Are you getting sick of the grip that this winter has had on you? Most kayakers can’t wait to get back on the water, so you’re not alone. A visit to your local paddling shop could take care of some of the pain, but you may have just missed the best opportunity on the East Coast!
The Jersey Paddler’s Paddlesport 2011 Show is the mecca for paddlesports fans and manufacturers held every year on or about the last weekend of March in Somerset, NJ. In that Garden State Exhibit Center there was every conceivable human powered watercraft available there – from the shortest playboat to the longest ocean-going sea kayak.
The staff of Northeast PA Kayak School was there, and we had SO many great conversations with new people and old friends. It seems that attendance was up, hopefully an indication of new interest in people to do something outdoors. The hours were long but the energy was tangible – people want to fight off this winter, or fight off Nature Deficit Disorder (Google it… I’m not makin’ this stuff up!).
In any case, boats were being sold, and a giant smile was affixed on the faces of almost everyone. Almost every company had a great weekend, indicating, maybe, that this healthy, outdoor sport is still growing in interest.
So slip into an outfitter store near you and get your fix. Get ready to go. Thousands of people and hundreds of former kayak students showed up to say hello and tell their river stories. Next year’s Paddlesport 2012 show is only 362 days away…;-)
