Approximately 30 Chicago-area paddlers were on hand for a two-part meeting for CASKA members and invitees this past Saturday, March 2, 2012. Paddlers were wielding pens and paper, not paddles and PFDs, and dressing for immersion was not required.
The meeting started with a hearty discussion about trip-planning and upcoming CASKA events. The votes were tallied from two CASKA polls that gave members the ability to voice their opinions on official CASKA paddles prior to the meeting. Longer, multi-day camping trips emerged as the voters’ favorite, but members are also interested in a variety of shorter paddles.
Voting Results
The focal point of the trip-planning portion of the meeting was filling CASKA’s official calendar, which can be found at the CASKA website. Recent events posted include: the world’s largest paddlesport expo – Canoecopia; the St. Patrick’s Day Chicago River paddle co-sponsored by CASKA, Geneva Kayak Center (GKC), and Paddle and Trail; and a smorgasbord of Midwest sea kayak symposia. As far as CASKA-specific paddles, Tom Heinemann and Bill Burton have graciously agreed to host monthly Wednesday night paddles.
There are sure to be many more CASKA and non-CASKA events that will be posted. Please stay tuned for details, and if you have any ideas, contact a board member or share them as a comment to this post, on Facebook, or on the CASKA YahooGroup.
After the trip-planning portion of the meeting, Police Chief Larry Pitchford of New Buffalo, Michigan gave a first-hand account of the tragic event that occurred in October 2011, where one young kayaker lost his life and two others were rescued. Chief Pitchford shared the details that were lost in the news accounts of the incident. Ryan Rushton of GKC was also present to share his perspective. Ken Stetler of the Northwest Indiana Paddling Association (NWIPA), our sister club to the south, has a detailed write-up of Chief Pitchford’s presentation posted on the CASKA blog.
Rescue helicopter and break wall at mouth of Galien River
The Chief’s presentation is an important reminder that the sport we love and enjoy brings with it risks that we are obligated to understand and appreciate each time we launch.