Hot Rolls & Hiwassee Extravaganza Weekend
July 18 - 19, 2009

Lead Instructors and Trip Leaders: Barnett Williams -BarnettW3@aol.com or 615-516-0346 and Charles DeBray -cdebray@earthlink.net or 615-347-5466

• This is a bargain at $20 (for members).
• Bring food and snacks for both before and after we get on the river.
• Bring warm paddling clothing to layer--the Hiwassee has cold water year-round! 
• If you use them, bring your nose plugs!

To sign up and pay online, click here.

To download a mail-in registration form, click here.
To download a mail-in membership application, click here.

Basic River Rescue Class
August 15-16, 2009

School Chair: Trent Ganstiine - Trent Ganstine by phone 615-598-4190 or email tganstine@comcast.net

Upside down, disoriented, and looking for an oxygen rich environment—we have all been there! If you haven’t been there yet, or haven’t been there recently, it’s coming… There is an old saying in paddling: “We are all between swims.” 

Aside from a solid roll, nothing builds as much confidence as being calm and feeling in control when swimming. If you want to build your confidence, be an asset to your paddling group, or remain calm during those OBE’s (“out of boat experiences”), then this is the class for you.  This event is informative, empowering and FUN. It will fill up quickly, so register as soon as possible. This is not the Swift Water Rescue Class. It could be a great warm-up for someone wishing to attend SWR. It would also be great for folks wanting to brush up on what they learned at SWR.

Who should attend?

Anyone who hasn’t recently attended a rescue clinic. Anyone who is fearful of swimming. Anyone who has good boating skills, but isn’t comfortable helping rescue swimmers or recover gear. Anyone who doesn’t own a throw rope. Anyone who owns a throw rope but doesn’t know how to use it. Anyone who is concerned with safety for themselves and their paddling group. Everyone can benefit from this class. 

 

What will be taught?

Safely swimming in whitewater. Performing the perfect self-rescue. Eskimo Rescues. Recovering boats and gear. Pushing, pulling, and dragging boats. Pulling swimmers. Throwing and catching ropes. Wading in swift water. Boat-over-boat rescue and deep water reentry. Rescue Theory. Essential gear.

 

When and where?

The class will be held on August 15-16 on the Hiwassee River. We will be staying in the bunkhouse at Hiwassee Outfitters. No need to bring a tent, just a sleeping bag or sheets.   Plan to arrive Friday night, August 14, for registration and hanging out around the fire. If you cannot make it Friday night, please be there Saturday morning by 8:30 a.m. CST. We are going to have chili Saturday night. We will provide the chili ingredients. If you have a crockpot, bring it. Please bring your own drinks and sides or dessert to share. You will be responsible for your own breakfast and lunch. Hiwassee Outfitters has a restaurant that may be open during the event.

 

There are only 30 spots available in the bunkhouse. First come, first served. There are camping sites available, but you will need your own camping gear.

 

Course Requirements:

Attendees should be comfortable paddling the Hiwassee River. If you aren’t comfortable, but have paddled the Hiwassee, please contact me. I may let you come, and you may learn more than anyone else – it is a swimming class. Attendees must bring their own boat and gear – helmets are required. You should dress for repeated and extended immersion. Neoprene pants are advised, for both warmth and protection from scrapes and bruises. Closed toe shoes are highly recommended, we will be rock hopping and wading in the riverbed. Neoprene socks and/or sandals expose your toes and the soles of your feet to injury. If you do not own a throw bag—do not buy one. You can share with someone else, and at the class you will learn what kind of throw bag is best for you and your paddling. 

 

Fee:

The cost is $45, which will cover the actual expenses of the event, including two nights in the bunkhouse, ACA insurance, chili, and a T-shirt. This event is considered a service to our members and the paddling community. TSRA is not making money on this class. If you have a good time and learn valuable skills, then consider making a donation to the TSRA. When you register, you will be emailed a packet containing a map, a suggested equipment list, equipment rental locations and other information. Deadline for registration is August 1. After August 1, registrants will be charged an additional $20 and admitted only if there are instructors available.

To sign up and pay on-line, click here.  

OR

To mail-in a paper registration, download all 3 of the following forms, complete, and mail along with your check made out to TSRA. Mail all 3 forms to the address shown on the registration form.

* Basic River Rescue Registration Form, click here.
* Student Self-evaluation Form, click here.
* TSRA Membership Form (if not already a member), click here.

For one night during five consecutive weeks, TSRA Roll School students not only learned to roll, they learned more about themselves than they ever imagined. Without a doubt, most would agree that they learned how perseverance and a healthy respect for the water can boost self-esteem, confidence and one's outlook on life!

Click here to link to the Tennessean and to hear an interview with one of TSRA's star students, Deby Samuels, as she talks about her Roll School experience. There's also a great underwater picture of Deby flipping in her kayak. Check it out!

It's not too late for you to join the great sport of paddling. Sign up now for our Basic River Rescue Class! Registration materials can be found right here on the Schools page.

Come be TSRA's next success Story!

We need YOU in order to make Roll School 2009 a success. Please e-mail Jack Lyle at jlyle@hvud.com to let him know if you can be an instructor for Roll School 2009. Help us to make this year's class the best ever!

In addition, you can also apply to become a  Support Boater or to become a volunteer for one of our other schools.  In order to get started,  click here!

by Vicki Crumpton and Ed Ford

Not long after our birth, TSRA realized the need to train our members to develop their paddling skills. So we sent a few people away to learn more about canoeing. Those folks came back to teach, and Canoe School was born.

Today, TSRA holds some kind of training event almost every month of the year. Beginning with roll school early each year, we’re training tandem boaters, kayakers, sea kayakers, solo boaters and even crazy play boaters these days. We also teach self rescue and swiftwater rescue classes. Because all of our instructors are volunteers, our schools raise money which TSRA reinvests in our other central mission: conservation.

Those of us who’ve gotten into teaching realize what a tremendous benefit it is—to us. We watch people who haven’t been in a boat or who may be apprehensive about being upside down in one of those pointy kayaks take great leaps of skill and have a lot of fun in the process. What virtually every instructor soon realizes is the student isn’t the only one who takes great leaps of skill and has a lot of fun in the process. We do, too. One year at introduction to paddling clinic, I heard a new instructor exclaim, “Now I see why y’all like to teach. It’s so much FUN!”

Effective teaching, however, takes time, commitment, and training. Each year, usually in late April or early May, TSRA provides an instructor seminar designed to prepare potential new instructors for their role and to give experienced instructors a chance to review, update, and share their skills.  The TSRA training committee hopes you’ll check the yearly activities calendar and join us in the adventure of teaching others the sport we love so much.

Interested in becoming a TSRA Instructor, Support Boater or want to Volunteer to help at our Schools? 
Click here!