Hey Everyone,

Just checkin in here from our second day of school to update you on how awesome this year is starting out. We are here on the banks of the Ottawa River relaxing into our new year here at New River Academy. Classes have started and I’ve already heard the student bragging about who’s schedule is better! Kayaking wise, we have been taking the first half of every afternoon session to practice our safety technique. First we worked on our throw rope skills with Lorenzo and myself as the instructors. Lorenzo grew up on a very difficult river, because of this he has a higher understanding of throw rope rescues than almost anybody I have ever met. Lorenzo put the athletes through an intensive dry land training to prepare them for our training on the river. When we got to the river we had everybody pick a partner who they would be responsible for saving and roping out of the river. So one of the people would jump into the river and the other would be waiting downstream. It was the responsibility of the person waiting downstream to hit the swimmer with their throw bag and pull them to shore. Our second day we practiced aggressive swimming in a rapid. The reason for this is that everybody swims out of their kayak from time to time and its better to know what to do once your swimming in a rapid and perform a self rescue to the best of your ability. Lucky for us we have the safest trainging ground in the world! The warm friendly Ottawa River. Today is choose your line day. This consists of everybody looking at the same rapid and choosing a line that is challenging for themselves and then talking through the line with the coaches. This is designed to help the athletes learn to read rapids for themselves and make good decisions!

Here are some shots from the last few days!!

Best,

Coach Tino Specht

Kira and Nick in AP English

Kai and Wayne in Math class on the banks of the Ottawa River

Julia already engrossed in her reading

Spanish class with our Native Chileno Lorenzo!

Video class with Tino Specht, NBC just picked up Tino's last film!

Warming up before dryland throwrope practice

Lorenzo about to demonstrate the correct way to jump into a river

Lorenzo demonstrating the correct way to enter the river, body flat, hand on your shoulder straps.

Jump!!! Hit with your back or your side first!

Hayley goin for it!

Taylor swimming for the eddy, Kira running safety below to make sure nobody floats to far downstream

Kai dropping in!