2010 Whitewater Symposium – “The Next Rapid Evolution”
The 2010 Whitewater Symposium is coming to the Nantahala Outdoor Center in Bryson City, NC October 8-10. Like past Symposiums, this 7th version of the event seeks to advance the sport of whitewater paddling by bringing together key players from all aspects of the whitewater spectrum including clubs, instruction, recreation, manufacturing, competition, retail, adventure travel, and stewardship .
It’s a truly unique opportunity for paddlers and industry leaders alike to exchange ideas about trends in programs, promotion, equipment, and technique. For the benefit of the paddling public and club members in particular, the 2010 Symposium will provide an all-inclusive package of on-water instruction, dry-land seminars, film presentations, and roundtable discussions targeting many more of the “in-demand” topics most noted by past participants,
We’ve listened to attendee feedback over the years, from which we’ve created a fresh new series of topics addressing some of the more common themes of interest to our audiences. New to the Symposium this year is a dedicated 3-track session schedule that aims to emphasize specific topics in the areas of whitewater oriented business, program development, and paddler enthusiasm.
The Business Track will include presentations by astute market leaders like Andy Zimmerman from Legacy, and Darren Bush, whose company Rutabaga is the largest paddle sports retailer in North America. Discussions will incorporate perspectives on topics like “How to boost sales”, “Effective Marketing”, and “Connecting with Customers”. If you make your living in the paddlesports industry, you won’t want to miss the broad range of forward thinking discussions in the house.
The Development Track is geared towards educational programs, instruction, and club activities. These sessions will center around the most innovative thinking being applied to everything from equipment design, to program building and approaches to teaching, training and paddling technique. Key Speaker Chris Fanning, along with a plethora of acclaimed instructors like Anna LeVesque and swiftwater rescue guru Mike Mather, bring their years of experience to interactive presentations of important topics. This is an unparalleled opportunity to be part of the conversation, as many of today’s top ambassadors of paddlesports weigh in on a whitewater vision for the future.
The Paddler Track will be a chance to connect with some of the hottest personalities in paddlesports and learn about the most cutting edge whitewater pursuits happening around the world. Participate in on-water clinics with the likes of freestyle champion Eric Jackson and Olympic gold medalist Joe Jacobi. Get up to speed on specifics like paddling performance, running creeks, improving your mental game, river safety, whitewater film making, and playboating skills … and find out how many of today’s most successful paddlers are striving to make a difference through programs you might find yourself wanting to explore further.
Whether you’re looking to improve your on-water skills, boat with world class paddlers, connect with other whitewater enthusiasts and business leaders, grow your business, market your product, or learn about service project opportunities, this year’s Whitewater Symposium offers something for everyone through a dynamically diverse program held over a single weekend at one of the world’s premier whitewater destinations …. Hope to see you there! For more program, schedule, and registration information, check out http://WWSymposium.com
New Kayakeducation.com Scholarships for schools, clubs and instructors
Thanks to the generocity of our sponsors, we will be waiving the first year’s educator fees for access to our Welcome Center/educator portal and benefits. For the first 200 kayak schools, clubs or instructors, access will be free for the duration of 2010 at kayakeducation.com. To apply simply go to http://letsgopaddling.com/welcome-centers/become-a-welcome-center-2/welcome-center-application/ and fill out the form in detail. World Kayak will be responding to each applicant directly.
World Kayak’s kayakeducation.com was built to support a global conversation and exchange between educators, aimed at helping EVERY educator have a resource for cutting edge teaching tools and techniques. This system is part social network for educator exchange, part instructional support tool and part marketing tool. Schools, clubs and instructors can read tips, video instructional videos, post up recommendations, join forums all in the name of supporting their teaching. These tools also allow them to post upcoming classes and contact information. This will then be posted to World Kayak’s regional portal (regions.worldkayak.com) and to its blogging and community portals www.worldkayakblogs.com … exposing their regional classes to the tens of thousands of visitors monthly throughout the seasons.
US Team Trials Final Results – Your new US TEAM!
Text by Lee Hart of BrandAMP
Missoula, MT – The future of freestyle kayaking looks bright if results from the US National Freestyle Kayak Team Trials are an indicator. Kayaking’s version of the ratpack, teens Jason Craig, Dane Jackson Jordan Poffenberger and Lauren Burress all turned in impressive performances as they battled in various divisions for the chance to represent the US at World Championships in Germany next summer.
Jackson, 16, not only qualified but outright topped the winner’s stand in three classes, OC-1, C1 and Junior Men. In fact, Jackson’s rides in the junior men’s events were among the top-scoring rides of the entire competition. A flurry of McNasty’s and Space Godzillas both ways in addition to a barrage of loops, lunar orbits and more scored 1250.
Jackson said that coming into the event he had hoped to make all three teams but surprised even himself by being the first place finisher in all three classes. Jackson also won top honors in all three classes in the USA Freestyle Kayak Point Series translating into three national crowns.
Jackson’s best friend and fellow 16-year-old Jason Craig has an automatic entry into World Championships by virtue of being reigning junior men’s world champ. Since this event also served as the final event of national point series, Craig competed here in the senior men’s division where he stunned the crowd with a 1265-point ride to finish second in the event. He also earned second in the senior men’s point series. Craig rescinded his seat on the senior men’s team in order to defend his junior men’s world title next summer, which allows men’s sixth-place finisher Bryan Kirk to claim the fifth spot on the senior men’s national team. Kirk won the point series making him this year’s National champ.
Jason said he didn’t have any specific goals coming into the event other than to paddle his best and said he was pleased with his results.
Dominating the junior women’s division was 14-year-old Lauren Burress whose top scores in both rounds of competition were more than double that of the second-place finisher. Burress’s prelim round ride of 440 would have qualified her for the senior women’s finals.
Despite a cool, overcast day in Missoula, the men’s final round rides were scorching hot, as scores ratcheted progressively higher climaxing with Stephen Wright first-place 1380-point ride.
Wright said he was inspired to throw down the sick ride by Dustin Urban who immediately preceded Wright in today’s start order. Wright said though Urban had started slow in his third-round ride “he just kept rapid-firing tricks all the way through the buzzer” to tally 1250 points which landed him in third place at this event.
Wright predicted it will be scores like those seen here today, if not higher, that will determine the next champion at the International Canoe Federation Freestyle Kayak World Championships in Plattling Germany next June. Wright noted that at home in Reno, NV he and others have been practicing three- and four-move combos and while none were thrown this week, he said he wouldn’t be surprised to see them next season in even higher-scoring rides.
Also on the team again is four-time world champ Eric Jackson who commented that the depth of field on this year’s team in all the divisions was really impressive.
Jackson noted the US team is among the hardest of any national team to earn a spot.
Day 3 Finals Results – US Freestyle Kayak Team Trails
MENS C1 (US Team members in italic)
- Dane Jackson – 700 (Point series National Champ)
- Jordan Poffenberger – 620
- Seth Chappelle – 590
- Eric Jackson – 220
- Brad McMillan – 200
JR Women (US Team members in italic)
- Lauren Burress – 240 (Point series National Champ)
- Hannah Kertesz – 125
- Emery Tillman – 40
- Brooke Hess-Homeier – 15
- Taylor Cote – 0
JR Men (US Team members in italic + Jason Craig, world champ)
- Dane Jackson – 1240 (Point series National Champ)
- Will Rudisill – 405 (too old for jr team in 2011)
- Nico Tonozzi – 380
- Eric Bartl – 290
- Jordan Poffenberger – 220
- JP Griffith – 150
SR Women (US Team members in italic)
- Emily Jackson – 470
- Jessie Stone – 310
- Erin Clancey – 260
- Haley Mills – 215 (Point series National Champ)
- Kat Levett – 205
SR Men (US Team members in italic)
- Stephen Wright – 1380
- Jason Craig – 1265 (on JR team for worlds)
- Dustin Urban – 1250
- Eric Jackson – 1030
- Clay Wright – 780
- Bryan Kirk (not competing today – Point series National Champ)
