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…