David George fights the current as he paddles out from an eddy. George was the only participant to flip his kayak during the instruction. (Greg Lindstrom/Montana Kaimin)

Braving icy waters: Outdoor Program introduces students to kayaking

by Justin Franz | March 17, 2010 | Montana Kaimin

It’s early March on the Clark Fork River. The banks are still choked with ice and the massive boulders that line each side are covered in white.

Even though traces of winter remain, that doesn’t mean people can’t go out and enjoy the water, which is just what students in the Outdoor Program’s Fundamentals of Whitewater Kayaking class are learning.

The class, available for credit or just the experience, usually consists of three days spent in the Grizzly Pool, where students learn the basics of kayaking before applying that knowledge on the Clark Fork River for two days. Some classes also take an extended trip on the Blackfoot River.

“It just looked like a lot of fun,” said student David George.

George is one of four students enrolled in the class that meets every Friday afternoon, and according to program manager Elizabeth Fricke, it’s one of eight classes offered during the school year.

Although kayaking has been taught for years, Fricke said the program was recently fine-tuned to offer a more complete experience.

“I think it’s a really good program, starting with the fundamentals,” Fricke said. “Baby steps in the pool.”

Even after people know the basics, they can come back for more, Fricke said, adding that many who’ve taken the fundamentals class return for further instruction in kayak surfing and playboating, including a day at Brennan’s Wave near Caras Park downtown.

“It gives people more experience without having to go out on their own with their own gear,” Fricke said.

Not having to rent or buy equipment is one major plus since kayaking students can use kayaks, skirts, helmets and wet suits owned by the Outdoor Program.

George and the three other students loaded their equipment under the watchful eyes of kayaking instructors Cindy Leary and Mandela van Eeden as they prepared for their first trip on the Clark Fork River on Friday
afternoon.

Both Leary and van Eeden have taken the class and began teaching after taking subsequent advanced courses.

“Our goal is to make people as comfortable as they can be underwater,” Leary said, as the students piled into a green University of Montana van filled to the brim with kayaks and gear.

Van Eeden drove the van to a small parking lot that serves as a fishing access point near the Sha Ron Eddy in East Missoula. The students unloaded the van before donning their life jackets and wet suits.

“I think you learn a lot in a kayaking class because you’re pushing your boundaries,” Leary said. “It’s a team-building experience as well.”

With everyone geared up, van Eeden invited the students to her “office,” also known as the bottom of her kayak, complete with a hand-drawn map of the eddy and the river. Sitting atop her orange boat, van Eeden told students what to expect in the water.

“We’re going to learn about different features on the river and how to get in and out of moving water,” she said.

Getting in and out of moving water, or an eddy — a pocket of slow or still moving water — would be the main lesson of the day.

Next, Leary emphasized safety on the water.

“Creating a safe environment is the most important thing for you and us,” Leary said. “It’s possible that one of us, or all of us, will flip over, and we hope you do because that’s a great learning experience. Just don’t panic.”

Granted, being upside-down seems like a scenario where panicking would be just the thing people would do. But both instructors said waiting for a “t-rescue” (a two-person rescue procedure) would be better than doing a water exit, because students just end up getting soaked — the last thing people want in early March.

With the talking completed, the students shouldered their boats and headed for the water.

“I’m really hoping I don’t roll,” said one student as he walked along the banks over massive chunks of ice.

Once in the water, the first lesson was how to get in and out of faster currents without being caught by the current and flipped.

“Remember that two-o’clock angle,” Leary yelled over the rushing water. “Get out there fast, be aggressive, and lastly, don’t forget that tilt.”

With each successful attempt, the two instructors yelled their approval.

Next, the students learned to ferry across a river, a move that requires a boater to remain at a specific angle and go directly across the moving current.

George was one of the first students to attempt it, and as he succeeded, he smiled.

For van Eeden, this is the stuff she loves. When she first started kayaking, she was envious of guides and instructors who were able to call kayaking a job.

“I couldn’t believe that river guides got paid to do what they do,” van Eeden said.

Van Eeden took her first class in 2006 and has been hooked on the sport ever since. She said being able to teach kayaking has been a great skill.

“Even if it isn’t in a university setting, you can take your friends out and teach them,” van Eeden said.

But regardless of the student, van Eeden said what matters most is enjoyment.

“Most important is to make sure that they have a good time on the river,” van Eeden said.

If the look on the students’ faces as they packed up their gear was any indication, van Eeden and Leary succeeded.

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