Looking for kayaking companions, Kidder offered a kayaking class through Community Education in 1999.“I wanted to share what I knew. I was trying to get some people to paddle with.” Kidder continues to teach kayak courses several times a year and started a kayak club. The group now has 60 active members and enjoys weekly paddles and kayaking-camping trips to the Apostle Islands in Lake
K A Y A K I N G MIGHT BE THE PERFECT SPORT B R A I N E R D
FOR LAKES
THE AREA.
With 416 lakes, a network of rivers, including the mighty Mississippi and miles of navigable wetlands, kayakers have lots of water to pick from. Most importantly, it’s a sport for everyone, the sluggish and sleek of all ages. “I love being at water level,” said Maria Seep, Nisswa. “Kayaking is very silent, you just skim along the water.” Seep who grew up with canoes and sailboats took a kayaking class two years ago and never looked back. “It’s easier than canoeing and I can do it by myself. Kayaking is great recreation.” Kayaks have replaced canoes as the preferred silent water craft. Allen Wynn, manager of Easy Riders in Brainerd, said they have seen a big increase in kayak sales in the last five years. “I personally think that kayaking is more pleasureable than canoeing. Anybody can do it. It’s family friendly. You just need a boat and a paddle and life jacket. Kayaks are so maneuverable and great in shallow water.” Jeff Kidder, Baxter, fell in love with kayaks the first time he saw them 15 years ago. “I was selling artwork at a show near Marquette, Mich., and I saw people in kayaks paddling on Lake Superior. A light bulb went off in my brain,” he remembered. “I wanted to buy one that day. I restrained myself but went home and found a place near Grand Marais where I could take lessons.” Kidder has been paddling ever since. “Maneuvering in the waves with a kayak is a beautiful thing. They are less tippy because you are closer to the water. Your balance is better because your center of gravity is lower. The paddling becomes part of you.You are wearing the boat.”
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Superior and Voyageurs Park in northern Minnesota. “It’s an easy sport to get started in but there are also many advanced skills that make it so much more fun,” said Kidder. When Darrel Johnson retired eight years ago, a friend suggested Kidder’s kayak class. “I took to kayaking like a duck to water,” Johnson noted. “I was 60 when I started paddling. My second cousin is still kayaking in his 80s. I thought if he could do it, so could I.” Johnson, who lives near Nimrod, says kayaking is a solitary pursuit as well as a social sport. “Our kayak club gets together every Tuesday night to paddle a different lake in the Brainerd area,” said Johnson. “We go out for something to eat afterwards. We are like-minded people of all ages.” Unlike canoeing, which requires partners, kayaking is an individual sport.“At our club paddles, you just show up with your boat,” Kidder said. “You are the captain of your own ship. Kayaking is a great sport for women. If they get a boat fit to their proportions and ability, they can paddle just as well as a man. It’s not all about power, it’s finesse.” Kayaks range from several hundred dollars to several thousand dollars. Kidder says it is important to find a boat that fits you. “Never buy a boat that you haven’t paddled. You should paddle a lot of kayaks before you pick the one you want to buy. It’s just like trying on shoes. One style or size just feels better on you,” said Kidder. “Your feet need to fit comfortably on the foot pegs while your thighs nestle into the sides of the boat. It’s all about points of contact.” Kidder has 30 different styles of kayaks that he sells. Seep said she spent a whole season trying out different Photos Provided by Rachel Nystrom