Reel Paddle Film Fest

INTERNATIONAL PADDLING FILM FESTIVAL
COMING TO ABBOTSFORD

The 5th Annual Reel Paddling Film Festival is coming to Abbotsford Friday, March 12.

The Reel Paddling Film Festival is an international film tour presenting the world’s best whitewater, sea kayaking and canoeing action and lifestyle films of the year on screens in 75 cities across Canada, United States, Europe and the United Kingdom.

Sponsored by Western Canoeing & Kayaking and Valhalla Pure Outfitters, the festival will be shown at Columbia Bible College in Clearbrook. This year’s event features 3 hrs of paddling films short-listed for the World Tour, including the nine festival category winners. Audiences can expect to see a variety of hairy whitewater action, sea kayakers exploring remote coastlines, coast-to-coast canoe expeditions, international river travel films, motivating environmental documentaries, grueling kayak fishing battles and hilarious short films capturing the lighter side of paddling life.

For tickets and information call Western Canoeing & Kayaking, 604-853-9320, westerncanoe@telus.net,
Tickets are $12 at the door, and $10 in advance.
Advance tickets also available at Valhalla Pure Outfitters

Columbia Bible College – Chapel is located at 2940 Clearbrook Rd.
Show begins at 7:00 pm (doors open at 6:30 pm).

River Safety Tune Up Day

With all the local rivers frozen or dry and spring paddling just around the corner February was a perfect time for Western Canoeing and Kayaking along with Purple Hayes School of Kayaking to throw their first ever "River Safety Tune Up Day". WCK uses Purple Hayes for whitewater kayaking lessons and "River Rescue" courses.

The idea behind River Safety Tune Up Day was to give an opportunity for newer paddlers to learn some new skills and give experienced paddlers the motivation we all need to practice our skills that for the most part we don't practice enough, and hopefully never need.


With around 25 canoers and kayakers ranging from rank beginner to expert there was a good mix of teachers and students. Kay was stuck doing the always exciting knots station while the rest of us floated around the throw bag and more technical rope skills section. Moving the Hyundai with the Clipper Canoes delivery truck anchor was my favorite station.






To wrap it up we had a throw bag competition with 1st place taking home a $50 gift certificate to WCK.Were hoping to run two Safety Tune Up days next year so stay tuned for dates next winter, and don't forget, you don't need an event to practice safety techniques. How much more efficient would we all be at rescuing if every time we waited for a shuttle or late paddler we practiced our rescue skills?

Ryan Bayes

Clipper Canoe Carries Olympic Torch in Vancouver

Clipper was invited to be part of history on the opening day of the Olympics. Our 29' Langley joined the torch relay on the last day of the 'run', paddling the Olympic flame across False Creek in downtown Vancouver. A dragon boat carrying Olympic K-2 paddler and medal winner Hugh Fisher (at the '84 LA Olympics) passed the flame on to Olympic K-4 paddler Kamini Jain. Kamini paddled in both the Sidney and Athens games. That's our GM, Lynne, with the blue hoodie in the Langley canoe.




Thanks to Ben Lee of Lethal Weapon Photography for the Picture.

Ryan Bayes