Hey Team!
Denmark was an experience I will never forget. I was there for a week with my team and a few others here in Sweden. We drove to the coast, then took a ferry to Denmark. We got on the water twice a day, running practice in the mornings and some gym workouts at their boat house. We practiced with the Silkeborg, Danish team everyday. They are SO good!!! It was fun when we tried communicating with them, there's quite a difference between swedish and danish so english came into good use! We lived at a hostel and the danish food there was really good, which is great when you're at training camp good food is important. We did get some free time from
training to see Denmark and it is so beautiful! While walking around town, stinky danish cheese could be smelled miles away! While training, some of the 12 year old danish paddlers got so far ahead from the rest of us! They train about 7 times a week. They have excellent technique in strength training and on the water. Training in Denmark has only made me harder and tougher.
Unfortunately, Tuesday of last week was not the best day to be on the water. First, there was a ton of rain, it started hailing. The water was a bit wavey, and then I fell into 39 degree fahrenheit water. It is fair to say it was
freezing cold, and I was so shocked! It was me and one other friend who was at practice that day, and we had no boat that followed us like we usually have. My friend helped me with my kayak, and I swam as best as I could to land. It was difficult to catch a breath, now I understand why Swedes (and the danish) wear life jackets due to the ice cold water. New experiences come all the time, I just hope this one was the first and last time. And I thought the water at Fiesta Island was cold in the winter...haha.
Last nights practice was beautiful though, we had sunshine the whole practice. It was a nice San Diego winter kind of day. Here in Sweden we're very thankful for days like those, even now in April.
This Friday I will be leaving for the last kayak camp that I will be able to attend before I come home to San Diego! It's a team boat camp that most paddlers from different teams here in Sweden will be attending for those born in 97 and 96. Can't wait!
Congrats to everyone who made the Development and Junior National Team!!!
Enjoy the pictures from Denmark! Gabriella
Hey Team!!
My team and I got on the water for the first time this year on Saturday! All (well most of the ice) has melted so we were able to get on the water. March is considered early to get on the water here, last year the ice was still very thick. So we were all excited to paddle again and I was there thinking FINALLY!! Haha..We had to fight through the remaining ice by the dock, it was pretty cool and sounded like paddling through a bunch of glass, I was nervous I was going to ruin the kayak! We couldn't paddle everywhere on Saturday because some of the lake was still frozen, but tonights practice everything was as good as gold to paddle plus a beautiful sunset!! And luckily no one fell in on Saturday.
I am so happy that we are able to get in some practices on the water before next week because then our team along with a couple other teams that have also been together with us for ski camps are now going to Denmark for a kayak camp!!!! We will be there for 6 days under our Spring break, training with different teams here from Sweden, and Denmark!
7 months have gone by and I really miss the team! I can't wait to see you all in about 3 months!!
-Gabriella Garcia-
In the picture attached, I'm in the white kayak far left.
Three Under 19 paddlers are fighting it out for a $500.00 scholarship to the USA Surfski Championships in August 2012 and after 6 races of the Southern California Winter Race Series the competition is really heating up with 17 year old Michael Lowe just passing early leader Garen Doyle. Both Michael and Garen are working hard to hold off Sean Barlow who also has a couple of wins under his belt.
USA Surfski Championships is offering a $500 Scholarship to the top junior SOCAL surfski paddler from this year’s SOCAL Winter Race Series. Junior (U19) paddlers earn 100 points for a win in the Long Course and or 50 points for a win in the short course. At the end of the 9 race series the top points winner will be named as the Scholarship winner.
The first race of the series in November 2011 had great surf conditions at the start of the La Jolla Shores Race. The following week it was up the coast to Oceanside and despite the cold offshore breeze a large field of 19 and under paddlers headed out through the harbor and back. The Santa Barbara, Tecolote, Hano Hano, and Newport Races took place in outstanding California sunshine… This year’s Ocean races saw awesome performances by all SDCKT paddlers at every age group. Please extend a big THANK YOU to EPIC KAYAKS
http://www.epickayaks.com and to Valhalla
ttp://www.valhallasurfskis.comf or their support of the SOCAL Winter Race Series Junior Races. For full results:
http://www.eteamz.com/SoCalOceanRacing for just the junior points go to
http://www.sdckt.net or email:
info@kayakfast.com San Diego Canoe Kayak Team 4131 Raffee Drive, San Diego,
CA 92117.
858 273 0063
http://www.sdckt.net and San Diego Canoe Kayak on” facebook”
Celebrating 15 Years of offering a year-round PaddleSports Program to the youth of San Diego
An EPIC KAYAKS V10L Surfski is up for grabs and after 6 races of the Southern California Winter Race Series the competition is really heating up with early front runner Bayley Olds just managing to hold onto his lead with 264 total points. Bayley has had some great performances with Short Course age group wins at La Jolla and Santa Barbara where he also finished in the top ten overall.
Close on his heels and only one point behind Bayley (with 263 points) is a hard charging Michael Lowe. Michael, after coming a close second to USA Junior National Team member Garen Doyle in the first few races, has had some great finishes in Santa Barbara, Newport and Hano Hano races to win the 19 and under age group in the Long Course.
The first race of the series in November 2011 had great surf conditions at the start of the La Jolla Shores Race, but all the kids made it out through the breakers and back to ride the waves into the beach. The following week it was up the coast to Oceanside and despite the cold offshore breeze a large field of 19 and under paddlers headed out through the harbor and back. The Santa Barbara, Tecolote, Hano Hano, and Newport Races took place in
outstanding California sunshine…
This year’s Ocean races saw awesome performances by all SDCKT paddlers at every age group. Please extend a big THANK YOU to EPIC KAYAKS
http://www.epickayaks.com for their support of the SOCAL Winter Race Series Junior Races. For full results:
http://www.eteamz.com/SoCalOceanRacingor for just the junior points go to
http://www.sdckt.netor email:
info@kayakfast.com OR CLICK HERESan Diego Canoe Kayak Team Celebrating 15 Years of offering a year-round PaddleSports Program to the youth of San Diego.
A Valhalla Surfski is up for grabs and after 6 races of the Southern California Winter Race Series the competition is really heating up with San Diego Canoe Kayak Team member Leilani Borm forging ahead with 280 total points. Leilani has had some great performances with Short Course age group wins at the Santa Barbara, HanoHano and the NAC races where she also had some top ten finishes overall.
On Leilani’s tail with 245 points is her twin sister Danielle Borm. Also in the running is Carly DaCosta who is in 3rd with only 4 races, Sydney Bohlman in 4th and Sammy Lee in 5th. Sammy has only completed 3 races and this means she could move up the rankings quickly, especially with another performance like she raced at the HanoHano race in San Diego.
The first race of the series in November 2011 had great surf conditions at the start of the La Jolla Shores Race, but all the kids made it out through the breakers. The following week it was up the coast to Oceanside and despite the cold offshore breeze a large field of 19 and under paddlers headed out through the harbor and back. The Santa Barbara, Tecolote, Hano Hano, and Newport Races took place in outstanding California sunshine… This year’s
Ocean races has seen awesome performances by all young paddlers at every age group. Please extend a big
THANK YOU to VALHALLA Surfskis (
http://valhallasurfskis.com/) for their support of the SOCAL Winter Race Series Junior Races. For full results:
http://www.eteamz.com/SoCalOceanRacingor
http://www.sdckt.net or email:
info@kayakfast.comOR CLICK HERESan Diego Canoe Kayak Team Celebrating 15 Years of offering a year-round PaddleSports Program to the youth of San Diego.
Hey SDCKT!
I just got back from another cross country skiing camp this time in Ånnaboda, Sweden. My kayak team and the kayak team that's about an hour away from my city was there for the weekend. We skied around the track, did some long distance, technique, and had some races! On Saturday we skied about 6 miles on the lake and it was sunny and -4 degrees Fahrenheit, definitely my record of cold weather so far. I had ice and snow all
over my face and had a blast. On Friday we went to an indoor water park because it was so cold outside we all felt like our toes were going to turn into ice cubes within seconds. I heard you guys are getting sunburned in February. I forgot what that feels like. I am a little less experienced with cross country skiing than all the others but managed to keep up with the group with the exception of a couple falls and few bruises on my knees.
Paddle harder for me while I'm skiing waiting for the ice to melt away from the lake so I can get on the water
too!
I hope everyone is well!
-Gabriella
Hey SDCKT!
It's been a while...
A couple of weeks ago I was at a cross country ski camp in Bruksvallarna(Sweden) with my team and a few other kayak teams here in Sweden! It was the first time I have been cross country skiing and now I love it!
We were there for a week and had two hard practices everyday. The morning practice usually consisted of long distance, we skied up Sweden's longest uphill ski trial and it felt amazing to reach the top, and the view was simply breathtaking! Then at night we did a whole lot of technique drills, and races!
Unfortunately we didn't get in any cross country skiing practices before the camp because of the unusual "warm" winter for Sweden with an average of about 37 degrees fahrenheit. It sure feels like winter to me!
On Christmas day a few of us on the team were on the water paddling! They couldn't remember the last time they could go out for a paddle on Christmas. All we needed to do was put on a bunch of layers, santa hats, break
the ice next to the dock and then we were ready to paddle away! And our Christmas day paddle even made the paper. (See in the attachment).
Other than that our winter training has consisted of swimming, weight lifting, running, and medicine ball exercises as shown in the picture attached. (I'm far right in black)
I hope you all had a great holiday season and now I wish you a very Happy New Year!!
It's been a great year!
-Gabriella Garcia
RSS Feed