100 Things That Matter in Paddling

Why do we paddle? Why do we take a canoe across a lake, sea kayak to a remote fiord, raft a desert canyon, or punch through whitewater in a kayak? Because there are certain things that matter in paddling, things that often go unsaid but that are at the very core of the sport. Things you appreciate without knowing why and things that rarely get the respect they deserve. A crackling campfire, a desert sunset, a perfect sweep stroke. No matter how trivial, it’s these little things that keep us all coming back to our boats, day after day, year after year. And now it’s finally time to pay tribute to them, those unsung heroes of every single paddling trip, flat or white, long or short. With that in mind, following are a hundred Things That Matter in Paddlesports.

1. Sprayskirts that go on the first time–without requiring the assistance of both your paddling partners (”Hey, can you hold that back down for me?”)

2. Drainplugs and noseplugs

3. Your first combat roll–kayaking’s badge of courage. Often marks the first time you say, “I can do this.”

4. Running a river for the first time, when every corner is a mystery and every horizon line plants that little seed of doubt in your belly.

5. Jumping out of your canoe on a warm summer day

6. The proper ferry angle

7. Getting invited on a river trip–just because they want you to go along

8. Old school rocket boxes

9. Warm clothes and cold beer at the take-out

10. Shuttle bunnies

11. Back bands that work

12. Your buddy’s hair sticking out of his helmet after getting swirl-o-grammed

13. Two words: The Groover

14. Manufacturers that keep churning out new ideas

15. Being the first one out on the lake early in the morning

16. Camp grills that keep the meat off the dirt

17. Paddling in the stern and having someone you really like in the bow

18. Buddies who watch you get worked

19. River sandals

20. Two words: high water

21. Canoeing with your dog

22. Raft trips that let you bring everything–even the kitchen sink.

23. The butterflies that come with scouting a drop

24. Showing tender loving care to your raft by bleeding the valves on a hot, summer day

25. Trolling–when a fish hits hard and you’ve got to drop your paddle and grab the rod before it gets yanked into the lake. All in two seconds.

26. Big, clean, glassy waves

27. Pumps that crank–especially those that attach to your car battery at the put-in

28. Planing hulls

29. Dry bags that live up to their name

30. Well-placed throw rope throws

31. Two words: Party Barge

32. Powering a raft through a really big wave with a team of paddlers who know what they’re doing.

33. Flipping a raft in a really big wave with a team of paddlers who don’t have a clue

34. Neck gaskets that keep water out and circulation in your head

35. Wetsuit shorts

36. Campfires

37. Guitars–and people who know how to play them

38. People who know words to songs and how to harmonize while singing

39. A partner up front who digs

40. Touring in an early morning mist

41. The perfect boof

42. Building your own boat

43. Discovering new moves

44. Early morning rallies

45. Paddling solo

46. Mystery moves

47. Cobblestone beaches that let you pull your sea kayak up as if it was on rollers

48. Wave trains

49. Negotiating your way sans rudder through kelp beds

50. Sandy beaches–laying down on them wearing nothing but river shorts, and feeling the sand squish between your toes

51. Naturally sculpted horseshoe pits at camp

52. Old school enders and pirouettes–and the momentary feeling of weightlessness they provide

53. Accessible storage hatches that keep the water out and gear in

54. Stern squirts that get you vertical

55. River bootie

56. Competition

57. Your first surf, when you realize the whole new world you’ve discovered.

58. Deck-mounted compasses that show the way

59. Touring among tidewater glaciers

60. Self support trips, with little more than coffee and PowerBars.

61. River festivals

62. The smell of bacon on an early morning campstove

63. Finding the perfect kitchen area on a multi-day trip

64. The first cup of coffee at camp

65. Your first cartwheel–and every one thereafter

66. That strong pull of the oars at the last minute that turns your boat just in time

67. Highsiding

68. Slipping back down the face of a wave in a raft and knowing you’re toast

69. Deck rigging on a touring kayak for everything from maps and spare paddles to water bottles and sunscreen

70. Rubber boots for touring in northern climes

71. Acing a slalom course with nary a touch, whether you’re in a local town race or the Olympics

72. Saving your arms by surfing a roller on a long sea kayak crossing

73. Flat campsites

74. Tarp systems that work, funneling the rain into harmless rivulets

75. Seat backs that attach to canoe seats

76. That first push away from shore, when your nose catches the current and you realize you’re about to spend another day on the river. And once again, you can’t imagine anywhere else you’d rather be.

77. Sea kayak rudders that keep you pointed in the right direction

78. Paddling in a foreign country

79. The perfect J-stroke

80. Drip guards on a touring shaft that keep water out of your armpits

81. Sit-on-tops, for the ultimate in a relaxing ride

82. Notching a first descent

83. Sidesurfing

84. Road-tripping–the hours, and even days, spent getting to a certain paddling spot

85. River mud–some people go to spas, but it’s free on the river

86. Horizon lines

87. Camping beneath the Northern Lights

88. Trucker’s hitches for old school rope rigging

89. The shuttle–getting to and from the river can be the most memorable part of your paddling trip

90. Cam straps

91. Tandem paddling–whether in a canoe, sea kayak or inflatable

92. The next generation of paddlers

93. Dressing in the rain at the put-in–and cramming naked people into the shell of a pick-up truck

94. Three words: The Grand Canyon

95. Early season permit parties and landing a coveted, hard-to-get river permit

96. Watching the sun set behind a canyon wall or across the water

97. Simply messing about in boats

98. Seeing a whale fluke from the cockpit of a sea kayak

99. The long boat/retro class at rodeos–a reminder of where we all came from

100.Riding an ocean wave