Simone is a long-time member who has served the club over the years as a trip leader, and on the club executive throught the trips committee, social committee and as a director.
My first exposure to kayaking was at Mercia Sixta's symposiums on Thetis Island in the early 90s. They included alot of excellent workshops and different boats to try. I was hooked on kayaking instantly.
The funniest and most memorable event there was the cardboard kayak race! We divided into small groups to each design and build a cardboard kayak in 3 hours or less. After building the kayak, a member of each group would race the cardboard vessel with all the other cardboard kayaks. The boat and paddler that went the furthest distance before sinking, was the winner! I still laugh about that.
I didn't actively take up paddling until 10 years later though. As a single mom, I was better to take my kids canoing than kayaking.
Around 2001, while hiking at Deep Cove, I noticed the kayak rental outfit there was selling some used kayaks. I promptly bought my first kayak there, a used plastic Neke Narpa and immediately called my kayaker friends.
Among them was Shelley Lear, a long time member of Skabc. She introduced me to Skabc.
I took course after course from Skabc. Instructors like Rick Davies, George Prevost, Harald Riffel, Peter Kearney and several others, taught fun educational kayaking workshops. Currents, strokes and rescues, weather, navigating, cooking for paddling and making a shelter were just a few.
Around 2003, I replaced my plastic kayak with a fiberglass seafarer by nimbus, a good touring boat. I teamed up with Terry McGinnis who was an experienced paddler and trip leader. For over 10 years, Terry and I coordinated trip after trip for club members and paddled to different destinations all summer long. We even organised trips to Belize and Baja. Organising trips for the club was a great way to meet and get to know other kayakers in the club.
There may still be some fun trip reports about our past trips in the club archives.
Today, I paddle a Kevlar, Nimbus Telkwa Sport which is lighter and faster. I paddle less, and I go to bnbs instead of camping. It's a good compromise for an aging torso.
It's a great club. It has given me great adventures, great friends and great memories.