I couldn’t have asked for a better weekend to learn how to
kayak. Believe it or not, it was 80 degrees and sunny in Aarhus and I had a two
day course planned (each day from 9:00am-5:00pm). Perfect! On the first day,
Anil, a co-worker of mine from the Department of Clinical Epidemiology, and I
met the 8 other students in our class. Claus, the chairmen of the Aarhus Kano
and Kajak Club, and his assistant, Robert (pictured below), were in charge of preparing our
group of 10 individuals ranging from their mid-20’s to mid-50’s in kayak
technique and safety and in the values of the club.
We started inside with some basic information about kayak
gear and technique, but before we knew it, we were out on the water and
paddling away. One of the first things we learned was to how to rescue ourselves,
if we fell into the water alone. This maneuver basically consisted of tipping
yourself upside down, pulling a strap which releases you from the kayak, and
swimming out from underneath the boat. Because it was so warm outside, it was
actually nice to get into the water with a wetsuit. Normally, I think people
dread this portion of the course.
The second safety rescue we learned was coined the “Red Eskimo”.
Something tells me that this name is not entirely p.c., but I’m not exactly
sure where it comes from. In any case, this rescue is a partner rescue where
you tip yourself over in your kayak, but remained strapped in. While you are
holding your breath under the water, you slap the side of your boat at the
surface of water three times. At this point, your partner situates their kayak
perpendicular to where your hands are located, so that you can feel the nose of
their kayak on your hands, grab on, and flip yourself back upright, while
remaining strapped into your kayak. Needless to say, I was terrified of
the Red Eskimo, but after multiple warm-ups and half-dips under the water, I
successfully completed the move. I wish I had a video!
As usual, the best parts of most of my Danish excursions include
meal times. During lunch, Claus, Robert, and my classmates and I all sat down
at one lunch table in the club house, sunburned and sore, and shared stories
and food. One of my favorite quotes from the week was from Claus during lunch
time. We were all sitting eating our own pre-prepared lunches and he entered
into the room and simply stated, “This is not an egoist club.” He had wished we
would have taken out some food, plates, glasses, and drinks for everyone to
share. Again, this sense of community
and sharing with others is one of
the most unique and wonderful aspects of Danish culture that I have come across
so far.
After close to 10 hours on the water over a span of two days,
my classmates and I paddled over 20km and learned a lot about kayak technique,
safety and each other. It was an incredible weekend and I can’t wait to get
back out on the water next week. Now, if only we could get a few more of those
80 degree days!
Kys fra Danmark!
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