Trumbull Canoe Trails - Midwest Canoe Symposium

This past weekend I had the good fortune to attend the Midwest Canoe Symposium (MCS) at Camp Butler in Peninsula, Ohio. It is one of five gatherings of freestyle paddlers each year at different locations around the country. MCS offers many classes, primarily in freestyle manuevers, but also in forward strokes, back strokes, paddling in wind and waves, etc. They are held on Lake Litchfield. There are also freestyle exhibitions by advanced paddlers on Saturday evening and a delightful candlelight paddle for everyone on Friday night.

I encourage canoeists to attend this or one of the other freestyle gatherings around the country to get a taste of freestyle paddling. If you think you already know how to paddle, prepare to be humbled. Paddlers in this subculture of canoeing have an amazing ability to command the boat to do what they want with great efficiency by paddle placement, heeling the boat, and subtle shifts in blade angles. They know how to hit the “sweet spot” with their paddles to get the boat to turn, slip, and spin almost effortlessly. It is beautiful to watch, fun to try, and gratifying when one begins to successfully execute freestyle manuevers.