I got an email from Keith Wikle from gokayaknow.com and posted it below. If you are in the Michigan area it’s time to get out and do some rough water paddling this weekend at the 1st annual South Haven Freshwater Surf Jam.

From what I hear the Ontario Greenland Camp was a smashing success. They had a sell-out crowd descend on Camp Tamarack just outside Bracebridge, Ontario.

The event had a real powerhouse of mentors which included Cheri Perry, Turner Wilson, Adam Hansen and Heather Lamon. On top of that they also had several local stick-heads including Dympna Hayes and James Roberts (who organized the whole thing via their business, learntokayak.ca), Kelly McDowell, President of The Complete Paddler and Paul Renaud (an instructor at Harbourfront Canoe & Kayak Centre).

Just a quick reminder that the Canadian Professional Paddling Conference is taking place September 24th to 26th in Minden, Ontario. The date is approaching quickly so if you haven’t registered yet then it’s time to get on it ASAP.

Summer is more than half over and it’s sadly time to start thinking about fall paddling events. Here in Ontario there are several events that are shaping up to be really rock solid and worth checking out.

Greenland Style Symposium – August 26-29
Skinny stick paddlers will want to make note that the Greenland Style Symposium that takes place in Wawa, Ontario is coming up very fast. It’s an awesome weekend of low key learning and general fooling around.

They have a great line-up presenters (if I do say so myself). The gang going to be there includes Bonnie Perry, Doug Van Doren, Keith Wikle and myself as the general paddle and water carrier.

If you don’t already own your own Greenland paddle, don’t worry. Registration includes use of their paddlers. This is a good way to try out various designs and sizes before you buy or make your own.

For those who want to get more bang for their long drive, come up early and participate in their joint Paddle Canada level 2 and BCU 3* course that starts August 22 and runs right up to the starts of the Symposium.

More info: naturallysuperior.com

Last Sunday I got back from the Great Lakes Sea Kayak Symposium in Grand Maris, Michigan. The event is in its 26th years old but was organized for the first time by Down Wind Sports.

This was the first time that I had been to an American symposium and I got to honest, it really isn’t all that different from those back home. I don’t know what I was expecting but when you get down to it, it’s still groups of people getting out on the water matter what side of the border the event takes place on.

As you know, the kayaking world has some pretty prolific writers and bloggers and for some reason they all seemed to be in attendance at the symposium. It was fun to finally meet all the people I have known online for several years now. Some of the bloggers there included:

Keith Wikle from gokayaknow.com
Derek Mayoleth from kayakquixotica.com
Freya Hoffmeister form qajaqunderground.com
Sharon & Alec Bloyd-Peshkin from Have Kayaks, Will Travel
Dave St Anthony from The Lake is the Boss
Kelly Blades from, well his own site kellyblades.com
Slibs from Slibs says...
Greg Maino from juskuz.com

At one point we were trying to organize a kayak blogger meet-up. In the end we ran out of time to make it happen but it might have been for the best because I’m pretty sure that putting all those super kayak nerds (including myself) in one room might have caused a rift in the spacetime continuum.