Sweet Briar Kayakers Place Third!

Hats off to the women of Sweet Briar College!

From Laura, director of the outdoor program (SWEBOP) at Sweet Briar:

Yes We did it!!!!! We have lots of good stories and tales to tell about the American Canoe Association Collegiate Canoe and Kayak championships for Virgina Schools! We are on to Nationals in October.

Lauren Morgan took 3rd place in open boat single paddler division
Keri Falk took 3rd in the exhibition race through the class 2 + rapids
Then the exciting race of today was the relay race and we took 2nd place beating the very impressive Hollins who took 3rd place...it was quite the upset..(but we still had dinner together and Krispy Cream hot donuts the night before for a little sister school camaraderie in our competition.)

SO drum roll please, out of 5 VA schools Sweet Briar won 3rd place overall and they have a trophy to prove it!

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Prizes for 2011 Nan Open Already Coming In!!

What makes the annual Nantahala Open such a success is a) it is a fun non-competitive event; b) great people come from all over to support the event; c) Team Wave Sport comes with all sorts of enthusiasm and.....

the manufacturers' support of the event is first class!!

The 2011 Nantahala Open will be no exception. Already lined up to give their support to the event is a cast of veteran Nantahala Open Supporters:

Shred Ready Helmets

Snap Dragon Skirts

TeamScum

Stohlquist

NRS

These friends not only support all of us with their great white water gear, but they support events such as the Nantahala Open--an event for the "normal" paddler out just having fun!


Stay tuned for more!

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Women Traveling Abroad: Tips for things that get overlooked

For women traveling abroad, there are a few cultural hitches that can make for awkward moments; nothing that should dissuade a female from embarking on an international trip, but if known ahead of time, can make traveling as a female a whole lot easier. Here are a few points that often are overlooked on the standard packing list:

Toilet Paper; something many of us take for granted. But once out of metropolitan areas, there are many countries that consider toilet paper a luxury. If you are not a big drip dryer, make sure you bring along a travel size roll of paper. And work on your squats before you go—many toilets are not really conducive to sitting down.

When it is “that time.” The last thing you were thinking about when packing for your trip was the ol’ monthly girl time. And even if you check the calendar to make sure you are not going to overlap, traveling often screws up the timetable just to be a nuisance. Pack for it even if it is not going to happen. Outside of large metropolitan areas, many cultures take a different view on how the monthly plaque is handled. Solution: pack enough of your favorite product for the time you are going to be gone. And think about disposal. If you are traveling in a country that has little access to public bathrooms, or has septic systems that do not accommodate paper products, you need a disposal solution. Bring a supply of snack-size zip lock bags. And have a bit of toilet paper folded in each one (for reasons already mentioned).

Prescriptions. Many countries bypass the doctor when handing out prescription drugs. You walk in to a pharmacy, describe your ailment, and as long as you are not asking for your favorite recreational drug, you will probably be taken care of. Exception to the rule: birth control pills. Don’t leave home without them. It is not only uncomfortable asking for them, but all but impossible to get a prescription filled in countries that do not exactly condone the use of modern medicine in birth control.

Changing. If you are visiting a country that has religious and/or cultural stigmas about public nudity for women, don’t embarrass your host country. You will not win any friends flaunting your inhibitions. Respect their culture—even if their culture is not shy about calendar photos of half-dressed women snuggling up to sweating beer bottles, they might not take you changing in front of them well; therefore, bring a changing towel, dress, skirt, long shirt.

Cat calls/wolf whistles/being ignored. Sure it might be sexist in your country. And it is in theirs. But that is beyond the point. In many countries (Latin American countries for example) if you are a good-looking lady, you are going to be appreciated. Don’t shoot them the finger and shout “pig” in every language you know. Just continue on your way and be flattered. On the other extreme, there are certain cultures where you will be overlooked if you are part of a group embarking on an adventure—particularly an athletic adventure. Don’t be offended when there is a show of surprise that you are going to do the same thing as the guys…kayaking a river, climbing a mountain, riding a mountain bike. There are cultures--even in this day and time, where women do not participate in such activities, much less alone with a group of guys. Don’t back off from what you are doing. But don’t take things personally if dubious eyes turn towards you when you start putting on your gear.

The Bar Scene. In many countries, it is against every cultural norm for a woman to hang out in a bar. Nightclub/dance club, yes. Bar, no. That doesn’t mean don’t go—but make sure you are with friends if you do so. Do not try being a bar fly on your own; it will be taken the wrong way—even if all you intended was to have a glass of wine before going to your room for the night.

And above all, remember that television supersedes you. Take care not to play into the preconceived notions that certain cultures have about women from your culture. Take the time to do your homework before traveling to learn the faux pas of your destination’s culture. And remember that you are an emissary for all the women that will travel after you.

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Parallels Between a Good Hair Cut and Kayak Instruction

I have come to appreciate that parallels can be drawn between an amazing hair cut and a great day of kayak instruction.
Follow me here in replacing “getting my haircut” with “taking a day of instruction” and see if it sounds familiar to you….

First there is just the idea of going to a professional stylist when you can do it yourself/have your friend help you out. Of course there is no telling what the outcome will be in either situation until it is over; and while both can be fixed afterwards—getting it done right produces much better results and avoids a huge deflated ego when the results are in.

Choosing the professional best suited for one’s style/needs-which are different than other people’s is also part of the process.
Take me:
For starters I stuff my head/hair into a helmet, sometimes seven days/week for my job;
I am typically in some stage of wet for most of the day (unless it is cold out);
I don’t have a lot of time for frills;
and while I have come around to the idea of spending the time and money to get my hair cut—I want to see results.

All of the above brought me to Rob. First he was really fun to hang with (met him kayaking) and has a great laugh. He has an amazing reputation and earns the respect of his clients, information I garnished through fellow hair-cut aficionados, as well as watching him work while I was waiting for my time in the chair.

I typically show up at the salon for a scheduled appointment not looking my best. But I aspire to try and leave looking better. Even in my bedraggled state, I begin to relax almost immediately because in a crowded salon, I sense that Rob’s focus is honed in on me and his priority while I am there is making me feel like the most important person in the room. I know he will do the same for everyone that came before me/comes after me, but it is the time I am there that matters.

I must confess that as Rob tries to sort through the mess of my sun baked, river soaked mop of hair I always feel a little self-conscious. When he asks me how using the blow drying method he showed me the previous visit is working—I must look as chagrined as the student who has just been asked if they are using the stern draw in all the ways we practiced the previous time.

Having made my choice of who is cutting my hair, I relax and trust that he is steering me in the right direction. And trust that the strands of hair soon falling to the floor will achieve the same great results as would practicing the individual steps of the roll over and over again for someone learning to roll.

Along the way Rob takes the time to suggest tools that will help improve my hair/haircut—a different conditioner, hair brush or approach to drying; just as I do in giving someone “homework” to take back from their instruction to continue to improve. Rob makes it look/sound so easy to do and makes me feel so committed. But then I wonder if I will ever have the skill--or the time, to use this new tool/take his advice. Even so, at the end of the appointment I am amazed at the transition I see in the mirror. I walk out the door holding my head a little higher and cannot resist giving my new mane a little swoosh as I walk down the street. It is like finally learning how to successfully peel out of an eddy and then doing so with great success.

And I confess that as a result of Rob’s nudging (pure salesmanship I know), I leave with bag in hand that holds that little styling tip/tool that was suggested to me—knowing that the first couple of times trying to do it on my own might be a little scary. The execution may be awkward and chances are good I won’t immediately achieve the results of today. But with some practice I will feel better about doing it on my own. Who knows—there may come a day when I feel so confident I trying using something like the hair straightener tool that looks as complicated as some ancient torture device.

And to think I would have once have said “never” to such a thought ☺

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Great Advice from a "River Maiden"

I always struggle with the generalization that women struggle with fear/men don't when it comes to whitewater kayaking. I know some guys who have to deal with some pretty heady head games when it comes to kayaking. I am not so sure that there is a way to categorize fear into one gender or another

But on the other hand....do I frequently say that women "think too much" about just about anything--including kayaking. Oh yes! We have a great imagination whether it comes to what our boy friend is doing when he does not call like he said he would/what happens if we screw up in a rapid. So I do sometimes encourage women I am paddling with to "think like a guy" when it comes to paddling. But maybe that is a little vague. So when I read a quote from Adriene Levknecht--whom many will say "thinks like a guy" when she paddles for sure, I could totally agree with the way Adriene put it:


"Women have a harder time letting their past go and visualizing the future. We wrap our heads around things that have already happened that we can’t change."

Example: you mess up a rapid and end up swimming. And so you avoid running that rapid again because the same thing might happen. Might happen. Might not. But avoiding running the rapid means you never give yourself a chance. SO next time you are struggling with a rapid that gave you a hard time, maybe give it another chance. You might ace it this time!

Read more about Adriene and the rest of the "river maidens" of western North Carolina.

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Little Girls in Big Boats

It is always difficult to decide whether to go with a boat that fits just right spec-wise, or add some volume. Here is a perspective about a little extra volume.

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2010 Boater Chick Festival a Success!

Anna Levesque did a great job summing up the spirit behind the 2010 Boater Chick Festival. What a weekend with so many enthusiastic women--and guys, in the Nantahala Gorge!

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