PowerUP Symposium
with
Karen Knight, Ben Lawry and Brian Day

Spring forward and PowerUP your paddling in 2011 by moving to the next level of paddling. Each PowerUP session is crafted to assist every paddler to get to their next level. We are pleased to have Ben Lawry and Karen Knight back this year to provide PowerUP participants master coaching to take foundation skills to the next level. With this years event, we have also added Brian Day from P&H Kayaks into the mix.

Ben Lawry, most notably for his keen ability to teach the forward stroke through the isolation of the individual components of body & blade movements;
Karen Knight, known of by many to be a graceful, yet extremely powerful ballerina on the water. The National Champion in interpretive Freestyle Canoeing from 1996 until her retirement from competition in 2000 and;
Brian Day, P&H Team Paddler aka Dr. Gel Coat

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PowerUP Symposium Itinerary

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Friday Night, May 13, 2011
6:30pm to 8pm
Cost: Free.

As ACA Instructors and an ACA Pro Paddlesports School we believe smart paddling with good body mechanics is so important for all paddlers we are offering this session at no charge.

Body, Boat & Blade: The Fundamental Elements of Paddling

In this interactive session we will delve into these core elements of paddling and the interplay among these elements in stroke refinement. Karen, Brian and Ben will chime in on the balance among these core elements and the interplay among them with select strokes. We encourage session participants to wear comfortable clothes and footwear and to bring a towel or other sit-upon cushion to this dry land session.

Karen Knight: Freestyle Canoe Demonstration

Karen will dazzle us with their grace and power with a freestyle canoe demonstration. This is a unique opportunity, do not miss it.

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Session 1a: Fun with Freestyle Canoe with Karen Knight and Bob Foote
Saturday Morning Session, May 14, 2011
9am to 12noon.
Meeting Place: The Harbor
Fee: $80. per person

Freestyle canoe can be thought of as dance on the water. In effect, freestyle canoeing is the development of more advanced paddle strokes, body and blade positions. If you don t know how to change pitch, what having a good crack or a modified Canadian is, don t worry. In this all inclusive workshop, Karen will work on making your canoe strokes efficient, graceful and fluid. We have found that good single blade control and techniques help every style paddler (including kayakers) become more precise and effective in any craft. Session open to Canoes only

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Session 1b: Towing 101 with Ben Lawry
Saturday Morning Session, May 14, 2011
9am to 12noon.
Meeting Place: The Harbor
Fee: $80. per person

To be out of your boat is to be out of control. This interactive session covers a variety of solo and assisted recoveries from the basics to bow rescues and contact tows. Learn options for hooking up a tow and the various gear that might work best for different scenarios. Be prepared to be wet, so dress for immersion. If you do not have a Tow Line, PowerUP Symposium Specials on all in-stock tow systems are available all throughout the Symposium. Tow Line and Helmets are suggested for this Session. Session open to Kayaks only

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Session 1c: Gel Coat Repair for Mere Mortals with Brian Day
Saturday Morning Session, May 14, 2011
9am to 12noon.
Meeting Place: Under the Tent by The Boathouse
Fee: $10 per person

In this session, you will learn how to turn a gouge from eyesore and potential structural problem back to original surface. This will be an up close session and operation on a fiberglass kayak in need of some TLC from Dr. Gel Coat – aka Brian Day of P&H Sea Kayaks.

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Session 2a: Intermediate Freestyle Canoe with Karen Knight
Saturday Afternoon Session, May 14, 2011
1:30pm to 4:30pm.
Meeting Place: The Harbor
Fee: $80. per person

An excellent follow-up to the skills developed and refined during the Fun with Freestyle Canoe, this session will have you dancing on the water in your canoe. In this session participants will develop skills to perform turning maneuvers backwards and employ creative variations with paddle placement. By the end of this session you will develop skills to link maneuvers and strokes together so you can be moving forward, backwards, sideways, and spinning without missing a beat. Session is open to Canoes only

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Session 2b: Forward Stroke Clinic with Ben Lawry
Saturday Afternoon Session, May 14, 2011
1:30pm to 4:30pm.
Meeting Place: The Harbor
Fee: $80. per person

Considering that over 99% of your time is spent paddling forward, having an efficient, correct forward stroke with correct body mechanics is a must for most paddlers. This session will introduce you to proper body mechanics and paddling style to keep you paddling for hours at a time with ease and grace. In this class Ben will demonstrate, point out and teach the subtleties of the Forward Stroke, including paddle placement & body mechanics to allow you to do so much more with so much less effort than you thought possible. Session open to Kayaks only

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Session 2c: Fiberglass Repairs of Significance with Brian Day
Saturday Afternoon Session, May 14, 2011
1:30pm to 4:30pm.
Fee: $10 per person

The scenarios of how it happens are varied (surfing amongst rocks to trying to fit through the drive thru at the bank with your kayak on the roof of the car) but the nerve wracking sound of crunching fiberglass is always a harbinger of I broke my boat! Now what do I do? With a little time and patience you can learn how to bring your kayak back from crunched to cruising again.

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Saturday Open Paddle, Paddler Appreciation Session
& Freestyle Canoe Demonstration
Saturday Late Afternoon Session, May 14, 2011
4:30pm to 6pm.
Fee: Free for PowerUP Attendees & River Connection Boat Owners

Open Practice session in the Harbor with your kayak or one of our fleet kayaks. Ben, Karen and Brian will be available for fine tuning during this open session.

We will have a variety of edibles from some of our local favorite eateries. Come and play, we hope for a group photo of all River Connection paddlers & boat owners during this session.

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Session 3a: Anatomy of a Turn with Karen Knight
Sunday Morning Session, May 15, 2011
9am to 12 noon.
Meeting Place: The Harbor
Fee: $80. per person

Executing effective turns in a kayak comes from applying the simple steps revealed in this session. Karen will start off with a brief review of the principals of fine blade control, along with some balance drills; from there we will learn how to combine paddle placement and angle together with boat tilt to create and execute graceful yet powerful maneuvers such as the bow rudder and low/high brace turns underway. By learning and applying these basic principals you will be able to accomplish many types of turns. Session is open to Canoes & Kayaks

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Session 3b: Kayak Group Management and Leadership Scenario Training with Ben Lawry
Sunday Full Day Session, May 15, 2011
Please Note: This is an all day program departing at 9am and returning at 3pm.
Meeting Place: The Harbor
Fee: $150. per person

How to keep a bad day from turning worse? While mishaps and medical emergencies on the water are never planned they do happen. When they do, now what? Come tap into Ben Lawrys many years of experience in how to keep it all together when the situation seems to be falling apart.

There will be a working lunch break so please pack yourself a non-perishable bag lunch to take on the water with you.

Required equipment: fore/aft kayak floatation or bulkheads, pfd, paddle, full kit that would be appropriate for the season and temperatures.
Session open to Kayaks only

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Session 3c: DIY Keel Strip with Brian Day
Sunday Morning Session, May 15, 2011
9am to 12 noon.
Meeting Place: Under the Tent by The Boathouse
Fee: $10 per person

Learn how to add a level of protection to your composite kayak with a Keel Strip. While usually a factory installed feature, Brian Day of P&H Kayaks will walk you through how you can add a keel strip to your own kayak.

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Session 4a: Eskimo Rolling with Karen Knight
Sunday Afternoon Session, May 15, 2011
1:30pm to 4pm.
Meeting Place: The Harbor
Fee: $80. per person

Overcome the urge to wet exit in the event of a capsize, add to your skill set and learn to roll your kayak in a controlled setting. A bomb-proof roll is a fundamental skill for the whitewater boater and a great confidence booster for the sea kayaker encountering rough water conditions. Types of rolls introduced will include the C-to-C and Sweep. The elements of each roll will be introduced and practiced in a progressive approach: the setup (getting into position to begin the roll); the support phase (using a paddle, hands or float for support on the water) and; the hip snap (bringing the boat underneath you to sit upright and completing the roll). Session open to Kayaks

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If you wondering “Is this class for me?” please do not hesitate to call The River Connection 845-229-0595 or email marshall@the-river-connection.com for more information.

These are all BYOBoat, paddle and Personal Floatation Device (PFD) programs. If you are in need of equipment, arrangements can be made with The River Connection for any equipment that you may need for this program. Space is limited and reservations are required. All PowerUP program participants must meet Essential Eligibility Requirements. Please call ahead for additional instructions and clothing requirements, thanks.

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Important Notes: The PowerUP will be at The River Connection in Hyde Park, NY. Prior to attending the class please check in at The River Connection Showroom, 9 West Market Street, Hyde Park, NY and plan enough time to get your kayak or canoe off your vehicle and gear together prior to the class. Classes will begin promptly so plan your arrival time accordingly. There will likely be insufficient time to go off site to grab lunch between sessions, previous participants have brought a bag lunch with snacks for the days activities.

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CURRENT OFFERINGS

Date	Program (click to reserve)	Venue, Location	Time	Fee*
Sunday, Mar 4, 2012	Pool Practice	Culinary Institute, Recreation Ctr	10:00 AM to 1:00 PM	$60. per person
Sunday, Mar 11, 2012	Pool Practice	Culinary Institute, Recreation Ctr	10:00 AM to 1:00 PM	$60. per person
Sunday, Mar 18, 2012	Pool Practice	Culinary Institute, Recreation Ctr	10:00 AM to 1:00 PM	$60. per person

* Cost Per Person

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Learning to kayak safely, effectively and efficiently is best done with the help of a qualified instructor. The lead instructors for River Connection Kayak Instructional Courses are American Canoe Association (ACA) Certified Instructors.  

Skills development courses are worth months of just paddling around. After your course, get out and practice your strokes. If you are interested in sightseeing and going places, consider one of our
guided Kayak Tours.

See our Policy Page for additional information.

We have put together a FAQ for our guided kayak tours and instructional programs that answers most quesions about these programs. If you need additional information or make a reservation, please Call our showroom at 845.229.0595.