Sharon Wootton: Kayaking event one of longest in the U.S.
Published 7:21 pm Friday, September 18, 2009
Port Townsend was rated one of the best paddling towns in America by Paddler magazine in 2008. The annual West Coast Sea Kayaking Symposium is one reason for its stature.
This year’s main speaker is 1992 Olympic gold medalist and Epic Kayaks co-owner Greg Barton. It’s a weekend of how-to seminars, paddling films, gear swap, on-water classes, kayak demos and world-class instructors.
Former kayak instructor Ramey Fair has been to three symposiums and will return Sept. 25 to 27. She is a repeat visitor because of the variety of boats that can be tested.
“It seems that everybody on the planet that manufactures kayak has them there,” Fair said. It’s a vanishing line of boats all the way down the beach. It’s the widest variety of styles, from Greenland kayaks to sit-on-top Hawaii-style models. You couldn’t go to a (kayak) store and look at this many.”
The second draw is the level of skill classes.
“There are a lot of in-the-water classes that teach skills at a higher level than you can probably acquire locally,” Fair said, including advanced paddle strokes by recognized experts that aren’t normally available in Washington state.
Classes include advanced strokes and rescues, Greenland paddling and rolling, how to demo a kayak, how to repair your kayak on the water, surf ski techniques and how to paddle a double.
“It’s the gathering of the tribe,” said Andy Bridge, a return speaker and director of research and development at Werner Paddles in Sultan.
Bridge first attended when he lived on the East Coast, where the symposium was “this legendary, mythical event way off in a place called Port Townsend. It’s one of the longest symposiums of its type in the country.”
The Port Townsend event is “well-suited for someone already doing some sea kayaking (who) is on the border of being an enthusiast. There’s so much to learn there. You can rub elbows with many different people: instructors, boat designers, equipment manufacturers, outfitters.
“The great thing is that you can try out the boats. There are about 12 to 15 brands. There’s not really anywhere else that you can try that much equipment. It’s an excellent opportunity if you’re on the verge of buying a kayak or if you want to move up from an entry level boat.”
It’s a weekend where dreams meet reality.
Another family-oriented event is the Sept. 27 Olympic Bike Adventure on the Olympic Discovery Trail. The mountain-bike ride choices are 10 miles, 25 miles or the new Metric Century (100km or 60 mile) route.
About 200 riders showed up last year, and the numbers are expected to increase as the trail length increases, eventually connecting Port Townsend with Lake Ozette.
Portions of the trail are on a former railroad bed, and the fully supported rides include coastline and valley views.
Columnist Sharon Wootton can be reached at 360-468-3964 or www.songandword.com.
