Why do I paddle?
Well, it's pretty tough to sail off of a waterfall and survive.
There is no other forum going with such a great array of gifs.
Seriously though it's the people. The freshers, the oldies, everyone. No matter what's going on the craic is guaranteed to be ninety. Everyone I know who paddles is someone that I want to sit down for a pint with, or drive across countries with. Paddling has one of the best communities going in this country from what I've seen. Everyone's out to have fun. Everyone's out to paddle, pushing themselves or just doing something mad.
Why Do You Paddle?
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PatrickBrennan
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Hey I decided to write about why I paddle because my laptop with which I am supposed to be studying/starting my coop report is being uncooperative at best.
Here goes,
When I came to college in UL I only knew 2 people, one of which I didn't like and the other I've only seen a handful of times since orientation week of first year. It was a big change and I was nervous. Anyone who knows me will know that I am shit at talking to new people for the first few times I meet them, and once I get comfortable around people I just act the eejit around them.
My brother said I should join a few clubs so one of the ones I chose was kayaking because I love the water.
I have a history of being crap at sport and being made fun of for it back home (and beating myself up over it). That all changed when I joined kayaking. Even when I failed at a stroke I was congratulated because it was "better than the last one you did". I have only met one such encouraging person in the world who isn't a kayaker and I hang out with her 5 days a week when we aren't on coop. I loved the fact that for once I wasn't laughed at for being shit in first year but encouraged with phrases like "if you aren't swimming you aren't trying hard enough" even if it wasn't applicable to the scenario of pickling the low brace up in the pool.
I did consider giving up at one point when I got super annoyed with learning the roll. But I think I was just freaking out about exams at the time because it was May.
I think overall I owe the fact that I still paddle to 3 people:
Gavin Sheehan for helping me with the roll and other strokes so many times.
Brian O' Mahony: for teaching me to look at the river differently and try to pick my own lines (and teaching me loads about gear).
And last but not least, Sean Murphy: for taking me under his wing in Wales and the Alps last year. (No matter how many times you had to point towards a colourful blur and tell me to go towards it simply because I can't see shit without glasses).
Thanks guys
and thanks to everyone else who helped me along the way
Most of all though I paddle because I get to have the craic with great people In even better places.
And it's an excuse to challenge myself in loads of different ways within a half an hour without worrying about anything in the world except watching your fellow paddlers backs if the shit begins to hit the fan.
Here goes,
When I came to college in UL I only knew 2 people, one of which I didn't like and the other I've only seen a handful of times since orientation week of first year. It was a big change and I was nervous. Anyone who knows me will know that I am shit at talking to new people for the first few times I meet them, and once I get comfortable around people I just act the eejit around them.
My brother said I should join a few clubs so one of the ones I chose was kayaking because I love the water.
I have a history of being crap at sport and being made fun of for it back home (and beating myself up over it). That all changed when I joined kayaking. Even when I failed at a stroke I was congratulated because it was "better than the last one you did". I have only met one such encouraging person in the world who isn't a kayaker and I hang out with her 5 days a week when we aren't on coop. I loved the fact that for once I wasn't laughed at for being shit in first year but encouraged with phrases like "if you aren't swimming you aren't trying hard enough" even if it wasn't applicable to the scenario of pickling the low brace up in the pool.
I did consider giving up at one point when I got super annoyed with learning the roll. But I think I was just freaking out about exams at the time because it was May.
I think overall I owe the fact that I still paddle to 3 people:
Gavin Sheehan for helping me with the roll and other strokes so many times.
Brian O' Mahony: for teaching me to look at the river differently and try to pick my own lines (and teaching me loads about gear).
And last but not least, Sean Murphy: for taking me under his wing in Wales and the Alps last year. (No matter how many times you had to point towards a colourful blur and tell me to go towards it simply because I can't see shit without glasses).
Thanks guys
and thanks to everyone else who helped me along the wayMost of all though I paddle because I get to have the craic with great people In even better places.
And it's an excuse to challenge myself in loads of different ways within a half an hour without worrying about anything in the world except watching your fellow paddlers backs if the shit begins to hit the fan.
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AndrewRegan
- Na na na na na na Nash Nash
- Posts: 172
- Joined: Thu Aug 22, 2013 3:13 am
Patrick that's a perfect post. I cant follow that properly.
I wrote this somewhat similar post back in 2012, so I'll copy and paste instead of killing an hour of study time.
Disclaimer* That was a public blog post and doesn't include: money, bitches and/or fame.
"In my case, it was out of boredom and an immature attitude towards my degree. It took me a while to be drawn to this harsh reality but I eventually got there. I was amazed at what a negative origin my passion came from!
I recalled playing the average teenage sports before college like soccer, rugby and golf I was average at most, picked by peers mid-way through selections at youth lineups, I could play but was never really committed enough to be anything other then ordinary. I do remember though, not an hour would pass without me checking up Liverpool’s latest transfer gossip or the rugby fixtures on for the next weekend. Now I do not have a clue about these sports anymore as kayaking has totally taken over my interests.
Then I recalled my first kayaking sessions in my 2nd year of college. I had absolutely no aptitude for it, zilch, I couldn’t go in a straight line for weeks. I don’t think I have ever seen anybody as bad as me in the first few sessions even consider keeping it up. During this time I made a plan to meet up with my friend, who had been kayaking for a while. I was truthfully embarrassed at being so bad so I made myself go on the water at every opportunity to improve. Over time my hard work was mistaken by many instructors for ‘natural ability’.
I began to love the individualistic nature of kayaking. Its you versus the elements, the colder the water or day the better, sometimes I felt like a warrior going into battle on trips down slightly moving water, which seems silly now but it was true back then . It was also a superb way of eating up time, avoiding my lectures and other commitments. One time I saw a smaller kayak do a bow stall, flip over and roll back up, it was all I wanted to do! It took me almost a year of trying hard to achieve my goal, meanwhile I’ve seen others achieve the same in a couple of months.I understand now that my lack of any inherent ability definitely drove me on. Having all these struggles at learning also over time helped me to instruct others in the right direction, I could understand people’s frustrations and could help them to relax and have fun in their boat.
Slowly but surely old youtube favourites of soccer were replaced with kayak instructional clips. My idea of a luxury car had been firmly transformed from the pictures of Lamborghini’s I had on my wall to a nondescript van of some sort which will fit a creek boat and have space to hang up funky smelling gear! I also found a couple more people like me who were always up for some random craic be it kayaking or having a party for no reason, usually the two went hand in hand. We were pretty wild and did some silly things but there was definitely the beginnings of a learning curve there which over time has developed. Three years on, my immature reasons for starting kayaking now seem to be the roots of the best decision I have made thus far."
I wrote this somewhat similar post back in 2012, so I'll copy and paste instead of killing an hour of study time.
Disclaimer* That was a public blog post and doesn't include: money, bitches and/or fame.
"In my case, it was out of boredom and an immature attitude towards my degree. It took me a while to be drawn to this harsh reality but I eventually got there. I was amazed at what a negative origin my passion came from!
I recalled playing the average teenage sports before college like soccer, rugby and golf I was average at most, picked by peers mid-way through selections at youth lineups, I could play but was never really committed enough to be anything other then ordinary. I do remember though, not an hour would pass without me checking up Liverpool’s latest transfer gossip or the rugby fixtures on for the next weekend. Now I do not have a clue about these sports anymore as kayaking has totally taken over my interests.
Then I recalled my first kayaking sessions in my 2nd year of college. I had absolutely no aptitude for it, zilch, I couldn’t go in a straight line for weeks. I don’t think I have ever seen anybody as bad as me in the first few sessions even consider keeping it up. During this time I made a plan to meet up with my friend, who had been kayaking for a while. I was truthfully embarrassed at being so bad so I made myself go on the water at every opportunity to improve. Over time my hard work was mistaken by many instructors for ‘natural ability’.
I began to love the individualistic nature of kayaking. Its you versus the elements, the colder the water or day the better, sometimes I felt like a warrior going into battle on trips down slightly moving water, which seems silly now but it was true back then . It was also a superb way of eating up time, avoiding my lectures and other commitments. One time I saw a smaller kayak do a bow stall, flip over and roll back up, it was all I wanted to do! It took me almost a year of trying hard to achieve my goal, meanwhile I’ve seen others achieve the same in a couple of months.I understand now that my lack of any inherent ability definitely drove me on. Having all these struggles at learning also over time helped me to instruct others in the right direction, I could understand people’s frustrations and could help them to relax and have fun in their boat.
Slowly but surely old youtube favourites of soccer were replaced with kayak instructional clips. My idea of a luxury car had been firmly transformed from the pictures of Lamborghini’s I had on my wall to a nondescript van of some sort which will fit a creek boat and have space to hang up funky smelling gear! I also found a couple more people like me who were always up for some random craic be it kayaking or having a party for no reason, usually the two went hand in hand. We were pretty wild and did some silly things but there was definitely the beginnings of a learning curve there which over time has developed. Three years on, my immature reasons for starting kayaking now seem to be the roots of the best decision I have made thus far."
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PatrickBrennan
- This Is The Rank Title For 400 Posts Congratulations
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- Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2014 11:47 pm
What do you mean you can't follow it properly?AndrewRegan wrote:Patrick that's a perfect post. I cant follow that
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AndrewRegan
- Na na na na na na Nash Nash
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- Joined: Thu Aug 22, 2013 3:13 am
That mine will look shit in comparison.
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PatrickBrennan
- This Is The Rank Title For 400 Posts Congratulations
- Posts: 471
- Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2014 11:47 pm
It didn't look shit at
All though. ...
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All though. ...
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ConallS
- Can you pass me that Biro
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- Joined: Fri Jan 03, 2014 4:13 am
- Location: Monte Carlo, Donegal
The reason I started to paddle wasn't for the people, it wasn't for "the beer", it wasn't even for the EPIC TRIPZ the club seemed to go on every feckin two weeks.
I joined the kayak club at the beginning of my 3rd year, with the knowledge that it would be the worst two semesters of my entire degree. I decided that summer that I had to join a club properly to keep me happy, positive, stress-free, sane... all those good things! I had tried different clubs (and was particularly eager about basketball when I joined in 1st year) but found the "mainstream" sports overly-competitive.
At the recruitment drive I saw my friendly neighbourhood class-rep Sean Murphy, and I went for a chat. He convinced me to join this club, which at the time had no extra significance (in my own head) than the newly formed Tea Appreciation Society, which I also joined!
So I pretty much joined because Sean Murphy and Ms. Emer Farrell told me to! #TeachersUnite
So I started paddling for a very boring reason.. to keep MYSELF sane and blow off some steam in the pool sessions. I was happy enought with the 5 / 6 mates I lived with over the past two years. I did a bit of a Gavin Sheehan and quietly went to the pool and maybe said a word or two to Sean, Emer, or maybe Luke Kelly (who was my first ever teacher). However, that never seems to work out, because the loud, confident, boisterous members quickly cut that behaviour out!
I particularly remember Simon McCormack who taught me how to roll, and pretty much not kill myself on the water... he was a great man for pushing someone that bit more.
The lack of gross competitiveness also is a HUGE plus for me... because that's hard to come by in UL!
(Feck, this is getting long now
)
Anyway, the trips were great, the people were great and all that shite... and this is way too long for me to be arsed proof reading so I hope my points come together coherently...
...as I said at the start of this chronic word expedition, I STARTED paddling just going for the sake of sanity...
...BUT... anyone can join a club (I'd been part of 8 different ones before then)!!!
What made me STAY were the people! They taught me so much, were incredibly sound and welcoming and great at getting you involved. The Dan DeMannio paddle high helped too. But everyone always has a soft spot for those experienced feckers! With their RSRs, and their REC 1, 2 and 3s... their drysuits and their sweet protection helmets! (suppose that's fair though, because they seem like your guardian angel on the river).
It was also the newbies, the fresh meat, the young-bludz that kept me engaged and involved. Sam O'Connor, Joe Doyle, Tom O'Brien, C-Lowe Bucketz and all those fellas (and the girls too) kept me around! They even kept me using this feckin forum, so, yeah...
sorry for wasting your lives. If you made it this far, the internet hasn't eroded your brain enough!
I joined the kayak club at the beginning of my 3rd year, with the knowledge that it would be the worst two semesters of my entire degree. I decided that summer that I had to join a club properly to keep me happy, positive, stress-free, sane... all those good things! I had tried different clubs (and was particularly eager about basketball when I joined in 1st year) but found the "mainstream" sports overly-competitive.
At the recruitment drive I saw my friendly neighbourhood class-rep Sean Murphy, and I went for a chat. He convinced me to join this club, which at the time had no extra significance (in my own head) than the newly formed Tea Appreciation Society, which I also joined!
So I pretty much joined because Sean Murphy and Ms. Emer Farrell told me to! #TeachersUniteSo I started paddling for a very boring reason.. to keep MYSELF sane and blow off some steam in the pool sessions. I was happy enought with the 5 / 6 mates I lived with over the past two years. I did a bit of a Gavin Sheehan and quietly went to the pool and maybe said a word or two to Sean, Emer, or maybe Luke Kelly (who was my first ever teacher). However, that never seems to work out, because the loud, confident, boisterous members quickly cut that behaviour out!
I particularly remember Simon McCormack who taught me how to roll, and pretty much not kill myself on the water... he was a great man for pushing someone that bit more.The lack of gross competitiveness also is a HUGE plus for me... because that's hard to come by in UL!
(Feck, this is getting long now
)Anyway, the trips were great, the people were great and all that shite... and this is way too long for me to be arsed proof reading so I hope my points come together coherently...
...as I said at the start of this chronic word expedition, I STARTED paddling just going for the sake of sanity...
...BUT... anyone can join a club (I'd been part of 8 different ones before then)!!!
What made me STAY were the people! They taught me so much, were incredibly sound and welcoming and great at getting you involved. The Dan DeMannio paddle high helped too. But everyone always has a soft spot for those experienced feckers! With their RSRs, and their REC 1, 2 and 3s... their drysuits and their sweet protection helmets! (suppose that's fair though, because they seem like your guardian angel on the river).
It was also the newbies, the fresh meat, the young-bludz that kept me engaged and involved. Sam O'Connor, Joe Doyle, Tom O'Brien, C-Lowe Bucketz and all those fellas (and the girls too) kept me around! They even kept me using this feckin forum, so, yeah...
sorry for wasting your lives. If you made it this far, the internet hasn't eroded your brain enough!
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GavinSheehan
- I have notions
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fŭck this sport
Sheep, like all wool-bearing animals, instinctively travel north, where it's colder, and they won't be so stuffy.
087 751 4733
087 751 4733
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PatrickBrennan
- This Is The Rank Title For 400 Posts Congratulations
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Bump
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PatrickBrennan
- This Is The Rank Title For 400 Posts Congratulations
- Posts: 471
- Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2014 11:47 pm
Bump
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Shane_Desmond
- Preposterous amount of posts "Preposter-Post"
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- Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2015 11:21 pm
Or are you reading this thread to remember why you used to kayak?SamOC wrote:I wanna hear how this years batch of first years are getting on!
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Shane_Desmond
- Preposterous amount of posts "Preposter-Post"
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My dick pics are a spectacle to be taken seriously
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rhonacrowley
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We're hanging in there.SamOC wrote:I wanna hear how this years batch of first years are getting on!
In all seriousness though...
The question of why someone would join the club seems to be a popular one to annoy people with around here so here it goes! After playing GAA until I was about 15 I found myself with close to no other clubs to become involved with back home in West Cork. If you’re not one of the knacky players on a GAA pitch you end up on the bench which kills your interest and doesn’t allow you to develop your skills. So when I went to the C&S open drive I specifically looked for clubs that I could get away with being a complete eejit of a newbie in (which I still am). Hearing that most of ULKC’s beginners had never paddled before immediately had me sold on joining. Discovering that travelling plays a big part of the club was also an added bonus.
After a few weeks of crashing into everyone at the pool, the trip to Lahinch was definitely the turning point for me where I began to settle in and enjoy kayaking (even though I may have capsized and climbed through the waist part of my spraydeck leaving that behind on the kayak, because yes I was ridiculously clueless that I couldn’t even find my jesus chord. Soon enough Alex Cummins had me comfortable capsizing and t-rescuing and since then I’ve been loving the adrenaline rush of kayaking whether that has been running rapids on Castleconnel or catching waves in Donegal. Trying out the different disciplines of kayaking in the Club Olympics definitely left me eager to up my skills so I could try at other disciplines too such as Polo or eventually maybe even the mind boggling free styling. The people in the club have me hooked. The craic is always had both on and off the water. Everyone is always willing to help you develop your skills without making you feel like a nuisance. The encouraging attitude of everyone around you pushes you to develop your skills and work towards bigger goals. Seeing the sheer skill displayed by the advanced members is absolutely savage to watch too. ULKC's "can do attitude" is completely different than that of any other club. The club allows you to push yourself as far as you want to go in the sport which seems to be limitless hearing about the unbelievable places the likes of Keyes and Mark Scanlon go to. From joining ULKC only in September not only have I discovered a sport I really enjoy for the first time ever but more importantly I've met a great group of people who have already made my first semester at college 10 times better who I look forward to spending many more days out paddling with in the future