‘Helen’s Blog’

FIRST TIME CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF JAMAICA • STORM GATHERING USA

Here at Greenland or Bust, November is often one of the busiest months of the year. Although we’re home, and it may appear that we’re not actually working, we’re really busy making plans for the coming year, and there are LOTS of exciting things on the schedule.

First off we’re super stoked to be attempting a first time circumnavigation of Jamaica with Wes Moses. The three of us will launch on Sunday, Dec. 28 and paddle through most of January. We’re looking forward to lots of water time, as well as just enjoying Jamaica.

Another exciting thing on the schedule is the Storm Gathering U.S.A. event taking place out of Trinidad, California on March 6 to 8. We’re the organizers of the UK Storm Gathering, which has become increasingly popular since it began in Scotland in 2006. The UK Storm Gathering takes place every other year, and so we figured, “what the heck, let’s run an event in the U.S. the years in between.” We’ll have more information posted soon, but we can tell you that registration opens on Monday, Dec. 1. Come join us, there’s a storm brewing…

In other works, we’ll be doing another Rebel Kayaks sponsored Nordic Tour. We currently have classes confirmed in Sweden, Denmark and Norway. The tour will take place during the summer months, with a break in the middle to travel to Sisimiut, Greenland to participate in the 30 year anniversary of the Greenland National Kayaking Championship. The complete tour schedule will be posted in early 2015.

We’re also guiding an expedition in Antarctica from December 31, 2015 to January 27/28, 2016. Wanna go with us? E-mail us at info@greenlandorbust.org for details.

With all of this exciting stuff coming up, it’s nice to take a step back to reflect on the past month. Helen headed up to Pacific City, Oregon to teach at Lumpy Waters. This is a really great event, and Paul, Suzi and Dave do a wonderful job of putting it all together. If you haven’t made it to this one yet, it should be on your list for next year. Helen also hopped over to Israel to teach at Optimist’s Symposium. This was her fifth year at the event, and it was great to catch up with the paddling community from that part of the world. Israel is an incredible place with friendly people, warm water, unbelievable city ruins and quite possibly Helen’s favorite food on the planet.

While Helen was doing all of this, Mark was running a BCU 4 Star Sea Training and BCU 4 Star Sea Assessment on Anglesey in Wales, as well as providing some regional coach development programs for Canoe Wales. He was also one of the guest coaches at the DGI’s Autumn Coach Conference in Holbæk, Denmark.

Coming up in November Helen will be presenting in Eureka, California on South Greenland Expedition and The Greenland National Kayaking Championship. Other than that we’re spending the month working on putting together all of the exciting things that are planned for the coming year.

In December we’ll be leading a trip out of Crescent City, California, then heading south to run classes in Dana Point and Marina Del Rey. We’re looking forward to spending part of the holidays with family and then flying over to Jamaica to meet up with Wes and paddle around the place.

With so much going on, it’s hard not to get excited. Don’t forget to put our Storm Gathering USA event on your calendar!

As usual, visit www.greenlandorbust.org for more information and our current Events calendar and Blog postings.

You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

For questions, comments or to schedule us in your neighborhood, email info@greenlandorbust.org. Happy paddling!

– Helen and Mark

Helen’s Mentoring Madness

Most kayakers live close to one or more bodies of water, and many of us get into the routine of paddling out of the same spot, time after time. Depending on weather and water conditions, that same spot might change personalities frequently, which is why we don’t get bored with paddling the same paddle over and over again.

However, don’t let yourself miss out on other great opportunities. Often where there’s water, there are numerous launch sites, or even numerous bodies of water. While an ocean can provide an open water experience, a lagoon can be a secret haven, a bay on a windy day might provide a downwind adrenaline rush and a river might provide wildlife encounters that you wouldn’t have in saltier waters. Whatever the body of water, there are adventures out there, and if you can’t find them locally, then a road trip with friends might calling to you…

Program Schedule

Traditional Skills Paddle (ENC): November 1, Stone Lagoon, California

Who’s Leading Who?: November 1, Llyn Padarn, North Wales

South Greenland Expedition and The Greenland National Kayaking Championship (presentation):

November 10, Eureka, California

ENC Crescent City Paddle: December 7, Crescent City, California

Simplifying the Roll: December 13, Dana Point, California

Simplifying the Roll: December 20, Marina Del Rey, California

Jamaica Circumnavigation Attempt: December 28, Jamaica

I love Israel. There’s simply no other way to put it. This was my fifth year traveling to Israel for Optimist’s Symposium, and once again it was an absolute blast.

Yoga for Paddlers took place each morning of the four-day event.

Ehud and Ben catch up before classes begin.

It’s a real treat to run rolling classes in the warm, clear water of the Mediterranean Sea. No hoods needed!

My rolling class demonstrates correct hand position while we take a break on a stunning reef.

Another great spot to take a break, right next to the ruins of the old city in Caesarea.

After lunch we did some indoor stroke work before putting it into practice on the sea.

Meanwhile, other guest coaches, Ben Lawry and Ali Donald, had classes of their own.

It’s hard not to be mesmerized by the picture perfect beach.

It’s always great to see Hadas. Ben isn’t so bad either.

After classes in was nice to take the time to stroll along the beach before getting ready for evening activities, which always included socializing, laughing and some of the best food on the planet 🙂

Sunsets were stunning too.

The old city in Caesarea.

After the symposium we headed to Jerusalem to explore the old city and marketplace. The Western Wall is an amazing place with an incredible energy surrounding it.

Now I’m back home and feeling relaxed after a wonderful trip. Special thanks to the organizers, Ehud, Avigail, Yosale and Hadas for once again having me at your event. I’m looking forward to seeing you all again soon in the near future.

Photos by Zohar Navon and myself.

“We want Lumpy, we want Lumpy, we want Lumpy…” This group chant has become very familiar at the Lumpy Waters Symposium, which took place in Pacific City, Oregon last weekend. This was my second year coaching at the event, and I had an absolute blast.

The event started mid-day Friday, and I showed up a couple of hours early. Sea kayaking symposia usually feel like a big family reunion, and it was great to spend some time catching up with old friends and making new ones before classes began.

The Fun-Balance-Games class competes in a singing competition.

Throughout the weekend I ran three sessions of Simplifying the Roll and one session of Fun-Balance-Games. It was great to work with coaches from all over the country, and fantastic to see so many repeat and new participants.

There were races as well.

Taking balance to another level.

There were some very creative thinkers in this class.

The social aspect of Lumpy Waters is one of the things that makes it special. Event sponsors, Thule and Kokatat, provided the beer, and Werner provided some REALLY nice stainless steel pint glasses to enjoy the tasty beverages out of. The campfire was always running strong, and evening social activities included presentations by Matt Nelson and Nick Cunliffe, as well as the legendary “Pub Quiz,” which is difficult to describe… guess you’ll have to go next year to experience it for yourself.

Thank you to Paul Kuthe, Suzi Elle and Dave Slover who all do an amazing job of putting this symposium together. You all rock!

LUMPY WATERS • HARPOONS • CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF JAMAICA

Here in Northern California, Autumn is often the prettiest time of year. Foggy summer days are replaced by clear skies, and when not paddling, days can be spent at apple harvest festivals, corn mazes and pumpkin patches. In addition to all of this, the selection of fresh fruits and vegetables at farmers’ markets couldn’t be bigger. This is our favorite season, and we’re just at the beginning of it!

Although “summer” is officially over, our schedule remains full for the rest of the year. It has been nice to spend some time at home though, catching up with friends, and when the ocean permits, exploring new places.

September started with Mark’s return to the UK and Helen’s return to the U.S. for the Traditional Paddlers’ Gathering in Minnesota. This event is great for many reasons, some of which include the wonderful people, the ideal location and a really fun harpoon contest. Harpoons are not common at symposia, but they really should be 🙂

Helen spent another part of the month paddling and fishing with friends in Mendocino and Humboldt counties (both in Northern California). She also ran private rolling classes during the Bay Area Sea Kayakers’ Mendo Madness event, which takes place in Mendocino, California. Mark ran two introduction to sea kayaking programs, Simplifying the Roll and a combat rolling class, along with catching up with friends on and off the water in North Wales after the long summer.

In October Helen will be instructing at Lumpy Waters in Pacific City, Oregon, Big Lagoon in California and at the Optimist Kayaking’s Symposium in Israel. Mark will be working on a number of BCU classes, including a BCU 4 Star Sea Assessment and 4 Star Sea Training, as a well as providing some regional coach development programmes for Canoe Wales. Mark will also be one of the guest coaches at the DGI’s Autumn Coach Conference in Holbæk, Denmark. Later this year we have classes scheduled in the U.S. and Mexico.

In December we’ll be meeting up with Wes Moses, and the three of us will attempt to circumnavigate Jamaica, the largest island of the Commonwealth Caribbean. To our knowledge, we will be the first people to attempt this circumnavigation. We plan to finish in late January.

Interested in joining us for an expedition? How about paddling near penguins and icebergs? Our Antarctic expedition dates are set for December 31, 2015 to January 27/28, 2016. Our next Greenland expedition is set for summer 2016. For more information on either of these expeditions, email info@greenlandorbust.org.

As usual, visit www.greenlandorbust.org for more information and our current Events calendar and Blog postings.

You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

For questions, comments or to schedule us in your neighborhood, email info@greenlandorbust.org. Happy paddling!

– Helen and Mark

Dr. T’s Coaching Corner

This month we highlight some educational thinking about practice and achieving a high-level of domain specific expertise.

According to K. Ander Erricsson* and his colleagues, becoming an expert within a given field of endeavour is a combination of deliberate practice that is challenging yet methodical, which in turn is supported by insightful, critical coaching.

Deliberate practice is seen as being about improving the skills you already have and learning how to extend the range as well as the reach of your skills.

Added to that, achieving an outstanding performance in any activity can be enhanced by being in a collaborative and supportive environment that includes like-minded individuals who can provide specific and constructive feedback.

The published work of Benjamin Bloom** in 1985 reports that the superb performers he investigated had practiced intensively, had studied with devoted teachers and had been supported enthusiastically by their families. Erricsson’s research, building on Bloom’s pioneering study, reveals that the amount and quality of deliberate practice are also key factors in the level of expertise people achieve.

Whichever way you look at it, being the best within a single pursuit requires a lot of time, sacrifice and hard work which, as is often the case, few people are willing to dedicate so much of their lives to.

However, if you do want to be a more skillful and knowledgeable paddler then spend time with a well-informed coach who will not only guide you through a process of deliberate practice that focuses on tasks beyond your current level of competence and comfort but will also to help you learn how to coach yourself through processes of reflection, critical thinking and goal setting.

*K. Anders Ericsson (ericsson@psy.fsu.edu) is the Conradi Eminent Scholar of Psychology at Florida State University, in Tallahassee.

**Benjamin Bloom (1913 – 1999) was an American educational psychologist who made contributions to the classification of educational objectives and to the theory of mastery-learning.

Program Schedule

Lumpy Waters: October 10 to 12, Pacific City, Oregon

Simplifying the Roll: October 18, Big Lagoon, California

The Fundamentals of Leadership: October 22, North Wales

Optimist Kayaking’s Symposium: October 23 to 26, Israel

Overcoming Anxiety with Action: October 29, Anglesey Outdoors, North Wales

Traditional Skills Paddle (ENC): November 1, Stone Lagoon, California

Who’s Leading Who? November 1, Llyn Padarn, North Wales

Qajaq Immersion Weekend: November 15 and 16, Bacalar, Mexico

Kayak Immersion Day: November 17, Bacalar, Mexico

ENC Crescent City Paddle: December 6, Crescent City, California

Simplifying the Roll: December 13, Dana Point, California

Simplifying the Roll: December 20, Marina Del Rey, California

Jamaica Circumnavigation Attempt: December 28, Jamaica

At home, in Humboldt County, it’s always possible to go paddling. Trinidad harbor provides a gentle launch, and even on a really big day (20 feet or larger), it’s possible to get out into the swell and “ride the elevator” as we like to call it. Mark and I had been traveling for four months, and my first weekend home I was excited about catching up with friends and spending some time on our local waters, no matter what the conditions.

It was good to be back in time for the Humboldt Bay Paddlefest, and I rode my bike to the event, enjoying the sunshine and the smells of the redwood forest that Humboldt County is known for. Compared to other events that I’ve been to, this one is tiny, but I like that, because it meant that I could go booth to booth and catch up with everyone.

Michael Morris does a paddle carving demo.

It was great to catch up with Jeff and Shannon from Kokatat (which we’re lucky enough to have as a local business).

It was also great to hang out at the Adventure’s Edge booth. If you ever visit Arcata or Eureka, make sure you stop in and visit this store… bring your wallet, they have LOTS of great stuff.

Mind’s Eye Manufactory was also there, with a gorgeous model of a baidarka on display.

The Pride Festival also made an appearance, adding a festive feel to the day.

Although I opted to stay on land for most of the day, the following day Michael Morris and I decided to take advantage of the unusually calm sea state and head south to paddle some unknown territory.

The calm seas made it a great day to explore an area that is usually very difficult to access.

There were some stunning features to paddle around.

One of the great things about paddling in a new area is finding all of the hidden treasures.

This part of the coast has areas with very few places to land.

There were lots of archways to maneuver through.

A great place to stop for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich break.

Gotta love those tunnels.

On the way back we saw some river otters (if you look really close, you can see their heads poking out of the water in the distance).

While we were out we started talking about what a great day it was for fishing. Fishing season in this area is closed, and we didn’t have our fishing gear with us anyway, but we decided to head to Trinidad the following day to see if anything was biting.

The next morning we opted to launch through the surf and head north, instead of taking the longer route from the harbor, around the head and then heading north. Trinidad has a tricky surf beach, even on the flattest of days, and maneuvering our way through the numerous breaks woke us up pretty quick.

Michael’s got something.

One ling cod and three black rockfish later, we decided to call it a day.

We enjoyed a nice paddle back to Trinidad Head, just as the breeze started to pick up.

Pictures by Michael Morris and myself.

This was my fifth year as a mentor at the Northern Lights Qajaq Society’s yearly event, The Gathering. I love this event for many reasons. First, the people are wonderful. Second, the location is perfect. And third, the event has a harpoon contest that is so much fun that it’s worth going just for that alone.

This year’s guest mentors were myself and Greg Stamer. All of the local mentors were wonderful to work with and made us feel very welcome, and it was great to catch up.

Throughout the four-day event, I instructed an informal rolling class, two Simplifying the Roll classes, a skin-on-frame rescue class and The Art of Teaching rolling. I also ran Yoga for Paddlers three mornings, and did a presentation called “South Greenland Expedition and the Greenland National Kayaking Championship.” Greg provided strokes instruction, and I had the opportunity to join in his Sunday morning class, which was very informative. He was the Friday night presenter, with a fun slideshow on his Newfoundland circumnavigation and some races that he’s been competing in. In addition to what we were teaching, other mentors were teaching everything from how to throw a harpoon, to on-land classes on qajaq construction.

The people are what really make this event special, and Michelle, Jeff and Tony did a wonderful job of putting it all together. Thanks for having me there again.

At the beginning of an event it’s always fun to watch the kayaks appear.

There were some very pretty qajaqs and baidarkas at the event.

We had the perfect weather for rolling instruction. Note the harpoon thrower in the background.

Greg’s strokes classes included both on-land and on-water instruction.

Nick talks about his kayak design, the Shrike.

Yoga for Paddlers is a great way to start the day.

Organizers Michelle and Jeff take a time out for lunch.

There are many ways to entice participants to buy raffle tickets.

The harpoon contest awards ceremony was very entertaining.

Last year’s harpoon winner presents this year’s harpoon winner with his award. Congrats Kirt!

Participants enjoyed an evening of entertainment, which included a lively silent auction.

Enjoying the sunrise each morning was well worth getting up early for.

After leaving Denmark, Mark and I made our way back to Sweden for the last few stops on this year’s Nordic Tour. Our first stop back in Sweden was in Malmo, where we were running classes for Kanotföreningen Öresund. I taught two sessions of Simplifying the Roll, while Mark taught two sessions of paddling technique. Special thanks to Anders for taking such good care of us.

Anders briefs participants about the plan for the day.

Mark demonstrates how to move sideways.

The technique class headed out of the harbor to play in the wind.

Happy paddlers.

After leaving Malmo, we headed to Karlshamn for two Simplifying the Roll classes. Goran and Veronica of KajakSyd are wonderful, and it was great to catch up with them while enjoying the warmth of the crystal clear lake.

A gorgeous day to be on (and in) the water.

Happy rollers.

A Balance Brace is born.

Participants worked on many different types of rolls throughout the day.

After a wonderful day in Karlshamn, we made our way to Borgholm to visit with Johan Wirsen, owner of Rebel Kayaks. Johan not only sponsored the tour, but he’s also a good friend of ours. It was nice to relax on Öland, the beautiful island where he lives, and catch up with him for a few days.

The island of Öland has many beautiful beaches.

It also has a very rich history, and ruins and ancient graves can be found throughout the island.

Johan took us out for a fantastic day on the water on his hand built wooden sailboat.

Mark and Johan enjoying the afternoon, which provided a perfect amount of wind for a day on the sailboat.

After saying goodbye to Johan for the year, we headed to Sandhamn, an island off the coast of Stockholm, for our final three days of classes for Sandhamns Kajakskola. Mark taught two mornings of navigation, while I taught an afternoon session of Simplifying the Roll and another afternoon session of Simplifying the Rescue. On our final day on the island we ran a BCU 3 Star Sea Assessment and a Level 2 ACA Assessment. Thanks to John and Måns for hosting us.

Charts, charts and more charts.

Måns works on a norsaq roll.

Rescues can be done in many ways.

Water over rocks can provide some interesting features.

Self rescues were part of assessment day.

A gorgeous end to this year’s tour. Thank you to everyone that organized classes, hosted us and/or participated in classes. And special thanks to Rebel Kayaks for sponsoring the tour. Until next year…

After leaving Karlstad, Sweden, Mark and I made our way to Denmark for classes in two locations, Hundested and Svendborg. In Hundested I taught three sessions of Simplifying the Roll, while Mark taught three sessions of Simplifying the Stroke, with an emphasis on moving through, and using, wind and swell. Thanks to Jacob and Mette for hosting us!

Jacob is always smiling when he’s in his kayak.

Thiim provides a Danish translation while Mark talked about the importance of body rotation.

The wind provided a wonderful learning environment.

The strokes class was tired but happy after all of that wind excitement.

Saturday night’s dinner consisted of barbecued lamb for the meat eaters.

After the weekend of classes we stuck around for a couple of extra days to explore the area. One of the places that we visited was Økosamfundet Dyssekilde, one of the oldest eco-villages in Denmark. Here a somewhat groovy bike waits for its rider.

After leaving Hundested we made our way to Svendborg, also in Denmark, where we ran classes for Kajak Inn. Throughout the two days we ran two sessions of Simplifying the Roll and a Qajaq Immersion Day. Thanks to Pernille and Jacob for hosting us!

Yoga for Paddlers on the dock was a nice start to both days.

David pulls off a brick roll.

The Qajaq Immersion Day included strokes instruction, and the group enjoyed a paddle around several of Svendborg’s scenic islands.

A happy group of paddlers and their sticks.

CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF JAMAICA • ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION

Our Nordic Tour began on May 24, and we’ve had a wonderful summer running classes in Sweden, Norway and Denmark (with a break in the middle to guide an expedition in South Greenland). We’re writing this from our last stop on the Nordic Tour, Sandhamn, Sweden. Throughout the summer we’ve had bright and sunny days and warm water. Now the evenings are darker, the skies are cloudy and both the water and air temperature are dropping each day. It’s still beautiful, but summer is coming to an end. In August we ran classes in Nynashamn, Stockholm, Mora, Karlstad, Malmo, Karlshamn and Sandhamn (Sweden) and Hundested and Svendborg (Denmark). The tour is sponsored by Rebel Kayaks.

On Sunday the tour ends, and Mark heads to the UK while Helen heads to Minnesota for The Traditional Paddlers’ Gathering. In late September and early October we’ll be running classes in Wales and Scotland, then later this year we have classes and symposia scheduled in the U.S., Wales, Scotland, Israel and Mexico.

After all of that we’re going on vacation, so naturally, we’re going paddling. We’ll be meeting up with Wes Moses, and the three of us will attempt to circumnavigate Jamaica, the largest island of the Commonwealth Caribbean. To our knowledge, we will be the first people to attempt this circumnavigation. We plan to finish in late January… just in time for the Golden Gate Sea Kayak Symposium.

Interested in joining us for an expedition? Our Antarctic expedition dates are set for December 31, 2015 to January 27/28, 2016 (these do not include travel days to and from Argentina). Our next Greenland expedition is set for summer 2016. For more information on either of these expeditions, email info@greenlandorbust.org.

As usual, visit www.greenlandorbust.org for more information and our current Events calendar and Blog postings. For questions, comments or to schedule us in your neighborhood, email info@greenlandorbust.org.

Wherever you’re spending the rest of the summer, we hope that you’re enjoying some good water time. Happy paddling!

– Helen and Mark

Helen’s Mentoring Madness

Practice makes perfect, and that practice is especially important when learning a roll, whether it’s your first roll or your 50th. If you participate in a rolling class, you will hopefully pull off a new roll or two, but after that, it’s up to you to practice to make that roll work for you every time. Once the roll is learned it takes about two times a week of practice for a month to make that roll consistent. When practicing, keep your brain focused. Quality is more important than quantity, and it’s better to do one good roll and take a break than it is to do ten rolls with the hope that a couple of them will work. A good rule to remember is that a roll performed badly three times in a row will reinforce bad habits, so keep your brain focused. As instructors, our goal for our rolling students is for the student to know why the roll works when it works, why it doesn’t work when it doesn’t and how to practice… after that, it’s up to the student.

Program Schedule

Nordic Tour:

•  May 23 to July 4 and July 24 to August 31

• May 24 to 25 – Helsingborg, Sweden

• May 30 to June 1 – Bergen, Norway

• June 7 to 9 – Fitjar, Norway

• June 14 to 15 – Bekkjarvik, Norway

• June 26 – Rungsted, Denmark

• June 27 to 29 – Copenhagen, Denmark

• July 1 to 3 – Oslo, Norway

• July 4 to 5 – Grebbestad, Sweden

• July 24 to August 4 – Nynashamn, Sweden

• August 5 to 7 – Stockholm, Sweden

• August 9 to 10 – Mora, Sweden

• August 12 to 14 – Karlstad, Sweden

• August 16 to 17 – Hundested, Denmark

• August 20 to 21 – Svendborg, Denmark

• August 23 – Malmo, Sweden

• August 24 – Karlshamn, Sweden

• August 29 to 31 – Sandhamn, Sweden

Traditional Paddlers’ Gathering: September 4 to 7, Lake Carlos State Park, Minnesota

BCU 4 Star Sea Assessment: September 13 to 14, Anglesey, Wales

Intermediate / Advanced Leader and Trip Planning Training: September 22 to 26, Anglesey, Wales

Simplifying the Roll: September 27, Anglesey, Wales

Combat Rolling: September 28, Anglesey, Wales

Qajaq Immersion Weekend: October 4 to 5, Bute, Scotland

Lumpy Waters: October 10 to 12, Pacific City, Oregon

After leaving Nynashamn, our next three stops were in Stockholm, Mora and Karlstad. All three locations are in Sweden, and in all three we were teaching on lakes. We started at Svima Sport in Stockholm. Throughout our time there I taught five sessions of Simplifying the Roll, and Mark taught four sessions of Simplifying the Stroke. We also helped Daniel, owner of Svima, with a class for beginners, which includes a nine kilometer tour of Stockholm by kayak. Special thanks to Daniel for hosting us.

Daniel covers the basics.

Stockholm is a gorgeous city to explore by kayak.

All of the rolling classes started with Yoga for Paddlers.

People worked on all kinds of rolls. Lotta is learning a hand roll.

Daniel learned the Spine Roll.

After the classes in Stockholm, we made our way west, heading through Sweden to Mora. Mora is a wonderful place with friendly people, lots to see and a gorgeous lake. Magnus and Anders had organized a two-day event, which was very popular and very successful. I ran three sessions of Simplifying the Roll, while Mark ran three sessions of Simplifying the Stroke. Sunday afternoon was informal instruction, and instructors were available to help people clean up the techniques that they’d been working on throughout the weekend. Special thanks to Magnus and Anders for hosting us.

Both days of the event started with Yoga for Paddlers.

Mark talks about posture while paddling.

Throughout the weekend we enjoyed a couple of tasty barbecues.

Anders seemed happy with how the event turned out.

Martin gave the weekend a thumbs up.

We had a wonderful time working with everyone. Thanks for coming out!

After the event Magnus hosted a crayfish dinner. Crayfish is a delicacy that is celebrated during the month of August in Sweden.

And he showed us the correct way to enjoy these tasty freshwater crustaceans.

Mora is also the home to the Dala Horse, and we stopped by the factory for a quick visit.

Then we headed to Karlstad to run classes for Vanerkajak on Lake Vanern, the largest lake in Sweden. Although the lake is freshwater, its size gives it many of the same features as the sea. Throughout the three days we ran two sessions of Simplifying the Roll and a two-day BCU 3 Star Training. Thanks to Bjorn for hosting us.

During the rolling classes we worked on everything from the Balance Brace to the Storm Roll.

Wind provided swell, breaking waves and a fantastic learning environment for the BCU 3 Star Training.

More wind to play in.

During the BCU 3 Star Training we spent some time working on both self and assisted rescues.

Here three swimmers help each other get back into their kayaks.

Topics such as repairing kayaks were also covered.

The candidates were tired but happy at the end of the training.

Oktoberfest was taking place in the town center, so we stopped in to join in the celebration.