I have a rather embarrassing confession to make: In my 36 years living in the Deep Cove/Seymour area I have ventured down to the water's edge innumerable times but never have I kayaked.
I have, however, skied on Mount Seymour since I was a kid so I'll call it even when it comes to me not taking the North Shore's natural splendor for granted.
Sauntering down Gallant Avenue in mid July towards the still water shimmering in the early sunlight, no other corner of the world could compare to the beauty of the Cove. I was gearing up for my first surf ski lesson, which is sort of like kayaking except you sit above the boat and are not enclosed in the hull. And you go faster, if you can stomach all the core movements involved with surf skiing.
Deep Cove Canoe and Kayak Centre was already bustling at 10 a.m. on a Friday morning, with tourists and locals alike giddy to get out on the water. My private lesson was with none other than the reigning world senior and junior surf ski champions, brothers Sean and Ken Rice of South Africa.
The boys, who were in town for the 2015 Canadian Surfski Championships hosted by Deep Cove Canoe and Kayak, graciously, and patiently, taught this reporter a thing or two about agility on the ocean.
For someone like myself who is more of a land sport person, my introduction to surf skiing was not graceful. There was wobbling aplenty as I awkwardly climbed into the long, narrow, lightweight vessel.
"Eight to 10 blokes would have dumped it by now," says Sean, trying to reassure me while explaining how women are adept at surf skiing because they have a lower centre of gravity. I positioned my feet on the two pedals immediately in front of me that control the rudder and turn the surf ski left or right. This is where your core muscles come in: you have to sit up straight, as I was often reminded, while you press on the footboards and meet some punishing resistance from the water. The pedals have memory, so, when you're just about in the direction you want to be - lay off the lever.
Next I was handed a paddle and instructed to practise scooping the water like ice cream while keeping my hands fixed in the same position just above the blades. If this all sounds a little stressful I promise you it was worth it once we pushed away from the beach. Paddling along the smooth-like-glass water towards Indian Arm, I put all the components together with some fluidity as we were joined by iridescent jellyfish pulsating just below the surface. "It's a beautiful sport to do in a beautiful place," says Sean, when asked why people should give surf skiing in these parts a try. That's quite the endorsement for Deep Cove, coming from someone who's plied the most idyllic waters in the world on surf ski - from Tahiti to Australia.Sheltered from the big swells, the Cove is ideal for recreational paddling or training, but not conducive for the competitive nature of surf skiing.The sport was popularized around the 1950s as part of surf live-saving programs in warm, coastal regions of the world such as South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. The Rice boys - Sean, 26 years old, and Ken, 19 - were introduced to surf skiing through a life-saving program in Cape Town and became hooked.
"There are characteristics of the sport that makes it so appealing," says Sean. "There's so many variables and you have to be skillful in all of them."
The 21-kilometre course for the Canadian Surfski Championships runs from Porteau Cove to Squamish. There are interesting variables with the currents through Howe Sound, making the race challenging, attests Ken.Sean took the top spot for the second year at the International Canoe Federation circuit event in Squamish on July 18, which drew surf ski enthusiasts from around the world. The season wraps up at the ocean racing world championships on Oct. 3 in Tahiti, where Sean hopes to reclaim his title.
Sean and Ken - along with fellow competitive surf skier Mackenzie Hynard, from Australia, and Olympian sprint kayaker Teneale Hatton, from New Zealand - are sponsored by Deep Cove-based Think Kayaks, which produces the world's best surf skis, says Sean. Back on dry land the foursome gathers around a picnic table just up from the beach. This week is the first time the vagabond Think team members are together as a group. "It's a cool vibe and what you've got here in your backyard, it's incredible," Hatton says of Deep Cove.
They chide Ken for eating more than his fair share of Honey Doughnuts.
Who can blame him? The question is asked of the experts: which is better - kayaking or surf skiing? Hatton explains it's about personal preference.
"It depends," she says. "If you are on a swell or a wave, you can go a lot faster in a surf ski. If it's flat water - a kayak would be a lot faster."
Sean says it's like comparing badminton to tennis - it's the same concept but very different boats.Surf skiing may have only recently made it to our shores but it is growing in popularity, especially among athletes looking to shake up their cross-training routine.Sea kayaks are more functional with hatches for supplies, snacks and the essentials for a day trip or overnight camping adventure up Indian Arm.
If you are looking for a leisurely couple-hour paddle, head towards Jug Island at the north end of Belcarra Regional Park and hang out on the nice little beach there, recommends Deep Cove Canoe and Kayak Centre communications manager Amy Harris.
Then there's the ultimate kayaking experience that I would love to try one day: an evening tour around the Cove under a full moon flooding Indian Arm with its silvery glow.I should note I was back on the water a couple weeks after my first surf ski lesson, but this time on a kayak. I think I'm hooked. Better late than never, as they say.For more information on kayaking or surf skiing, visit deepcovekayak.com.
