Nanaimo Canoe and Kayak Club – Olympic Dreams – Regatta Fun
Riding the wake of an exciting and monumental Olympic Summer Games for gender equality in sprint canoe-kayak, the Nanaimo Canoe and Kayak Club (NCKC) is proud to share that two of its alumni were
part of this sport HERstory. Inclusion of the women’s canoe events on the Olympic stage has been a dream for many for a very long time. For many years, local women’s canoe athletes Leigh Dewar (2003)and Nicole Haywood (2009) both represented Nanaimo and Canada at exhibition events internationally at the World Championships and Pan American Games. The Games in Tokyo this year was the debut of the women’s canoe events where they were officially included in the program.
Now women around the world have the same opportunity to race equitably in the sport of Sprint Canoe-Kayak! Sprint Canoe-Kayak Regatta THIS WEEKEND at Long Lake!
Come cheer on local and provincial athletes, ages 8yrs old to adult, as they make waves on Long Lake.
Races will include: 200, 500, and 1000m events for single and doubles during this BC Cup #3 Regatta.
Many of the athletes, including local kayakers, Teegan Letwin and Ryan Zao have just qualified to
represent the Pacific Division wearing their Club colours at the Canadian National Championships in
Ottawa, ONT on August 23-27. Teegan expressed excitement from the qualifier event in Burnaby and
said “it was great to see everyone and compete again now that restrictions have been lifted”.
The Club requests the support for the boating community to use extra care to avoid interfering with
races along the stretch of the lake from the Fishing Dock in Loudon Park down to Berwick at the SE end
of the lake this weekend. These canoe and kayaks used by the athletes are very unstable due to their
construction and waves and boat wake can make balance very difficult, so cooperation is greatly
appreciated.
Interested in trying out paddling? NCKC offers something for everyone. Try one of the two (2) hour Splash Sessions for adults and families to experience the sport on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:30-8:30pm and Saturday mornings from 10-12noon. Participants learnabout the equipment available at NCKC for members, try out some of the canoes & kayaks, and can test
the waters at Long Lake!
Register for a Half Day Summer Camps which run weekly until September 3 from 9am-12noon and 1-
4pm for ages 8-13yrs where youth learn the FUNdamental paddling skills on water through games and
activities, in addition to participating in land-based play all with a focus on teamwork, sportsmanship,
while staying safe & cool in, on, and around the water!
2022 BC Summer Games Talent Search – Looking to try a new sport? Have a love of the water? Enjoy
individual and team sports? Do you have the drive to develop your balance, power, grace, strength, and
endurance needed for Sprint Canoe-Kayak? See what it takes during one of the weeklong Sprint Canoe-Kayak Courses running 1-4pm and experience single, double and four person racing canoes & kayaks.
For youth ages 10-15yrs who have some previous sport experience and are interested in representing
Vancouver Island (Zone 6) at the BC Summer Games next year in Prince George.
ADDITIONAL INFO:
Since 1988 the Nanaimo Canoe & Kayak Club has been offering recreational and competitive canoe-kayak on the central island. With its diverse programming, it offers school field trip, a youth big boats program, recreational member drop ins, try-it programs, community group bookings, popular summer camps, and a structured training environment for athletes on the Sprint Canoe-Kayak Racing Team.
The NCKC is led by a passionate group of volunteers on the board of directors and provides employment to trained, skilled staff to provide instruction and coaching onsite to members and the public.
As part of the Long Lake Flatwater Training Centre Society with Nanaimo Rowing Club, NCKC is
committed and focused on developing the Long Lake Paddling and Rowing Centre to better secure and
store equipment while providing a more long-term structure for both Clubs & their programming to
thrive on the central island.
CONTACT:
Registration for summer programs and information on annual club membership can be found online at
www.nckc.ca.
For more information, please contact NCKC Commodore at commodore@nckc.ca.