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KAYAK INSTRUCTIONAL PROGAMS :: PowerUP SYMPOSIUM
PowerPLAY Symposium
with
Karen Knight, Ben Lawry and Bob Foote
Spring forward and PowerUP your paddling in 2010 by moving to the next level of paddling. Each PowerUP session is crafted to assist every paddler to get to their next level. We are pleased to have Ben Lawry, Karen Knight and Bob Foote back this year to provide PowerUP participants master coaching to take foundation skills to the next level.
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.
PowerUP Symposium Itinerary
Friday Night, June 4, 2010
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.
Body, Boat & Blade: The Fundamental Elements of Paddling
In this interactive session we will delve into these core elements of paddling and the interplay among these elements in stroke refinement. Karen, Bob and Ben will chime in on the balance among these core elements and the interplay among them with select strokes. 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: Freestyle Canoe Demonstration
Karen will dazzle us with their grace and power with a freestyle canoe demonstration. This is a unique opportunity, do not miss it.
Session 1a: Anatomy of a Turn with Karen Knight & Bob Foote
Saturday Morning Session, June 5, 2010
9am to 12 noon.
Meeting Place: The Lake
Fee: $75. per person
Executing effective turns in a kayak comes from applying the simple steps revealed in this session. Karen will start off with a brief review of the principals of fine blade control, along with some balance drills; from there we will learn how to combine paddle placement and angle together with boat tilt to create and execute graceful yet powerful maneuvers such as the bow rudder and low/high brace turns underway. By learning and applying these basic principals you will be able to accomplish many types of turns. Session is open to Canoes & Kayaks
Session 1b: Support Strokes: Bracing & Sculling with Ben Lawry
Saturday Morning Session, June 5, 2010
9am to 12 noon.
Meeting Place: The Harbor
Fee: $75. per person
In this session, Ben will introduce techniques of the various support strokes to prevent capsize. Bracing is an essential tool for every paddler: both low and high brace recovery will be presented as well as low and high sculling as support strokes. Sculling as a support stroke is another essential tool that, once mastered, provides not only support for your kayak but also helps to build boater confidence. In this session, participants will be able to practice skills in the on-water wave machine to develop confidence with these new skills. Participants should prepare to be wet, so dress for immersion. Helmets are required for this Session.
Session 2a: All things Astern with Karen Knight
Saturday Afternoon Session, June 5, 2010
1:30pm to 4:30pm.
Meeting Place: The Lake
Fee: $75. per person
An excellent follow-up to the skills developed and refined during the Anatomy of a Turn session with Karen, this session will have you dancing on the water in your kayak. In this session participants will develop skills to perform turning maneuvers backwards and employ 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. Session is open to Kayaks only
Session 2b: Core Paddling with Ben Lawry
Saturday Afternoon Session, June 5, 2010
1:30pm to 4:30pm.
Meeting Place: The Harbor
Fee: $75. per person
Paddling from the core is a fundamental element of better paddling. Ben will start out with a short dry-land lecture and series of hands-on demonstrations. From there we will bring these techniques 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 these effective techniques and movements will allow your body work in a safe, powerful and efficient manner.
Session 2c: Master Session with Bob Foote
Saturday Afternoon Session, June 5, 2010
Meeting Place: The Lake
Fee: $50. per person per hour
One participant, one hour, one topic focused Master Session to help kayakers and canoeists to review, analyze and diagnose paddling technique. Whether your roll isn t reliable, forward stroke is sending you hither and yon or you can not seem to come to terms with your kayak when you want it to turn. Video review is available upon request. Participants need to come to the session with their To Do List ready. Master Sessions with Bob are open to Canoes & Kayaks
Saturday Open Paddle, Paddler Appreciation Session
& Freestyle Canoe Demonstration
Saturday Late Afternoon Session, June 5, 2010
4:30pm to 7pm.
Fee: Free for PowerUP Attendees & River Connection Boat Owners
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. In addition, Karen will dazzle us with her grace and power with a freestyle canoe demonstration; Karen was the Interpretive Freestyle Canoe champion from 1995 to her retirement in 2000. This is a unique opportunity, to see Karen don’t miss it.
We will have a variety of edibles from some of our local favorite eateries. Come and play, we hope for a group photo of all River Connection paddlers & boat owners during this session.
Session 3a: Fun with Freestyle Canoe with Karen Knight and Bob Foote
Sunday Morning Session, June 6, 2010
9am to 12noon.
Meeting Place: The Lake
Fee: $75. per person
Freestyle canoe can be thought of as dance on the water. In effect, freestyle canoeing is the development of more advanced paddle strokes, body and blade positions. If you don t know how to change pitch, what having a good crack or a modified Canadian is, don t worry. In this all inclusive workshop, Karen and Bob will work on making your canoe strokes efficient, graceful and fluid. We have found that good single blade control and techniques help every style paddler (including kayakers) become more precise and effective in any craft. Session open to Canoes only
Session 3b: Forward Stroke Clinic with Ben Lawry
Sunday Morning Session, June 6, 2010
9am to 12noon.
Meeting Place: The Harbor
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 open to Kayaks only
Session 4a: Womens Workshop with Karen Knight
Sunday Afternoon Session, June 6, 2010
1:30pm to 4pm.
Meeting Place: The Harbor
Fee: $75. per person
To be a skillful paddler, you do not need to be a certain height or build, nor do you have to have a lot of muscle mass or upper body strength. Kayaking is a sport about technique, good judgment, and knowledge of your environment. In this womens workshop, we will work on making your strokes efficient, graceful and fluid and your rescue skills more effective. As we will be covering rescue skills in this session, be prepared to be wet & dress for immersion. Session open to Kayaks only
Session 4b: Towing Techniques & Rescue Scenarios with Ben Lawry
Sunday Afternoon Session, June 6, 2010
1:30pm to 4pm.
Meeting Place: The Harbor
Fee: $75. per person
To be out of your boat is to be out of control. This interactive session covers a variety of solo and assisted recoveries from the basics to bow rescues and contact tows. Learn options for hooking up a tow and the various gear that might work best for different scenarios. Be prepared to be wet, so dress for immersion. Session open to Kayaks only
Session 4c: Master Session with Bob Foote
Sunday Afternoon Session, June 6, 2010
Meeting Place: The Lake or the Harbor
Fee: $50. per person per hour
One participant, one hour, one topic focused Master Session to help kayakers and canoeists to review, analyze and diagnose paddling technique. Whether your roll isn t reliable, forward stroke is sending you hither and yon or you can not seem to come to terms with your kayak when you want it to turn. Video review is available upon request. Participants need to come to the session with their To Do List ready. Master Sessions with Bob are open to Canoes & Kayaks
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 Personal Floatation Device (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. All PowerUP program participants must meet Essential Eligibility Requirements. Please call ahead for additional instructions and clothing requirements, thanks.
Important Notes: The PowerUP will be at The River Connection 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 or canoe 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 PowerUP 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 PowerUP Symposium. Please call to find out about other programs.