Port Angeles, WA – The Port Angeles Kayak Symposium that took place from April 15-17 featured a new event this year that hopefully will catch on at other events in the paddling community. The First Annual Port Angeles Rescue Skills Championship had paddlers competing against the clock, and each other, in four essential river rescue skills. Competitors were judged in kayak self-rescue, the assisted rescue, disabled paddler rescue, and kayak towing prowess.
The overall winner, said event host Dave King of Olympic Raft & Kayak, “is the one everybody will want to go paddling with. It means they’ve spent plenty of time practicing what they’ve learned in the classes we teach.” As a swiftwater rescue technician, I would like to see more rescue skill competitions at paddling festivals and events nationwide. Rescue skills are obviously very important for paddlers to know, and more competitions like this in the future will only benefit the paddling community.
Read more about the Port Angeles Kayak Symposium over at the event’s official website.
Keep your rescue skills current with some great books on river rescue techniques over at Amazon.com.
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