CHOTA CANOE CLUB 2015 APRIL NEWSLETTER

EDDY OUT

April 2015

WWW with TVCC

Swim with a Smile

Save the Ocoee!

Sign up for the Women’s Whitewater Weekend we’ll be having with our pals in TVCC!

With 20yrs of paddling experience Aaron (pictured above) gives his take on swimming.

Read up on all the hub-bub and use the information provided to contact all of your reps!

Member Newsletter • Chota Canoe Club, Knoxville, Tennessee • paddlechota.org

EDDY OUT Click here for the full Calendar...

APR

APR

APR

Club Meeting at Union Jacks on Kingston Pike & Papermill in Knoxville, TN. 6pm

Outdoor Knoxfest 2015 in Knoxville, TN.

Women’s Whitewater Weekend April 24-25 with TVCC. We will be camping at OAR

JUN

The Last day to sign up for Chota Canoe & Kayak School, June 19-21, for only $100. Fees go to $120 until the school.

Last day to order extra shirts too.

JUN

Chota Canoe & Kayak School will be held June 19-21. We will be camping at OAR CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

Member Newsletter • Chota Canoe Club, Knoxville, Tennessee • paddlechota.org

A wee note from your editor...

Ladies & Fellas, It’s April and it’s not only a time for catching a wave in the rain, but also to take action and save the Ocoee River! You’ve probably see a lot of talk about this on Facebook and other local outlets, but in this newsletter you’ll find a look at the data surrounding the effects the potential new fees on our outfitters and why this is not an issue to overlook. PLEASE DO US ALL A FAVOR, and don’t just read it...contact all of your reps! We made this practically stupid proof.

Which brings me to the next point, don’t forget about our club meeting Thursday at Union Jacks.

We will be writing letters to address this Ocoee issue, and of course, having a good time hanging out talking about the importance of swimming, and self rescue. (If you missed that facebook post, that’s in here too) Oh, and finally we have online payments for membership renewals, paddle school enrollment, and donations available on the Chota website now!!!

Rachel relise@me.com

NEED TO PUBLISH IN OUR NEWSLETTER???

Have a date that needs to be brought to everyone’s attention? Or a book you just wrote that could help us all find new rivers to paddle? Then let me know!

ALL information included in that months newsletter needs to be in to me by the 25th of the month!!!

Email your content to relise@me.com

Swim with a smile!

By Aaron Hiscock

In case you missed the thread: This comes from a facebook comment and stared me thinking about a common mistake of beginning boaters. First, I want everyone to know this

if you paddle you are going to swim, period end of story!

Next, it doesn’t matter if you do. Swimming means you are doing something right as a beginner, you are pushing yourself.

However, I don’t mean swimming on a class IV river. I mean you’re playing on the Hiwassee and surfing a hole or working a ferry then you flip and swim out. So many times I see that look of “man I swam on the Hiwassee”. Well, it doesn’t matter what river it is! You pushed yourself and you learned something from that swim. The last swim (in a kayak) I had was on the Nanty!

OMG! A solid class IV boater swam on a class II river. So what!

Yeah, I was doing something stupid and I got caught slipping. If you know me then you know, I’m proud of that swim and the bootie beer picture has been my Facebook profile picture. We all swim, it’s okay.

Why did I tell this story? Because I want the beginners to know that, yeah, I swim too. Sure, I have a solid roll and run some class IV+, but I’m not perfect. Every single class V boater started with swimming, they have swum and will swim again. But, but but…… They can roll! Or they are running the hard stuff. A class IV river to a experienced boater is much like a class 2 river to a beginner. Why? Because of experience, and proper technique.

Let’s talk about technique for a minute. Whitewater boating has so many skills to learn that it’s overwhelming to new boaters.

There are the strokes to learn, body and boat positions, reading the river, understanding how water moves, swift water and self-rescue, and lastly the mental game (controlling the fear).

I’m going to skip over talking about strokes and positions as I would be straying off topic. I do however feel that the others are all interrelated. River reading and understanding the water are the most undervalued skills for beginning boating, but once these skills are mostly mastered then there is a drastic decrease in the amount of fear that one has on the water. You then know what to expect from the rapid and can react and plan your moves accordingly. Now, rescue is what’s important when the best laid plans fail. Self-rescue is more than just a roll, it’s also knowing how to swim, and keep your gear. As a beginner yeah it’s okay to let go of your gear and just worry about yourself, but

Swim with a smile!

By Aaron Hiscock

you should try to swim to an eddy. It is not okay or always safe to just float in the water and expect others to come and get you and you gear all the time!

I know most of us paddle kayaks, but let’s take a look at open boating for a second.

Open boaters are the undisputed kings of swimming! I just started open boating recently, and I have done three trips in my boat, two on the middle Tellico and one on Ocoee light. Yeah, I could try and roll but it was hit or miss...mostly misses. Being in a new boat and honestly having no idea how to really control or brace the boat I got to feel what it was like to be a beginner once again. Yet, I did have something on my side that allowed me to overcome the lack of boat skills. I know how to read the river and make my own judgment calls. So, when I swam, and oh boy did I ever swim like a champ! I kept my head and rescued myself.

On the first trip in the boat, the middle Tellico, I swam in the eddy at the put in, the first rapid, and then immediately after the second rapid. BUT, I took these swims with a big ol’ smile on my face because they were fun and I was learning. Another thing that made these swims okay to me is that I rescued myself, I swam my boat over emptied the boat and jumped back in before the group was even done running the rapid. On the next trip down the Tellico, paddling with Gunny, I swam after trying to roll a few times and was getting back in and told Gunny that I swam and he said “really? I didn’t know”. Most Open Boaters don’t roll they swim, but they don’t get upset. They also don’t have the silly social pressure of the famous bootie beer looming around.

I want to say something about the bootie beer. It’s complete and total nonsense!!! Yes, there is a picture of me drinking one, but it is still nonsense. No one can make you drink it, nor should you ever feel like you have too. It’s just something silly and a fun excuse to have another beer and something to laugh about at the end of the day. Now if you don’t drink or don’t drink beer, that’s a good excuse, but I might start keeping a nice hot Dr. Pepper for you in my truck. Hahahaha kidding!

The most important part of self-rescue is your state of mind.

When you swim keep yourself together and be a part of your own rescue, it’s going to happen. If you don’t know how or never been shown how to swim properly in whitewater them go to the Chota school this summer and we will teach you, and if not our school, at least take training so that you are safe on the water.

Just remember to keep your eyes open for paddle snakes and Jah the great camel, and we are all just in between swims. Now let’s all go out this summer stay safe and have some fun, SYOTR.

Read the remaining thread posts on the chota facebook page.

Women’s Whitewater Weekend April 24 - 25!

Mark your Calendars!!! APRIL 24 - 25 We are teaming up with TVCC to host this event.

Open to beginners and experienced whitewater paddlers.

We will be camping at OAR and paddling the Hiwassee and Ocoee Rivers.

RSVP to the event posted on our facebook page.

Annual Paddling School June 19 - 21

Online Registration is open!!!

It’s already time to get the word out again for this years How you can help....

Chota Canoe & Kayak School! So get out and talk it up, canoe school this year will certainly be a - Invite your family, friends, etc. to sign up today weekend to remember.

- Give us a shout if you are a certified instructor - Volunteer to safety boat We are training Beginners and Intermediate boaters on - Make a tax deductible donation to the school the Hiwassee River, and camping at OAR Campgrounds. - Donate a gift/item to the auction - Come ready to pick up good deals for a great cause The Registration fee is $100 before June 1. $120 after.

All orders for extra shirts must be in by this day too!

Save the Ocoee River!

Like many of you, I was astonished to find out that the Ocoee River might not release after 2018. The Ocoee River is the nation’s most popular whitewater river with nearly 250,000 visits annually for rafting, kayaking, and open boating.

Currently, outfitters have a contract with the TVA that provides water releases for recreation and it will expire in March 2019.

For the next contract, TVA is asking for $1.8 million annually to pay for water releases and this estimate is only for the first 5 years. It is important to realize that TVA is the only utility allowed to collect fees for water releases. For example, Progress Energy provides releases on the Pigeon River without reimbursement for lost power.

SO, WHY DOES ANY OF THIS MATTER TO PRIVATE BOATERS?

Source: “The Economic Impacts of Visitor Spending and Whitewater Rafting on the Ocoee River,” 2012, Dr. Steve Morse, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Well, the drastically increased fees on our outfitters are simply unsustainable. These fees represent a 780% increase from the current cost. If the outfitters are unable to pay for the water, releases will be jeopardized for private boaters and rafters alike. As an avid kayaker, I cannot imagine our area without the Ocoee River. It is a great source of pride for our community and a valuable economic resource to our region.

With the current contract set to expire, we now have a unique opportunity to protect the Ocoee River in perpetuity. Right now, the only defined purpose of Ocoee No. 2 (Middle) is for generating hydroelectric power. The Ocoee River Council is proposing legislation that would reclassify Ocoee No. 2 and Ocoee No. 3 projects to include whitewater recreation as one of the project’s purposes. This would effectively mean that whitewater recreation on the Ocoee River would be protected for your children, your grandchildren, and future generations to come.

For many of us, the Ocoee River is where our love of whitewater recreation started. It is such a unique, beautiful river where one can safely practice difficult moves and prepare for winter creeking season. With over 5 million visitors to the Ocoee River since 1980, it is clear that we cannot replace this river as an asset to our state and region. How much does the Ocoee River mean to you?

Still need more information & Help?

How much power is lost?

Did you know the Ocoee River might not release after 2018!!

By Stacy Stone

What’s really at stake?

• $43.83 Million in total economic activity • 622 full time jobs • $14.12 Million in worker paychecks • $3.57 Million in total federal, state & local taxes generated

Please visit our website to read our mission statement, documents, and blog. This is a tremendous issue with many moving parts. It is difficult to outline the entire issue in a newsletter article. If you have more questions regarding why the Ocoee is at risk, please contact us!

The amount of power lost is minuscule. It represents less than 6/10,000ths of the TVA system’s generating capacity and the power generated by Ocoee No. 2 project is not noticeable in payer rates

Thank you for your support!

Let’s keep the Ocoee flowing!

Write letters to your US Senators & Representatives in Congress.

We even have sample letters here on our website, or use the letter on the next page.

Stacy Stone Grassroots Campaign Coordinator, Ocoee River Council

How can you help?

What should your letter say?

• Ask Congress to direct TVA to include whitewater recreation as a purpose of Ocoee No.2 and Ocoee No.3 projects.

• Ask that TVA be obligated to provide water releases consistent with the current schedule without reimbursement for lost power.

• Personalize your letter by conveying how much whitewater recreation means to you and especially the local and state economies.

Save the Ocoee River!

Contact your Representatives

How to go about this letter Below is a model letter to Congress for the Senate and the House of Representatives and then customize it by expressing your personal interest in the Ocoee. Here are a few tips: • Be sure to thank the Senators/Representatives for their interest in the river and proceed to tell them what the Ocoee means to you. This customization is very important!

• Politely tell members of Congress that the Tennessee Valley Authority should make whitewater recreation a purpose of the Ocoee No. 2 and Ocoee No. 3 projects and provide releases at least consistent with the current schedule without reimbursement for lost power.

• The legislation should include a provision for the state to continue management of the river and give them access to the property.

Model Letter:

Honorable Senator__________ United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator ___________: Thank you for taking time to consider my views on the future of the Ocoee River in East Tennessee.

I am writing in support of continued recreational whitewater releases on the Ocoee River in Polk County TN after the current contract expires in 2019. As you know, the Ocoee is the nation’s most popular recreational whitewater river. It provides over $43 million in economic benefits to our area annually. We must protect recreational use of this wonderful natural resource and not make recreation subordinate to a wooden flume line generating 21 megawatts of power. TVA is the only utility allowed to collect reimbursement for lost generating capacity due to recreational releases on our waterways. Releases on the Ocoee do not negatively impact lake levels at Blue Ridge Reservoir.

They also do not substantially impact peak demand generating capacity within the TVA system.

I hope the Congress will direct the TVA board of directors to designate Ocoee #2 and Ocoee #3 projects as multipurpose projects to include downstream whitewater recreation as a legitimate use of the river and project purposes. Future recreational releases should be provided consistent with the current release schedule without reimbursement for lost power.

Thank you so much for considering the important of the Ocoee River as the center piece of a truly remarkable recreation area which will only grow in importance.

Your Name Address Contact email (this personal information is important to verify that you are a real person)

Save the Ocoee River!

Contact your Representatives

TENNESSEE

GEORGIA

SENATOR LAMAR ALEXANDER (click to email)

SENATOR JOHNNY ISAKSON (click to email)

455 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510

131 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510

SENATOR BOB CORKER (click to email)

SENATOR DAVID PERDUE (click to email)

Dirksen Senate Office Building SD-425 Washington, DC 20510

B40D Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510

CONGRESSMAN CHUCK FLEISCHMANN

REPRESENTATIVE TOM GRAVES (14TH)

(click to email) 900 Georgia Avenue, Suite 126 Chattanooga, TN 37402

(click to email) 2442 Rayburn House Office Bldg.

Washington, DC 20515

Polar Bear Weekend at OAR

This is where another lovely write-up would go!

Judging by the photos I can tell Angela Wood (photos), LaDawn Wolfe (her car & famous liquor lube), Gary Kilpatrick (the ancient PFD), and judging by the fire and his truck Aaron Hiscock was there too.

Quite a fun party crew!

The Joy of Paying it Forward

By John C. Wiser

After completing Chota’s one-day paddling school in the summer of 2013 I knew a couple of things about this sport that has become such a big part of my life. I knew it could fill the monstrous void I found in my life when climbing and mountaineering were physically no longer options for me. I knew it put me way out of my comfort zone and did not feel natural to me at all so it would be a significant challenge. I knew that I had a long way to go to ever become good enough to make it enjoyable and fun instead of intimidating and scary, but more than anything I knew without a doubt that I needed a teacher! After the school there didn’t seem to be any scheduled beginner trips setup and I wasn’t really sure what to do or where to go, but then Kim and John just took me by the hand and became the mentors I so desperately needed. Without them there is no doubt in my mind that my love for paddling would have never blossomed.

Because of them I had a debt to pay.

That next Spring I was determined to start paying that huge debt of gratitude forward and volunteered to be a safety boater for the next Chota paddling school, but that fickle lady called Fate had different plans and I was asked to be an instructor.

Now I am always willing to give one for the team, but I didn’t feel like I was ready for that position in the least and to be honest I wasn’t. Thankfully, I was paired with my kayaking sensei’s, Kim and John, and with them I felt that we as a team could really offer a great class to the new group of paddlers.

It was during this class that I realized how much I really loved watching others take those first baby steps, accept those initial challenges and seeing their confidence start to swell little bit by little bit. It was easy to see why my mentors seemed to enjoy helping me and others through that all-important first year.

Again, I wasn’t sure how to go about it but I was determined to assist the new freshmen group in any way that I could.

Like they had been doing this their whole lives, my teachers didn’t bat an eye and just started the whole instructional cycle over again. I found myself once again on those easier beginner rivers practicing moves that once scared me to death, but were now viewed with the anticipation and self-assurance that is found through repeated challenge and success.

It was good for the new paddlers and me to see the growth I had made in the last year. For me it bolstered the confidence in my abilities as I could easily remember what it was like to be

in their place and see the improvement I had made since those very early trips to the river. For them it helped them envision that they too could advance their skills quickly with determination and desire. I didn’t really think about it then, but I was starting to learn how to teach by watching the team of Kim and John as they seamlessly brought the class of 2014 along gently and consistently. At the same time I was building relationships with the budding boaters while gaining their trust and confidence which would be invaluable later on.

This winter I took a HUGE step and started organizing the Friday training trips even though I didn’t feel like I was ready to be the primary leader yet, but the need was there and was determined to at least try. I am very grateful that some other experienced boaters offered to take part and help not only the newer paddlers continue their progression, but to help me make the transition into more confidence as a trip leader and teacher.

David McConnell and Tom Snyder stepped up to help as I am sure they each have many times before and their knowledge, patience and good natures just helped make the whole thing feel “right”. These last few months have contained some of most rewarding times of my brief paddling career as I have watched this year’s group of newcomers accept the challenges laid before them, seeing their smiles as they succeed and sharing in their celebrations. Those brief moments make the effort more than worthwhile!

It is very obvious to many that Chota is really starting to come alive again as a club in the whitewater community and I really hope that we as a “family” continue to embrace the opportunity to affect others in such a positive way. With all of the experienced and knowledgeable paddlers we have within the club I think this year’s paddling school and the training trips that come after can be amazing! Yes, there is some personal sacrifice in helping others along but trust me when I say the thought of that totally disappears in the joy of paying it forward!

“...embrace the opportunity to affect others in such a positive way.”

The Upper Pigeon March 28, 2015 • Upper Pigeon River • 1500 CFS

This is where a trip report should go...but enjoy the photos from Kim Abney, along with John Butler, LJ Latorre, and Lee Belknap.

spring roll sessions...

Roll Practice Roll practice at UT is done for the winter season, but we will be resuming at the Concord Park Cove once the water warms up enough for instructors to stand in it without getting hypothermia. So keep a lookout on the calendar.

roll practice If this looks like you’re jam, get a hold of us and we’ll drag you along to our next misadventure.