Fort Smith Paddling Club

http://www.fskayak.webs.com/WeekendPoster.pdf

For details about this summer's beginner nights, intermediate nights, "intro to kayak" lessons, and World Kayak Throwdowns, click here.

Submit your best Paddlefest photos for a chance to win $100, $50 or $25 cash! Details here.

Register online for Paddlefest 2012 as well as weekend camping now!

New - register your non-paddling spouse or child as a spectator to pay for their meals and camping.

Also, if you're short on funds, volunteer with us for free registration (see details).

Click here for Paddlefest Registration.

The Draft 2012 Paddlefest Schedule is now online!  New this year - spectators can pay a small fee to ride through the rapids in a raft!  And back by popular demand, "Introduction to Awesome" where spectators can ride through the rapids in the front of a duo kayak.

To see the complete schedule, click here.

Plans are well underway for the 5th annual Slave River Paddlefest, which will be August 3-6 this year (with 2 weeks of pre-festival events before-hand).

New this year - we're working on a party for Saturday night - details soon, but it's going to be fun! Also we've rented the whole campground for the 3 nights, including the big shelter to give us a place to gather when we're off the river.

Also this year's flatwater flotilla and voyageur canoe race will be much shorter and more scenic - crossing the river below Rapids of the Drowned.  Since it's much shorter, we can run several heats, so everyone who wants to enter should have a chance.

Of course, all your old favourites will be here, including the Edge King Big Air surf competition (in the week before the main festival), as well as the World Kayak Throwdown rodeo, canoe surfing and rescue competition, the beachball race, swimming race, and downriver races for beginner through advanced paddlers.

Also new this year, our club now owns a paddle raft, three whitewater canoes, and a couple of SUP's, so expect to see some competitions for those guys as well.  If you have a raft or an SUP (or a surfboard), bring them on up - there's lots of room for everyone here!

Online Registration opens June 15th. Check out the Paddlefest Page for a more detailed schedule.

Our regular weekly polo nights have started up.  Polo is a great way to keep your kayaking skills up during the winter!  We are in the water every Sunday, from 7:30-8:30.  Because it's only an hour of pool time, please be changed and on the deck by 7:15 to start getting the kayaks down. 

You don't have to be an expert kayaker to play polo with us - if you can do a wet exit and you're 13 years or older, you can play with us!  The game is fun, and the rules are simple to learn.

Polo is either $10 per session for drop-in, or $120 for the whole season (which lasts until May).

Hope to see you all out in the pool soon! For more info, call John or Gen 872-3593.

Sunday's beginner clinic was a resounding success, with 8 new adults and teens coming out to learn the basics of kayaking.  Students learned to "wet exit" from their kayaks, and then moved on to a friendly game of kayak polo. Thanks again to Get Active NWT for sponsoring this free event - keep an eye out for two more free clinics over the winter.

Thanks to our 5 volunteers who came out - without you, these events wouldn't happen!

Hey guys, just so you all know, the registration/ check-in table for the whitewater weekend will be at the Friday night feast at Fitzgerald, Alberta.  If you arrive in Smith Friday night - that's where we all are!  Take highway 5 east out of Fort Smith - Fitz is about a 20 minute drive.  Come on out and meet us there!