(Charleston, SC) James Island County Park will host the 19th Annual East Coast Canoe & Kayak Festival, April 17-19, 2009. One of the premier paddlesport events on the Atlantic Coast, the festival is a full-weekend immersed in the technique, hands-on experience,>history, and fun of canoeing and kayaking.
Each year E.C.C.K.F. brings together paddling enthusiasts of all levels with world-renowned instructors and equipment manufacturers. The action-packed festival features a multitude of on-water classes, lectures, and demonstrations directed to the novice as well as the experienced paddler. Plus over 40 commercial exhibitors will be on-hand to give you a chance to try the latest equipment before you buy.
The heart of the festival is the simultaneous running of four classrooms throughout the three-day event. You can meet and learn from the following experts, Nigel Foster, Cathy Piffath, Christopher Stec, Jeff Cooper, Ken Fink, Karen Knight, Dubside, Ben Lawry, Steve Scherrer, and Russell Farrow, as well as other knowledgeable paddlesport enthusiasts. A wide variety of topics include slide shows of exotic paddling locations, how-to sessions on navigation, selecting or repairing equipment, safety, and preparing gourmet cuisine fresh from your dry bag.
The 2009 festival kicks off Friday with classes, workshops, and boat demonstrations. Join keynote speaker Russell Farrow for the opening barbecue dinner and social. Russell will present an exciting multimedia presentation of his six-week kayaking trip to Canadian High Arctic on the north end of Baffin Island (600 miles north of the Arctic Circle).
Children are also welcome to the festival and are free with a paying adult. Learn how to paddle as a family in our clinics, or register your young paddlers in the full and ½ day canoe and kayak camps (ages 6-12) featuring hands-on sessions, cardboard canoe races, nature walks, crafts, and more.
Make plans now to participate in this exciting event! Come meet your paddling peers throughout the weekend and enjoy food, beverages, music and of course, canoeing and kayaking!
For more information, a daily festival schedule, and to register, call (843) 795-4FUN or visit our website at www.ccprc.com/ecckf.
