Spring is the perfect time to brush up on paddling skills.
That was the message heard from organizers and enthusiastic participants at the first annual Georgian Bay Paddlepalooza kayak festival this past weekend, May 31–June 2, 2013. Adventure Kayak editor Virginia Marshall joined the instructor team and festival host, Ontario Sea Kayak Centre, to help deliver two days of paddling, touring and camping workshops to some 50 participants.
Georgian Bay’s weather was characteristically unpredictable, with an ever-changing parade of thunderstorms, fog, brilliant sunshine, whitecaps, glassy calm and everything in between. Buckets of rain didn’t dampen spirits on the water, however, or at a lively Saturday night party featuring live music from All Systems Go! (recognize the drummer? That was Paddle Canada Executive Director, Graham Ketcheson), bonfire and spirited limbo competition for the first ever Paddlepalooza paddle giveaway. How low can you go? Pretty darn low, as limbo winner Christine Utas of White Squall Paddling Centre demonstrates below!
The location was also a winner. Parry Island proved to be well worth the drive, with the central campground area surrounded by clear water, sandy beaches and classic Georgian Bay rocky islands, not to mention spectacular sunsets just off the point. As farewells were made on Sunday afternoon, invitations were already being extended and accepted for Paddlepalooza 2014.
“We expect this event to continue to grow and grow, like Greenland Camp,” said OSKC co-founder Dympna Hayes, referring to the traditional paddling festival the company hosts every September.
Read more about Paddlepalooza in the May issue of our new monthly magazine, Paddling This Month, here.
Info: www.ontarioseakayakcentre.com/paddlepalooza-kayak-festival.html
