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!