Whetting young appetites

Vancouver Island Paddlefest picks Family Paddling as its 2010 theme. Read the entire magazine online.

Vancouver Island Paddlefest president Bud Bell made it clear to his daughters they were going to have to work during their teenage-year summers.

They could work with him by the water helping with the kayak shop or work somewhere else. But work they would.

There may have been grumbling, but they all chose the waterfront. And Bud’s gamut paid off.

“Once they started working at the beach I couldn’t pull them away,” he says.

Ashley, now the oldest at 23, is in a recreation program at university. And his youngest, Dawn, 16, rouses him to get out on the water every Saturday morning.

Kayaking is the type of involvement that can have so many benefits for youngsters – health and fitness, appreciation for nature and the environment, and even fostering relationships.

It’s that interaction that is prompting the Vancouver Island Paddlefest to adopt ‘Family Paddling’ as this year’s theme. The paddlefest is held at Ladysmith Harbour May 15-16.

It’s a chance to involve the whole family – from family kayak outings from Transfer Beach to the cardboard kayak building contest.

One of the changes in recent years that Bud has noticed is the increase in grandparents and grandchildren. And no wonder – he sees it as a perfect way to bond.

“What better venue to bond than in a kayak?” he asks. “Everybody’s equal. The grandchildren and grandparents can become buddies.That’s pretty important. They can talk about the eagles and the sea stars and the moon snails and all of that.”

But for parents and grandparents who aren’t keen on seeing a young child enclosed in a kayak, there is a remedy – sit-on-tops.

“Parents who have never kayaked before gravitate towards that,” Bud says. “It’s safe, it’s a lot of fun and parents can feel comfortable with it.”

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It's All About Family. Veteran paddler Dan Millsip reflects on watching his children grow up on the water, and offers tips on how to instill a love of paddlesports in youngsters.

Building on the Fun. Teen Maddie Millsip puts her heart, and a bit of muscle, into building what has become much more than just a kayak.

Whetting Young Appetites. Vancouver Island Paddlefest picks Family Paddling as its 2010 theme.

The Sea is My Backyard. Champion surfer Adam Harvey shares his thoughts on how family helped motivate his love for kayak surfing that tranformed him into a world champion.