Last month, the ACA Surf Kayak Committe hosted the first Surf Kayak Revival event, a Level 2-3: Surf Kayak Instructor Certification Workshop on the Central Oregon coast. Through the River House Outdoor Center in Eugene Oregon, Surf Kayak Instructor Trainer Candidate, Marcel Bieg, met with nine Surf Kayak Instructor Candidates with paddling passion and high hopes to bring high quality instruction to their surf communities. Marcel himself was completing his mentoring process to become a Surf Kayak Instructor Trainer (IT), under the oversight of Surf Kayak Instructor Trainer Educator (ITE) Roger Schumann.
The instructor candidates all had varying degrees of experience and interests — some were new to surf kayak instruction, and some were attending to recertify their instructor status. All certification candidates had the great opportunity to teach 15 volunteers who joined the course as mock-students. The mock-students spent four days on the coast learning and assisting in the development of the instructor candidates who were so motivated to revive the sport of surf kayaking in the PNW. Many of these volunteers were whitewater paddlers seeking a new challenge!
In addition to developing new skills and enjoying the great waves and weather, the attendees of the Surf Kayak Revival were able to put the new ACA Level 2 and 3 Surf Kayak curriculum revisions to the test. The diverse experience and perspectives of the participants provided invaluable feedback to the Surf Kayak committee who will continue to fine-tune the presentation and content of the curriculum. This successful program also sparked interest in additional Surf Kayak training opportunities on the East Coast and in the Midwest.
Surf Kayaking is a unique and beautiful niche within the paddling community, and the ACA is very excited about the continued development of this sport. Congratulations to the new ACA Surf Kayak Instructors and Instructor Trainers. Thank you to River House Outdoor Center, the ACA Surf Kayak Committee, Anthea Raymond, Roger Schumann, and Marcel Bieg for their dedication and leadership of this event. Thank you to all the wonderful volunteers for your time and energy!