FREE SEMINARS OFFERED ON SATURDAY, MAY 11, 2019
10:30am – Choosing the Right Kayak – Greg Whittaker, Mountain to Sound Outfitters and Alki Kayak Tours
Description: Paddling is a lifelong sport whether you pick it up when you’re seven or seventy-seven, and choosing your first kayak is an exciting decision! We are always thrilled when we get people in the earlier realm of that spectrum, but we help a ton of folks get into their sport after they have finished their working career and are looking for easy and affordable ways to spend the day on the water.
Bio: Greg is owner of Alki Kayak Tours and Mountain to Sound Outfitters. He began guiding sea kayak tours in ’99 in the San Juan Islands, and founded Alki Kayak Tours in 2005 to help Puget Sound residents and visitors explore our waterways. Greg is an ACA kayak instructor and a WSUPA SUP instructor, who is passionate about getting people out on their own paddle craft to discover the amazing areas Washington has to offer.
11:00am – Protecting & Preserving Puget Sound – Rachel Mayer
Description: Sno-King Marine Mammal Response (SKMMR) is a volunteer organization that responds to marine mammal sightings in King and Snohomish Counties in Washington state. Harbor seals and other marine mammals inhabit the same shorelines used by people. By monitoring marine mammal health and educating the community, our goal is to promote conservation and stewardship of the Puget Sound.
Bio: As the Stranding Coordinator for Sno-King Marine Mammal Response, an all volunteer marine mammal stranding response organization (responding in King and Snohomish counties) Rachel Mayer looks for opportunities that allow her to connect with folks who spend time near the water. Educating people about marine life through presentations or sharing artifacts and materials about safely observing wildlife helps minimize negative human-marine mammal interactions on/near the beach (protecting people and animals!).
11:30am – Kayak Fishing the Pacific Northwest – Brad Hole
Description: Learn about some of the great overlooked fishing opportunities the Pacific Northwest has to offer. From trolling for cutthroat trout in Lake Sammamish to Bass Fishing local lakes. Learn the advantages of kayak fishing over beating the bank or owning a boat. We’ll also cover basic rigging, essential safety gear and what you’ll need to get started.
Bio: Brad Hole is a multi-species kayak angler, guide and consultant that resides in the Pacific Northwest. He is a regular contributor on kayak fishing to many fishing magazines, blogs and radio/television shows. The purchase of his first Hobie kayak eight years ago opened up a wide array of fishing opportunities. Brad has knocked off several “bucket list fish” from his kayak including an monster halibut, oversized sturgeon, trophy tiger musky and Mackinaw lake trout.
Noon – Paddle Pilgrim: Kayaking the Fjords of Norway – Dave Ellingson
Join Dave on a month-long kayak expedition on his ancestral Sogne and Hardanger Fjords in Norway. Experience the exhilaration of 24-hour daylight in the Land of the Midnight Sun, the exhaustion of battling big waves bouncing off 1500 foot cliffs, the terror when a rudder breaks and icy water fills the cockpit, and the joy of exploring the farm my great-grandfather left to come to America in the 1850’s. Enjoy the spell-binding stories and award-winning photographs which bring to life this adventure of a lifetime.
Dave Ellingson, whose Mississippi River, Erie Canal and Hudson River expeditions are chronicled in his popular Paddle Pilgrim books, enjoyed a spectacular month paddling last summer on his ancestral Sogne and Hardanger Fjords. Dave will share spell-binding stories and award-winning photographs from his recent adventure in Norway. You don’t have to be a kayaker to enjoy this adventure.
12:30pm – Choosing the Right Paddle – Nick Hinds, Werner Paddles
Description: Werner Paddle Northwest Rep Nick Hinds will present the most effective way of figuring out which kayak, canoe, or SUP paddle will work for you. Topics of discussion will be length, offset, high angle vs low angle paddle blade shapes, and bent shaft vs straight shaft. There are also three main types of materials which paddles are built out of, their benefits will be explained as well. Both Sea Kayak / Touring and Whitewater kayak paddle selection will be focused on in the kayak portion of the presentation.
Bio: Nick Hinds, long-time paddler and Northwest resident has joined the Werner team this January. He will walk you through the challenges of picking the right paddle for your personal size and the types of water you typically paddle on. Having many years of experience paddling canoes, sups, sea kayaks and whitewater boats, Nick is excited to share what he has learned with anyone who is having a challenge with his or her paddle choice.
1:00pm – Dress for Paddle Sports – Karl Kohagen, Kokatat
Description: A close look at fabrics, designs, and features of various clothing systems, comparison of wet suits vs. dry suits, coated nylon vs. waterproof breathables, one-piece vs. two-piece suits, and more.
Bio: Karl has been kayaking since 1985, has been an ACA certified coastal kayaking instructor, actively involved in the development and testing of paddling garments and is the northwest rep for Kokatat water sports apparel.
2:00pm – Source to Sea Columbia River Adventure – John Kuntz
Description: This past August Kitsap native John Kuntz, modern day voyageur, embarked on a mostly solo kayak trip, paddling the entirety of the Columbia river, all 1250 miles. Hear his story in words and video of high adventure as he runs whitewater rapids in the steep walled Red Grave canyon, dodging lightning strikes and forest fires, long open water paddles amongst some of the most spectacular and varied scenery on the planet, portaging around 14 dams, enduring a 5 mile hike around the USA border, and sharing his adventure along the way in the classrooms of a suburban Chicago school.
Bio: A paddler all of his life, John Kuntz started Olympic Outdoor Center now located in Port Gamble, WA in 1986 and is still its owner and president. John has been ACA and Red Cross Certified in Coastal Kayaking, Whitewater kayaking, and Canoeing. In addition to many expedition paddles in North and South America John created Paddle Kitsap, Paddle Bainbridge, Paddle Washington, Puget Sound Challenge, and the Kitsap Peninsula National Water Trail to encourage paddlers to explore the coast lines of Puget Sound and discover the personal rewards of paddling, the necessity for the protection of our marine environment, and the support of Water Trails.
2:30pm – Foundations of SUP Yoga Seminars (on-land) – Lindsay Lambert
3:00pm – Paddle Camping the Salish Sea – Don Crook