LITTLE ROCK — The rivers and creeks are running, and meanwhile, time’s running out to register for the Arkansas Canoe Club’s annual School of Whitewater Paddling.
Held every May on the Mulberry River in Northwest Arkansas, this weekend of watery instruction marries fun with safety skills for a program intended to raise the general knowledge level among folks who already love to have fun playing on Arkansas rivers.
Judging by the paddling behaviors you see floating around, especially among group floats organized by churches and such, too few know the difference between merry adventure and suicidal risk-taking.
Certified paddling instructors have something to teach at all levels of white-water skill. According to organizers Patti and Marcus Van Camp, the club aims to help participants ...
Feel safe and have more fun on white water.
Recognize typical river hazards and have options for dealing with them other than hollering and yanking your oar out of the froth.
Improve fundamental paddling skills.
Refine strokes and efficient maneuvers on flat water.
Use ferries and eddy turns to improve river reading, judgment and timing.
This school might be for you if you have a white-water canoe but you use a kayak paddle to make it go.
It’s also for you if you can control the kayak or canoe and have a hankering to try your luck on some downhill running, but you’re wondering, “How do I get my boat onto the ferry so the cars don’t crush it?”
Also, if you know about ferries but your first reaction when your kayak runs into white stuff is to jerk your paddle out of the current and squeeze it like you’re wringing a chicken’s neck ... this school’s for you.
On the other hand, it’s also for you if the last time you went paddling you almost mastered surfing your kayak.
School will be in session May 4 to 6 at Turner Bend Campground on the Mulberry, 13 miles north of Ozark on Arkansas 23.
Classes are small and divided into groups based on the type of craft and each paddler’s experience. Instruction happens on and off the water, with Saturday’s work amounting to a long, rigorous workout.
Enrollment costs $90, which includes a $5 American Canoe Association event fee. Current association members can save the $5 by presenting their member number. Participants also must belong to the Arkansas Canoe Club ($25 per year) before they can register.
Details are at arkansascanoeclub.com.
What’s a bollard?
The Russellville Chamber of Commerce Leadership Class of 2012 plans a big bicycle ride to raise money for building bicycle racks in the Downtown District and city parks.
This Bikes & Bollards Bike Ride will begin with registration at 7 a.m. Saturday in Depot Park. All sorts of bicycle riders are welcome. For $35, you have your choice of group outings on one of three routes:
at 8:30 a.m., a long-haul 57-mile loop through lovely Dover, Bullfrog Valley, Silex, Lamar, Knoxville and so forth.
at 9 a.m., a 27-mile loop with some hills.
at 9 a.m., a leisurely short ride, 12 miles, to the marina.
Maps will be handed out at the start, but you can preview the routes online using a link on the event Facebook page “Bikes & Bollards Bike Ride.”
Even though state law doesn’t require helmets, event insurance does, and so all riders must wear helmets.Volunteers will support you along your way with aid stations and a sag wagon, and the turns will be marked.
After your ride, dismount and enjoy free food, door prizes and family-friendly festivity, with music by the Jack Fancy Band.
More information is available from Yanci Walker at (318) 348-8878.
Register on-site or find the registration form link on the Facebook page.
What is a bollard? Once upon a time it was a squatty wooden post used for mooring boats on a dock, but similar shapes are used on roads today as traffic-calming obstructions and to keep autos off trails. And then there are bollard bike racks - basically, a post with arms, wings or a circle attached where riders can lock their bicycles.
Kayaking
Cane Creek State Park at Star City in the Delta offers three guided kayaking adventures next month on quiet Cane Creek Lake. The titles tell the story: April 7, “Full Moon Kayak Tour”; April 14, “Afternoon Kayak Tour”; and April 21, “Sunset Kayak Tour.”
Kayaking experience is not required, but everyone should be comfortable around and in the water. The guide will teach basic skills before you set out.
Reservations are required. The $15 adult admission ($10 for ages 12 and under) includes kayak rental, life jacket, paddle and guide service. More information is at (870) 628-4714.
ActiveStyle, Pages 24 on 03/26/2012