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Joe Kayaker Award

This award goes to a new member whose enthusiastic participation in a wide range of club events exemplifies the spirit of sound kayaking.

2007 - Tim Clarke
2006 - Laurie Linton
2005 - Richard Keith - see below
2004 - Alan Shirley

Most Improved Award

This award goes to a club member whose avid pursuit of self-improvement in kayaking skills leads them to a "sea change" (profound transformation).

2007 - Grace Pisano
2006 - Claire Dickerson - see below
2005 - Nick Clarke

Sound Kayakers 2007 Annual Report
The “Joe Kayaker Award” goes to a new member whose enthusiastic participation in a range of club activities exemplifies the spirit of sound kayaking. Given in 2004 to Alan Shirley, it passed to Rich Keith for 2005, Laurie Linton in 2006, and now goes to Tim Clarke. Tim joined SK July 7, 2007, took part in cross-Sound training and rescue practice the same day, and crossed LIS with us on July 14th. In August, he worked hard on Level 2 kayaking skills in our August 4th class and did the club L2L practice on August 23. He raced well on September 7th, placing third in the men’s plastic kayak category. On September 16th, he continued skill development in the traditional rolling class we hosted with Cheri & Turner. Tim paddles a Prijon Kodiak.

The Most Improved Sound Kayaker award for 2007 goes to a founding member of Sound Kayakers whose avid pursuit of self-improvement has led to a “sea-change.” This four-year member has paddled often, and developed steadily, perhaps even cautiously. In 2007, she set goals to begin learning Eskimo rolling, to paddle across LIS, and to compete in the Lighthouse-to-Lighthouse Race. She started the year right, paddling on our New Year’s Day trip. She prepared for the XS in our April class, and joined the rolling class in chilly June waters. She completed both the April and July Sound crossings, finishing strongly (with reserve). She joined our Full Moon Paddle, helping with a dramatic rescue in 2-3 foot seas in the dark. She placed first for women kayakers in the L2L race, paddling an Impex Force 3. This Sound Kayaker attended 16 club events this year, more than anyone else. We congratulate Grace Pisano.

Photo: Grace paddles a Current Designs Willow with AquaBound Stingray Carbon blade.

A big hurrah to Elissa Englehardt, who led our fourth annual island clean up on September 30. With help from Geoff, Jean, Sue (Elissa’s friend), Irv, Ethan, and Michele, we filled bags of trash, which Rob Carr took away on his powerboat.

“A for effort” to team Sound Kayakers – twelve members participated in the Soundkeeper’s Lighthouse to Lighthouse Race this year, 10 as racers and 2 as race officials. Grace Pisano won a gold for women. We garnered five bronze medals: Howard & Michele in tandem, Rich Keith, Tim Clarke and Cindy Clark. Greg Lirot acted as Kayak Chairman for the race, and Jean Trapani coordinated registration and safety.

2007 events were well attended, especially the Club Rendezvous in July, the Full Moon Paddle in August, and our January, April and October Potlucks. The best-attended clinic was June rolling with Cheri & Turner (8 members). We had 8 people for our July cross Sound.

Photo: George, Steve, Grace, Martha, Nick, Howard, Rich and guests descend on Cockenoe Island for our Full Moon event.

For 2007, we shall continue the tradition of the First Day paddle, the Memorial Day weekend camp-out on May 25-26, and Shakespeare on the Sound in June. The Rescue Clinic is scheduled for Saturday, June 29 from 9 am to 1pm, and will include a picnic on the beach. The Full Moon Paddle is scheduled for Saturday, August 16. I shall be inviting Cheri & Turner for June, and Ben Lawry for a May forward stroke clinic. A new event will be a Thimble Islands Fall Foliage paddle on Saturday, October 25. Since we so enjoyed our Greenwich outing in November, we’ll plan to visit Tod’s Point on November 29. The Westport Conservation Director would appreciate our help to clean up Cockenoe Island this fall. I would like to do that on September 28. Monica and Grace volunteered to coordinate.

Sound Kayakers 2006 Annual Report
- The “Joe Kayaker Award,” given in 2004 to Alan Shirley, passed to Rich Keith for 2005 and goes to Laurie Linton for 2006
- The Most Improved Sound Kayaker award for 2006 goes to Claire Dickerson.
- A big hurrah to Rich Keith, who led our third annual Goose Island clean up on October 22. With help from Geoff, Nick, Grace, Frank, Al, Howard, Phil, and Michele, we filled our holds with all the trash we could, making the island a safer place for next springs’ nestlings.
- “A for effort” to Grace Pisano, the only Sound Kayaker to get off the beach at the Soundkeeper’s Lighthouse to Lighthouse Race, which was called off within a half hour of the start. Greg Lirot acted as Kayak Chairman for the race, and Michele Sorensen was the official timekeeper.
- “A” for attendance to Laurie, Howard, Rich and Nick for most participation at club events (eight or more events each).
- Most Persistent Eskimo Rollers – Cheers to Geoff Johnson and Nick Clarke for sticking with their rolling practice and instruction. Both now have a “fairly reliable pool roll.”
- My sincere thanks to Claire Dickerson and Howard Pierce for co-leading our gnarly April Sound Crossing in 2-3 foot seas, 15-20 knot winds, and driving hail. Kudos also to the hearty, determined paddlers – Rich Keith, Nick Clarke, Carl Linley, and Mike Markstrom.
- My personal thanks to John Forsberg for many hours spent helping me build a tandem strip kayak at the Norwalk Maritime Aquarium.
- New events for 2006, which we’ll repeat in 2007 include our club trip to the Jersey Paddler show in March, a Memorial Day weekend camping trip in the Norwalk Islands, Shakespeare on the Sound in Rowayton, and a Full Moon Paddle in August.
- For 2007, we shall continue the tradition of the First Day paddle and the July Rescue Clinic. The Rescue Clinic is scheduled for Friday, July 6 from 4-7 pm, and will include picnic supper on the beach.

Claire Dickerson paddles her Current Designs Rumour with an Epic Mid-Wing paddle.

Claire Dickerson, Recipient 2006 "Most Improved" Award

Claire exemplifies key aspects of self-improvement:
o Everyone can improve, regardless of starting point. This paddler is one of our club’s most accomplished, yet the changes she made in rolling, and forward stroke technique are dramatic.
o Small improvements can make a “sea-change.” With a bombproof roll on both sides, who would expect that a 1.5-hour lesson could result in a smoother, slower, safer roll with much more control? Learning from the best – Cheri Perry, and practice on almost every trip, made a profound transformation.
o Revolution is sometimes better than evolution. Instead of tweaking her tools, she bought into the latest technology. She traded in her Wilderness Systems’ Sparrow Hawk for the brand new Current Designs’ Rumour and shelved her full-size Werner for an Epic Wing. The new kayak gave her control over weather helm, a deep hull that allowed her to utilize optimal leg position for power, and a narrow 19.75” beam that reduced wetted surface, increasing speed. Combined with the wing paddle, our “most improved” paddler kayaks much more efficiently.
o Continual improvement leads to excellence. Being able to transition to a narrow kayak and a Wing paddle at the same time, learning to roll with a Wing, and re-learning forward stroke with new tools are remarkable achievements. They have been made possible by Claire’s dedication to continual improvement.

Rich joined our cross-Sound trip in April 2005, just six months after taking Quickstart Kayak.

Rich Keith - Recipient 2005 “Joe Kayaker Award”

o This paddler took my Quickstart Kayak class in September 2004, 16 months ago.
o Eager to learn, this newbie attended 12 out of 14 Sound Kayakers’ 2005 meetings and events, more than anyone else in the club.
o In the first half of the year, before most paddlers took their gear out of storage, this keen beginner took my Intro to Winter Kayaking, Ready to Roll and Cross-Sound Prep classes. He was the best rolling student in my pool sessions, leaving the four-session class with a solid roll.
o In the summer, he joined Joe Shaw’s forward stroke clinic and Cheri Perry’s Greenland rolling clinic.
o He participated in both Cross-Sound trips, in April and July, a feat for a paddler with under a year’s experience.
o Just one year after starting to kayak, Rich Keith entered the 14 mile Lighthouse to Lighthouse Race, and placed 9th with a time of 2 hours 41 minutes, an average speed of 5.2 mph!
o On October 29, Rich led our club’s Goose Island clean up, the night after hosting a party at his house. What a champ!