The cool thing about spending the day with a private whitewater clinic is getting to know the people. I had a great day on the river with Chase and Paul yesterday. This is my second parent/child trip this year, and as a parent myself, I kept thinking what a special way to spend a day with each other. Chase’s mom and younger brother also got some quality time going to Santa’s Village while the older boys were out ripping around the E-town Rips on the Androscoggin River. It was one of my better clinics as both of these guys had spent a lot of time outside, hiking and flatwater paddling, and their level of fitness and enthusiasm made for a rapid progression through the basics. Chase was grinning ear to ear after running down through the Pancake Wave and the Class II waves at the finish. On our second and third runs we caught several of the harder eddies, and Chase took the lead for most of the afternoon, even hustling us out of the eddies. Paul and I had a nice visit and I learned more about snowmobiles and some of the amazing trails we have in the Northeast and Canada.
A day spent doing something memorable, like running his first Class II rapid in kayaks with his Dad, will be a great memory for Chase. I was glad I could teach them the skills to do it safely, and to be a part of it. Thanks guys! Keep paddling and I look forward to seeing you on the river! -Darron
