Friday, May 28, 2010

3 Weekend Kayak Events in NYC: Sebago Open House (Sat) & Greenland Kayaks at the Polar Festival (Sat & Sun., Manhattan)

And Speaking Of Dreaming of Boats -

Are you an NYC-or-environs-thereof resident who also thinks boat dreams are the best kind of dreams? There are a couple of fun things you could do this weekend.

If your best boat dreams are small-boat dreams, and you'd like to bring those dreams to life*, maybe you should come check out my club tomorrow -- we might be just the way for you to do that! Come join us at our OPEN HOUSE: Saturday, May 29, 2010, 10am - 4pm rain or shine. Conditions permitting, we'll have kayaking, sailing, rowing & canoeing. Wear clothes that can handle water, or bring something dry to change into, you'll probably get at least a little wet (how wet depends on which kind of boat you go in). We'll provide everything else.

Public Welcome!

Here's Pictures from '09.
Directions to the club (and all sorts of info about who we are & what we do) at SebagoCanoeClub.org.
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Canarsie too far away? Well, in Manhattan, QajaqUSA (the main U.S. Greenland-style club) is bringing along their very best boats & participating in 2 days of the American Museum of Natural History's "Polar Fest" weekend event. Both days sound fantastic.

For more information on the Polar Festival,
click here!

For more information on Qajaq-USA, visit Qajaqusa.org.

For direction to Pier 66, and more info about New York Riversports, visit pier66nyc.org.
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Saturday the 29th:
On 29 May 2010 QAJAQ USA will present at the American Museum of Natural History’s International Polar Festival in NYC.
QAJAQ USA club members will display replicas of qajaqs from the various coasts of Greenland. One of particular significance at this event, the Goodnow Qajaq, is so named for its home at the Goodnow Library in Sudbury Massachusetts. The original was collected by Professor Alfred E. Burton of MIT, who travelled aboard Lt. Robert Perry’s ship, during one of his expeditions to the northwest coast of Greenland in the late 1890's. Throughout that decade, Perry was gathering ethnographic materials for various museums.

It is interesting to note that on this particular expedition, Perry brought back three large meteorites from the Cape York region, which have found their home just down the hall at the museum.

Experts will be on hand to share their knowledge. Arctic historian, Vernon Doucette, who studied the original Goodnow survey done by then Mystic Seaport curator Mark Starr; Emeritus Mystic Seaport Curator, Ben Fuller; and anthropologist/artist Richard Nonas, who was instrumental in documenting some of the other arctic boats in the museums collection. Throughout the afternoon, replica qajaq builder Fred Randall will be constructing a full size replica of the Goodnow qajaq, allowing the public to see the structure of the craft in comparison to the covered one that is on display.
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Then on Sunday, beginning at 2 pm - Want to see what Greenland boats can do in the water? Well, prithee, get thee to Pier 66 at the Hudson River end of West 26th St. If you've seen a demo like this, you know how cool it is; if you haven't, I bet you'll be blown away.
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QajaqUSA and NYRiverSports/pier66nyc.org invite you to an on-water demonstration of traditional Greenlandic paddling skills:

On Sunday May 30th, at 2:00 PM, members of QajaqUSA, the American Chapter of Qaannat Kattuffiat (The Greenland Kayaking Association), will demonstrate in-water Greenlandic traditional qajaq (kayak) skills such as qajaq rolling at Pier 66 in Hudson River Park at West 26th Street.

Come by and watch the show from the pier or with a beer and a burger from the deck of Pier 66 Maritime's café next door. You can also get information on the many non-motorized boating programs available to the public at NYRiverSports/pier66nyc.org

This event is being presented in association with Saturday's International Polar Festival at the American Museum of Natural History, where QajaqUSA members will display replicas of qajaqs from the various coasts of Greenland.
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I am SO upset I can't make either of those! Reasons are good - I'm helping at the open house on Saturday, then on Sunday my sister's arriving on a jet plane, first time she's visited me here in years & I'm psyched, but dang I wish I could be 2 places at once!!!

(Thanks to the friends who posted about the AMNH events - happy to pass them along, sorry I didn't get to it sooner!)

*Already managed to make your small-boat dreams into reality? You're still more than welcome to come to our Open House, but you might have more fun at our all-club invitational on July 17th. Just sayin'.

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