Local Kayak Club Makes a Splash With New, Veteran Paddlers

Local Kayak Club Making a Splash

with New, Veteran Paddlers

by David Disnmore

For the Pott County Kayak Club, timing is everything.

Starting as a Facebook page near the end of last summer, the group has seen interest level accelerate quickly from a few dozen to hundreds of people in the last couple of months.

“It has exploded, and people are falling in love with it,” said Denoda Rutherford, one of the co-founders of the club.

The response to the novel coronavirus pandemic has likely played a big role in the growth and interest in the group, Rutherford said. Kayaking provides many of the elements that people currently look for in an activity that reduces risk of transmitting or contracting the virus.

Obviously, it is an activity that gets people outdoors and doesn’t require them to get together in a small, enclosed space. Kayakers can each get in their own boat and stay a respectable distance due simply to the size of the boats and the fact that most only incorporate one paddler each.

Yet, even with all the emphasis on dis14 www.shawneeoutlook.com

tancing, people still want activities they can share with others. The environment, pace and nature of kayaking makes it a very social activity as everyone floats together on the lake or river. Whole families have taken to the water together locally in the last few months after one or two members tried it and decided to bring everyone in their house aboard.

Rutherford got her first taste of kayaking last August when she saw a Facebook post by former teachers, Kelli Parsons and Theresa Dame, stating they were going kayaking on Shawnee Twin Lakes and asked if anyone else would like to join them. Rutherford had been curious about it but had never had the chance to give kayaking a try.

“I got hooked and decided to buy two kayaks, one for me and one for my daughter,” Rutherford said.

Her two friends mentioned something about a “Poor Oklahoma Teachers Club," but the more Rutherford joined in with people hitting the lake, the more she thought there should be some kind of “formal” way of or

Denoda Rutherford, Theresa Dame and Kelli Parsons helped organize the Pott County Kayak Club Facebook group as a way to organize kayak enthusiasts and novices who want to try their hand at paddling on Shawnee Twin Lakes and area waterways. Photos submitted

ganizing outings for anyone in the area who enjoys or is curious about kayaking. She set up a Facebook page for the Pott County Kayak Club in the fall that had garnered interest from about 50 people.

In April, the three friends decided to host a couple of “newbie nights” using about 30 extra kayaks owned by people in the group and around the area. On Facebook, they invited anyone who was curious about trying their hands at the paddles. The group had more than 15 people show up for the first event and then double that by the second night, Rutherford said. Meanwhile, the Facebook group they created jumped from 84 people in April to more than 500 members by the end of June.

The Facebook group provides a great way for those new to kayaking to have their questions answered – the most popular being how to actually transport their boat from their home to the water – and a chance for more seasoned paddlers to share some of the tips, tricks and tales from their own experiences.

Kayaking is also a sneaky way to get in some exercise without feeling like it’s exercise. It provides enough physical activity to help the body but enough distraction – especially in groups – and fun, to not realize how much you’re working, Rutherford said. Some who came to the group looking for an activity specifically for fitness purposes said the camaraderie not only motivates them to get out on the lake, but also creates a little accountability when they tell other members of the group that they will come participate.

As much as the public health crisis helped grow interest in the Pott County Kayak Club, it also has created some challenges for those getting into the hobby for the first time as kayaks have not been as abundantly available since countries began shutting down, Rutherford said. From shipping demands and manufacturing slowdowns, kayaks may not be as widely available currently as they were earlier in the year. In fact, Rutherford and some other group members have taken it upon themselves to call retailers around the state to try and locate places that have a healthy stock of kayaks. They then send out messages through the Facebook group to gauge interest before making the trek to places like Bartlesville and Perkins to buy boats in bulk to bring back to Shawnee for people to purchase without having to travel themselves to get one.

One of the elements Rutherford has found most surprising since organizing the group of local kayak enthusiasts is how unfamiliar some people are with the aquatic activities Shawnee has to offer. She said there have been numerous times when people contacting her through the Facebook group will ask how to get to Shawnee Twin Lakes because they’ve never been there despite having lived in the community for years.

“Shawnee Lake is such a great asset to have, but it just doesn’t get utilized as much as we think it should,” Rutherford said.

Beyond the lake, the club has given some of the more experienced kayakers the opportunity to venture out into the county’s other waterways, including some ventures down the North Canadian River that snakes its way throughout the area. Being able to easily connect with other kayakers has enabled people to arrange safer trips they have wanted to undertake but not alone.

Organizers have started kicking around ideas of how to integrate the club into the larger community by hosting events in partnership with local businesses and organizations and facilitating group activities for entities like churches or companies. They have also begun selling T-shirts to help raise funds for possible regular kayak giveaways for group members.

In the meantime, the Pott County Kayak Club will keep offering locals – and others in surrounding areas – the chance to try out kayaking or connect with a group of likeminded hobbyists looking to make a splash in their social lives.

“It’s been such a joy watching people enjoying themselves,” Rutherford said. “It’s gone from a hobby to a passion to a lifestyle.”

Search Pott County Kayak Club on Facebook to find their page and their group for more information.