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May 23, 2012
Stand-up paddlers to cruise 21 miles down Lake Austin
A flotilla of stand-up paddlers will glide 21 miles down Lake Austin on June 4, raising awareness about the importance of mental health for people coping with cancer.
Each of the 75 or so paddlers participating in Tylers Presents Dam That Cancer has pledged to raise at least $1,500 for the Flatwater Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides access to mental health services for people affected by cancer.
Mark Garza, 34, founded the non-profit organization after his father was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer two and a half years ago. That diagnosis, Garza says, shattered his family. He sought help through counseling, but was shocked at the cost.
“I saw very quickly what a diagnosis can do for mental health,” Garza says. “I started to exercise and paddleboard early in the morning on Lady Bird Lake, and I found it was helping my mental health.”
Garza and a small group of friends organized the first Dam That Cancer event two years ago, raising $35,000 for the Livestrong Foundation. Then he created the Flatwater Foundation, which helps people navigate a cancer diagnosis and get mental counseling. The foundation partners with Livestrong and also works to eliminate the stigma associated with counseling and encourage people to exercise to improve their mental well-being.
The paddlers don’t race. They paddle together in a show of unity. The first year, it took 7 hours to go from Mansfield Dam to Tom Miller Dam. Last year, a headwind tacked 3 hours to the trip.
“When your standing on the board, it’s like being on Bosu board (a wobbly balance board) for 10 hours,” Garza says. “The tops of your feet hurt because you’re using them for balance, and if you’re paddling correctly you’re using a lot of core, too. As you go along you start to find different ways to adjust your position.”
The public is invited to join the paddlers for a party at the finish line at Hula Hut, 3825 Lake Austin Boulevard, from 5-8 p.m. June 4. The party is free, but those who donate $50 get VIP entry with free food and drink tickets.
Another reason to celebrate? Garza’s father, given just three and a half months to live at his diagnosis, is still alive and involved with the Flatwater Foundation.
For more information go here.
(Photos from the 2011 Dam That Cancer event by Randal Ford.)
Corrected at 12:03 p.m. to note that VIP admission is $50, not $50.
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April 10, 2012
Expedition School rents kayaks, SUPs on east side of lake
Crossing the First Street bridge on my bike the other day, I looked upriver and couldn’t believe how many people were on the water. Between the kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, canoes and hydrobikes, the river had morphed into a recreation highway.
Here’s a tip. If the lake looks crowded from the Pfluger Pedestrian bridge or the pedestrian bridge underneath MoPac (Loop 1), head east to rent a watercraft.
The Expedition School, which operates out of the Lorraine “Grandma” Camacho Center at 34 Robert T. Martinez Jr. Street, on the north shore of Lady Bird Lake, now rents stand-up paddleboards, canoes and kayaks. Cost is $10 per hour.
Want more? A 10-punch card costs $99; seven months of unlimited rentals costs $199; and 13 months is $199. Proceeds benefit The Expedition School’s after school youth programs.
All rentals come with a quick instructional on how to play it safe on Lady Bird Lake, and all staff are certified open water lifeguards who possess ACA or USCA paddling credentials.
The school is open for rentals from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday through the end of May. Starting June 1, it’ll be open all day, every day, through the summer. For more information call 512-626-6282. For more information go here.
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October 27, 2011
Paddlefish book signing Tuesday
I met Christine Warren last May, before she set out with fellow fly fishing guide Banning Collins to tackle the Texas Water Safari, a 260-mile gut-wrenching, hallucination-inducing paddle race from San Marcos to the Texas Coast.
She’d been lugging two 50-pound suitcases around her house to boost her strength, and spending long hours on the river, toughening up for what’s been called the World’s Toughest Canoe Race.
She survived, I’m happy to report. And now she’s written a book about the experience.
Warren will read excerpts from “Paddlefish” (Departure, $26.95) and sign copies of the book from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 1 at Jo’s Downtown, 242 W. Second St.
Among the juicy details? Tales of dam portages, water moccasins, log jams, mosquitoes, alligators and sleep deprivation.
And no, if the quote from Warren’s husband on the back of the book is accurate, she didn’t do it because of him.
“For the record, I never said you were an out of shape housewife,” it says.
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August 9, 2011
Reel Paddling Film Festival on Aug. 13
A shoreline cleanup, paddling demonstrations, hours of paddling movies and a freestyle competition pitting stand-up paddleboarders, kayakers and canoeists is planned along Lady Bird Lake on Aug. 13.
The Expedition School is hosting the sixth annual Reel Paddling Film Festival from 9 a.m. - 11 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13 at Fiesta Gardens.
Here’s the schedule:
- 9-11 a.m. — Keep Austin Beautiful cleanup of Festival Beach and surrounding waterway.
- 12 p.m.-5 p.m. —Waterman’s Race. (Registration deadline Aug. 11)
- 6 p.m. — Doors open for film festival.
- 7 p.m. — Flatwater Freestyle Competition. (Registration deadline Aug. 11). Competitors on paddleboards, kayaks and canoes will have 90 seconds to showcase their best moves and tricks. Judging will be based on technique, execution, creativity, number of moves/tricks and crowd approval.
- 8:15 p.m. — Reel Paddling Film Festival, an international film tour featuring the world’s best whitewater, sea kayaking, canoeing, SUP and kayak fishing action and lifestyle films of the year, begins.
Representatives of Austin Parks Foundation, Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation, The Trail Foundation, Colin’s Hope, American Red Cross, Boys Scouts and Girl Scouts of America, REI, Austin Canoe & Kayak, Smith Optics, The Boardhouse Surf and Skate and the Surfrider Foundation will be on hand.
Admission is $10 ($5 for youth and free to children 12 and under).
For more information go here.
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January 5, 2011
Texas Winter 100K race added to paddling calendar
Local paddlers know that from October through March, the local racing calendar gets skimpy.
West Hansen, whom I wrote about in 2008 after he and his teammates won an 85-mile rafting race down the Amazon River, has organized a race to change that.
The inaugural Texas Winter 100K, a 62-mile canoe race from Austin to Bastrop along the Colorado River, is scheduled for Jan. 15.
The race will start at Texas Rowing Dock near Austin High School on Lady Bird Lake and finish at Fisherman’s Park in Bastrop.
The race is modeled after the Colorado River 100, and is designed to give paddlers a reason to stay in shape during the off-season. Temperatures, Hansen warns, are unpredictable and could range anywhere from 8 to 85 degrees. This is Texas, after all.
Registration is $60 for solo and $120 for tandem boats in the adventure class; or $65 for solo and $130 tandem in the competitor class at www.texaswinter100k.com.
Packet pickup is 3-8 p.m. Jan. 14 at the Holiday Inn Town Lake. A pre-race briefing will be held at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 14 at the same place.
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June 19, 2009
Celebrate International Surfing Day in Austin
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Surf’s up!
Saturday is International Surfing Day, and the Central Texas Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation is organizing a cleanup of Barton Creek and Lady Bird Lake.
You’re invited to join the effort. The group will gather at 10 a.m. Saturday at Zilker Park. Meet in the parking lot on the north side of the playground. Bring sunscreen, a water canteen and your enthusiasm. Gloves, bags and garbage grabbers will be provided. If you’ve got a kayak, bring it, too!
Participants will float or walk along the creek, collecting trash. Everything will be sorted, recycled or disposed of properly. Wahoo’s will provide food; Monster will provide drinks.
International Surfing Day celebrates the sport of surfing and the surfing lifestyle, and the sustainability of ocean resources.
“It’s a day to give thanks and to be of service, go surfing, raise awareness of the state of our oceans, beaches and waterways,” says Kristina Schlegel, volunteer coordinator for the Central Texas Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation. “Even if it’s just something small like a cleanup, it makes a huge difference.”
The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit national organization headquartered in California that serves as a watchdog for our lakes, creeks, rivers and oceans.
In Austin, the group is currently focused on legislative threats to the Texas Open Beaches Act, which provides public access to our coastline. The group, which has more than 200 members locally, educates area school children about water quality and provides water testing kits to students.
“We advocate education so kids can learn at an early age what it means to have high water quality, to recycle, reduce single-use plastics and see the big picture,” Schlegel says.
To learn more about Surfrider International, go to http://www.surfrider.org/default.aspx. To learn more about International Surfing Day, go to http://internationalsurfingday.ning.com/.
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May 8, 2009
Paddlefest is Saturday!
I’m traveling at the moment - checking out plantation homes along the Mississippi River in Louisiana for future travel articles - but wanted to let you know about a fund-raiser for the Texas River School on Saturday, May 9.
The fest will include paddling, music, dancing, an auction and more to support the school. It will take place at the Texas Rowing Center, 1541 W. Cesar Chavez St.
Kids attending the Texas River School learn about issues relating to their upcoming day-long river adventure. That includes river safety, planning, and healthy food choices.
For more information call 467-7799 or go to www.texasrowingcenter.com.
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May 2, 2009
Lady Bird Lake paddling trail
This from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department:
Downtown Austin Paddling Trail to be Launched May 6
AUSTIN, Texas — One of the jewels of Austin’s urban green space is about to get brighter. Lady Bird Lake will be officially recognized as the 18th Texas Paddling Trail in a ceremony Wednesday, May 6, at the Texas Rowing Center adjacent to Austin High School.
Lady Bird Lake (formerly known as Town Lake) is a major recreation area for the city of Austin. Its banks are bounded by the Lady Bird Lake Hike and Bike Trail, and numerous local businesses offer easy access to the water via canoe, kayak, rowing and other recreational watercraft services along the trails. Additionally, Austin’s largest downtown park, Zilker Park, the Splash! Exhibit, Nature and Science Center and the Botanical Gardens are adjacent to the lake, and Barton Springs Pool, a major attraction for swimmers, flows into the lake.
The Lady Bird Lake Paddling Trail is approximately 11 miles long and features multiple public access sites and recreational opportunities. The Lady Bird Lake Paddling Trail provides an excellent venue for the novice and experienced paddler alike.
“The Texas Paddling Trail program is designed to create access for paddlers on waterways throughout the state,” said Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Nature Tourism Coordinator Shelly Plante. “We want all Texans, as well as visitors, to realize that life’s better outside. The Lady Bird Lake Paddling Trail creates wonderful outdoor opportunities for everyone and it’s right here in our state capital.”
“The Lady Bird Lake Paddling Trail is 100 percent accessible to 100 percent of our population, we’re proud of that,” said Sara Hensley, City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department director. “What a wonderful way to recreate in our beautiful city.”
Because the lake is located on a regularly scheduled Capital Metro route, it provides a great urban getaway for everyone, especially young families on a budget.
“Imagine a young family getting on a bus, renting a canoe and paddling up to Barton Springs Pool, having a refreshing swim, a quick lunch at the snack bar, a ride on the Zilker Zephyr and then a paddle back and a bus ride home,” Hensley said. “That’s a `vacation’ that children will truly remember and it’s affordable, accessible and a healthy outdoor activity.”
Several kiosks with paddling information, a map of the paddling trail and suggested routes will be placed at access points around the Lake.
For more information on the Texas Paddling Trails program, please visit the TPWD Web site.
For more information go to www.tpwd.state.tx.us/paddlingtrails.
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