Posts Tagged ‘go huge kayaking’
Saturday, September 11th, 2010
For our latest photography assignment we took a short trip to Billy Harris’ backyard. Billy is a professional kayaker who lives in Beachburg. We chose his backyard because it is full of so much stuff that could help us tell a story about the kind of person Billy is. When we got to his backyard I was really impressed with the amount of stuff there and was excited to start taking pictures. There was so many things that I didn’t know where to start. Here is the story I pieced together to tell about Billy:
Billy Harris is a professional kayaker and also a really nice guy with a great dog to play fetch with.
Billy and his dog playing fetch
He has this open shed that is just jam packed full of hundreds of articles of kayaking gear. Honestly I haven’t even seen this much kayaking gear in an outfitters shop.
Just a tiny amount of the full collection
Not only did he have dozens of dry tops, pfds, helmets, and so on; but he also had a lot of boats and paddles.
Billy's Star and Werner Paddle, just two in a collection of many
When Billy isn’t paddling he enjoys gardening and has a very extensive garden full of invasive squash, for the whole squash story you are going to have to ask him. I hope this gave you some insight on the nice person Billy is.
Jason
To see more of Jason’s photography click here
Jason Terry’s Blog
Billy's huge garden, notice the broken paddle that is used to mark rows
Tags: Billy Harris, Go Huge Experiences, go huge kayaking, jackson, Jason Terry, Kayaking, new river academy, Photography, pictures, squash, Werner
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Friday, May 7th, 2010
The past week and a bit spent on the Ottawa River was pretty great. Garb came in which was a real treat, but is kind of strange for the spring. Baby face, corner wave, and push button were also great practice. The week though was pretty hard academically as most of us were and still are preparing for the AP exams that we we do this week here at Tino’s house. It was also a little hard as Lorenzo was not in the country so his classes had to communicate over webcam. We took a field trip also to the Canadian Technology and Science Museum, and I am sure you have all read the essays that we had to do for homework. The week weather wise was not preferable as there was some rain and there were a few days that were a little cold. We closed the time out with a trip to Niagara Falls where there were helicopters ridden, attractions visited, and falls scouted. That was our time spent.
Tags: Academics, Freestyle Kayaking, Gap Year, gap year abroad, go huge, Go Huge Experiences, go huge kayaking, high school, Huge Experiences, kayak, Kayak School, Kayaking, matt hill, new river academy, Ottawa river, Photography, whitewater kayaking
Posted in Academics, Culture, Intructional, Kayak Gap Year Abroad, Kayak School, Kayaking, Uncategorized, Whitewater Countries | Comments Off
Tuesday, April 27th, 2010
The other day we took a field trip. We went to Ottawa, our nations proud capitol. Everyone was all excited because they wanted to see our parliament building that was made out of ice. They were however mad too though because they thought that Canada did not have roads yet so that it may take us a while to get there. They also were wondering about the lack of dog sleds in summer. Nothing Jess or I said or did would convince them of the fact that Canada is a well functioning country with advanced modern infrastructure and a nice list of achievements. We arrived at the Canadian Technologic and Science Museum. Every one was shocked at how every thing here was as nice or nicer, more like nicer than in the States. The museum itself was pretty sweet as there were many cool exhibits on Canadian achievements. I liked the trains. They were big. There were also sections on things like Canadian Space travel, the Canoe, and the first nuclear reactor in Canada, which I believe we had before the States. I enjoyed the exhibit on all the things that we invented, like the snowmobile, basket ball and a way to effectively produce insulin for diabetics. Every one seemed to become more accepting of how Canada was actually a country and they became less ignorant. However I think that most everyone thought of it as a joke. I don’t think that that is how you should treat your neighbor. Do you? Mostly I think it is from jealousy or something else along those lines. All that I have to say to them is: Stop making fun of us, eh? We know all aboot stuff, Ok, buddy? So stop. Please?
God save the Queen! And I will see you on the water!
Tags: Academics, Gap Year, gap year abroad, go huge, Go Huge Experiences, go huge kayaking, high school, Huge Experiences, Kayak School, matt hill
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Wednesday, April 14th, 2010
The recent photo project by Matt Hill about abstract photography. I think these images are pretty sweet.
See you on the water!
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Tags: Academics, Freestyle Kayaking, Gap Year, gap year abroad, go huge, Go Huge Experiences, go huge kayaking, high school, kayak, kayak high school, Kayak School, Kayaking, matt hill, new river academy, Photography, whitewater, whitewater kayaking
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Saturday, February 27th, 2010
Lorenzo en el Rio Negro
Katie Kowalski
hanging out in camp
Every morning, the students emerge from their cozy tents, tucked away in the security of the mossy trees. Our campsite here in Hornopiren is perched atop a grassy knoll that slopes gently downward into a craggy ravine, directly to a gorgeously turquoise 10-foot waterfall. This waterfall makes up one of three that we have been running on the Rio Negro, whose tantalizing whitewater is so close to our tents that we can hear it in our dreams. We are enjoying the wonderful countryside hospitality of our host, Dona Tato, who has been serving up three delicious meals a day- she is even spoiling us with homemade pastries for breakfast. Nights are rolling away while we congregate around the campfire, singing along to Tino and Matti’s guitar and Andy’s fiddle. Lorenzo’s ghost stories have us all convinced that his family’s home is haunted.
Weather has been delightful- sunny, warm, perfect, and has allowed for our classes to cluster around the funky, hand-made wooden tables in the yard. My AP English students had a fun project this week, where they learned the importance of being familiar with both sides of an arguement before taking a stance on it. I had them prepare to write a persuasive essay on a controversial topic, repeatedly warning them to investigate the opposition’s viewpoint as well. When the day of the in-class essay arrived, the looks of horror on their faces revealed my sneaky plan. That’s right, they had one hour to write an essay that was exactly the opposite of the thesis they had planned. Matt’s photo classes have been utilizing the gorgeous sunsets and surrounding countryside to explore the world of landscape photography. Taylor and Eric made slideshows showcasing Al Capone and the Flapper era for Tino’s history class.
Today we had a race down the Rio Negro, on a small section beginning with a 25-foot waterfall and ending with a bang as the students landed that boof from the top of the 10-footer. What a great way to end our time in Hornopiren. I left the students back at camp, packing up their tents and gear bags, preparing to rise and shine at 5:30 am tomorrow. We will get on an eight hour ferry to Chaiten, where we will be about two hours away from the town of Futaleafu. I’m sure everyone shares my excitement in experiencing this legendary river!
Tags: Academics, Chile Rivers, Freestyle Kayaking, gap year abroad, go huge kayaking, high school, Huge Experiences, Photography, whitewater kayak photography
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Monday, February 15th, 2010
All of my English students are reading and writing up a storm! Classes have been full of thoughtful discussions, inspiring authors, and story, essay and poem construction. If that doesn’t sound like paradise, bear in mind that all this occurs outdoors, perhaps under a shady tree, with a breathtaking view of the volcano.
Our daily schedule begins with Taylor and I furiously scribbling sentences in Creative Writing; currently, we are dissecting Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”. Taylor’s passion for words makes her a delight to have in class! My AP English seniors, Stephen, Matti and Tracy, are analyzing their opinions on the effects of war and the possibility of peace as we read Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut. Zoe and Kyle are busy discussing Alice in Wonderland as an allegory for adolescence, and writing endlessly, developing skills to construct the perfect essay. In World Literature, Eric, Alex and Clay just finished essays on the importance of freedom after reading Ayn Rand’s Anthem. Now we are studying Chilean history as we embark on The House of the Spirits, a political, semi-autobiographical novel by Isabel Allende, one of Chile’s best-known authors. My British Lit students, Jessica and Chase, are reading poetry by Chaucer and Shakespeare as they dream up sonnets and soliloquys of their own.
Student dynamics are great in all of my classes, and I am thrilled with the level of cooperation and the willingness to discuss.
Callie Morgigno
Tags: Academic Report, Academics, Go Huge Experiences, go huge kayaking, high school, kayak high school, study abroad programs
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Thursday, February 4th, 2010
Our first week at NRA has been a buzz of activity. We have studied new theorems and paddled new rivers. Our new students are blending in seamlessly while the old students are picking up right where they left off.
Students in Algebra class have been assigned individual projects that illustrate applications of mathematics in science, engineering, computer science and nature. Taylor Cote is studying conic sections and their applications to astronomy. Eric Bartl is exploring the many uses of the catenary curve, especially the way it is used by engineers to build the strongest arches. Alex Anderson is learning to program in Ruby, and will study the most efficient algorithm to solve the scheduling problem. Zoe Ross is learning about the Fibonacci sequence and its relationship to the Golden Ratio.
AP Physics and Calculus are slugging away at the books and looking ahead to the AP Tests. Tracy D’Arbeloff and Matti Hill have just finished doing integration using limits and are ready to move on to the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus. Chase Simmons is finishing up a section on fluid dynamics and making a study plan for the AP exam. Jessica Droujko is working on a review before she begins a section on trigonometry.
Pre-calculus students are also discussing a variety of topics. Clay Whitaker is learning about vectors and parametric functions along with their applications to digital animation. Steven Forester is developing an independent study that will investigate the use of fractals in video editing and rendering software.
With so many projects and so little time, I often wonder how we find time to make it to the river. But there is nothing like a good evening of paddling to wash away the mental fatigue that comes from a long day of classes. This semester is off to a great start and I thank all of you who had a hand in putting it together.
Andy Kirby
Tags: go huge kayaking, math class, new river academy
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Friday, November 27th, 2009
“And then they were off again, marching into the distance with the sense of adventure burning in their eyes”
This holiday week we spent going back to our roots, to the simple things in life. To get to this place we had to travel on the bumpiest road imaginable. I don’t even know how we made it that far by car. The rawr of the motor pushing the van over another large rock, romping down the road until we finally reached the point we couldn’t go any further. We all groggily hopped out of the car and proceeded to hike a mile to reach our new temporary home. Many animals (cows, goats, and sheep) greeting us with their bleating cries as we walked past.
When we finally got inside it was as if we had stepped back years in time. A fire, and now our spirits keep the place warm. The whole place was constructed by the hands of a determined man. It feels as if you have walked into a wooden palace, with all the round logs for us to marvel at. A few sparse lights come on when the sun goes back into hiding. The murmur of the generator outside will be heard when this happens. Time to charge up those computers!
Our dinner is almost already for us around this time too, the wonderful aromas spreading throughout the whole lodge. One of the things we all love most about our meals is the fresh bread. It is all prepared by hand and then cooked under a fire, instead of our traditional oven. After dinner we all flop onto the beds around the large fire and play cards, tell stories, and work on our homework. I definitely think being here has brought us closer together. Now we’re even having Thanksgiving together; we’re like a giant family. I think we’re all very thankful for all the gifts and everything we’ve been given, especially the gift of attending a school as cool as this.
The river here is quite mind blowing, it seems as if everywhere we travel I see a different color blue and each is equally as beautiful. The water color here is a nice minty blue most likely because it was snowmelt only a few hours ago. Which means the water is definitely very cold, but the river is so worth having that nip on your nose for a couple of hours. The Achiebueno has large granite rocks throughout complementing the water color. It’s so fun twisting and turning through the boulder fields, finding new lines each time we run it.
As you can see, we’re in another spectacular place and this one suites the Thanksgiving holiday. I wish you all a Happy Turkey Day!
Tags: achiebueno chile, chile rivers whitewater, Go Huge Experiences, go huge kayaking, Huge Experiences, Kayak School, Kayaking, new river academy, taylor cote, whitewater kayaking
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Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009
Yesterday was going to be one of our first Chilean waterfalls. We were however disappointed to see a cliff with a little trickle down the face. No waterfall! (Insert sad face here). Pengal did however show us a prison camp from the era of Pinochet. Ghost mixed with goats and sadness could be felt all around. Aside from being a trip to our first Chilean waterfall it was a time for our geography class to test out some mapping. Here below is a log of our adventures.
see you on the water!
Tags: Academics, Chile, gap year abroad, gay year, Geography, GIS, go huge kayaking, Gps, high school, kayak, Kayaking, maipo, map, mapping, matt hill, matt smink, new river academy, Photography, pinochet, waterfall
Posted in Academics, Culture, Intructional, Kayak Gap Year Abroad, Kayak School, Kayaking, Photography, Uncategorized, Whitewater Countries | Comments Off
Friday, October 9th, 2009
I’ve posted a lot of articles about how much fun we, New River Academy students, are having and what we have been up to, but this is one of the most important points. Last summer I was at the Ottawa Kayak School Keeners camp I discovered two high schools for kayakers: New River Academy and World Class Kayak Academy. Now I am not here to bash World Class, but I am about to give you reasons as to why I chose New River Academy.
For a little while after camp I gave both schools some thought, but then I went back to my previous school in Steamboat Springs for another year. Half way through the year I realized that there was absolutely no way that I could continue with the current predicament. Midway through winter I started to hit a slump, I couldn’t kayak, and was feeling bored with a monotous routine. Sifting through a pile of random papers the New River Academy booklet fell out and prompted the thought about a kayaking high school again. One of my friends who I used to go to school with, Griff Griffith, who was and still is a student at World Class, so I decided to hit him up for some information, he provided valid points on the benefits of going to a kayaking high school.
Earlier this summer again at Keeners Kayak camp I met David Hughes, founder/headmaster/instructor. Let me back up. So in the spring my parents promised that if I worked hard in the previous school and improved my people skills then they would let me apply to World Class. I had chosen WCKA because of Griff Griffith and the things that he said about the school. Back to Keeners. So during Keeners I David questioned him relentlessly about New River Academy. I was interested in exploring and kayaking South America. I had just been to Peru, World Class’ destination, and I discovered NRA was going to Chile. I had never been to Chile, so that was a bit of a deciding factor, to go somewhere new.
As it turned out New River Academy has a base in Pucon with it’s own playhole. I thought, “Wow, having your own home base in a foreign country has a ton of benefits like added safety, comfort and even just enjoyability.” I also met Stephen Forester, a current New River Academy student, and Sam Fulbright, an alumni. After listening to them talk with my parents my decisions had come to end.
I chose NRA for factors like: Their use of the Keeners Ottawa riverside base versus camping, the Chile destination, a stable Chile base, a reputable safety record, past students and just some persuasion from Sam, Stephen and David.
Still my parents had not fully committed to the idea of a kayaking high school. This is where Sam, Stephen and Dave addressed parent concerns like academics and safety. When my mom came to pick me up after Keeners, we had a long sit down with David as well as conversations with Sam and Stephen. This had my mom convinced, my dad was a little harder to sway.
Help came in the form of Eugene Buchanan, founder of Paddlinglife.net, friend and team mate on my dad’s hockey team. I intern at Paddlinglife.net and I had told David about this during the summer. David contacted Eugene with the idea of creating a Paddling Life Academic Scholarship helping my family financially. At the same time I would be learning photo journalism skills and responsible for my financial assistance. My father liked the concept of learning and working for the scholarship and agreed to enroll in New River Academy.
That’s my story of how I chose New River Academy. Be sure to look for my photos and blog posts appearing on Paddlinglife.net and my NRA Matt Hill Blog.
Thanks go to: David Hughes, Eugene Buchanan, Sam Fulbright, Stephen Forester, and greatest of all Amy and Dave Hill a.k.a Mom and Dad, you’ve made all the difference!
See you on the water!
Tags: Gap Year, gap year programs, go huge kayaking, kayak, Kayak Gap Year Abroad, kayak high school, Kayak School, Kayaking, matt hill, New river ac, new river academy, paddlinglife.net, whitewater kayak
Posted in Academics, Intructional, Kayak School, Kayaking, Photography, Uncategorized, Whitewater Countries | Comments Off
