One Crazy Summer

As a semi seasoned traveller, I’ve often heard of the common cliché "the places less travelled offer the best and most diverse experiences". The Eastern shore of Virginia didn’t disappoint…

Arriving in Norfolk on the east coast of the USA for the first time I saw, as expected, a multitude of highways, advertisements and block buildings. Although coming from a life in Asia, I felt strangely at home.

After a 20-minute drive courtesy of my ‘local’ girlfriend, Ashley, we arrived at the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay bridge tunnel. Here she told me this was the last turning point before leaving the mainland and if there was anything I wanted to buy or do that required anything larger than a small row of shops, now was the time to say so. I happily declined the offer, and we began making our way across the ocean on the pillar- supported road to the eastern shore.

Arriving on the shore, surrounded by greenery and wildlife, I wondered if in fact we had crossed time zones and not the 20-mile stretch or so of the Chesapeake Bay. We headed to the town of Cape Charles and although I didn’t know it at the time, this was to become my temporary home during the most visitor-populated summer months.

Whilst in Cape Charles I bumped into a well-known figure in the town, Dave Burden. After I pieced together some clues I had picked whilst in the town I discovered that Dave was, amongst other roles, the owner of South East Expeditions (SEE), a one stop shop for any water based adventure you might seek. Luck seemed to be on my side that afternoon as Dave spoke of a potential position at SEE for the summer months to include any job from moving wood to leading kayak tours. I’ve always embraced a varied schedule so this possibility, in this setting, initially seemed too good to be true – it wasn’t.

Working at SSE did, as I thought, involve a wide range of jobs from moving kayaks to looking after the store. The first highlight came in the form of an ACA (American Canoe Association) course, which at that time was the barrier between what I was currently doing and becoming a kayak guide. Although I had a large amount of experience in water based sports it was clear from the outset that even though we were in a relaxed rural setting, it was vital to apply ourselves every step of the way for both quality and safety purposes. Making it through the action and theory based course along with spending hours and hours developing my area specific knowledge led to my first opportunity to lead a kayak tour. Taking people out kayaking would involve preparation in boat moving, readying the guests for the adventure that awaits them and most importantly ensuring everyone has a good time, whilst keeping the day problem free. As each trip is so different and based on a massive number of variables including weather, tide and people, knowing the area inside out became vital.

Pretty soon, as the season took off I found myself taking folks out on a daily basis to assist them in exploring the wonders of an untouched, nature rich area. The only time it seemed not to be sunny was during a rare storm and that became a fascinating experience in itself. As time went on my enthusiasm for showing visitors the area only seemed to grow and it’s safe to say I even became accustomed to the hotter-than-England climate.

The days were varied, sometimes I would be leading a family of four on their first kayak adventure and my aim would be to give them a gentle introduction to what I hoped, for them, would become a lifelong indulgence. This would involve meandering through the salt marsh discussing the area, kayaking or just life in general. Other times I would be leading (or chasing) a group of teenagers keen on pushing as many boundaries as possible, this I found this surprisingly easy to manage as a decade ago, I was that teenager. Exploring the islands beyond the marsh became a fascination of mine and even up until the day before I left I was finding new ways to make each trip unique.

Eventually commitments elsewhere caught up with me and it became time to pack my bags. Although my time on the shore was in many ways short, it was long enough for me to be sure I’ll be back and I’m thankful to all who made it happen.

James and Ashley enjoying the sights and sounds of the Annual Chincoteague Pony Swim from the best seats in the house

Storm the Shore & Kiptopeke Kayak Symposium

This weekend the Cape Charles area will play host to two major kayaking related sporting events. The Kiptopeke Kayak Symposium runs from September 23^rd – 25^th, and is headquartered at Kiptopeke State Park. The Storm the Shore Adventure Race starts at 9:00am on Saturday the 24^th and runs for 30 hours through mid-day on Sunday.

The Kiptopeke Kayak Symposium will offer a wide range of courses for paddlers of all different skill levels. The focal area for this event will be the seaside of the Eastern Shore, one of the most remote and scenic areas on the mid-Atlantic. Participants will be attending from at least 5 states and the District of Columbia. They will have access to a wide range of courses, with small classes that will be delivered by some of the area’s top coaches.

Paddlers will be able to choose from a wide selection of courses each day, including both skill development and touring options. Some courses will be offered in the calmer waters of the Chesapeake Bay, while others will take place in more challenging open ocean environments.

The Storm the Shore Adventure Race returns to the area after a two- year hiatus. This popular event is the highpoint of a challenging series of adventure races put on by Hampton Roads Advenutre (HRAdventure). Hampton Roads Adventure is a volunteer not-for-profit organization dedicated to bringing affordable and accessible adventure racing to the Mid-Atlantic region.

Adventure Racing is a multi-discipline sport requiring teams to navigate their way through challenging terrain using nothing more than a map, a compass, and their wits. Adventure Race teams must travel together throughout the entire competition whether they are trekking, paddling, biking, and even while ascending the face of a mountain. Adventure Races are a true test of physical endurance, mental tenacity, heart, and teamwork regardless of whether it is a sprint race lasting 6 hours or an expedition race lasting several days. There is no other sport that delves as deeply into the human experience.

For more information on either of these events, or to find out how you can volunteer to assist with future events, please contact SouthEast Expeditions at (757)-331-2680, or visit their web page at www.SouthEastExpeditions.com.

While both events are primarily organized and put on by groups from off the Eastern Shore, the professional kayak guides and staff at SouthEast Expeditions are recognized as vital local partners with the unique knowledge base and experience to ensure that these events are safe, fun, and successful for everyone involved. As the Eastern Shore continues to gain recognition as a premier kayaking destination, more and more paddlers are discovering the allure of this land between the waters.

With over 100 paddlers and supporting staff coming to the Shore for these two events, as well as their friends and families, the estimated direct economic impact is expected to be close to $100,000.

A Chincoteague SUP Adventure

As we set up for today’s Stand Up Paddleboard lesson a couple of details led me to think we should do something a little differently. First, the woman who had signed up for the class had just taken a private kayak trip with one of our guides yesterday through the marshes where I normally teach. Second, the waters of Queen’s Sound looked pretty inviting as I drove across the Chincoteague causeway earlier in the morning.

As Kim filled out her paperwork I asked if she was interested in doing a little exploring today in a place where we rarely paddle. With a quiet, subtle confidence she confirmed that she was up for a bit of an adventure and we were off to Queen’s Sound Landing with a couple of SUPs and a rough idea of what the next two hours would bring.

Being a bit exposed half way between the mainland and the island, our launch site picks up wind a little earlier and more effectively than I had anticipated. Shortly after we hit the water it was clear that for a beginner paddler, heading in to the wind was not going to be all that much fun, and in fact if the wind picked up it may not even be possible.

I scrambled a plan B, talked it over with Kim, and darted back to the car to call the shop to arrange a pick up over on the mainland. Kim and I were going to do the first ever SUP run from the Chincoteague causeway to the mainland of the Eastern Shore.

For a petit quiet vet from Pennsylvania to sign on to this program so quickly told me that the confidence I sensed earlier was indeed real. It also should have told me that she didn’t really understand what we were getting ourselves in to.

25 minutes later as we ripped along down-wind, Kim was practicing getting on and off the board (off is pretty easy) when she looked over her shoulder and saw how far we had come from where we set out. She confirmed my suspicions when she said “Wow. I had no idea how much of an adventure we were in for.”

But she hung in there and was soon pitching herself down the faces of the 2-3 foot rolling chop that had been kicked up by the ever-increasing Southeast wind. We made some jokes about how we should have been doing a kiteboarding class instead, but Kim kept putting the paddle in the water and making progress toward that distant shore.

More than once I watched a wave rear up behind her as she crossed a shoal and had to stop myself from yelling advice that would just confuse her. Back on land later, she would confirm that ignorance is bliss by insisting that if she had any idea how big the waves were it would have totally freaked her out.

By the time we hopped off our boards at the Captain’s Cove Marina I was truly impressed by how well my quiet, confident new friend had handled both herself and her board as the first person to cross this sound by paddleboard. To do it in those kinds of conditions was even more impressive.

If you saw Kim riding her bike down Maddox to the beach, or sitting at the Sea Star Café having lunch you probably wouldn’t think “I’ll bet that woman is a bad ass on a stand up paddleboard.” But you should – because she is.

Thanks for a great day on the water Kim. I am looking forward to getting back out there to push my limits as much as you pushed yours, and I hope to be able to do so with the good humor and grace that you exhibited all day.

Today this is why I love my job. Tomorrow it could be because of a great adventure we have on the water with you. Make it happen!