*PAST EVENT* (BC) Sea Kayaking Complete Series July – August 2024

Event Details

This event will be held on the waters of the Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla; S’ólh Téméxw (Stó:lō); Hul’qumi’num Treaty Group; səl̓ilwətaɁɬ təməxʷ (Tsleil-Waututh); šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmaɁɬ təməxʷ (Musqueam); Skwxwú7mesh-ulh Temíx̱w (Squamish); and Stz’uminus nations, also known as Jericho Beach, in Vancouver, BC. We are grateful to be uninvited guests on these territories, and we honour the stewards of this land by continuing our ongoing commitment and actions towards decolonization, as allies, when called upon.

We invite you to join us in chasing horizons on the water in partnership with Jericho Beach Kayaking and Arc’teryx BC! Colour the Trails will be hosting a kayaking complete series following our July 4th introduction to kayaking.

Who can apply: We are currently running the program for folks 18+. You do not need to know how to swim, but you must be comfortable falling in the water and keeping calm with a life jacket on. 

Program Details:
We will spend five evenings at Jericho Beach learning the fundamentals of gear, kayaks, and strokes. We’ll introduce kayak capsizing and re-entry, both on your own and with the help of a partner, and show you how to paddle more efficiently. We’ll also introduce navigation for day-tripping, including chart reading, route finding, tides, and weather.

The program will wrap up with a full-day trip from Jericho Beach.

Dates and times: Thursday evenings (July 11th, 18th, 25th, and August 1st, and 8th) from 6:00pm-9:00pm (PST), as well as Saturday, August 10th from 9:00am – 4:00pm (PST). You must be available for all sessions in order to participate.

Experience level: novice.

By the End of the Complete Series you will be able to:

• Understand the basics of Sea Kayaking. 
• Control your kayak in level 1 (out of 4) conditions.
• Learn the following paddling strokes: Forward and backward strokes, Bracing, Edging, Turning
• Safely recover in case of a capsize. (What would you do if you fell in the water?): Wet exit, Various re-entry techniques (self and assisted)
• Receive a Paddle Canada Level 1 or Basic Certification based on successful demonstration of relevant skills.

Details: 

Cost: While the retail cost for the lessons and included gear would be $529 + tax, we are charging only $400 + tax as we are able to subsidize the program through partnership with Arc’teryx BC, and Jericho Beach Kayaking.

Location: We will be meeting on the east side of the Jericho Sailing Centre compound on 1300 Discovery St, Vancouver, BC. Please click here to find full details for busing, biking, and parking options. 

Transportation: Please note: each participant will be responsible for getting to this event. You can organize carpooling through our Private Facebook Group. If you are carpooling with someone, please make sure to chip in for gas/parking. For mentee/mentor kayaking sessions, you are welcome to coordinate transportation together.

Application Details:

The program will be run on an application basis. We are prioritising individuals who are interested in and committed to building BIPoC community in the kayaking world, and would like to prioritise Black and Indigenous registration especially. We encourage you to reflect on your personal experiences and use that to guide open and honest responses. 

Honouring our intersectional identities is important to CTT. If you identify as a member of the BIPOC community, along with another equity-seeking identity, our community sees you and welcomes you to submit your application with priority. We appreciate our wonderful allies and their support for the beautiful community we share; respectfully, at this time, we will only be taking applications from members who identify as BIPOC.

Application deadline: June 27th, 11:59pm (PST).

Selection Process: We respectfully ask that you do not contact us to inquire about a spot in the program; once applications close, we will be in-touch via email between June 28th – July 2nd with the participants who have been selected. To ensure that our email finds its way into your inbox rather than your spam folder, please add [email protected] to your safe sender list.

—————————————————————————

Policies:

Self and Community Care:

If you are feeling any flu-like symptoms or symptoms associated to COVID-19, have had COVID-19 in the past 14 days, have been identified by Public Health as a close contact of someone with Covid-19 or have been told to isolate by Public Health before the event, please let us know and stay home.

Inclusion Policy: 

At Colour the Trails, we are dedicated to fostering an environment that champions inclusivity, respect, and equality. We want to make it clear that we will not tolerate any form of anti-Blackness, anti-Indigenous attitudes, racism, homophobia, ableism or transphobia within our organization or community. We firmly stand against discrimination and prejudice, and we are committed to creating a safe and affirming space for individuals of all races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, abilities, and gender identities. Together, we strive to promote unity, understanding, and support for all trail enthusiasts, regardless of their background or identity. As a Black owned and Black led business, we recognize the greater prevalence of anti-Blackness and anti-Indigeneity and will always prioritize support and protection for Black and Indigenous communities.

Mentorships Cancellation Policy

There will be no full or partial refunds once the participation in the program is confirmed. Most of our work is done during planning and preparation stages. If a mentee needs to withdraw from the mentoring program early, there will be no fee adjustments. This includes in the case of injury as we still need to pay the instructor and cover the cost of operating the program, without a replacement participant. 

Photo & Video Release Consent:

By purchasing a ticket you grant permission for Colour the Trails and sponsors to use any of the photos or videos from this event that have been taken by Colour the Trails videographers and photographers. They will be used for the purpose of sharing experiences with the community and encouraging future participation in events, which can include but is not limited to, print or digital versions, social media and websites without compensation or recognition given. Colour the Trails will not use the photographs in a manner that would exploit or cause malicious representation toward you. Photos will be shared at the discretion of the event organizers. Please be prepared to take your own photos and videos if you want to ensure that you capture memories of your experience. If you post or share photos, we ask and encourage participants to tag Colour the Trails so that others in the community can learn about our work and get the chance to participate. 

Please contact [email protected] BEFORE the event if you do not want to be photographed or on video during an event.

Content Creation Statement

We ask to respect our work and not create content to promote any brands or organizations during our events. Our team is putting a lot of energy and time into creating community spaces with little support and unrelated organizations should not benefit from our hard labour. You are encouraged to share about Colour the Trails work as it shows the welcoming and safe space we are creating and word of mouth helps our community to grow!

Full list of policies here.