8th. Tuesday to Friday 10-6 Saturdays 10-5 Closed Sundays, Mondays & holidays Fall is the best time of year to buy boats, boards and gear. Alot of new stuff is on sale, plus all of our demo/rental/used boats and boards are on sale at great prices. Drop by in the fall - we have lots more time to talk about boats!
There were over 100 registered participants, plus an unknown number of non-paddling spouses, friends and family. The weather was perfect paddling weather (warm, but not crazy hot - afterall we are all dressed for the cold water so too hot is annoying).
The event took place at Mukwah Tours (a rafting outfitter) on the Red Deer River, west of Sundre. Prior to the event the water levels had been very low, but rain the in the days beforehand provided ideal water levels! In case you want to come next year, participants paid $100 for 2 days of clinics, 2 nights of camping, a BBQ dinner on the Saturday and breakfasts on both the Saturday and Sunday (co-sponsored by Undercurrents!). A great deal and loads of fun!
There were clinics for kayaker and canoests of all levels. My beloved and I helped with the ‘introduction to canoe program.' Our 13 participants started Saturday on a pond learning the basics of canoeing and finished on the Sunday running an exciting reach of the Red Deer (Wild Horse to Mountain Aire) without any swimmers. Talk about going from "zero to hero!"
It was wonderful to see the faces of the paddlers when they succeeded in the sections they found really challenging. Everyone had a great time, especially Donna and I.
In a couple of weeks, Alberta will be playing host to the National Slalom Championships and a Pan-Am International Race.
The National Junior Championships will run on Saturday, August 1. The National Senior Championships will run on Sunday, August 2. And the Pan-Am International Race will run on Monday, August 3, featuring teams from the USA, Mexico, Brazil, Chili, Argentina, Austria and other European countries. Plus, of course, Canada!
The events are held on the Kananaskis River, about 40 minutes west of Calgary. (Click here for a map) During the week leading up to the event, the athletes will be training on the race course, so please be considerate of our visitors - they are training hard. It is free to watch the training and the championships themselves, plus it is a great opportunity to see some incredible paddling.
Slalom is an Olympic paddling sport that takes place on a river. Each paddler races down the river as fast as possible. However, on the way down they must pass under a series of ‘gates,' some of which they need to go through upstream. Time penalties are assessed for touching the gate or missing it altogether. Lowest time wins.
Many of the world's best will be here for the August long weekend - check it out!
Some people call it "Stand Up Paddling," some call it "paddleboarding," while others just call it "SUP." Whatever you call it, it is taking the world by storm!
Stand Up Paddling is travelling on the water while standing on a large, stable surfboard and paddling using a long canoe paddle. It's fun, it's easy to learn and it requires very little equipment.
Stand Up Paddling was originally used by the ancient Polynesians to travel, fish and hunt. In the 1950s it had a revival when the Hawaiian surf instructors of the day used it to oversee their classes and keep their rich clients' cameras high and dry. Fast forward to the last few years and SUP has taken off. Big name surfers like Laird Hamilton are using paddleboards to surf the biggest waves in the world. At the same time, paparazzi are photographing the famous names (Jennifer Anniston, Pierce Bronson and Matt Damon, to name a few) learning to SUP on quiet waters.
Jennifer Aniston SUP'ing on the Hanalei River, Hawaii
"The other Jennifer", our SUP instructor Jenn, at Carburn Park, Calgary
SUP is for everyone! And, it is going big at Undercurrents. We are offering lessons - nearly anyone can learn to SUP on lakes and ponds from us in just 3 hours. We have all the gear for rent and for sale, too. And, if you somehow break something, we can repair it also.
Alberta Paddle Fest is the best paddling event of the year in Alberta! It is attended by people from every age category and most of them are novice or intermediate paddlers. Most of the participants are kayakers, but the canoer crowd is growing by leaps and bounds!
The event is hosted by the Alberta Whitewater Association in conjunction with Paddle Alberta at Mukwah Tours on the Red Deer River, west of Sundre. The event starts Friday night (July 10) and runs all day Saturday and Sunday (July 11 & 12).
The modest registration fee includes breakfasts on the Saturday and Sunday mornings (co-sponsored by Undercurrents!), the Saturday night barbeque, two nights camping, and most importantly, 2 days of instruction/paddling with instructors. There are things to do for the non-paddler in your group too!
This Friday, June 26th is National Canoe Day. It's a big deal - maybe even bigger holiday than Christmas!
In Calgary, there is a casual gathering at the Louise bridge at noon on Friday. If you listen to CBC in the mornings, Angela Knight will be doing her traffic reports and other commentary from a canoe on the Bow River from until 8:30. Listen in!
For more information about National Canoe Day, visit the official website.
Bill Mason in International Whitewater Hall of Fame The Board of Governors of the International Whitewater Hall of Fame recently announced the 2009 inductees into the Hall. Among the inductees was Bill Mason in the advocate category. You can read all about it here.
An award-winning naturalist, author, artist, filmmaker and conservationist, Bill Mason's books, paintings, films and environmental advocacy have each had a tremendous impact on generations of wilderness travelers and whitewater paddlers. The most successful filmmaker in the history of the National Film Board of Canada, Bill Mason is perhaps best known for the Path of the Paddle series of films which introduced new skills and enjoyment of whitewater to canoeists worldwide during the 1970s and 1980s.
The WaterWalker Film Festival, which Undercurrents hosts each year is dedicated to Bill's memory.
If you want to watch some of Bill's films, they are all available online, for free, on the National Film Board website. Click here.
I hope everyone is playing outside and enjoying the great weather, instead of sitting at home staring at their computer screen.
Here's a fun thing for paddlers of all skill levels to try - it is called "Survivor Slalom." Scary name, but really it is a fun and casual introduction to slalom paddling on a really friendly (read: slow) piece of water, right in Calgary. And, it is FREE!
