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KAYAK INSTRUCTIONAL PROGAMS :: PowerPLAY SYMPOSIUM
PowerPLAY Symposium
with
Karen Knight, Ben Lawry and Bob Foote
Find out how to move beyond just putting your paddle in the water and pulling on it. Moving up from basic competence to the next level of paddling begins with mastering the fundamentals. For some, the next level is a more powerful forward stroke, for others it may be linking maneuvers. We have crafted the PowerPLAY symposium to assist every paddler to get to their next level. A concise progression of foundation skills will be developed during Sessions 1 & 2 with application of these skills and advancement in the Sessions 3 & 4.
We are thrilled to bring back several of the great masters of the paddle sports world to assist in this endeavor. We believe you will find their presence and teaching abilities both on and off the water both captivating and motivating.
Bob Foote, influential persona in the paddling world, and among his many accolades, in 2000, Bob was named as one of Paddler Magazines Paddler of the Century;
Ben Lawry, most notably for his keen ability to teach the forward stroke through the isolation of the individual components of body & blade movements and;
Karen Knight, known of by many to be a graceful, yet extremely powerful ballerina on the water. The National Champion in interpretive Freestyle Canoeing from 1996 until her retirement from competition in 2000.
PowerPLAY Symposium Itinerary
Friday Night, July 24, 2009
6:30pm to 8pm
Cost: Free.
As ACA Instructors and an ACA Pro Paddlesports School we believe smart paddling with good body mechanics is so important for all paddlers we are offering this session at no charge.
Ben Lawry: The Four Ps of Paddling
Bens dry-land lecture with hands-on demonstrations will be the lead-in to a weekend of exploration and experimentation in the power and play aspects of paddling. Ben is known as an effective dry land presenter of proper paddling techniques. Through a series of interactive demonstrations, participants will get feedback on proper posture with immediate applicability to on water paddling techniques. We encourage session participants to wear comfortable clothes and footwear and to bring a towel or other sit-upon cushion to this dry land session.
Karen Knight with Bob Foote: Freestyle Canoe Demonstration
Karen and Bob will dazzle us with their grace and power with a freestyle canoe demonstration. This is a unique opportunity, do not miss it.
Session 1: Posture & Power
Saturday Morning Session, July 25, 2009
9am to 12 noon.
Fee: $75. per person
As a follow-up to Ben s dry-land lecture and hands-on demonstration, in this session, we will bring it to the boat. Paddling from the core provides power; learn the secrets of engaging the core to get more power from each stroke. Application of effective techniques and movements will allow your body work in a safe, powerful and efficient manner. In this session we will also explore some basic principles of mechanics and how they can be applied to body movements when kayaking. This session will be team taught by Bob, Ben and Karen for full immersion into these two fundamental building blocks for better paddling.
Session 2: Placement & Precision
Saturday Afternoon Session, July 25, 2009
1pm to 4pm.
Fee: $75. per person
Kayaking with Precision is understanding blade control. This session of the symposium will reveal the subtleties of blade control in common paddle strokes. Paddle placement, blade angles and stroke timing all affect how your boat performs. In this session we will experiment and apply these stroke refinement techniques to common maneuvering stokes before moving on to more advanced maneuvers.
Saturday Open Paddle
Saturday Late Afternoon Session, July 25, 2009
4:30pm to 6pm.
Fee: Free for those in attendance on Saturday programs
Open Practice session in the Harbor with your kayak or one of our fleet kayaks. Ben, Bob and Karen will be available for fine tuning during this open session.
Session 3: Performance (Edging, Advanced Strokes & Maneuvers)
Sunday Morning Session, July 26, 2009
9am to 12noon.
Fee: $75. per person
Founded in sound body biomechanics, in this session, participants will work on balance drills; learn how to put their boat on edge; incorporate boat tilt into their strokes and maneuvers for better boat performance and; develop bracing techniques to help give support and to recover balance. From there we will learn how to combine paddle placement and angle together with boat tilt to create and execute graceful maneuvers such as the bow rudder and low/high brace turns underway. Mastering these techniques will allow you to become confident, comfortable and connected to your boat. Come prepared to get wet.
Session 4a: Propulsion (Forward Stroke Clinic)
with Ben Lawry
Sunday Afternoon Session, July 26, 2009
1pm to 4pm
Fee: $75. per person
Considering that over 99% of your time is spent paddling forward, having an efficient, correct forward stroke with correct body mechanics is a must for most paddlers. This session will introduce you to proper body mechanics and paddling style to keep you paddling for hours at a time with ease and grace. In this class Ben will demonstrate, point out and teach the subtleties of the Forward Stroke, including paddle placement & body mechanics to allow you to do so much more with so much less effort than you thought possible.
Session 4b: Pretty: Linking Strokes & Maneuvers (Kayak Dancing)
with Karen Knight
Sunday Afternoon Session, July 26, 2009
1pm to 4pm
Fee: $75. per person
Whatever your motive - whether it is to add precision, efficiency, fluidity, and grace to your paddling or to just impress your family and friends with cool paddling tricks; this session will have you dancing on the water in your kayak. This session is an excellent summation of all the skills developed and refined during the symposium. After a brief review of some of the basic maneuvers, such as the low/high brace turn underway, participants will develop skills to perform these maneuvers backwards and with creative variations such as off-side tilt. By the end of this session you will develop skills to link maneuvers and strokes together so you can be moving forward, backwards, sideways, and spinning without missing a beat. This class is a must for anyone who loves to kayak: it will set your spirits free and you will never want to paddle in a straight line again.
Paddle Skills PowWOW
Sunday Late Afternoon Session, July 26, 2009
4:30pm to ??
Fee: Free for PowerPLAY attendees
The concept of the PowWOW is simple: do you have what it takes to perform a move under pressure? Paddle yourself silly to WOW our distinguished Panel of Paddlers and possibly win a silly prize. All prize determinations are final and the three-thumbs down wet exit is optional. This should be a fun way to put your new found POWer into PLAY. We hope to see all participants join in the paddle fun.
If you wondering "Is this class for me?" please do not hesitate to call The River Connection 845-229-0595 or email marshall@the-river-connection.com for more information.
These are all BYOBoat, paddle and PFD programs. If you are in need of equipment arrangements can be made with The River Connection for any equipment that you may need for this program. Space is limited and reservations are required. Please call ahead for additional instructions and clothing requirements, thanks.
Important Notes: Each of these classes will be at The River Connection Boathouse in Hyde Park, NY. Prior to attending the class please check in at The River Connection Showroom, 9 West Market Street, Hyde Park, NY and plan enough time to get your kayak off your vehicle and gear together prior to the class. Classes will begin promptly so plan your arrival time accordingly. There will likely be insufficient time to go off site to grab lunch between sessions, previous participants have brought a bag lunch with snacks for the days activities.
CURRENT OFFERINGS
- Sorry you could not attend the PowerPLAY Symposium. Please call to find out about other programs.
Submit a Reservation Request
Learning to kayak safely, effectively and efficiently is best done with the help of a qualified instructor. The lead instructors for River Connection Kayak Instructional Courses are American Canoe Association (ACA) Certified Instructors.
Skills development courses are worth months of just paddling around. After your course, get out and practice your strokes. If you are interested in sightseeing and going places, consider one of our
guided Kayak Tours.
See our Policy Page for additional information.
We have put together a FAQ for our guided kayak tours and instructional programs that answers most quesions about these programs. If you need additional information or make a reservation, please Call our showroom at 845.229.0595.
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- Sorry you could not attend the PowerPLAY Symposium. Please call to find out about other programs.