As we spent most of last week entertaining good friends from San Francisco, I was at one with the local sealife this weekend as I attended a two day kayak intensive course at Jericho Beach. This is the course I took. Two days of paddling, strokes, assisted and solo capsize recovery, and I fell right into deep sleep on Sunday when it was all over. I saw so many little harbour seals popping their heads out close to our group of boats (absolutely adorable!), and we took a break mid-way towards Wreck Beach to watch a bald eagle swoop high above us and perch himself on a buoy out at sea. Between the 11 of us, we had two instructors and a lot to learn in two days! We also learned about the rules of safety, necessary equipment, and how to read nautical charts when planning a longer trip. Sunday's weather left little to be desired, as the wind and rain created not the best of circumstances for learning, but did present quite a challenging ride up coast!
Solo capsize recovery was the beast of the weekend. Both recovery methods were taught and demonstrated in the afternoons, when we were good and tired. It was probably for the best too, as one could capsize a kayak at the end of the day in the real world, withOUT a wetsuit and preparation.
The weather's turned gorgeous, so I hope to make use of the sea nearby and rent a kayak on a regular basis.
World Cup fever is making its way here to Vancouver, and many Eastside 'europubs' are starting to show the game on the big screen early in the day. On Sunday, June 18th, Commerical Drive will become a no-car zone and host a block party, with a large area devoted to a big screen and soccer fans around the world. Stanley Cup fever is here, though the Oilers aren't really our team to favour. As it's a Canadian vs. American tourney right now, most are voting for Edmonton. Congrats to Carolina Hurricanes for topping off an exciting game 1 victory last night on home territory!
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