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Outdoors
Groups navigating a shallow water crossing along the Middle Fork Flathead River during Montana Kayak Academy’s free water safety course in West Glacier.
GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON
From RIPPLES to RAPIDS Montana Kayak Academy is creating a new generation of river runners
WBY JUSTIN FRANZ OF THE BEACON
EST GLACIER – YEARS AGO, when Paul Mo att rst learned to kayak, there wasn’t
a class available where he could learn the basics. He just went down to the river with a borrowed boat and leaned on the advice of an encouraging friend.
Mo att recalls spending more time in the river than in the boat that rst day, but a love for the sport began to grow, and he’s never looked back. Now, Mo att and a group of locals are hoping to spread their love of kayaking to the next generation.
Last year, Mo att, Chris Evans, Mike Dezzani and Steve Spanogle created the nonpro t Montana Kayak Academy, which o ers free boating classes to kids.
“My friends and I all started paddling later in life, but we all agreed that it would have been great to learn at a young age,” Mo att said, standing alongside the Middle Fork Flathead River on a sunny Wednesday afternoon.
This summer, the academy hosted
nearly 40 kids during two weekend ses- sions in July and August. The sessions are split into a morning class and an afternoon class, and between lessons the academy o ers participants a free lunch, usually catered by a local restaurant. The instructors are all volunteers certi ed by the American Canoe Association. Most of are local guides.
“These guys are here out of the good- ness of their heart because they know there is a need for this in the community,” Mo att said.
During the rst two days of the course (the classes are held on back-to-back weekends), the students practice on the lake before heading to the South Fork Flathead River. Mo att said that the lake and South Fork are ideal places for begin- ners to learn. While the academy is open to all young people, most of the students are between the ages 8 and 13.
“We’re taking them down ripples to begin with, but to a kid who’s never been on a water, it feels like rapids,” Mo att said. “We’re not really trying to create
Olympic kayakers here – what we want is to create good river stewards.”
The kayak academy also held a week- end course for women who wanted to learn more about kayaking and river safety as a way to raise money for its kids programs. Mo att believes it’s critical to keep the courses free to children because that will help get more people interested in the sport.
“This is meant to give kids a chance to try out the sport without having to have their parents buy or rent a lot of expen- sive gear,” Mo att said.
Kristin Blattenbergen said the acad- emy was an incredible experience for her two sons. She checked out the academy for herself on Aug. 17 when the school held a free river safety course at West Glacier. The event drew a small crowd of people interested in learning about things such as shallow river crossing and how to properly toss a throw bag. Mon- tana Kayak Academy and Great Northern Raft and Resort sponsored the event.
“I don’t know if I could have given my
kids this experience myself,” she said. “But now I want to go out and buy all the equipment so we can do this as a family.”
Right now, the Montana Kayak Acad- emy is relying on borrowed and used equipment, but Mo att said he is hope- ful that within a year the school will have its own gear for upwards of 30 students.
The third annual Dedication Festival in Columbia Falls on Aug. 27 is hoping to raise money for the academy to purchase its own gear. The music festival will fea- ture ve bands, including Fruition, Cure for the Common, Gipsy Moon, The Wat- ters and Brad Parsons. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 the day of the show.
Mo att said if the academy can get the gear it needs, there’s nothing that could stop it, just like a kid in a brand new kayak.
“Some of these kids don’t even want to get wet on the rst day, but soon enough they’re ying down the rapids all on their own,” Mo att said.
For more information, visit www. montanakayakacademy.com.
jfranz@ atheadbeacon.com
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AUGUST 24, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM