Canoeing 101: get wet and wild
By Kathryn Herr
Editor in Chief
kah92B@psu.edu
I hear all around me the groans
and complaints all the time about
having to take a gym class in
college. I know it is not the best
use of our already over-extended
days, but sometimes they can
be fun. Last summer I was able
to take a class that tied actual
useable skills into a gym class. I
took Canoeing I.
Canoe class is not just about
how to paddle a boat; we learned
the infamous J stroke, canoeing
safety and regulations, how to
watch out for others and how to
save other boaters in trouble. It
is a great chance to get out of the
classroom, meet new people, and
learn something new. "The idea
of the course is to learn the skills
and have fun," said Karl Martz,
course instructor and coordinator
of Career Services.
Martz is a canoe instructor for
both the Canoe Club of Greater
Harrisburg, who loans the canoes
for the class and Wildware
Backcountry, who also loans
some equipment to the class.
He is also a certified canoe and
kayak instructor for the American
Canoe Association.
The course consists of learning
one day in the classroom about
preparation, equipment, and
canoe terminology. Three days
are then spent paddling around
Lake Pinchot, perfecting the
skills of canoeing and engaging
in water battles.
Martz integrates lectures about
Several students arrive at their destination along the City Island boat ramp after a long day of paddling.
The trip takes place on the 6 mile stretch of the Susquehanna River between Fort Hunter and City Island
Kerr opens defense of hard-won title
By Ken Peters
AP Sports Writer
LAS VEGAS (AP) - Having
survived a bit of an ordeal, Cristie
Kerr seems to have emerged a
stronger player.
Kerr blew a big lead late in the
Takefuji Classic a year ago, but
tenaciously dueled Seol-An Jeon
during a marathon playoff, finally
winning with a routine par putt on
the seventh playoff hole.
That victory was only the second
on the LPGA Tour for Kerr, who
added two more titles before the
year ended.
"I showed myself a lot. I can be
courageous, I can hit the shots
under pressure, I can be there
and I think found a new level in
my game that week," said Kerr,
back to defend her title in the
54-hole tournament beginning
Thursday.
Her good year has carried
over. Although she hasn't won
this season, she has three top
three finishes and ranks second
on the money list behind Annika
Sorenstam.
Sorenstam, who has won five
tournaments in a row, is taking
the week off. That puts Kerr in the
favorite's role at The Las Vegas
trip planning, hazards
of canoeing, statistics,
and laws into the day's
activities. The last day
of class is held on the
Susquehanna River.
Paddling tandem, the
class travels 6 miles
on the river, from Fort
Hunter to City Island,
stopping along the
way to see the sights
and goof around.
One of my favorite
drills was the 'boat
over boat rescue.'
This drill entails a lot
of teamwork. A pair
of boaters enters the
water and rolls their
canoe to simulate
an accident. Then
a second pair of
boaters in a separate
canoe paddle to the
capsized canoe to
offer assistance. They
position the capsized
canoe perpendicular
to their boat and lift
the canoe over the top
of their boat, gunnel to gunnel,
to empty the water. Then they
roll the canoe in the air to its
right position, slide it back into
the water and help the floating
boaters reenter their canoe
safely.
The course is available to all
those interested regardless of
experience or athletic ability.
"You don't have to come into the
class with any ability or skill. It
doesn't matter because we are
going to teach that to you," said
Country club.
"I'm really happy with my game.
I'm improving my swing, my short
game, my putting, mental aspect,
being able to work it right-to
left and left-to-right and trouble
shots." Kerr said.
'l'm trying to step up my fitness a
little bit this year when I'm on the
road. That way in my off weeks, I
can hit it hard and do more lifting
session per week on top of all
the cardio I do so that this next
offseason I can really try to get
stronger."
The long playoff victory a year
ago certainly would seem a
character-builder for Kerr, who
called it "a matter of survival."
She bogeyed four of the last
six holes of regulation, including
missing a short par putt on No.
18. Undaunted, she finally ended
it with a 3-foot par putt after Jeon
hit into trouble on the seventh
extra hole.
By then, darkness was falling
and chilly winds were swirling
about the course.
"It was unbelievably draining,"
Kerr said. "Seven holes is long
enough without a 40-mph wind
and it being really cold. I took
a really positive attitude into it
These students paddle tandem down the Susquehanna River. Class is held on the
river on the last day of class; it is the only day students paddle on moving water.
Martz. Any PSU student is able to
register for this course and it is
open to the public for a fee.
Martz has had couples, friends,
and siblings take his course
together. When I took the class
my younger brother registered
as well. With my brother away
at school it was a time when we
could spend together and earn
college credit at the same time.
Canoeing class is offered here
at Penn State Harrisburg. The
course will be offered this coming
summer semester in two different
Photos courtesy of Jessica Pouchan
(the playoff) saying 'Hey, what's
the difference whether you lose
a couple of shots to get into a
playoff or birdie the last five in a
row to get into a playoff?'
"I took a very optimistic approach
to that and really believed in
myself."
Her dinner companions went
ahead and ordered without her.
"People were eating dinner
and wondering 'Are they still
out there?' I heard that from
numerous people," Kerr recalled.
"I was so tired that night going to
dinner that I couldn't appreciate
it."
Kerr's Las Vegas win last year
came after she finished the 2003
tournament tied for second with
Annika Sorenstam and Soo-
Yun Kang behind winner Candie
Kung.
Among those who will try to deny
Kerr consecutive victories in the
tournament is Natalie Gulbis, who
has a bit of a home advantage.
"I live about 30 minutes from
the golf course," Gulbis said. "It
is always nice to sleep in your
own bed and it is nice that when
I get off the golf course I can go
over and see my instructor, Butch
Harmon, who is in town."
Sports
sessions. The class takes place
over two weekends, Saturday
and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
and one Wednesday night from 6
p.m. to 9 p.m. The first session
begins on May 18, the second on
July 13.
Registration for this course can
be tricky. It is easiest to go online
into the course catalogue and
type in the course prefix, ESACT
064, to find the course scheduling
number.
I have to say Canoe class was
the most fun I had in a gym class
and was also the most useful. I am
never going to be a Wimbledon
finalist and I can barely bench the
weight of a pillow, but canoeing is
a great outdoor activity that I can
enjoy with friends and family.
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The Capital Times, April 18, 2005
For the love
By Herb Smith
Staff Reporter
hjsl3s@psu.edu
Since the beginning of time,
people have been entertained
by sports. The Greeks created
the Olympics to match athletes in
various events while the Romans
flocked to the Coliseum to watch
gladiators (not named Russell
Crowe) compete for the joy of
those in attendance. Today we
are still flocking to the Coliseum
only this one is in Los Angeles.
Sports in this country are a multi
billion dollar business, but sports
transcend gender and racial lines
and countries' borders. Sports are
a worldwide phenomenon. From
the soccer riots in England, to
the running of the bulls in Spain,
to dog sledding in Alaska, sports
unite the world under a banner of
competition. But why?
Why do we pay $lOO for
nosebleed seats at Madison
Square Garden to watch the
Knicks lose? Why do we stay
up late to watch Monday Night
Football because it needs to be
aired in prime time in California?
Why do we watch college football
despite the ridiculous concept of
the BCS that decides who plays
for the championship?
Sports are a release, an
escape from everyday life. When
terrorists struck America in 2001,
the nation mourned, and then
watched the World Series. Even
Red Sox fans rooted on the
Yankees in hopes that they would
win the title for New York City and
the country itself.
Every year, we buy the tickets,
head to the stadium and take in
a game. We get to see humans
do superhuman feats. Those
guys in the jerseys look like
regular people but they make
their bodies do things we mortals
can only dream of. Herculean
home runs, the slippery runner
avoiding tacklers, gravity-defying
dunks and bone crushing checks
amaze us and bring us back for
of the game
that chance to get a glimpse of
greatness. To see people who
have pushed their bodies to
perform these acts is an honor
and a privilege and gets us
through the regular season.
Postseason is where the real
fun begins. At any moment
the tide can and does change
sending one team home and the
other team on to fight another
day. Seasons ultimately end but
when the new season begins
months later, even those fans of
the basement dwelling teams can
hold out hope that maybe this is
the year. Sports create laughter
and have brought grown men to
tears.
Sports have legends and heroes
of days gone by. Go to a baseball
park anywhere in the country
and you will undoubtedly see an
elderly man talk about days of
DiMaggio, Williams, Mantle and
Mays. You'll hear the story of
the first time he saw Willie Mays
make a diving catch in center field
or the homerun he saw Mickey
Mantle hit that may have yet to
land even now. Sports bring back
the best of times for all of us. It is
the patchwork of our childhood,
when we got our first autograph,
or went to a professional game
for the first time. We circle our life
around those moments.
Sports keep us on the edge
of our seats and can bring us
to heavenly highs or crushing
lows in a single moment. It's that
chance at the high that gets us
through the low and brings us
back season after season. No two
seasons are alike, just as no two
players are alike. Once a player
is retired, you will never see a
person play the way he did.
Professional careers end quickly,
so in a flash he will be gone and
a new gun will be the star. The
names on the roster change,
sometimes even the teams leave
town, but the sport is always
there. And as long as the sport is
there, the fans will be in the seats
to watch.