WAKE'S annual Lake Padden Symposium

Kayakers around Bellingham are gearing up for this years annual WAKE Lake Padden symposium. WAKE, a non-profit social kayaking organization based in Bellingham, WA, stands for Whatcom association of kayak enthusiasts.

This event, which includes a potluck and paddling seminar, will take place on Saturday, June 23 this year. It will be taking place in the swimming area of Lake Padden.

All Bellingham residents welcome to sign up

Although you must be a WAKE member to participate in this event, non-members may come to Lake Padden on June 23 and join right there before the sessions begin. There is no qualifications to join WAKE, besides having to bring your own equipment. The membership fee for WAKE is $25 per household and is good for one calender year.

“I've never heard of WAKE before, but for $25 it sounds like something worth checking out,” says Bellingham resident Devin Gilmore.

Beginning kayakers welcome to participate

The symposium will include a morning session and afternoon session. The morning session will focus on forward stroke, and the afternoon session will focus on advanced stroke; the leaders of this symposium ask the kayakers to choose the class that fits their own skill level, and to only pick one.

There are a number of instructors that will be involved in these sessions. The four different parts that these instructors will focusing on will be; safety and rescue, intro to kayaking, forward stroke (A.M.), advanced stroke (p.m.), and bracing and edging. The schedule for the days events is the following:

9:00 a.m. The symposium begins with the instructors breaking into groups depending on what skill level people prefer. The instructors will go over what they will be covering in the next few hours

11:30 a.m. Morning session ends.

11:45 to 1 p.m. Lunch potluck.

1:00 p.m., same as morning, participants choose their classes.

3:00 p.m. classes end.

To sign up before June: fill out the membership form and liability waiver. Mail the form, the waiver, and a check to (written to WAKE):
WAKE, P.O. Box 1952, Bellingham, WA 98227.