So stop
in and check it out!        

ELECTION
STATEMENTS FROM NOMINEES    

BROCK
HUNTER

My name
is Brock Hunter and I would be honored to serve on TCSKA's Board of Directors.  I grew up in the Black Hills of South Dakota and have been involved in outdoor sports all of my life.  After moving to Minneapolis I discovered Lake Superior and, soon after, sea kayaking - quickly falling in love with both.  I have been paddling for about
five years now and enjoy it even more now than when I started.  I joined the Club about three years ago and have participated in numerous Club trips to Lake Superior.  In the summer of 1999 I participated in the ECOLS '99 crossing of Lake Superior along with Club members Rick Wright, Don Dimond, and Rob Tull.  I believe TCSKA
is a great organization.  Involvement in the club has made me a better, safer paddler and led to some fantastic trips and great friendships.  I have also
worked successfully with the existing Board in the past.  I am an attorney and last year I assisted the Board in drafting a set of corporate Bylaws for the Club.  As a TCSKA Board member I would do everything I can to help the Club remain the most active and accessible in the Cities.  I would help ensure the Club
provides paddling/learning opportunities for members of all skill levels. Thank you.     

ADRIENNE
MADSEN

Ten
years ago, my love of lakes and rivers propelled me into taking kayak lessons.  I tried whitewater first and experienced lots of thrills and spills.  But soon I found myself longing for new and distant shores.  Then one March, I had an opportunity to paddle Lake Powell in Utah in a sea kayak.  Well, that did it for me.  I discovered how easy it was to slip up the small side channels and visit mysterious places unavailable to many other water travelers.  I came home,
purchased a sea kayak of my very own, and the rest is history. My vacations during the past summers have included time spent on the Pacific, lots of Minnesota rivers, and certainly, Lake Superior.  My most memorable trips have been on the coast of Pukaskwa National Park in Ontario and a Silver Islet trip with fellow TCSKA members.   

I have
been a TCSKA member for about 4 years now.  During this time, I have learned many paddling techniques from very skilled club members.  I appreciate being able to belong to such a great group of paddlers and would like to share my enthusiasm and whatever knowledge I have with other club members.  I would be interested in
organizing more day trips as well as helping new members work on their their skills.  Hope to see you on the water.  Adrienne Madson    

BOARD
OF DIRECTORS ELECTION BALLOT

Candidates
for the Board of Directors (Please choose TWO):  

___   Brock Hunter  

___      Adrienne Madsen    

PLEASE
VOTE BY DOING ONE OF THE FOLLOWING:  

1.)
MAIL your ballot to:

 TCSKA      P.O.
Box 581792      Minneapolis, MN 55458-1792

2). OR,
bring your ballot to the annual meeting/party (see calendar for date and time)  

TCSKA
2001 WINTER Calendar  

How to
sign up for a trip

• Check the NEW trip rating system at the end of the newsletter to see what skills are required for a trip.  Please remember to check the trip distances to see if they are within your range.  If you are unsure about a requirement, please talk to the organizer about it.

*
Contact the trip organizer to sign up for the trip and get more specific information about meeting time and place.

*
Official club trips have "TCSKA" next to the date and generally require participants to be members of TCSKA and are covered by ACA and club guidelines.  Non-official trips/events
are not sanctioned by the ACA or TCSKA, and membership is not required.  

TCSKA Jan. 1      New
Year's Day Paddle Our annual Mississippi paddle at Hidden Falls, meet at noon and bring a wetsuit or drysuit plus plenty of good insulating layers.  As a rule we only paddle if the temperature is above 20 degrees with little or no wind chill, so call a day or two ahead of time to get a weather update.  Level II, FMI call John Ware at 651-690-3957.       

TCSKA Jan. 7:    Pool
Session.  5-7 pm at the Brooklyn Center Community Pool.  To sign up and FMI

Call
John Ware at 651-690-3957.  There is a
$10 fee to cover pool rental.  

      Jan. 13-15:      Winter Camping in the BWCA.  Snow shoeing and camping in the land of lakes.  FMI Sarah Ohmann at 612-789-2338.  

      Jan. 27:   Annual
Party.  Potluck dinner, election results (or recounts and legal actions), DOOR PRIZES (ooohh ooohh ooohh), and used gear sale.  Also bring any slides or photos
you have from last summer's travels to pass around.  We will have a table set up for any used camping or kayaking gear you want to sell.  6 pm at 2534 Madison St. NE.  To sign up for a dish or get
directions, call Sarah Ohmann at 612-789-2338.  

TCSKA Feb. 4:    Pool
Session.  5-7 pm at the Brooklyn Center Community Pool.  There is a $10 fee to cover pool rental.  To sign up and FMI call
Sarah Ohmann at 612-789-2338.  

      Feb. 17-19:      Winter camping and snow shoeing in the Apostles.  We are hoping that ice conditions in the Apostles will allow us to visit the sea caves this year.  NOTE:  there will be an alternate destination if ice conditions don't look good, FMI and to sign up, call Sarah Ohmann at 612-789-2338.  

TCSKA Mar. 4:    Pool
Session.   5-7 pm at the Brooklyn Center Community Pool.  There is a $10 fee to
cover pool rental.  To sign up and FMI
call Al Kasinskas at 651-698-0624.  

TCSKA Apr. 1:    Pool
Session.  5-7 pm at the Brooklyn Center Community Pool.  There is a $10 fee to
cover pool rental.  To sign up and FMI
call Bill Newman at 763-585-6191.  

TCSKA May 19-20:      ACA
Fundamentals of Sea Kayaking.  Learn the basics of sea kayaking with club member and certified instructor Bill Newman.  This is the official ACA
two-day class that covers sea kayaks, equipment, safety gear, basic strokes, wet exits, self and assisted rescues, and more.  Class will be held on a local Twin Cities lake.  Cost for both days is expected to be about $160 and includes club memberships for new members.  You will need to provide your own equipment, but rentals are available from several places around the cities.  FMI call Bill Newman at 763-585-6191.  

CLUB
GUIDELINES FOR OFFICIAL CLUB TRIPS AND ACTIVITIES

Individual
Equipment Required for Club Trips Rated Level II or higher and Great Lakes or Ocean Paddling

• Sea worthy sea kayak with floatation bags or watertight bulkheads - preferably 16 feet or greater in length
• Spray skirt
• Personal Flotation Device (PFD) with whistle - PFDs must be worn at all times on club trips
• Paddle float
• Bilge pump
• Chart and compass - required on Great Lakes and Ocean Trips
• Wet suit or dry suit for all Superior Trips
• Waterproof flashlight or headlamp for night paddling
• Water bottle and food within reach of the cockpit (energy gel, power bars etc.)
• Tow line for towing tired or injured paddlers
• First Aid kit
• VHF Radio
• Repair Kit for Kayak and Other important equipment
• Sunscreen
• Sun Glasses
• Extra food to allow for waiting out bad weather
• Extra clothes, sleeping bag, tent or bivy - even for day trips; in case of bad weather.
• Paddle leash and/or spare paddle
• Strobe light and/or reflective tape on PFD
• Flares and signal mirror - required on Great Lakes and Ocean Trips
• Way cool dork-hat for shade or warmth
• Helmet for surfing  

Skill
Requirements for Club Trips

Each
club trip differs in the kayak skills that will be required for participants to have a safe and enjoyable experience. 
The trip organizer will determine skills required for a specific club trip, and/or the TCSKA Board using the following lists as a general guidance only.  Participants are expected to self assess their abilities and take responsibility for themselves on club trips.  Trip organizers help organize
trip logistics and coordinate club activities - do not expect them to act as guides on trips!  Note also that the
focus of the rating systems requirements is on skills rather than on the number of years of experience in kayaking.  A
paddler with ten years of experience would still be qualified only for SK I trips if they had not developed for example reliable self-rescue skills.  

Level
I: No previous paddling experience is required for club trips with a level I rating.  Examples would include club
sponsored skill sessions on inland lakes and winter pool sessions.  Level I trips or skill sessions will be used to help new paddlers develop the necessary skills to participate in more advanced trips.  Level I trips will be
limited to sheltered waters and short distances with few significant hazards.   

Level
II: Level II trips may include less sheltered open water paddles, and longer distances. Participants are expected to have a working knowledge of kayak paddle strokes, and braces.  They also
must be able to demonstrate a self-rescue technique such as a paddle-float rescue and have experience using at least one assisted rescue such as a T-rescue or rafting-up.  A trip
organizer may require a demonstration of both a self-rescue and assisted rescue before allowing a paddler to come on a Level II or higher rated trip.  On Level II trips, participants are also expected to have a working knowledge of basic navigational skills such as using a chart and compass, and basic knowledge of the effects of weather on paddling conditions and how to obtain marine forecasts prior to starting a trip.  It is assumed that participants can maintain a reasonable pace for trips of up to ten miles per day in good weather.  

Level
III: Level III trips may include open water paddling in challenging conditions, and longer trip distances.  On level III trips participants should have well developed paddle stroke and bracing skills.  Participants should not only
have good high and low bracing skills, but be working on a strong sculling brace and learning to eskimo roll. 
Paddlers should be comfortable paddling in higher winds (over 15 knots) and traveling in waves of 2-3 feet. 
They should be comfortable launching and landing in moderate surf when breaking waves are 3 feet or less. 
Participants in level III trips should have a good working knowledge of navigation including strong piloting and dead reckoning skills.  On level III trips participants should have the endurance to paddle up to 20 miles per day in good weather with a fast efficient forward paddle stroke.  

Level
IV: Level IV trips may include open water paddling, and paddling in very challenging conditions for long distances. Participants should have very strong paddling and bracing skills and be comfortable paddling in rough conditions (waves 4 feet or greater) and winds up to 30 knots.  Trip participants should have mastered group and self-rescue techniques and have developed a reliable eskimo roll, preferably on both sides.  Participants should also be
comfortable with landing in larger surf with 3-6 foot waves.  As a rule trip organizers would avoid setting out to paddle in the above conditions.  However as an example a late-Fall trip on Lake Superior might be rated a Level III- Level IV rather than a Level III in recognition of the greater chance of being caught in sudden storms late season.