Traditional Alaska sport requires some training

Published May 5, 2011
By Air Force Staff Sgt. Jeremy Larlee
JBER Public Affairs

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- There are many outdoor activities that people can enjoy in Alaska. Some of these adventures can be dangerous if people do not have the proper training.

In an effort to keep Arctic Warriors and their dependents safe, Raina Panarese, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Outdoor Adventure Program director and kayak instructor, conducts training twice a month at the Elmendorf fitness center pool.

She was introduced to kayaking at a young age through her parents. She also worked for many years as Kayak Ranger for the U.S. Forest Service out of Whittier and Cordova.
She said kayaking is normally a safe activity, but there is the potential for dangerous situations.

"Kayaks are normally a very stable vessel, however sometimes things happen, especially in the Alaskan maritime environment. The weather can move in quickly (and it's dangerous) if the kayaker is a beginner and their paddle skill cannot correct a capsize," she said.

"It is in these situations that people need to have this training to get out of their kayak cockpit upside-down and then get back into their boats in sufficient time before hypothermia sets in.

"Students in this class walk away with the basic understanding of how these rescue skills are carried out. It is up to them to keep building on these skills and practicing," Panarese said.

Panarese said that the warmer water in the fitness center pool is the perfect location to build the student's experience in a low-danger environment.

"The thought of being trapped inside and under the kayak is most students' biggest fear," she said. "However, once students practice a couple wet exits with the help of the instructors, the fear will dissipate. A wet exit is not physically hard at all, but it does require some confidence."

Kayaks were originally developed about 4,000 years ago by indigenous Arctic people, who used them to hunt on inland lakes and coastal waters of the Arctic Ocean, North Atlantic, Bering Sea and North Pacific oceans. The first kayaks were constructed from stitched animal skins over a wooden frame.

"In general, sea-kayaking is not an adrenalin-junkie sport, but if people don't respect how deadly cold the water is in Alaska and how quickly the weather can change, they can find themselves in a very dangerous situation," said Panarese.

"If a novice has a trained guide with them, the proper attire, and the weather and sea conditions are good, then it is not necessarily dangerous to go without this training.

However if a novice finds themselves out of the kayak, without an experienced paddling partner and some training, it could make a bad situation much worse - even life-threatening."

Panarese said the training is also valuable for people who are interested in white -water kayaking. She also encourages people to bring their own kayaks to the training, if they have them, to help them get comfortable on their own craft.

For more information or to sign up for the class, call 552-4599.