Patrick Walters
The State News
Okemos - Whitewater kayaking on the Red Cedar River? It’s happened before, but if you want to tackle the Red Cedar rapids, you better be prepared.
A new kayaking class at Kinawa Middle School, 1900 Kinawa Drive, in Okemos, is a good place to start, say instructors. The class, which began last Monday, offers all ages and skill levels the chance to learn the basics of kayaking or brush up on paddling skills.
Tom Conner, chairman of the MSU Sociology Department, and wife Connie Page, a statistics and probability professor, lead the six-week course along with Loretta Crum of Laingsburg. They say they hope MSU students and staff will get involved in the sport.
“We’ve wanted to get the MSU community involved for years,” Crum said. “We know there are some great kayakers hidden away at MSU.”
Enrollment in the class is only for new kayakers, but Conner and Page expect the class size to increase. Conner said that the number of available instructors and equipment can handle 10 students comfortably.
The instructors are all certified by the American Canoe Association, instructors say.
Students began the first class Monday by learning the parts of a kayak - from the bow to the stern - before heading to the pool for an hour of in-water instruction. The course provides all equipment and instruction for $110.
Conner stressed the importance of safety in kayaking as students practiced underwater rolls and “wet exits,” or a method for vacating the kayak when it turns over.
“It’s more importantly a group sport in the sense you’re looking out for everybody,” Conner said. “It’s real important to paddling.”
MSU involvement in the kayaking class isn’t limited to faculty. Materials engineering sophomore Sarah Maclean, an experienced kayaker, attended the class to sharpen her skills. She said the new class is a step in the right direction toward getting MSU interested in the sport.
“If we could get a class organized, I know there are people who would do it,” she said.
Maclean, secretary of the MSU Outing Club, said she loves kayaking for its “adrenaline rush.”
Lansing resident Mike Fox, a beginning kayaker, agreed that it is not without rushes of excitement.
“The most challenging part was the wet exits, but it was probably the most enjoyable too,” he said with a laugh.
Anyone interested in signing up for the class can contact Okemos Community Education at (517)349-2209 or visit www.msu.edu/~connert/lawwp.html for more information.
