2023 - R2AK Prep - February

February played out as a different sort of training month. Emma had planned a solo three-week trip to New Zealand, and with my race plans, I was unable to join her. While she was away, I was in charge of taking care of our dog and finalizing our sponsorship plan and equipment. To keep moving forward, I attended every pool rolling session throughout the winter put on by the South Island Whitewater Club. After a few weeks of consistent practice, I felt confident rolling on both sides—at least in flat water.

With day paddling trips bookended by dog walks, I explored the local waters around Sidney and Brentwood Bay, playing around with our GoPro and figuring out if, and how, I would want to capture video while underway.

I also finalized plans for a fundraising cause, choosing KidSport Victoria—a local organization that uses funds raised to remove financial barriers to organized sport through grants. I had a lovely phone call with the local area lead, who asked, "How much do you think you'll be able to raise?" At the time, I wasn't really sure, so I offered a range: "Probably between three and ten thousand, I'm not sure." We bounced a few ideas back and forth on how to publicize it and left it at that. When I checked back at the end of the month, I was surprised to see a nice, empty donation bar with a goal of $10,000. Great, another thing to worry about. At least I still had four months to go.

I had also been slowly accumulating the equipment I needed, most importantly, a boat. Dave, the former owner of Blue Dog Kayaking, had seen me reading Kayaking the Inside Passage on a previous trip in 2022 and asked what I was planning. I told him about the race, the anticipated 60 km per day average, and my timeline.

"You aren't going to do it in your boat, right?" he probed.

"I don't know, I hadn't really thought that part through yet," I replied, suddenly self-conscious about my kayak's capabilities and my own initial plans.

"We can help you out—just give me a call a couple of months before the race, and we'll get you sorted with something more suitable for an expedition."

Great, problem solved before I even knew I had one! When the time came, I tried out the NDK Explorer HV (High Volume), which sounded like something that would fit my trip. I went up to Mill Bay to test fit the boat and get a few photos for my race application. It felt great—just like my boat, but faster and with more storage.

Trying out the NDK Explorer HV for the first time. 

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