TRAK 2024 Owners Gathering

October 17, 2024

The TRAK Community just wrapped up the second annual Owners Gathering symposium earlier this month on Vancouver Island, and for the second year in a row it has been a major success. With 30 attendees joining from as far away as Dominica, this year’s camp featured an incredible mixture of both foundational skills development and intermediate paddling work, which culminated in several participants embarking on a multi-day tour to De Courcy Island.

We all learn differently

The TRAK Pilot Instructors mission from the very start was to create and foster a positive learning environment for all attendees. As adult learners, we all take different amounts of time for new skills and topics to really sink in and take root, and so it is important to have a large staff of TRAK Pilots to help guide the learning process. With a strong ratio of guides to guests, we ensure that everyone receives a sufficient amount of one-on-one instruction and coaching to help them meet their goals.

There is something amazing about bringing together paddlers from different regions and backgrounds and aligning around a common purpose, and then watching and feeling as the communal instincts begin to show themselves.

Foundations Matter

The TRAK community of paddlers includes people of all levels of experience, and for newer (and returning!) paddlers it is incredibly important to build competency in your fundamental skill set. We always begin with the forward stroke, progressing towards corrective strokes, concepts of boat control - such as edging, and leading up to capsize training.

By building confidence and competence in these key areas, paddlers are empowered to understand which conditions are right for them to paddle into, and will know how to handle themselves and their kayaks safely and effectively.

TRAK Mastery Training

The TRAK 2.0 is simple by portable kayak standards, but still has plenty of nuances that are best explained by a TRAK Pilot. Gaining a better understanding of these unique craft and why they work the way they do will unleash their capabilities for you as an owner.

Building the kayak according to our best practices and advice, as well as learning concepts like the “pre-launch checklist” and how to outfit your kayak for comfort and control will help all TRAK Owners regardless of their paddling skill level. With a bit of practice, and following the advice from the masters, anyone can confidently build their kayak in under 20 minutes.

This year’s top “TRAK Tip” had to be the “pre-launch checklist” - essentially making sure that all essential systems of the kayak are properly installed and working nominally. Here are the steps involved:

Check each of your gear flotation bags to be certain that they’re inflated
Make sure your foot braces are in the correct position for your legs
Add the optimal amount of “paddling pressure” to the hydraulic pumps
Install and “burp” your sea sock before you launch your boat

From Theory into Practice

The TRAK Gathering is directed by longtime TRAK team member Hans Trupp, who brings a lifetime of expeditionary experience and knowledge to share with all participants. Each day features a signature “Navigational Nugget” which explains and clarifies concepts such as dead reckoning or tidal current impacts and prediction. By the end of the camp, everyone can learn some of these important aspects of seamanship and apply them directly to their next paddling adventure.

Participants of the Decourcy expedition put their new skills to use right away by being involved in the planning of their own trip, which requires a technical passage through Dodd Narrows - a legendary local waterway that features strong tidal currents and heavy boat traffic. After locating and passing the narrows, our paddlers must then actually identify and land at Pirate’s Cove provincial park.

TRAK Pilots - Pillars of the Community

Events like this can produce life changing results for those willing to engage in the learning process, and these outcomes simply aren’t possible without the support of the TRAK Pilot ambassador team. The collective experience of this team is staggering, and their generous and patient approach to facilitating a safe and positive learning environment is what enables this symposium to thrive.

TRAK would like to personally acknowledge and thank the following Pilots for their contributions this year: