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Canoecopia March 7-9, 2014

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If you haven't made plans yet, there is still time. 12 days until the beginning of the biggest paddlesports consumer event in the world. I am including this link so that you can see what all the excitement is about:

http://www.canoecopia.com/canoecopia/page.asp?pgid=1001

I have scheduled my Friday and Sunday seminars along with an hour or two of extra time to view the show floor. What happens on Saturday? You can find me moving boats from the trailer and onto your vehicle. I work the show on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday too, setting up and tearing down the show. I can attest to the fact that it takes many people who love the sport to make this event possible. I am proud to have been a part of this show for the last 5 years and an attendee for over 15 years.

My best advice to anyone who attends can be found on page 5 of the guide--read it all! I spend my time before the show reading through the presentations and highlighting the ones that interest me and categorizing them. (Rutabaga started categorizing them recently so I can skip that step nowadays.) Then I look at my current situation--what new information will I need to make my next trips a bigger success (eg. new products, safety and rescue techniques, food preparation, paddling efficiency/exercises, group leadership/dynamics, route selection and logistics/outfitters)? It's all there at the show and more.

Just before the show, I plan my schedule and write out my plan for whatever days I will attend based on my priorities and plan to stick with it. Inevitably, there is that one seminar everyone talks about that is a must see. Hopefully you will be able to adjust your plan to include it without sacrificing your must see seminar. Good planning beforehand makes a huge difference and the online guide has several helpful pages to make selection easier. Hehttp://www.canoecopia.com/canoecopia/presentations.aspre you can find presentations by category: Note that you can click on the topic and see the description as well as other times it is offered. You can also see what other topics the speaker is presenting and its available times. Maybe I should get that Smartphone now, so I can have both guides at my fingertips. Of course, I will need to remember to silence it before I set foot into the seminar hall.

Hope that this long post helps you and . . .let me know if you will be attending. We'll get together.
HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!!!
 
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I'll be there. I tend to make it on even numbered years ... its a bit of a trek for me. However, it is a good time to get together with paddling friends and plan out this season's trips.

BTW: I typically wear a white ball cap. It has "DentonDoc" across the back as well as the avatar you see here on the left side. Stop me and say "Hi" if you find me wandering around.

dd
 
I will be there, looking forward to seeing you again Jazzman. The Copia show is always a great one.

Bob.
 
For those of you attending, if you would like to get together we could arrange a meeting time and place. Bob B. and I have joined with others and have gone out to eat after the show. I would enjoy it if you could join us.

@Bob B. Have you heard from Farmer? Skip will not be joining us this year. I haven't heard from Harlan yet. Claire Q. was scheduled to come this year tho' that could have changed. I imagine Marten will show up, too.

@dentondoc I hope to visit with you at the show and talk shop. Lots of interesting seminars, perhaps we could see one together and discuss it later.
 
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Bob,

Maybe Harlan Bugmeist and the rest of the guys can get together for supper Friday night. I know a lot of the Quiet Journey guys are going out on Sat. I have not talked to Farmer, my email addy for him must be messed up.

Bob.
 
I will be at the show Saturday and then going to the Quiet Journey gathering in Verona. There are numerous other Friday suppers and Saturday and Sunday lunches already set up too. I am looking forward to seeing everyone. Harlan will have his Red Lake Outfitters booth so I will be looking to see who is hanging around there.
 
Sounds like fun you'all.. But 24 hours driving to shop compared to 21 hours driving to paddle..no comparison! Wish Darren would have an East Coast version.
Never mind..my pocket book is safer this way.
 
I will be at the show Saturday and then going to the Quiet Journey gathering in Verona. There are numerous other Friday suppers and Saturday and Sunday lunches already set up too. I am looking forward to seeing everyone. Harlan will have his Red Lake Outfitters booth so I will be looking to see who is hanging around there.
See you on Saturday, Martin ... at the QJ Dinner if not before.

Jazzman ... I'll be hanging around from Friday thru Saturday. Hope we can meet up.

dd
 
DD, I sent you a PM. Hope we can connect.

BobB, I have Craig's cell and sent an email to him. I'll let you know what's up. Friday night sounds great. I'll be stocking the Melzer hotel fridge with Leinies Canoe Paddler. See you there.

Jazzman
 
Another Canoecopia behind me. I'm not sure which is more exhausting, working the show trucking boats to and from the convention center or shopping the overwhelming amount of product available for purchase.

I saw some speakers that did a very good job of presenting information and experiences to paddlers. Kevin Callan entertained us with another misadventure in the Algonquin PP called The Meanest Link by the Algonquin Outfitters staff. "Meanest" is a nickname for Bill Swift Sr. and the route is in honor of the founder of Swift Canoe and Kayak. I worked for Swift C and K in the 90's. Sam Crowley demonstrated interactively techniques for leading groups and managing risks in all conditions. He got some great help from the audience to role play risky conditions and discuss ways to manage risky people and situations. Barb Rees and John Thomson gave us tours through the three Northwestern Ontario Wilderness Parks using sample routes and sights/sites along the route. Doug Gilmore showed the devastation to the Woodland Carribou PP that "A Little Snow" and wind did to the park and how the people who care most for the park came together to make the park accesible for the rest of us. It was a Herculean effort. Rob Kesselring dispelled some common myths in his presentation "Traveling Like a Wilderness Guide" and showed us how to get down to the very basics in equipment and "stuff" management to lighten the load and keep gear together from beginning to end.

Rutabaga Paddlesports keeps the Canoecopia Guide online throughout the year so that you can see what you missed and have an idea of what may be presented the following year.

It was good to catch up with the people I know who attended the show or had a booth. After hours dinners allowed us to relax and tell stories from the past year and dreams for the coming season. BobB, Bugmeister, Harlan, Marten, DentonDoc, The QuietJourney folks, VoyaguerNorth, Darren and his current and past staff at Rutabaga, Ontario Parks staff, Doug Gilmore, and the paddlers I hope to share a portage with were among the many people who I spent the weekend with. Thanks go out to them for their contribution to my weekend.
 
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Hi Jazzman, Thanks for that interesting recap of the weekend. The pictures of the show I have seen look impressive, but the speakers and the friendships renewed are such a great added feature.
Lots of interesting tripping presentations. I saw where the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association had a display of canoes, did you see them?
 
Yes, I did. And Jeanne Bourquin presented a "Building and Repairing Wood/Canvas Canoes" seminar. Jeannie teaches building at North House Folk School in Grand Marais, MN.Her own shop is in Ely. She built her first wood/canvas canoe with Jerry Stelmok and is a member of WCHA. I'll be straight with you. At this point in my life, wood/canvas and cedar strip boats are a curiousity by necessity. I am a very particular trim carpenter who gets passionate about his work. I put my heart and soul into it. And I am not ready to devote the time and energy to another passion. So I didn't spend a lot of time visiting the WCHA booth. Instead, I had a friend whose wife was looking for a boat to help take water samples and check water quality. So I had a mission. Wooden boats have a heritage and story that would be fascinating to me. My first canoe was a broken down OTCA. It was a beautiful, but I didn't know what I had. It was old, but I didn't when it was built, only that it had recurved stems that made great sails. It also had an external keel. Thursday I'm going to look at a fiberglass Old Town Canadienne to see if I can reclaim it from poor care and maintenance. The owner thinks he has a collector boat--more like a classic thats been removed from its box, used, misused and left out in the sun. I'm hoping there's enough gelcoat to revive the green color and enough good wood to sand down and recoat with spar varnish. I may have to walk away from the boat if there are unrealistic expectations. Wish me luck.
 
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