Whitewater? How did you get into that?
Where do you train in Saint Louis?
Whitewater? How did you get into that?
Where do you train in Saint Louis?
The Basic Info 
I am 26 years old and I live in Jefferson City, Missouri. I love the great state of Missouri, except for a lack of regular access to whitewater. I have lived in the midwestern M-states my whole life (Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri).
I have a wonderful family that lives in those other M-states. My Mom and two younger siblings are in Minneapolis and my Dad lives in Michigan. When they can, they come cheer me on at my races. My sister shows her support by making T-shirts!
I have only been paddling whitewater since late 2006, and have only been paddling a canoe since May 2007. I have been a water creature my whole life, however. I grew up in the lanes of a pool. I swam competitively from a very young age through high school, when rotator cuff problems and the desire for a social life combined to pull me out of the sport. I still love to swim, and have always felt at home in the water. My parents both love to sail, and I spent good chunks of each summer traveling around to catamaran regattas. Once I was old enough, I began to sail as crew on the zippy two-person boats.
After swimming, I tried on several different sports to try and satisfy my athletic and competitive nature. Road cycling became a huge part of my life in 2004, and I put almost 7,000 miles on my bike in 2005. I also ran 5k and 10k races, dabbled in triathlons, and trained seriously as a rock climber. But none of these sports grabbed my gut the way slalom canoe has.
I started my blog a couple of weeks before I first got in a slalom canoe (May 2007) so it is a fairly complete chronicle of my adventures.
Whitewater? How did you get into that?
My friend Pete and the Missouri Whitewater Association both take some credit for getting me hooked. In the summer of 2006, Pete visited from Wisconsin and put me in a tiny kayak. I was so intrigued, spinning in circles on a lake in Missouri, that Pete left the bright orange, 39-gallon Skip with me for the rest of the summer. He drove back to Wisconsin, and I thought I was alone.
Saturdays over the summer were spent on the lake. People I worked with were either amazed or disgusted that I would flip upside down in the supposedly unclean water. But it was all I had within driving distance. Trying to roll the kayak, I would flip upside down and thrash around, making several attempts and gasping for air. Finally, I would wet-exit the boat and swim to shore, only after attracting an audience of concerned citizens. I met several interesting people who came up to ask what I was doing: soccer moms, police officers, a Israeli nuclear physicist... I did lock in my roll that summer, but decided I needed more instruction.
I then discovered the Missouri Whitewater Association, an incredible organization of kayakers, canoeists, and open boaters from all walks of life, brought together by a love of the St. Francis, the one whitewater river in Missouri. Although only running a few months out of the year, I immediately sensed that this river was something special. The MWA holds a pool class on Wednesday nights, so I signed up for the fall of 2006. There, still in a kayak, I learned edge control, low braces, and turning. As the semester went on, my class got smaller and smaller as people decided it wasn't their thing. I just got more and more excited.
I was commuting almost exclusively by bike at the time, so I didn't like driving on Wednesdays just to bring the Skip along. Hit by inspiration one weekend, I spent an entire day building a bicycle trailer for my boat. The trailer quickly made me infamous in the MWA, as well as in the South St. Louis neighborhood where I lived.
During the winter 2006 / 2007, some very kind people took me down the French Broad, the Nantahala, and the St. Francis. I swear I spent most of those first runs upside down. I was able to roll in calmer water, but it took me a while to learn to roll in surging wavetrains or in shallow water. I swam out of my boat quite frequently, with nice MWA members chasing my gear down the river.
When did you start racing?
I knew I wanted to race since we first watched a video of slalom in the MWA class. The Missouri Whitewater championship, in March 2007, was my first race. I had only paddled kayak, but already knew I wanted to move to a canoe. After that race I signed up for a full schedule of beginner-friendly races in the 2007 season, traveling to the Buttercup race on the Apple River, Age Group Nationals, US Cup 3 and 4, and Last Ditch Slalom. I started racing C1 (single canoe) at the Apple River race and never looked back.
Many of the races were very intense experiences for me. Until Last Ditch Slalom, I did not have a reliable roll in a C1. I launched down many of these courses knowing the chance was very high that I would swim out of my boat. At Age Group Nationals, I recieved a DNF (did not finish) on 3 of my 4 canoe runs. I was intimidated, scared, and traveling to most of these races entirely on my own. Frustrated with my inability to roll, I posted "wanted" signs across the internet (click picture to enlarge). The response was wonderful, and was the first time I realized how excited paddlers are about seeing more women aggressively pursuing slalom canoe. The comments of support came from as far as Germany.
Why canoe and not kayak?
Okay, first things first. In a canoe, the paddler is kneeling and using a single-bladed paddle. In a kayak, the paddler sits on their butt and uses a double-bladed paddle. That is the difference. Both canoes and kayaks come in all shapes and sizes. To most, slalom canoes and kayaks look very similar. My boat is long, sleek and often confused for a kayak (or a surfboard). It is not.
Paddling canoe and kayak are as different as breaststroke and butterfly -- I use different technique and muscle groups to propel myself through the water. Some boat control and technique is the same, and some is very different. I have been drawn to canoe ever since I first knelt in one. Being on my knees allows me to engage my legs in a very powerful way. A higher center of gravity makes the boat feel tippy, but also gives me added leverage. It simply feels natural to my body, and kayak does not.
Where do you race?
My races this season will be mostly in Wisconsin, North Carolina, Maryland and Colorado (see my calendar for more info). I drive all over the country to race and train. This has meant putting thousands of miles on my Lil' Truck and thousands of dollars of work into maintaining it. I seriously ask that Corolla to do things only a SUV should attempt, and we seem to come out okay.
Where do you train in Saint Louis?
Anywhere I can! In the winter I am lucky to get on the Saint Francis, although this requires an entire day and the river has to be running. During the week, I paddle on the Mississippi or the Meramec rivers. Barges and driftwood are my training partners. Last summer, I was able to practice in gates hung in a St. Louis County park. They were removed after complaints from fishermen. Training in gates is essential for me, and the search for a new training site has been extensive. No luck yet.
I also cross train on balance balls to develop edge control, do strength training at my local YMCA, and continue to attend pool sessions.
What kind of canoe do you paddle?
I currently race a Vadja Lizard, a 3.5 meter carbon fiber canoe that I bought used in Jan 2008. My first boat was a Cascade loaned to me by Mike Hickey. Truly the 18-wheeler of decked canoes, all I could really do in this heavy boat was float down the river, but it did get me comfortable on my knees. My next boat was an old 4 meter fiberglass C1 nicknamed the "asparagus."
While the hull was not a shape I could turn aggressively, it was much lighter and I finally felt like I was controlling the boat, instead of the boat controlling me. Finally, I began paddling Taz, a '05 Galaspot Ninja. A modern hull shape finally let my technique develop and really challenged me. I also learned to do composite repair on this boat, a crucial skill for any slalom paddler. Taz and I spent hundreds of hours together training throughout the fall.
I want to see recognition and representation of women's canoe at an international level finally grow to match the passion and dedication I see from women locally across the country. I want to continue to compete nationally in the future. And I want to continue to have fun along the way.
