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closeSunday, Aug. 10, 2008
Paddle power: Tri-City kayakers find sport gaining popularity
By Ingrid Stegemoeller, Herald staff writer
Dave Milton's daily lunchtime routine often includes the Columbia River, some paddles and -- if he's lucky -- a heron or some pelicans.
The West Richland man leaves his job at Fluor Hanford about 11:30 a.m. nearly every day and heads to Leslie Groves Park in Richland for a 20-minute kayak ride.
"As you get out on the water, you're kind of in your own little world," said Milton, 56.
Kayaking is one of the fastest growing recreational activities in the U.S., said Jeremy Oyen, director of safety education and instruction for the American Canoe Association, a national nonprofit.
"Paddle sports, as a recreational opportunity ... are pretty low cost," he said. "The learning curve is relatively quick."
The number of Americans getting out in kayaks grew about 45 percent between 2001 and 2005, according to the Outdoor Industry Foundation. Nearly 13 million people participated in some form of kayaking in 2005, the latest numbers available.
On a late July lunch break, a white heron greeted Milton a few minutes into his paddle.
He eased the speed of his orange and yellow flat water kayak as he glided quietly toward the majestic bird, until it spread its wings and resettled into a tree.
Seeing wildlife -- Milton spotted 11 American white pelicans on a recent paddle -- is one of the many joys he and his wife Patti Milton, 55, experience when they get out on the water.
The couple took up kayaking about three years ago, once their two sons had grown up and moved out.
Kayaking helped them "to navigate the waters of empty nest syndrome," Dave said. "It allows us to enjoy the river and kayaking without making a weekend commitment."
"To not take advantage of what you have here locally (the river) is silly," Patti added.
The couple's entry level kayaks cost about $245 each. They're 9 1/2 feet long and weigh about 39 pounds, Dave said.
The kayaks they bought are inexpensive and fit into a "simple" lifestyle, they said.
Dave gets onto the water more than Patti does, but they've taken a handful of trips, such as a recent one to Clear Lake near White Pass.
"When you're on a lake, you can get into areas where other boaters can't get into," Patti said.
The benefit of exercise is a bonus, Dave said.
The Miltons also are firm believers in safety, wearing life vests each time they go out. And although paddling alone isn't always advised, Dave feels safe during his midday paddles because he stays close to the shore and has taken water safety training classes.
Pat Welle, owner of Columbia Kayak Adventures in Richland, taught the Miltons about safety.
She picked up kayaking as an alternative to hiking and mountain biking. And once she had kids, it became an activity she could do outside in a few hours rather than taking a whole day.
A 2003 kayaking trip in Scotland sealed the deal.
"I was just hooked," said Welle, 50.
She took instructor classes, got her certification and started teaching. The retail shop opened about 1 1/2 years ago, and Welle now gets out on the water five or six days a week during the summer, she said.
"It's a physical activity outside. You're close to the water; you're close to wildlife," she said.
Both of her daughters, ages 7 and 11, have kayaks and the older one goes out on tours with Welle and her students every now and then, she said.
"I think of it as everything from flat sunsets to ... surfing ... and everything in between," said Welle, who enjoys making trips to the ocean for coastal kayaking trips.
"It's sunsets and calm water one day and surf and rocks the next."
The sport is what you make of it, other kayakers agreed.
And though Kennewick's Shelli Larson has only gone out in a kayak a handful of times, she's already intrigued by rapids.
"I kinda like that little bit of danger," the 36-year-old said. "And being outside."
Larson took up kayaking because of her husband Trevor Larson's passion for the sport.
"We wanted to find something we could do together and I was all for (kayaking)," Shelli said.
Trevor, 36, kayaked in college and rediscovered the activity about a year ago when a friend invited him on a trip.
"I'd forgotten how much fun it was," said Trevor, who enjoys the adrenaline rush that comes with navigating white water rapids.
He's got a collection of a variety of white water kayaks and paddles for different kinds of water, as well as an inflatable kayak for two.
The couple and their four children recently traveled to Loon Lake in Montana, where their 13-year-old daughter Rachel discovered her joy for kayaking.
"She just kept going," Trevor said.
Rachel had previously tried canoeing but found it easier to balance on a kayak.
The couple are members of the Desert Kayak and Canoe Club of Tri-Cities, which Trevor said is a "great resource" for local people interested in paddle sports.
The club has nearly 15 paid members and dozens of guests listed on its website.
Shelli wants to learn to roll as she progresses, and said she thinks kayaking's a fairly accessible sport.
"If I can do it, anyone can do it," she said.
"You can pick how hard you want to do it," Trevor added. "Or how easy."
Rachel's looking to step her kayaking up to white water level with her dad before the end of the summer, she said.
But skimming over glassy lake water is fun, too, she said.
"You get all this peace and quiet," she said. "It just feels good to go over the water. The single seater is really awesome."
* Ingrid Stegemoeller: 582-1537; istegemoeller@tricityherald.com; Business Beat blog at www.tricityherald .com
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