Oval’s Paddling Centre

It’s hard to say which province or city in Canada (or the world) has the best kept secret of where is the best place to train if you’re heavily into water sports. Living where I am on the south coast of BC (British Columbia) you are able to train year long (if you want to) on the water. However the rest of the province and Canada is buried under snow, so they can not head out to their favourite watering hole for a practice but instead are able to train either at a pool sitting on the deck with paddle in hand or in a true paddling tank.

Over the years I have wished we had one out here for the longest time to help spice up our training, as well who wouldn’t want to be indoors paddle instead of being outdoors being hailed on? (Been there done that, no more thanks). A paddler friend of mine from Montreal told me that I should attend one of their indoor paddling practices anytime I want to head out east.

Now I can say we finally got a paddling tank out west! That’s in one of the 2010 Olympic venues buildings that worked along side with a Rowing and Paddling Centre and they designed a paddling tank inside the building, for their rowers and us paddlers (dragon boaters, outriggers and other canoeists). It’s got a boat structure of an 8 person skull or a 10 man canoe/dragon boat (dragon boat team normally has between 20-26 people).

Thier website did not have much information about this paddling tank and even in the email I got back from them saying no more then 10 people in the room. So there goes my idea of having 10 people in the structure and rest of the team on the edge of the deck.

On Saturday I was offered a chance to be in the first dragon boating paddling clinic being that was put on by my coach, in the clinic there was only five people in it so we got more one and one time in the hour that we had then we would have if we had a full boat of 20 paddlers out on the water doing the expect same thing. More pictures on flickr.

It would be interesting to see how much will be changed in the paddling tank once the Olympics is over. I know they will be putting up the mirrors then and adding a video system but not sure what else. A few of us noticed when we first stepped into the boat structure that there wasn’t anything for our feet to go against and if you weren’t careful there were lag bolts sticking up from the corner of the bottom. Hopefully that gets fixed or looked at.

Now we got to wait until April before they re-open up their doors again to the public.

If I had to rate this venue out of three out of five paddles. As not 100% finished and its more of a rowing tank not a paddling tank but it is something.

Lissy | Frithjof | Caity | medina | Chris | Shauna |

Canada Day and new beginings

Yesterday was Canada Day a day to celebrate our county’s 142nd birthday. . I hope you all you Canadians had a blast whatever you were doing.

Every year since I was could remember my family and I took in our (old) towns Canada Day parade and the rest of the activity’s afterward. And or if we were home/in the pool and the wind was right we could smell the famous Salmon BBQ that they always have…. the joys of living in a small fishing town. Though this year I opted out of driving out to take in the venue, as I over slept and I didn’t really want to battle others looking for parking.

I think its the little things I’m missing about my old place, like every year there would be a paper Canadian flags in everyone’s front lawn, so everyone could have a flag when they head down to the parade, which was done by a realtor who lived in the subdivision as well I went to school with her two sons. If I was able to find those flags I would have done it to my neighbours but I ran out of time. The city I’m in now had their own celebrations, I think I saw more of my neighbours yesterday out and about on the street then I have all year. I didn’t take part in it this year as I took out my Mom for lunch instead.

Growing up and watching those I am Canadian, Molson Canadian beer commercials on tv with one of them sticking to my mind to this day though I can’t find it on youtube. Where this person had a tattoo of Canada with the flag filling it in.. (tired googling but found more American tattoos of that style.) Since I first saw that commercial I wanted that tattoo or something close to it, to mark that I was a proud Canadian.

We all show how patriotic we are to our country in different ways: some are willing fight and die for us, others will be presenting their county at a sporting event or flying their country flag all year long (not just on the country birthday). Like many, I have opted for a Canadian Maple Leaf tattoo with a dragon boat paddle.

To the neighbours to the south have a great 4th of July this weekend.

How did you spend your Canada Day / July 1st?
How patriotic are you? Just on your countries birthday or all year long?
Would you ever get a patriotic tattoo?

Tyler | Michelle | Lana | VancityAllie | Caity | Pearl |