South Eugene High School Kayak Club

Last weekend I had the opportunity to go kayaking with the South Eugene Kayak Team/Club. The South Eugene Kayak Club, as I understand, was founded by Macy Burnham in 1998. This successful program is fueled by volunteer head coach Tom Powers, guest volunteer coaches and parents who are willing to serve as shuttle bunnies and chauffeurs. The kayak team has a wide variety of skill level and experience ranging from beginners to some students who are working on advanced moves like helixes and pistol flips.

The club has adult volunteer coaches attending the trips, however the students are in charge of planning the weekly river trip. The students take initiative to research water levels, driving distances, etc. and then make a team decision on where to paddle. At the put-in, the senior club members, under coach Tom's supervision, take a leadership roll by administering the, "safety" talk and the discussing group dynamics on the water. Students are responsible for paddling as a team, boat rescue and setting safety where appropriate.

This past weekend the team decided to paddle the Santiam River near Salem. We paddled the Spencer's Hole section and had a great trip. Check out some of the highlights in the video.

Happy Paddling,
Jason Aytes