Thursday, June 18, 2009

Wynn showing us how to be persistent

Spencer, Amy, Cheryl and Liam showing us how it's done!!

Rapid Progression opens in Logan

So i thought this might be a good way to help get the word out about our kayak school here in Logan. Kayaking has been a passion of mine for a number of years now and I've wanted to help people get into the sport. After a lot of planning and work, we finally have things underway here in Cache Valley.

The idea of a kayak school has been on my mind for a few years now, but i got serious about it last year around August. I talked to some friends of mine (Pitt Grewe and Mark Greenwood) that I paddle with and pitched them the idea of Rapid Progression, and they seemed to be into the idea. I told them that I'd open a school here in Logan and asked if they'd be interested in opening up a school in SLC where they live and use my school's same. Well, to make a long story short they went along with it and now there is a Rapid Progression Kayak School in Logan and Salt Lake. I have to add that I asked Jackson Couch to jump on board with me to run the school here in Logan. He is an awesome friend and skilled at not only kayaking, but at art and graphic design too. He spent a lot of time with me coming up with a logo and I'm glad he was so patient during that process.

So, last October we took a trip out to Boulder Colorado where we spent about a week taking an instructor certification course put on by the ACA (American Canoe and Kayak Association). We spent a lot of time in our boats and got to paddle some fun stuff while we were out there, including Gore Canyon!! We learned safe and correct teaching methods and were excited to put it into play. But we still had a lot to do, like line up pools, get gear and things like that. We all spent a lot of time last winter getting things figured out and it finally came together in April when our first set of lessons started.

It's been fun to watch people progress in the classes. The majority hadn't been in a kayak before and so watching how much improvement there was from the first lesson to the final lesson gave us a great feeling of accomplishment. We had a blast teaching our first set of students and look forward to helping others embrace this sport. We are here to help people get on board and learn how to paddle, whether it be on lakes, creeks, reservoirs or rivers. Wherever there is water, there are endless possibilities for kayaking enjoyment. Hope to see you on the river!!

Andy Thunell