I have just spent the past week out at the LOCO Kayak Symposium in Washington State, USA. The symposium is organised by Ginni Callaghan of Columbia River Kayaking and Baja Kayak Adventures.
Tucked up in the North West of the lower forty eight states, Puget Island is seated in the Columbia river, and literally a stone’s throw away from the border of Washington and Oregon States. The area is steeped in exploration and Pioneering history with reminders of the native culture, the huge ecological significance and events such as the Lewis and Clark expedition of the 1800’s. The local indigenous language and peoples, the Chinook, were also adventurous and hardy, travelling many miles to seek out food from different water sheds, even having a Salmon named after them.
On the way to the coast on the south side of the mighty Columbia river is the coastal town of Astoria, home of the US Coastguard Rough Water Training Centre, the Maritime museum and the setting for the famous classic 80’s film, The Goonies. At its widest the Columbia is 8miles across and is a major navigable watercourse allowing cargo ships to make journeys inland to Portland and vice versa as well as being a fantastic fishing venue.
I was privileged enough to be able to surf kayak in some really nice glassy pacific surf at Cannon Beach and Seaside Point, both in Oregon. The highlight of these was definitely surfing 3 foot of glass at Seaside Point with 3 Gray Whales in attendance for the whole day feeding just outside the break line. I also got to paddle Sea Kayak near Cape Disappointment, Washington, amongst other things such as see a Greenland rolling competition for the first time. The weather was great and the people that attended were amazing, brimming with enthusiasm and very welcoming. Thank you all. Unfortunately, I could only stay for a short period of time, and would love to make it back there sometime, as there is more than enough to keep a boater happy for a very long time!
The symposium programme was a very varied one with Ginni organising classes for beginner through to advanced paddlers, single day and multi day programmes and also hosting BCU qualifications and updates for those folks that are part of the BCU North America membership and coaching fraternity. Due to the coaches attending the event to participate and to coach, attendees were able to gain BCU awards from 3 star and four star, sea, surf and canoe to assessor training. A highlight of the symposium in BCU terms was the running of the second UKCC BCU Level 2 course in the USA, providing four new and super keen, trained coaches in the process.
There was a also demonstration of the professional Coastguard services, with the attendance of one of their helicopters, complete with rescue diver, winch-man and a rapid RIB.
