WORLDWHITEWATERNEWS
NEWS AND HAPPENINGS
SOFT POWER HEALTH INNER CITY KIDS CAMP NEEDS YOUR HELP
19 years ago, 911 inspired Jessie Stone to try to increase diversity and access to whitewater kayaking. Jessie realized that for city kids, especially ones without the chance to leave the city and see a different landscape or touch nature in some way, the post 911 world might look like a scary and unpredictable place over which they had little control. If these kids could be introduced to kayaking and the outdoors, life might look a little more optimistic, a bit more fun. They might even feel like they have a little more control over their futures. Stone started the Inner City Kids Kayaking Camp in NYC in the summer of 2002 and has run a program almost every year since, working with two different organizations in New York, first the Boys and Girls Harbor (now SCAN-Harbor), and the Graham Windham School. Both work with underserved inner city youth in NYC in differing capacities. “Most of these camp kids come from situations I cannot imagine and have to overcome challenges daily because of the color of their skin that I will never know. Every summer, I finish camp and think I want to do more! Kayaking has helped so many people find joy in their lives, why not share it in a bigger way?” says Stone. In 2020, due to Covid-19, money the school would typically receive from the state of NY has been diverted to the challenges of dealing with coronavirus. After 22 years, the Graham Windham kids' program is closing. Now when kids need nature, the outdoors, and kayaking more than ever, it is being taken away. Stone is currently working on plan b, c, and d to see if there are ways to get these kids paddling this summer. And she can always use help – if anyone reading this has connections to youth and adult groups that would like to learn to kayak, especially in the NYC area, but really anywhere, please reach out! Each one of us can do something to change the status quo to create more equity, no matter how big or small, each of our actions matter. Collectively working together, this change will happen – it’s long overdue. Kayaking is a great tool to help this happen. It’s a great equalizer and even greater connector. Maybe together we can change the world through paddling.
Report: Jessie Stone l Photography: Eli Reichman
CHICAS AL AGUA, GIRLS KAYAKING CAMP, FUTALEUFU, CHILE, FEBRUARY 2020
Kayakers travel from all corners of the globe for the chance to spend a week or two on the Futa, braving long ferry rides and complicated logistics to reach its turquoise blue waters. However, few locals of the town of Futaleufú are given the opportunity to kayak—and the handful of homegrown kayakers are almost exclusively men. For years, a small group of female paddlers living full-time in Futaleufú had been discussing this divide, especially the near-total lack of female kayakers from Futa. Last year, they paired with the local nonprofit Futaleufú Riverkeeper to start the first girls-only kayak clinic in Futaleufú. For the month of January, they held bi-weekly classes for a group of nine local girls aged 14-16, starting with flatwater basics and culminating in a full descent of the Espolón River, a fun class II-III river that runs through town.The goals of the workshop were, first, to introduce girls to the sport of kayaking, teaching basic skills and safety techniques; second, to use kayaking as a vehicle to teach personal and interpersonal skills; and third, to engage a new generation of river stewards to advocate for the clean, free-flowing rivers in Futaleufú and beyond. Each class focused on a specific life skill such as self-confidence, mental peace, or communication, and consisted of an on-the-water session followed by a group reflection.Thanks to the hard work of the instructors and the enthusiasm of the participants, the clinic turned out to be a great success. Girls left feeling empowered and excited to continue paddling. Plans are already in the works to repeat the clinic this coming summer. To make the program more sustainable and not rely on the complicated logistics of borrowed gear, Futaleufú Riverkeeper is looking to acquire 5-10 full sets of paddling equipment. To donate to the initiative, please visit waterkeeper.org/donate-to-futaleufu-riverkeeper/ and select “Girls Kayaking Clinic” under the “Fund a Specific Project” tab.
Report: Lydia Blanchet l Photography: Melanie Kurtz
KAYAK SESSION EUROPEAN FREESTYLE SERIES 2020
Covid-19 has messed with everyone's plans, including the Freestyle Tour. Events across the world saw cancellation announcements one after the other.That is why some of the most well-known community-driven events in southern Europe and Kayak Session have teamed up to create the first ever Kayak Session European Freestyle Series 2020. 3 weekends, 3 events. Natural Games in Millau (France), Salt Kayak Festival (Catalunya/Spain) and the Whitewater Circus in Pau (France) will form an overall ranking to designate the winners of the Kayak Session European Freestyle Series 2020.The idea behind the tour is simple: to inject you with endless summer and Pyrenées vibes through events where kayaking is just an excuse for paddlers to come together and celebrate the sport in the most old-school freestyle days fashion.You don’t need to be an elite freestyle athlete to take part! Come check out attractive competition formats, aperos, music, multiple
