Hand-Paddling Legitimacy: My Journey
Students from the first-ever FPC hand-paddling clinic. Photo Credit: Adam Mobley
The first time I tried hand-paddles was on the Lower Green in 2014.
As a post-divorce-life-crisis, I began whitewater kayaking in 2012. After separating from my husband, I moved in with a friend and co-worker, Melissa Grier Kee (then Parton). A few days after moving in, I was told, “I boat. If you’re going to live with me, we’re gonna have to put you in a boat.“ Having no idea, I assumed she meant a pontoon or ski boat on the lake. To my surprise, she meant a whitewater kayak. When I was younger, I had gone whitewater rafting with my parents, so I had seen those crazy people strapped into the tiny boats with a death wish. I was not thrilled by this proposition.
A few more days later, I was sitting in a kayak for the first time being taught to wet exit. After learning how to self-rescue, we headed downstream on a short section of the Saluda River in Piedmont, SC. Mostly flat moving water, with a few ripples and a small rock slide, I enjoyed the relaxation, the scenery, and the small moments of excitement. The pivotal moment of the day was when I spotted a black snake swimming towards us from right bank to left. I squealed like a little girl and swatted at the thing with my paddle. At time time, she bit her tongue, but once on dry land, Melissa told me the snake had managed to crawl up the side of my boat, over the top of my stern, and back down the other side. Had I known in the moment, I probably would have gone for a swim and said goodbye to kayaking. She said she figured as much and wanted to avoid that situation, therefore she only told me it had swam away. But, she also hadn’t said anything at the time because she as observing my reactions. No, not my emotions, my physics. She was watching me maintain my balance and composure in the kayak on moving water while flailing around swatting at the snake - she said I was a natural and would become a great paddler.
Like most, I began honing skills on the lower section of the Green River in Saluda, NC. I think I remember my first trip down, but really in memory it is probably my first 10 times down all wrapped into one. My mentors, Michael Pea, Brother Wayne, Mark Miller, Melissa Parton (Kee), Rick Lamb, Lara Christy, and Russ Fauver being the usual suspects who pop up in this memory montage. Nothing special or incredible to note happened, just a typical first timer trip with swims at the Corkys and Ledges, probably on a few random eddy lines in no-name places. I’ll never forget the takeout though. The camaraderie of drinking a beer, sharing snacks on a tailgate, and telling stories about our favorite moments in the day. These people became my kayaking family.
That season, I learned to swim, I learned to hold out, I learned to bow rescue, I learned to love my cuts and bruises and wore them proudly like the bad-ass I thought I was becoming. I had always been mediocre at just about everything in my life. A mediocre bench-rider on the varsity soccer and basketball teams. A mediocre cook who only had about 2 recipes up her sleeve. A mediocre wife who couldn’t maintain her first marriage for longer than 3 years. A mediocre teacher who wished she was on the verge of living out the movie “Bad Teacher.” I thought kayaking would be something I could get good at and finally be better than mediocre. I practiced my skills for about a year on the Lower Green, Upper Green, Tuckaseegee, and Nantahala. Then it was decided that I had to learn how to roll if I was going to keep progressing.
I failed. Over and over again. I failed. In the pool, on the lake, at Fishtop (Lower Green). No matter who tried to help me and what videos I watched, I failed. So, I gave up. On kayaking and on getting better than mediocre. I sold my boat and paddle, but kept my PFD and helmet, just in case I decided to go rafting or maybe borrow a boat one day for an easy trip with friends. That was in the Spring of 2013.
Around that same time, I met my current husband. I had been dating a different guy and we had a nasty break up. Once again, Melissa pushed my life in a new direction by suggesting online dating. Among the rubble of creeps and serial killers, I found a diamond in the rough, Chris Pedrick. He said he saw the picture of me in a kayak going over 3ft ledge on the Upper Green and just had to say hello. We emailed for a couple a few times over about two months and tried to figure out a time and place to meet. With my serial killer radar on, I suggested that we meet at FPC’s Chattooga Fest so there would be plenty of people around. He had no idea what that was - he was not a “club boater.” I gave him the rundown of the crazy fun it was camping and boating with a community of FPCers at the Chattooga River for a weekend, and he was sold. It turned out he knew a couple of people who were going, so he made plans to camp with them as to not make it an awkward ordeal - we would both have our people to turn to if it didn’t work out.
We met around the campfire Friday night that weekend. It was awkward. I had never been on a blind date before and didn’t really know what to say or how to act. Saturday morning, after watching Laskey pull day-old pizza from Humble Pie out of his pocket for breakfast, Chris Pedrick offered to cook me eggs and potatoes. A man, that I had just met, cooked me the most delicious camping breakfast I had ever had. That may have been the moment I fell in love with him even though I didn’t know it at the time. Then he offered to, not only loan me a boat for the day, but go down Section 2 with me even though that was way below his skill level. We had a great day on the river and we got to know each other better. I felt really badly that night when I had to tell him that, during the month between when we had planned this trip and it actually happening, I had started back seeing the ex-boyfriend. He said he was actually relieved, because he had been seeing another woman. We smiled and sighed in relief - this is great, we’ll just be paddling buddies. And we were, for about 6 months.
Fall rolled around, and so did FPC’s annual Ocoee Pilgrimage weekend. Chris and I carpooled and camped together for the weekend event; our respective significant others had not gotten the itch for kayaking. We caught glances and snickers all weekend from people who assumed we were secretly dating - truth be told we really weren’t. A little flirty, maybe, but crossing the line, no. It turned out to be another a great weekend together at the river. I enjoyed rafting the Upper and Lower Ocoee while he kayaked safety. Sunday, we drove back to Greenville to our other halves. Then, within a week, both proceeded to break up with them. Not to be with each other, but because of the realization that if we’re going on weekend adventures without them, then they weren’t the right person for us. A few weeks later, NOC’s GAF came around. Chris and I drove separately this time, but both camped with a group of FPCers for the weekend excursion. Saturday night at the NOC, live music was playing, beer was flowing, and Chris Pedrick stole his first kiss. The rest is history.
Now that I was dating a “real boater,” the pressure was on to dive back into the sport. Week of Rivers (Carolina Canoe Club’s signature annual event), Spring 2014, I signed up for a free roll clinic offered at WOR through ERA and I finally learned how to roll. I spent that year really trying to get better at kayaking, but I just still felt mediocre. Then, I saw where Lara Christy had posted on Facebook that she had received many inquiries about her use of hand-paddles and wanted to lead a trip down the Lower Green for people to try them out. No instruction, just, “I’ll bring several extra sets so show up and give them a try.”
Nervously, I put them on and paddled around Fishtop, then looked at Lara and said, “Spot me, I’m going to try to roll.” I had practiced taking them on and off, so I was fully prepared for my impending swim. I held my breath, and flipped myself over. All the way over. It felt like magic! The cold water running down my face and eyes still closed, I belly laughed out loud. I looked at Lara, who was grinning ear to ear, “Are you kidding me?” I asked, then I rolled again. I couldn’t believe how easy it was. I laughed again. As we went down the river, I continuously commented on how easy it was. How stable I felt. How much I loved it. I was sold on hand-paddling that day and have never looked back.
Over the years, I have heard that hand paddles are somehow simultaneously “cheating” and “not as good” - how can it be cheating but not an equal, if not better, tool? I’ve had people admire me for using them, I’ve had people scoff at me for using them. All I know is that having my hands in the water is far more natural of a feeling to me. I can feel the current on my fingers and make micro adjustments to work the river. My water reading ability is through the roof now. My body is physically stronger and so are my paddling skills. According to an annual paddling log I keep, I went from swimming FB9, swimming Upper Nantahala, and swimming 12 Mile creek in 2013 to dry-hairing the Upper Green, Chattooga 3.5, Upper Nanty, Pigeon, Ocooee, and Chattooga Section IV in 2014. 2015 I delved into creeking on the Tellico ledges, Big Creek, Wilson Creek, and North Fork of the French Broad. 2016 I had the time of my life hosting an SYOTR booth at Gauley Fest and getting my PFD on the Lower Gauley. Mediocrity was no longer my self-descriptor. Hand paddles sky-rocketed me to Bad Ass Boater Chick (or so a friend tells me haha). My confidence and skills improved quickly and dramatically just by switching from a Euro paddle to hand-paddles. In 2018, I shifted the focus away from my own paddling skills and decided it was time to give back to the community. I applied for a scholarship from Foothills Paddling Club to become a Level 4 ACA (American Canoe Association) certified whitewater kayaking instructor.
During my instructor certification course, I had chatted, at length, with my instructor Chris Wing, about how different hand-paddling is from using a Euro paddle. It was an extremely difficult challenge for me to make the switch back to the Euro in order to take the certification course. ACA guidelines require demonstrating skills specific to the use of a Euro paddle. I get it, but I wasn’t happy about it. I came to learn that the organization didn’t even recognize hand-paddles as a viable tool and they weren’t mentioned in any course content. Knowing as many people as I do who either use them, or at a minimum own a pair, I was very surprised by this. So we kept talking. I asked more questions, I got fewer answers (or at least satisfactory ones). I think I bugged Chris enough, he finally one day said, “Look, if you want to see a change happen, you’re going to have to make it happen. The ACA Board of Directors is currently looking to fill its committee seats and you should look into applying to get your voice heard.” I thought about it, but only briefly. I didn’t have time for that. I wasn’t qualified enough for that. Nah, its not for me.
Fall of 2018, I had a traumatic brain injury in August, followed by brain surgery in November. I was forced to sit out of kayaking for year. That’s another blog post altogether. At my annual visit in November 2019, my neurosurgeon gave me the “all clear” and I told him I hoped I never had to see him again, then gave him a huge hug. Despite frigid late November temps and strong whipping winds all day and all night, a small group of friends celebrated with me that weekend by camping and paddling at FB9. I was back. Spring 2020 was going to be my comeback. Then COVID hit.
COVID is also another blog post altogether, but pertinent to this one because it plays a roll in the logistics of putting me where I am right now. At roll practice at Saluda Lake one night, I was told that the Vice President of FPC had resigned and some people were wondering if I was interested in filling the spot. I had previously been VP, for a couple of months in 2018, but had myself resigned the post. Count me in I told them. Foothills has given me so much, I wanted to give back, and the combination of COVID quarantine and Summer break allowed me some time to dedicate to the position and the club.
Around that time, Brother Wayne had contacted some long time friends in the ACA and found that the “hitch” in getting hand-paddling approved was that nobody on the Board or in the committees had personal investment in it, so there wasn’t a volunteer with the willingness and interest in doing the legwork. If only someone would write the curriculum, then it would at least be seen and discussed. I got to work. I scoured the ACA website to review other course curricula and piecemealed together a draft. Wayne gave it a read and offered his input. We came up with a solid rough draft. He forwarded it along through his channels to the River Kayak Committee for review. I was picking up my son from H2O Dreams one day and chatted with Chris Wing again, “Hey I wrote a hand-paddling curriculum and it was sent to the ACA RKC for review. Hoping it will get some traction.” He replied that he had heard as much from his wife, Lydia, who was on the committee. He said that they still needed people and, again, if I wanted to be a part of the change I needed to be on the committee to get my voice heard. So, I reached out to Lydia. Next thing I knew, Lydia had put it to the committee for me to fill an open voting member seat. I found myself at the September meeting presenting the hand-paddling curriculum to the members of the River Kayak Committee. And they liked it! Well, the idea of it at least.
Mary Pedrick teaching the first-ever FPC hand-paddling clinic. Photo Credit: Adam Mobley
We voted in that first meeting to entertain the idea but that the curriculum needed a lot of polishing. As I worked to re-write the document, I got a lot of really good feedback and some much needed constructive criticism from people all over the country, some who had experience with hand-paddles and some who didn’t. Some with a background in coastal kayaking who didn’t even really understand them at all. Ultimately, we decided to focus on an endorsement document to allow certified instructors to teach hand-paddling techniques. The next meeting, I thought for sure it would get passed through, but there were still several logistical and procedural questions and concerns so it was again, back to the computer for editing and re-writing I sought out more and more feedback from experienced committee members and finalized a draft for the instructor endorsement document and the skills course document. In the October 2020 monthly RKC meeting, we had a high turnout for attendance that included ACA staff members, members of SEIC, and other committee members. Lydia gave me the floor and I once again pleaded the case for hand-paddles. But, this time, I had an anecdote to accompany the plea: I had led my first hand-paddling instructional clinic 2 weeks prior.
What a fabulous day! It was early Fall, a chill was in the air, the water was frigid, but about a dozen people showed up at the Lower Green with enthusiasm! They were excited to try something new. A few were nervous and I could see it on their faces - I just hoped they couldn’t see it on mine. This was a dream in the works for a several years, and it was finally happening. The clinic went splendidly! I could not have asked for anything better. When I delivered my presentation to the RKC committee, I was asked what I would change for my next clinic, and I had to honestly say nothing. I told them that it was fantastic, people were grateful, and they were asking if I would do it again in the Spring so they could tell their friends and family about it.
With a vote of 8 for, 0 against, and 1 abstention, the ACA River Kayak Committee voted yes to proceed with presenting the hand-paddling curriculum for an instructor endorsement and a skills course at the February SEIC meeting. 2021 will hopefully be the year that hand-paddling is legitimized by the national official governing organization of paddling sport education in the United States.
The next time you see a person using hand-paddles on the river, now you will know that person might be using them as their primary tool, or they might just be practicing with them because they keep them in their stern as a “just in case,” or they might be having the time of their life trying something new. Don’t scoff at or judge them because they are choosing a different tool from you - be elated and celebrate with them that they have found a way to enjoy, with confidence and excitement, the same paddling sport that you yourself enjoy. Oh, and, take those hand-paddles out of your stern, dust them off, and learn how to use them.
Hope to SYOTR soon.
~Mary Pedrick
