Back in the good ol’ days, a bunch of us had a group chat — paddlers spread across the country who kept talking about how great it would be to finally get on the water together. We tried to make it happen more than once, but life, weather, and distance always got in the way.
Eventually I just said, “Let’s stop talking about it and go.” I booked a group campsite at Rock Point and told everyone to show up.
Jarrod and Lee took the idea one step further. If we were all coming together anyway, why not turn it into a small symposium to help cover travel? It was a simple, clever idea — and somehow, this time, everything fell into place.
I handled the logistics, they helped shape the coaching plan, and this casual meet-up suddenly turned into a real event. Looking back, that spur-of-the-moment decision became one of those weekends that stays with you.
The Coaches
The weekend brought together a mix of instructors from across North America. At the time, it felt unbelievable that so many skilled paddlers were willing to make the trip to the Niagara Peninsula for rolling, surf, and current work.
Today, we look back on this roster with a lot of gratitude. It was one of the first moments where we understood how powerful a community-driven training culture could be.
- Luke “Kayak Hipster” Rovner
- Jarrod Gunn McQuillan – Cloud 9 Kayak
- Lee Richardson – Best Coast Outfitters
- Adam Constantine
- Pete Lavigne
- Shannon King
- Chris King
- Kate Schneider – working with Ontario Sea Kayak Centre at the time
- Jillian Brown – photography and evening presentation
This list reflects a moment in time, before many of us went on to build our own schools, change paths, or take on new roles in the paddling world. It was a gathering of people who simply wanted to share their skills and create a positive weekend on the water.
What We Ran That Weekend
We offered a series of sessions that — looking back — were ambitious for such a young event. They formed the foundation of the sea kayak training model that still shapes our courses today.
Dissecting the Roll
A full breakdown of rolling mechanics, learning progressions, layback variations, and individualized adjustments. For a lot of paddlers, this was their first exposure to a structured, technical approach to rolling.
Working in Current
The Niagara River gave us a safe, feature-rich environment for ferrying, eddy work, edging, and confidence-building in moving water. Many of the techniques taught here eventually became standard in our clinics.
Inching into Rough Water
When conditions cooperated, we moved into progressively bumpier water to work on stability, bracing, rescues, and adapting to dynamic waves. And when the lake stayed flat, we treated whatever it gave us as a learning opportunity.
Every session emphasized progression, safety, and building confidence — values that still guide our courses today.
The Weekend Itself
The format was simple: camp together at Rock Point, paddle all day, eat together afterward, and spend the evenings around the fire talking paddling, travel, gear, and whatever else people wanted to share.
It was a small event, but it made a big impact. Many who attended went on to become regulars in our community, take more training, join trips, or become friends we still paddle with years later.
Why This Weekend Still Matters
The Kayak Ontario Skills Weekend wasn’t just an event — it was the moment we realized that high-quality training, good coaching, and a supportive community could all exist in one place. It planted the seed for the programs we now run in Niagara and across Ontario.
Looking back, this weekend helped shape the values that define Kayak Ontario today: accessible training, community-focused paddling, and the belief that people grow best when they feel supported on the water and on land.
It’s part of our history, and we’re proud to preserve it here.
0 comments