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August, 2006
Dumbfounded Dads and Whitewater Kayaking
An Interview with Eric, Emily, and Dane Jackson
Changes a Paddling Dad's Outlook
By Ryan Mahan
I thought Eric Jackson was a matador, a leaping salmon, or Evil Knievel as he maneuvered in the bowels of Gillman Falls with only his hands and pearly whites in 1998. During the rodeo in Old Town, onlookers showered EJ with cheers because of his pioneering rodeo style and also because of his whitewater affiliation with Maine, "Ayungh!"
My shouts and applause were mostly for hope. Watching Jackson gave aspiring play-boaters hope, and we felt that some day with enough work, with enough time in the hole, we too could shred the most terrifying of waves and find Paddle-Foo [An Eastern term for paddling calm and Nirvana].
Nearing thirty years of age, my dreams of becoming a rodeo star have diminished, but new hopes for my children arrived when Jackson Kayaks introduced the Fun 1 kayak to the market and made paddling a possibility for my six-year-old son, Isaac. Paddling was no longer one of those sports reserved for the teen years. My mind simmered with new adventures for the two of us.
However, panic soon shadowed my excitement, and a nagging question persisted whenever I thought of introducing hard boats to my kids, "How do I equip these brand new swimmers with the mental control that kayaking demands?"
In my quest for some type of game plan, I turned to some of the youngest world-class paddlers in existence, Emily and Dane Jackson. Their responses were natural, their devotion to the sport evident, and more importantly, they were having loads of fun paddling.
After reflecting on the conversation with Emily and Dane, I discovered we spent little time discussing mechanics and skills, but rather the joy and satisfaction whitewater kayaking provides. The personal success I've had paddling is not a result of macho toughness or instructional videos, but rather the state of mind that time on the water brings. When on the water, life's small ticket items are left on shore resulting in altered time and focus. I hope my kids can find satisfaction and pure joy on the water. The voices of Emily and Dane have allowed me to feel more confident about sharing my deep passion for whitewater with my own children - thank you Emily, thank you Dane.
The New Teachers - Emily and Dane Jackson
Perhaps AMCA whitewater rodeos take a back seat to the Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots, but I suggest those unfamiliar with international competitive kayaking think of Emily and Dane in the following terms: Emily leaves her 8th grade summer for the WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association), and Dane leaves his fifth grade summer to play hoops for Bobby Knight at Texas Tech. This is how accomplished these two paddlers are.
The two are not only accomplished paddlers, but also accomplished people. I contacted the brother and sister team by cell phone during a family shopping outing -- it's important to score style points on and off the water.
Anyone who has ever taught the Eskimo Roll, taught a buddy how to surf, or runs kayaking clinics will find this information useful.
Perceptions
I haven't taken my children to summer play group, I don't drink coffee and gossip as my kids romp at the playground, I'd skip Halloween parties if only my wife would let me.
Paddling parents are few and far between, sometimes the road gets lonely.
Friends thought I was nuts for taking my son canoeing at 9 months, our neighbor thought I was negligent for the life vest train during a rain storm (you tether your kids to you and play caboose in the current). I borrow tools from up-the-road-Lou and he asks, "Now, let me get this straight, you're building a kayak for your son, who is only three?"
When you don't have folks to bounce ideas around with, you rely on the perceptions of what you think your kids will think. This could be a dangerous position to adopt, especially if you are not listening and asking. Emily and Dane offer valuable insight to kayaking parents who undoubtedly face similar perceptions about introducing kids to whitewater at an early age. The responses below may clear some things up.
Perception Myth #1: Why would my kids want to kayak when none of their friends do? Shouldn't I encourage them towards soccer or something? A team sport?
Emily: Kayaking was something to look forward to every day, it was one of those things that drove me each day to do something better, I tried a bunch of different things and it lasted only a week, it's hard to stay away from it, and once you start you are a kayaker for life.
Dane: When I was eight I felt like I had been waiting too long to learn all the stuff. I wanted to get out there with the big people; I would always have to stay behind when my dad paddled rivers. I wanted to learn what I needed to learn to get out there.
Parent Rule of Thumb #1: Don't keep your passion from your kids, duh! Invite your kids to be a part of the dialogue, bring a neighborhood friend to the river who shows interest, and splash magazines or maps around the house. Show your kids the fun you have and paddling will be contagious.
Perception Myth #2: Don't you think learning to roll will break my kids? They'll quit as soon as they experience frustration and initial failure?
Emily: Even if they get scared the first ten times, they should keep trying it, its one of those things you have to break down, you shouldn't give up the first time when you get scared, it took me ten times of relearning my roll until getting into it, some paddlers learn in a day, love it by two days, some a month until they get comfortable. You have to stay with it.
Dane: If I swim, I just tell myself what I have to do. I have to get to shore as quickly as I can and try not to freak out too much. When I get back in the water I feel good, I don't think I will swim, I know I can roll up any time I flip.
Emily: I was 12 years old, and the hardest thing was, in the beginning, the idea of being upside down in a rapid. Or just being upside down. You have to practice rolling to be comfortable with it, it took me forever. Even now, my hardest times are just big, sticky holes.
Parent Rule of Thumb #2: You are a FREAK if learning to roll was easy. The movements demanded by most athletics include quick bursts with finesse and timing. Learning to roll demands quick bursts and finesse simultaneously. Everyone (including kids) finds empowerment by mastering anything difficult. Give your kids the power of the Jedi! Read Dane's closing sentiments again and you will hear a confident young man.
Perception Myth #3: Well, don't you think my child is a little too young for this sport? Perhaps we should wait a year or two?
Emily: I've been around kayaking since I was born, there was never a time where I wasn't in or by the water. People called me the Eskimo or fish. Even when the water was freezing I would never get out. I could hold my breath like almost a minute when I was twelve. It took me awhile to get into kayaking, you have to make it a habit; newborns should go out there with parents. I've always been around the water.
Dane: Whenever they [kids] feel like they want to do it, [kayak] and they think they can do it, they should. I tried when I was two, if they can swim and they feel they want to get in the water more, just do it. Two years old or twelve is good.
Parent Rule of Thumb #3: Initially, parents will likely have more fear than their children. Say yes to supervision on the water, say no to abstinence from the water. Even after nabbing both of my boys from the bottom of the shallow end in the hopes of generating a healthy respect for water, they wanted more. Do we want our children to use fear as a power of persuasion?
Perception Myth #4: Timmy isn't comfortable around adults or bigger kids; I don't want him to feel awkward, he might not know how to talk with people?
Dane: Kayaking is definitely a very social sport; you talk or listen to people all the time.
Emily: Before my event, I go early and dance to the music to relax. I watch and cheer, I just go socialize. It's really fun hanging out with the girls.
Dane: Emily and I play Simon Says on the water, like if I do a hand roll, she would have to do a hand roll. But it's all for fun.
Emily: I get nervous really easily, my family really pushes me, I always go on a new river with people I trust.
Parent Rule of Thumb #5: A Subaru strapped with colorful hard boats constitutes a salutation, coffee around topographic maps could be an invitation, local boaters become the experts of new rivers, and a random shuttle could possibly result in a new paddling partner.
The culture of whitewater is indeed a social one, and at times, by necessity. Paddling alone could be hazardous and frankly, not as much fun. Outside of healthy exercise and time on the water, children who grow-up around the whitewater culture will become comfortable meeting new people, comfortable conversationalists, and become outrageous storytellers. Our children will have something to talk about when they find a middle ground with adults. That middle ground is paddling.
The "Roll" of Parents
I'll admit it. Paddling with my kids brings a different type of satisfaction than when I'm creeking with my buddies during spring rains. But here is what I have learned during this experiment with my younguns': 1) flat-water is challenging from the perspective of a two year old. 2) my boys have allowed me to really examine the beauty of slow moving rivers. 3) When on the water, my kids are not playing Gameboys or watching DVDs from inside a freaking van! 4) Time on the water is a shared memory we can hold on to. 5) My kids feel competence after an outing at the beach or on the river. 6) I love my kids.
Before cell phone service was interrupted, I had the privilege of speaking with Eric Jackson himself about coaching and kids. From a man who moves like a gymnast on the water, his message was simple and straightforward.
Eric Jackson on Coaching Kids:
EJ: As far as coaching is concerned, it works way less than you might imagine. They [Emily and Dane] paddle with me all the time. Both absorb really quickly, that's the majority of my coaching. When they reach certain stumbling blocks and they want help, we work to help them.
Logistically, I tried to make kayaking available to the kids, at whatever rate or quantity they wanted. I wanted them to know that the opportunity was there.
Parents Note on Coaching: In all honesty, some kids may join the local roller derby league or find Mohawks and studded wrist bands as a past time. God bless. However, if children are "invited" to be paddle heads in the early years, they just may pass the old folks who showed them the ropes and be paddling when they are sixty. Don't let your children miss out because they never had the opportunity.
"Kayaking is my first priority, if anything else gets in the way, I will put it off."
-- Emily Jackson
Note from author: If any parents have found effective ways of introducing their kids to whitewater, please contact: r_mahan@sau9.org. Thanks! S.Y.O.T.R.
Email nick [at] noumbrella [dot] com with your questions, comments and concerns.
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