Devon Barker sends this news from the World Cup of Freestyle Kayaking…
August 10, 2008
Today is the first day of my travels to Europe for the World Cup of Freestyle Kayaking. Traveling from Idaho is a little bit harder than many other places. I flew this morning from Boise (BOI) to Las Angles (LAX) to Vancouver, BC and then I will fly to London, England, to my final destination of Prague, Czech Republic. I am in Vancouver with a 5-hour layover.
I went to Tim Hortonandrsquo;s, the equivalent of Star Bucks but in Canada and got coffee and two donuts and now am working on a little bit of internet work before I go out for lunch to pass the time. When I get on the plane at 5 pm it will already be 1 am in Prague. They will serve us a quick dinner and we will go to sleep to try and acclimate to the new time zone. I will be 8 hours ahead of you the whole time I am in Europe.
The last time I was in Prague was in 2005 when I traveled with Lenka Novonta for three freestyle competitions. Lenka is on the Czech Team and lives just outside of Prague. I met her on the Payette River in 2001 while she was in Idaho working as river guide for the summer with Cascade Kayak and Raft. We will travel to Augsburg, Germany and then Thun, Switzerland together for the rest of the World Cup tour. Then, back to Prague, 8 hours from Thun and I will spend one last night before flying to home. My return trip is a little better; I fly Prague, London, Vancouver, Portland, and then Boise. To my students, I will see you on September 4th! Study hard and learn lots about Europe. I will be bringing back pictures and video to share with you!
You can follow the world cup tour at http://www.kayaksession.com/intro-WC2008.php and at www.jacksonkayak.com.
Ms. Devon
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August 13, 2008
Kayaking as Gateway to the World
I just finished my first training session at the Prague Whitewater Canoe and Kayak center. This course was built in 1985 during the communist regime in Czechoslovakia. Czechoslovakia, now two countries the Czech Republic and Slovakia were under communistic rule for a long time. These countries split in 1991 shortly after the end of the communism. The Russians occupied Czechoslovakia from 1948-1989. This course was built as a training center for salmon kayakers so they could dominate the world in paddling. A man named Dufeck trained very hard and won the first round in the 1953 World Championships in Italy but then threw the race so the limelight would not be on him. He could have won but without the attention on him he was able to escape by paddling to another country. He paddled his way away from communism to freedom. It is so striking to me to not be a World Champion Gold medalist because it was more important to choose freedom. It is stories like this that help me to realize how lucky we are to be Americans our whole lives. I know not the struggle for freedom.
When I left Idaho this year I was homesick before I left. I am usually homesick a few weeks after being abroad but then I am okay, as I know I will be coming home soon. I was welcomed here by many of my friends from around the world and that helped me to feel a little more at home.
During my training session I was reunited with Marsha from St. Petersburg, Russia who I met while paddling on the Nile in Uganda, Valrie and Erik from Canada/Norway (she is a citizen of both countries), we paddled in Spain together eight months ago, Jessie Stone from New York, but spends most of her time in Uganda running Soft Power Health, Ruth Gordon from Canada, and many of my Czech friends I have not seen in three years. The international atmosphere is amazing here. Meeting my friends from around the world helps me to be a little less homesick and knowing that I have the freedom to travel to anywhere in the world to see them is an amazing. I think my next stop might be to St. Petersburg to paddle. I will leave you with a few Czech worlds and another website to check for video of Prague and the kayaking at the course.
Cau- Bye for now, Bless you all for your support. Devon
Thank You- dekuji
Toast- nazdravi
Hello- Cau, Ahoj, Dobry den
To Play- hrat si
Check out www.southmainkayakteam.wordpress.com for a map link, (World Cup Map), video, write-ups, and pictures for the World Cup Tour 2008.
Devon Barker P.O. Box 4445 1005 Woody Dr. McCall, Idaho 83638
C-208.413.0319 H-208.634.2581 www.barker-river-trips.com
Call or check these links for DARE TO KAYAK presentations for schools andamp; youth groups
http://www.jacksonkayak.com/teamjk/teamm…
http://www.nrsweb.com/team_nrs/team_memb…
http://www.hughesriver.com/devon-barker….
Check out my great sponsors and their gear and services for an Idaho Vacation!
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Devon makes Idaho proud with a good showing at the Worlds in Ottawa.
This is Devons update from the Jackson Kayak website:
Inspired World Championships May 5, 2007 By Devon Barker:
Friday was Semi Finals and Finals on Mini Bus Eater Wave on the Ottawa River in Canada. I finished 7th but missed my air blunts which would have advanced me into the finals. As I watched the Womens finals I was so inspired by the skill level from Ruth Gordon. I am fired up to learn Pan Ams and improve my clean blunts. Ruth is our new World Champion! WC Here is a link to the results.
In the finals the tow in rope broke. Tyler Curtis flipped on the tow when it broke and then it was too long during Nick Troutmans ride costing him an unlucky flush. The judges gave both Tyler and Nick another ride. If I was not inspired enough by Ruth Gordons performance EJ made sure to top off my day by winning another World Championships. He is amazing! Dan Burke won the C1 finals with an awesome McNasty at the buzzer. It was fabulous. Emily won Jr. Women and Garcia (NRS Ambassador) won Jr. Men. We were all on our feet cheering throughout finals. Nick and Dane both got 3rd in Sr. Men and Jr. Men. The closing ceremonies were great and we were clad in our new Nike uniforms. I am off to Reno and then the Colorado for clinics, demos, Steamboat, and Vail. Then I will head back to Idaho to work on clean blunts and pan ams! Maybe Skook, maybe Wenatchee, but for sure Gold Hole! Tow-In Surfing Video (QuickTime 5.4 MB)
Going West!
devon
Devon makes Idaho proud with a good showing at the Worlds in Ottawa.
This is Devons update from the Jackson Kayak website:
Inspired World Championships May 5, 2007 By Devon Barker:
Friday was Semi Finals and Finals on Mini Bus Eater Wave on the Ottawa River in Canada. I finished 7th but missed my air blunts which would have advanced me into the finals. As I watched the Womens finals I was so inspired by the skill level from Ruth Gordon. I am fired up to learn Pan Ams and improve my clean blunts. Ruth is our new World Champion! WC Here is a link to the results.
In the finals the tow in rope broke. Tyler Curtis flipped on the tow when it broke and then it was too long during Nick Troutmans ride costing him an unlucky flush. The judges gave both Tyler and Nick another ride. If I was not inspired enough by Ruth Gordons performance EJ made sure to top off my day by winning another World Championships. He is amazing! Dan Burke won the C1 finals with an awesome McNasty at the buzzer. It was fabulous. Emily won Jr. Women and Garcia (NRS Ambassador) won Jr. Men. We were all on our feet cheering throughout finals. Nick and Dane both got 3rd in Sr. Men and Jr. Men. The closing ceremonies were great and we were clad in our new Nike uniforms. I am off to Reno and then the Colorado for clinics, demos, Steamboat, and Vail. Then I will head back to Idaho to work on clean blunts and pan ams! Maybe Skook, maybe Wenatchee, but for sure Gold Hole! Tow-In Surfing Video (QuickTime 5.4 MB)
Going West!
devon
Idaho Statesman - Edition Date: 04/16/07 D.A.R.E. spin off gets kids hooked on kayaking. Champion kayaker from McCall has created a program that offers an exciting alternative to drug use…
As she has been living her dreams, a McCall kayaker has put a new slant on the D.A.R.E. program, which is a national drug prevention effort. Devon Barker, a certified teacher and a member of the U.S. Kayak Freestyle Team and the U.S. Ocean Surf team, melded her enthusiasm for teaching kids and her zeal for kayaking to offer an adjunct curriculum to the D.A.R.E. program. She calls her program “D.A.R.E. to Kayak,” and conducts classroom presentations and water-based experiences that suggests to kids an alternative to the temptations of drug abuse.
Barker first presented the program in 2001. She had left her full-time position teaching elementary school and was heavily involved in competitive kayaking. But she still wanted to reach out to children and share her love for kayaking and how it enhanced her life.
Lately, she’s been able to do that, as her adventures have touched the lives of school children in Idaho, Nevada and North Carolina. Kids engage in Barker’s sessions, where they gain knowledge about making healthy choices and ideas on how to be involved in activities that steer them away from drug use.
“I feel most passionate visiting schools in Idaho; we have such incredible whitewater,” Barker said.
Youths in McCall, Lewiston, Riggins and Grangeville were recent recipients of her program.
Modeled after the national program D.A.R.E., which she was required to teach when she worked in the public schools, Barker’s program has a unique emphasis. The original D.A.R.E. stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education, and it was created in 1983. It’s a drug abuse prevention program that works on skills children need to dodge drugs, gangs and violence. School districts across the nation use the program.
Traditionally in D.A.R.E., students are given accurate information on drugs, alcohol and tobacco. Instructors teach solid decision making skills, as well as teach the children to recognize and resist peer pressure. Positive alternatives to drug abuse are covered as well.
D.A.R.E. uses police officers to provide lessons in the classroom for students in kindergarten to 12th grade. Barker adapted the program by adding sessions in kayaks, creating her own lingo and meaning for what D.A.R.E. stands for, and gearing it to two age levels grades 3-6 and 7-12.
Barker said what D.A.R.E. means to her is: Dare to be who you want to be; Always do an activity that you love; Risk losing so you can reach your goal; and Everything can be achieved with hard work, dedication, clear vision and a deep down drive that says “You can do it.”
She focuses on how cool kayaking is while she strives to raise children’s self-esteem. Classroom presentations may include interviews with other successful kayaking kids on the U.S. Junior teams, as well as videos and journaling.
Barker uses kayaking as an example of an adventure sport that is a healthy alternative to using drugs. Kids get a taste of a sport that has taken Barker to distant places.
As a member of the U.S. Freestyle Team since 2002, she has traveled in America and to Europe, Chile, Australia and Canada for competitions. In 2004 and 2005, she was a national freestyle kayak champion, in addition to winning surf kayak awards.
D.A.R.E. to Kayak operates on a donation basis. Now on her sixth year of a leave-of-absence from full-time teaching, Barker competes in kayaking events full time. That means she has an extensive travel schedule and conducts her correspondences and her D.A.R.E. presentations while on the road in the areas she competes. After the World Championships in April, she will head to Reno and Colorado in June for a West coast competition tour.
Her D.A.R.E. to Kayak emphasis involves encouraging kids to get involved in activities that keep them mentally and physically active. She said she tailors her program to the unique needs of the school or youth group she works with. For the younger students, she provides D.A.R.E. to Kayak, but the older students get Extreme Challenge.
Presentations can run from 60 to 90 minutes in a classroom. A second layer of instruction involves a few hours at a pool, pond or lake for water-safety education. Students get hands-on experience by paddling a kayak and practicing safety techniques, including getting out of a capsized kayak.
This winter, Barker worked in McCall with a Boy Scout troop from Eagle that went to the mountains for a winter camping weekend that included D.A.R.E. to Kayak classroom instruction and kayak sledding on snow, “a neat little twist in it,” Barker said.
Typical indoor classes are held to a maximum of 50 children, while on-water sessions include a maximum of 30 children participating in pairs. Barker borrows kayaks from area retail shops.
Jackson Kayak, a company that designs and produces child-sized kayaks, sponsors Barker and hosts her Web page.
Contact Barker for presentation information.
Idaho Statesman - Edition Date: 04/16/07 D.A.R.E. spin off gets kids hooked on kayaking. Champion kayaker from McCall has created a program that offers an exciting alternative to drug use…
As she has been living her dreams, a McCall kayaker has put a new slant on the D.A.R.E. program, which is a national drug prevention effort. Devon Barker, a certified teacher and a member of the U.S. Kayak Freestyle Team and the U.S. Ocean Surf team, melded her enthusiasm for teaching kids and her zeal for kayaking to offer an adjunct curriculum to the D.A.R.E. program. She calls her program “D.A.R.E. to Kayak,” and conducts classroom presentations and water-based experiences that suggests to kids an alternative to the temptations of drug abuse.
Barker first presented the program in 2001. She had left her full-time position teaching elementary school and was heavily involved in competitive kayaking. But she still wanted to reach out to children and share her love for kayaking and how it enhanced her life.
Lately, she’s been able to do that, as her adventures have touched the lives of school children in Idaho, Nevada and North Carolina. Kids engage in Barker’s sessions, where they gain knowledge about making healthy choices and ideas on how to be involved in activities that steer them away from drug use.
“I feel most passionate visiting schools in Idaho; we have such incredible whitewater,” Barker said.
Youths in McCall, Lewiston, Riggins and Grangeville were recent recipients of her program.
Modeled after the national program D.A.R.E., which she was required to teach when she worked in the public schools, Barker’s program has a unique emphasis. The original D.A.R.E. stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education, and it was created in 1983. It’s a drug abuse prevention program that works on skills children need to dodge drugs, gangs and violence. School districts across the nation use the program.
Traditionally in D.A.R.E., students are given accurate information on drugs, alcohol and tobacco. Instructors teach solid decision making skills, as well as teach the children to recognize and resist peer pressure. Positive alternatives to drug abuse are covered as well.
D.A.R.E. uses police officers to provide lessons in the classroom for students in kindergarten to 12th grade. Barker adapted the program by adding sessions in kayaks, creating her own lingo and meaning for what D.A.R.E. stands for, and gearing it to two age levels grades 3-6 and 7-12.
Barker said what D.A.R.E. means to her is: Dare to be who you want to be; Always do an activity that you love; Risk losing so you can reach your goal; and Everything can be achieved with hard work, dedication, clear vision and a deep down drive that says “You can do it.”
She focuses on how cool kayaking is while she strives to raise children’s self-esteem. Classroom presentations may include interviews with other successful kayaking kids on the U.S. Junior teams, as well as videos and journaling.
Barker uses kayaking as an example of an adventure sport that is a healthy alternative to using drugs. Kids get a taste of a sport that has taken Barker to distant places.
As a member of the U.S. Freestyle Team since 2002, she has traveled in America and to Europe, Chile, Australia and Canada for competitions. In 2004 and 2005, she was a national freestyle kayak champion, in addition to winning surf kayak awards.
D.A.R.E. to Kayak operates on a donation basis. Now on her sixth year of a leave-of-absence from full-time teaching, Barker competes in kayaking events full time. That means she has an extensive travel schedule and conducts her correspondences and her D.A.R.E. presentations while on the road in the areas she competes. After the World Championships in April, she will head to Reno and Colorado in June for a West coast competition tour.
Her D.A.R.E. to Kayak emphasis involves encouraging kids to get involved in activities that keep them mentally and physically active. She said she tailors her program to the unique needs of the school or youth group she works with. For the younger students, she provides D.A.R.E. to Kayak, but the older students get Extreme Challenge.
Presentations can run from 60 to 90 minutes in a classroom. A second layer of instruction involves a few hours at a pool, pond or lake for water-safety education. Students get hands-on experience by paddling a kayak and practicing safety techniques, including getting out of a capsized kayak.
This winter, Barker worked in McCall with a Boy Scout troop from Eagle that went to the mountains for a winter camping weekend that included D.A.R.E. to Kayak classroom instruction and kayak sledding on snow, “a neat little twist in it,” Barker said.
Typical indoor classes are held to a maximum of 50 children, while on-water sessions include a maximum of 30 children participating in pairs. Barker borrows kayaks from area retail shops.
Jackson Kayak, a company that designs and produces child-sized kayaks, sponsors Barker and hosts her Web page.
Contact Barker for presentation information.
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