Thanks to the efforts of our volunteer trip leaders, school directors and other helpers, 2000 saw the continuing of boating program offerings in line with Columbus Outdoor Pursuits mission of providing low-cost outdoor education and recreation.

1999 goals that were met include:

• Class availability was increased.
• Sea kayak program grant-making efforts were made.
• A boating council was developed.
• Revenue was increased.
• Fall kayak and canoe classes were offered.

• Maintaining leader training support was only minimally met.
• Two grants for sea kayak program development were applied for and rejected.

COP Boating Council

• Boating Chair John Lane
• Yough Stop Manager Paul McPherson
• Kayak Director Sharon Hsu
• Canoe Director Eileen Troutman
• Boat Shed Manager Kevin Gagnon
• Release Manager Stanley Gift
• Librarian Mark Steinmetz
• Data Manager Doug Miller
• Schedule Guru Keith Finn
• Newsletter Liz Adamczak
• WNP John Markiel

The boating council was developed on the premise that a few wise heads are better than none. The last two years I instituted planning and scheduling meetings in November that resulted in more chaos and unproductive discourse than expected. I hope the development of the boating council will result in an effective body that will help chart the course of this part of COP.

Roll sessions were well attended. The Dublin Recreation Center, a very nice facility, was the site for the winter roll sessions. Alum Creek Lake State Park beach was the summer session site. Most likely the Greenhouse Aquatic Center will be the winter pool site due to greater space and time slot availability. Summer sessions will continue at Alum Creek. We will rename the winter roll sessions as "pool sessions" and de-emphasize "learning to roll . This is due to the high degree of difficulty of meeting the perceptions of attendees that they will be taught the Eskimo roll. It is hard to schedule enough volunteer instructors and get enough extra boats to the pool and teach a complex skill to paddlers who often have minimal skills to begin with. So, the pool sessions will be open to paddlers at last year's rate of $5 for members and $7 for non-members. Any roll instruction will be incidental. We will plan on having boats, skirts and paddles available at each session and basic kayak instruction will be casually and occasionally available. To meet the needs of people wishing to learn the Eskimo roll and beginning kayaking, we will offer both an indoor (pool) Kayak I class and a separate Eskimo roll class in the pool.

We offered nearly a dozen beginning, intermediate and advanced kayaking and canoeing classes. Most rosters were full. Kayaking has had more interest than canoeing from a numbers standpoint. The goal for 2001 will be to stabilize the number and sequence of canoe and kayak instruction classes and keep the same lead instructors as this year. Canoe and kayak class titles were changed from beginning, intermediate and advanced to Canoe I, II and III and Kayak I, II and III. This was done to reflect the sequential nature of skill learning and reinforce the need for prior experience in order for students to fully benefit from and enjoy classes with increased difficulty in skill levels. Class instructors are given free rein to evaluate whether students have adequate skills to take a class and the power to deny admission when appropriate. This has resulted in fewer students being admitted to advanced classes without the necessary skills to paddle safely while they learn and improve. Instructors have noted this strategy has improved overall results for classes in terms of safety and both individual and group enjoyment.

A bonus for 2000 was that the severe drought conditions of 1999 weren't repeated and no scheduled events were cancelled due to low water. A double bonus came our way from the Benchmark. Thanks to Joe Kreuzman, Benchmark manager, for loaning 5 brand-new whitewater kayaks to COP for much of the year. This really helped out our instructional program! Special mention needs to be made for John Markiel for continuing to manage a thriving Wednesday Night Paddle, Larry Krall for putting lots of effort into teaching three Kayak I classes, Doug Miller for data and web work, Keith Finn and Jennifer Thurmond for putting together FWWWE, a family whitewater weekend. A special thanks for the canoe instructors Jon Blake, Paul McPherson, Kitty Wadkowski, Barbie Demmy, Eileen Troutman as well as pool session, trip and Alum Creek Boat Event leaders. It couldn't be done without your great efforts!

The 1999 overall boating budget came in at net $88. 2000 figures aren't available but a surplus of one or two thousand dollars is projected. This year we spent about $2,700 on PFD's, helmets, throw bags and whistles, replacing some worn out gear. We also purchased three kid-sized kayaks at the beginning of the fiscal year. We made a long overdue purchase of air pumps for our inflatables. Boating is an equipment intensive sport and replacement of worn gear is a continual activity. Dave Seslar put a floor in a previously floorless boat trailer. Kevin Gagnon put some finishing painting and ventilation touches on the boat shed at Tom Pace's - Tom, thanks again for another year of patience and storage! Paul McPherson arranged a donation or twenty sheets of plywood and adhesive from two Home Depot stores that will repair the upstairs floor of the Yough Stop during the work weekend this November. Thanks, Home Depot! We purchased a new VCR to replace our old, dead unit. The VCR is used for teaching at remote sites and meeting rooms lacking AV equipment. This fall will also see the installation of the second portable toilet at the Yough Stop to (finally) finish that campaign. We have just purchased an inflatable Thrillcat and three whitewater kayaks to help increase the boats available for member rentals and classes for 2001. Additional purchases of spray skirts, flotation and outfitting will be necessary for these and other COP boats. We are also investigating the possibility of selling off several older whitewater kayaks as well as some canoes and investing either late 2001 or early 2002 in some newer tandem whitewater and crossover canoes. An anonymous gift of $1,000 and two solo MRC canoes were received this year.

Member rental rates will continue to be $10 per canoe, kayak or raft seat (Thrillcat has two seats) per day of use. Rentals are available by contacting the boating chair. Right of rental refusal is retained if paddling skills are questionable or a safety risk is perceived.

2001 goals for the boating program:

• Maintain positive budget.
• Develop Eskimo roll class.
• Identify and train potential leaders.
• Invest in equipment and leader training.
• Pursue further grant-seeking efforts.
• Further involvement of boating council in decision-making.
• Increase or at least maintain trip diversity.

I welcome any comment or contributions you may have regarding this statement or any aspect of the boating program.

Respectfully submitted,

John Lane
Boating Activity Leader
614-486-4548
lane.30 (AT) osu.edu