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Maintenance Day 10/25 cancelled due to Car Show on the golf course
From Mike S.
10/12/2009

There is a major car show event on the golf course all weekend 10/22-25, so we need to cancel our first maintenance day. I'm moving the date to Sunday , November 1st, from 8:am to noon.
We still have the following Saturday, November 7, scheduled for maintenance as well -8:am to noon.
It will take all of us to get the canoes scraped, cleaned, washed and waxed. They will then be assessed for damages and scheduled to go to John Miller's for repairs.
Please plan to attend at least one, if not both dates.

Work Days, Practice, Meetings, etc.
From Mike S.
10/7/2009

With the absence of enough paddlers showing up to fill even 1 canoe on most Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, no more races, and shorter days, I am officially stating that we are in our "OFF SEASON". When we scheduled our maintenance days for Sunday Oct. 25 and Saturday Nov. 7, we thought there would be more interest in paddling between now and then. There are still opportunities to paddle, if you can get an experienced steersperson and at least 1 full crew. If there are not 2 crews to go out together, then you must stay on the "inside" (the imaginary line from the end of Port San Luis Jetty to Avila Rock) and you must carry a safety bag with a working radio. With the sun setting earlier and earlier each day (6:38 pm today), you must be off the water by the time it goes down. Active Recognized Steerspersons include Kerry, Elise, Niki, Jill, Mike, Ted, Steve, Dennis, Denny, Tom O., Thom Mc., Austin B., Kyle F., and of course coaches Chris and Will. My intention is not to exclude anyone, just to provide you with options on steerspersons. I know there are a few others with some steering experience, but going out alone this time of year with potentially bigger beach break requires a lot of strength and experience, so please use your best judgment for the safety of all in your canoe.
Don't forget... this Saturday, Oct. 10 from 9 - 11 am is a DEMO DAY. It's an opportunity to bring friends and family out who might want to join as novice next season. Hopefully we will have good weather and good conditions on the water. We are expecting a large turnout, so we definitely need experienced paddlers and steerspersons to help fill the canoes. We may have to go out in small batches for short cruises. We'll aim for a ratio of 3 PKO members with 3 demo day attendees in each canoe, and we'll stay between the piers and Smith Rock. This is for fun, not for competition, and not even for a real work-out, just to welcome newbies and share our passion with them. Please arrive at 8:30 am to help prepare the canoes and get them to the beach.
Even though this is officially our off-season, there are still a lot of administrative housekeeping and equipment maintenance tasks to be done. As I stated above there are scheduled maintenance days on 10/25 and 11/7. We will be washing, waxing, removing old decals, removing damaged seat pads, stripping dirty wax, de-rigging, and generally cleaning and winterizing our canoes and our site. We need as much participation as possible to get all the work done as efficiently as possible. If you raced this season, chose the date that works best for you, and please come help take care of the canoes that took care of you. We had road clean up scheduled on 9/26 and 9/27. Eleven members showed up on 9/26 and go it all done, so we were able to cancel the second day. Great job! And many thanks to those of you who picked up trash!
Some of the elections topics will be presented and discussed at the October Meeting on Tues. 10/20, 6:30 pm at the Yacht Club. As other members bring forth ideas, and candidates enter the election race, we (the current Board) will try to keep the club informed by email. But please plan on attending both the October and November meetings. Elections will take place at the meeting on Tues. 11/17, 6:30 pm at the Yacht Club, and we need a simple majority of our general membership and our current Board to create a quorum and vote on By-laws changes, so attendance is crucial at the November meeting.
Thank you all for your time. Thank you for contributing to a fun and successful 2009 outrigger season. Please help us wrap up the season by 1) paddling and participating in Demo Day this Saturday, 2) pitching in on one of the up-coming maintenance days, and 3) attending and voting at the October and November meetings.

PKO Lodging in SD and MDR
From Denise
4/29/2009

Race weekends are rapidly approaching. Here's some helpful info for paddlers looking for hotel options.

In San Diego (race dates 5/9 & 6/27), many of our members stay at Old Town Inn. It's about 3-4 miles from the race site, has a nice pool and decent free breakfast, and is walking distance to Old Town for tasty Mexican food and frosty margaritas. They have a variety of rooms from $75 to $120 per night. 1-800-643-3025. www.oldtown-inn.com

In Marina del Rey (race date 5/30), many of our members have been staying at the Marina International Hotel and Bungalows. It is walking distance (across the street and caddy corner) to the race site and the after race party (which will be at a new restaurant/bar this year). In the past 2 years I have personally taken the responsibility of reserving a block of 10 discounted rooms - I won't be doing it this year, because I found just as good of a deal booking individual rooms online. However, if anyone else wants to try setting up a cheaper group reservation, it might be possible to beat the online deals. Right now you can book rooms there for $109 - $159 per night, but I think as the dates get closer, the prices go up, so book soon. 1-800-529-2525. www.marinaintlhotel.com

One more reminder, (in case you weren't at the Safety and/or Club meeting last Thursday, or haven't heard it at practice), all members from all SCORA clubs are being assesed a $25 fee to pay off the SCORA RV. The RV is SCORA's race day headquarters. It hauls lots of important equipment to all of the races, and serves as a place for registration and race results to be tabulated. Pale Kai's deadline for paying this fee is prior to Pineapple Express (6/20). Please make your checks out to Pale Kai and give them to me (Denise, PKO SCORA Director), then Pale Kai will cut 1 check to SCORA. Thank you to all who have already contributed the $25.

Season Kickoff Party
From Tom O.
4/29/2009

Our season kick off party will be at my house in A.G. at 331 tally Ho Rd. on May 3rd Sun. at 2:00 P.M. Spouses and children are welcome. I will provide the Brat wursts, sour kraut cheese and also hamburgers and hot dogs. I will have tossed green salad, beans and meatball appetizers. I will provide bottled water and soft drinks.Please bring your own adult beverages, Wine and beer. I will have a blender ready if someone wants to provide makings for margaritas. If you want to put your own veggie burger or chicken breast etc. on the grill you may. I will offer a "corn hole " game tournament. google it if you want to find out about the game. It's big in the south.

If you want to bring a dish to share that would be appreciated but not required. I would appreciate a $5 donation per person to cover my costs. Children are free. I have an I-Pod amplifier if someone has some Hawaiian type music to play (Steve?).

On an unrelated note. Several of us always stay at the Old Town Inn (619)260-8024. Its walking distance to the old town historic center with its many dining and drinking establishments for Saturday evening socializing. It also has a nice free breakfast.

Steerspersons' Mandatory Safety Meeting
Thursday, April 23rd, 2009
5:30 p.m
Harbor Patrol Office (Base of Hartford (aka Old Port) Pier)

PKO Safety and General Club Meetings
From Mike S.
4/9/2009
This month's PKO meeting will not be held at the Yacht Club on the third Tuesday of the month. Instead we will hold a PKO Board Meeting open to all members on Thursday 4/23 at the Port San Luis Office Building (near the base of Harford / Old Port Pier). The meeting will begin at 6:30 pm, and will be preceded by a Steerspersons / Safety Meeting conducted by Greg Weisberg of the Harbor Patrol at 5:30 pm. The Safety Meeting is mandatory for all Steerspersons and Coaches. So, if you are steering or coaching at all, please arrive promptly at 5:30. All other board members and paddlers attending, please come at 6:30.

Thanks to Officer Greg Weisberg's support of Pale Kai, we have the privelege of a special safety meeting combined with a board meeting at the Port San Luis office building. By combining these 2 meetings, only the Thursday 4/23 practice will be canceled.

This is our last Board Meeting before the start of race season. Agenda items will include, SCORA race plans, Pineapple Express, summer keiki plans. If you have any new business, please notify President Mike Shandroff at least 2 days before the meeting to have it included on the agenda.

The dues deadline was April 1st. The club has collected dues from almost everyone who is coming to practice. If you have not paid, or made arrangements to pay, please do so. PAY OR DON'T PADDLE begins April 15th.

I'd like to add that I'm excited about all the positive coaching changes and progress our paddlers are making, and looking forward to a fun and competitive race season.

Outrigger Rescue in SF Bay
From Mike S.
4/9/2009

Please read below. This is a reminder for all steerers and coaches to attend the April 23 safety meeting at the Port Office.

Twelve Rescued From Swamped Canoes
March 31, 2009
U.S. Coast Guard

ALAMEDA, Calif. - Twelve people were rescued from the water near Oakland Airport late after their canoes had been swamped by heavy swells.

The Coast Guard received a report of two overdue 45-foot canoes with six people on each boat during a canoe trip from the San Leandro Marina to the Oakland Airport. The Coast Guard received confirmation of twelve people in distress.

The Coast Guard launched a rescue boat from Station San Francisco and launched an MH-65 rescue helicopter from Air Station San Francisco and also issued an urgent marine information broadcast. The person reporting also responded with his 17-foot skiff. When the Coast Guard helicopter crew arrived on scene, they found twelve people clingling to pilings. All tweleve people in the water were wearing lifejackets.

The rescue swimmer from the helicopter was sent into the water to start rescue efforts. The man driving the 17-foot skiff was also on scene and he teamed with the rescue swimmer in pulling 11 people out of the water and transporting them to nearby land in the vicinity of the Oakland Airport. The helicopter rescue crew hoisted one person from the water and transported him to the airport where he was treated for hypothermia by Oakland Fire Department personnel.

The twelve canoers are from the Out-riggers Canoe Club based out of the San Leandro Marina.

The Coast Guard reminds boaters to file a float plan so that any deviance can be quickly reported and responded to, as demonstrated in this case. Wearing lifejackets also significantly contributed to the successful rescue of all twelve people.

© Copyright 2009 U.S. Coast Guard. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

We're all very blessed to have all the paddlers come home that night. Unfortunately, the canoes were a total loss; one canoe (Force5) suffered a large hole on the side and the hull was cracked down the middle from seat 3 to the end of the canoe. They only found shattered remains of the second canoe. The area where they huli'd was near Oakland Airport where there is no "beach" shore - only rock. - Brad

Videos of Practice Sessions
From Justin and Scott P.
3/30/2009

Pale Kai:
The practice videos have been posted to YouTube. Extra thanks to Scott Poe for posting the videos, Nola & Chad for the Zodiac, and to all who helped with the camera.
-Justin

*****

You can check out this past weekends practice on YouTube.com

1. www.youtube.com/PaddlePaleKai
2. Look for mens or womens.
3. There is some type of order when you get there (e.g., mens 1 of 4, mens 2 of..., or womens 1 of...).
4. If you are watching at work, turn down the volume. The boat motor is a bit loud.
5. Have fun at work watching yourself paddle.

Scott

Great First Week; Issues
From Mike S.
3/24/2009

Congratulations on a successful 1st week of practices. Here are some things to think about as we work out some kinks:

Equipment Maintenance
We had good turn out. Thank you again to all those who did their part as members of PKO.

Those who could not make it, if you have not done so already, please contact me to get on the list for future equipment maintenance. This is mandatory.

Steerers - a big responsibility

Please keep in mind that at this stage in training ,we are doing drills, not racing.

We are seeing a problem with BUMPING the canoes. You make the critical decisions on the water.

OVERLAP is defined by SCORA as when going into a turn, if the inside canoe's most front point has passed the very back of an outside canoe, the outside canoe must give way and let the inside canoe have enough room to make the turn without hitting each other or rocks or turn buoys.

This is practice folks... NO MORE BUMPING or SPINNING out there! You WILL lose steering privileges!

Canoe Damage from the club perspective:
1. Get Ted R. and Mike to evaluate damage, contact Miller and schedule repairs.
2. Steve must gather four volunteers and towing vehicle for 2-3 hours to de-rig, load canoe on trailer, tow to Miller's, unload, return trailer.
3. Miller must fix canoe $100 to $700?
4. PKO is out that canoe while repairs are made.
5. Steve must again gather four volunteers and towing vehicle for 2-3 hours to pick-up trailer, drive to Miller's, get canoe and tow it back to site, then re-rig.
6. Scott and Mike deal with the payment issues.
7. PKO has at least one weakened canoe.

As a Steerer, if you make a bad decision and cause damage, your $300 dues will be burned up, and the club will still have to cover your race fees and insurance and other costs associated with participation. Other paddlers will have to step up to volunteer their time to deal with the problems you created. At worst, canoe damage can lead to injury and death. Please think about this and the way you like to enter the turns.

Coaches and Steerers: we have a few novice steerers out there this year. Please help them out by talking about these issues.

Sand and Grip in the canoes
When you can't grip the bottom of the canoe with your foot, you can't get a strong stroke or a full twist. When you return to the beach and put your canoe on the dolly, please take an extra minute to throw a few bailers of water down the inside of your canoe, then bail out the sandy water before before stowing and covering the canoe. The next paddlers will appreciate it, and so will you when you get in the next cleaned out canoe.

Also, since we have decided to use wax again, please make sure you are not rubbing wax into a sandy bottom.

See you on the water as we make this PKO's best season yet,

Men's Saturday Practice
From Tom O.
3/20/2009

Pale Kai Men,
Due to iffy weather for Sunday I have decided to allow men to practice tomorrow (Saturday) at 0800 A.M. Women will have first choice of seats but there should be enough canoes available. I will also be at the practice Sunday morning and those that didn't practice Saturday should try to make it Sunday. We want to go a long time to work on endurance at the weekend practices. A slight drizzle won't cause a practice cancellation. White caps and blowing rain will.

This Weekend's Practices
From Justin C.
3/20/2009

Just a reminder... This weekend, we have women's practice on Saturday morning and men's practice on Sunday morning. The men and women both want to be on the water by 8:30am, so please arrive between 8:00-8:15am.

Also, it has been decided that it is OK to use wax to keep your feet from sliding, so feel free to bring some surf wax with you this weekend.

2009 Race Jerseys
From Denise S.
3/20/2009

I am placing an order for new racing jerseys on Monday 3/23. The men's and women's jerseys will remain the same as last year.

One minor change will be the up-grade to a new SPF certified, 4-way stretch fabric. The colors are the same, so need to dump your old jerseys, unless you want the new fabric. Long sleeve, short sleeve, and tanks are still available. The prices will be about $25 each.

One new option for the women is a fitted raceback tank top.

If you need or want a new jersey, and didn't sign up for one at the maintenance days, please email or phone me with your request for size and style by Sunday 3/22.

Two Extra Race Jerseys

From Patrick F.
3/20/2009

I have two new, unused jerseys from last year that I would like to sell. They are the men's dark purple, one long-sleeve and one short-sleeve both sized large. I will let these go for $18. They can be picked up in SLO. pfarrar@hotmail.com

Saturday Women's Practice
From Chris C.
3/20/2009

As you may know, I will not be there for Saturday's workout. But, as we all know, each practice is an opportunity to progress. The assistant coach, Mike Shandroff, and myself have discussed this Saturday's workout plan. He will be running practice and addressing some of the main principles that we have, as a group, been working on...

Twist (turn your hips), get those arms straight (locked), grip the canoe with your front foot (heels) and find the power source (core).

I see many of you trying to make real changes in your body form and technique, this is good!

Keep reminding yourself and focus while you are in the canoe. Remember this is your program, listen to the coaches and have a good time.

See you Monday.

2009 Waiver Reminder

From Justin S.
3/16/2009

With 2009 practices officially starting today, please take the time to complete your 2009 SCORA waiver and your Pale Kai waiver and medical info sheet (attached to this email).

Remember, according to our membership policy, all paddlers must submit a signed SCORA waiver and Pale Kai Medical and Emergency Information Form prior to their first paddle of the season. If you are completing those two, you might as well do the third (the Pale Kai Membership Form) at the same time. And it is much easier to complete these at home and bring them to practice rather than filling these out at the club site.

Forms can be submitted to any Pale Kai board member, although the membership coordinators (Laurel & Justin) are preferred.

Coaches and steerspersons, please do what you can to help enforce the waiver requirement.

Pre-Season Work Days
Saturday, March 7th 2009, 9 a.m. and Saturday, March 14th 2009, 9 a.m. RSVP with Mike S.

Re: Work Days
From Mike S.
3/12/2009

We are in the middle of our pre-season maintenance week. Giving a hand in preparing our equipment for the upcoming season is each paddlers responsibility. Many of us take on additional tasks for the club throughout the year besides just paddling, but the job of getting our fleet ocean-ready is a basic responsibility for ALL Pale Kai paddlers each season. We had about half of the club out this past Saturday, which I'm sure is record-breaking attendance for a maintenance day! Way to go Pale Kai! We got a ton done, but have not completed everything needed to start on the 16th.

Things that still need to be done before we can paddle:

Wash and wax the new Lighting canoes.
Replace seat pads where needed in all 8 canoes.
13 club paddles need final sand and varnish (to be done by Pono and Niki).
Iakos need varnish this week - Ted R. coordinating (805-459-8483).
Inventory safety gear - PFDs, radios, flares, whistles, compasses, etc.
Maybe some more road clean up.
And finally, RIG all 8 canoes.

Who came out so far:

Ted R.
Steve
Debbie
Dara
Ted W.
Dennis
Yvette
Justin
Bob B.
Dale
Merilee
Bonnie
Linda S.
Eva
Denny
Yolanda
Scott Poe
Charlotte
Austin O.
Michele
Kiwi Kyle
Kyle F.
Travis
Anthony B.
Stacy Ritter - Novice '09
Heather L.
John Gibson
Nola
Hugh
Dave E.
Dave Dean - Novice '09
Frank Jaramillo - Novice '09
Denise
Mike S.

The following members get credit for working on PKO maintenance at home and/or during their own time:

Linda F. - cleaned covers at home
Elise - repairing cover at home
Tom Mc. - weed-wacked our site prior to last Sat.
Dave Elder - rebuilding dollies at home
Scott Bixler - sanded and varnished 13 club paddles at home
Ted R. - fiberglass repair on amas at home

HUGE MAHALOS to those who were there last Saturday 3/7! Thanks in advance to those who have rsvp'd for this Sat. 3/14, and double thanks to the few who have committed to coming on both Saturdays!

RSVPs so far for this Sat. 3/14 are:

Ted
Steve
Dale
Merilee
Austin O.
Michele
John Gibson
Mike S.
Denise
Laurel
Anne
John S.
Tom O.
Anthony D.
Austin B.
Pat Marshall - novice '09
Joe W.
Gregg F.
Chuck B.
Keya
Cindy
Kerry

Jeff B. and Mike N. have committed to working on the PKO canoe trailer.

This just in... Pono and Niki have agreed to pick up the 13 club paddles that need final sanding and varnishing, and finish them at home.

If your name does not appear on the lists above, and you are planning on paddling this season, please RSVP for club maintenance. It is MANDATORY, and you must contribute before you can paddle this season. We need experienced RIGGERS this Saturday!

2008 Members who have not rsvp'd for 2009 maintenance: (But we hope to see you! Some are not listed because they've confirmed that they're not joining this year.)

U-19s, where are you?
Kyle Blauer
Kyle Chestnut
Mike Cueto
Nate Nunno
Eric Reed
Kyle VanMouwerik

MEN
Evan Buddenhagen
Randy Coates
Mitch Emerson
Bill Fletcher
John Foster
Brian Lacabe
Rob Mohle
Mike Sullivan
Neil Tardiff
John Tricamo

WOMEN
Sandy Beckman
Tifnie Lacabe
Erika Lombard
Nancie Mazzone
Sally Newland
Joanne Richardson

Please RSVP to Mike Shandroff mdshandroff@hotmail.com for maintenance, or let me know if you're not joining this year.

Let's finish the equipment and site maintenance, so we can all get on the water and have some fun! Also, everyone must turn in your race jersey orders ASAP, fill out your '09 SCORA Waivers and PKO Membership Forms and Medical/Emergency info releases (before paddling), http://www.palekai.org/club, and pay dues by April 1. Please bring completed forms and checkbooks this Saturday.

Start Date and Steerspersons' Practice
From Mike S.
3/6/2009

Whereas we have stated that the official start date of Spring practices would be March 21, in light of Chris Cornejo's current situation, we are going to start on Sunday 3/15 at 9:00am, with a practice for all steerspersons only, a steer-coaching clinic with Chris. Please see the below list of steerspersons and steerers-in-training for names of who is expected to show up on the 15th. This is not for paddlers who have never steered. This is for recognized steerspersons and steerers-in-training who have been working on their skills towards racing. Chris will be working with the steerspersons on their roles in the new coaching program, crew management, and on the water steering skills. Chris will follow this up with the first regular women's practices on Monday and Wednesday, March 16 and 18, at 5:30pm. The first regular men's practice will be on March 17 at 5:30pm.

Recognized Steerers:
Greg Foster
Dennis
Kyle
Ted W.
Jeff B.
Mike N.
Denny
Bill H.
Dave Van.
Mike Harkness
Mike Shandroff
Kyle Blauer (U19)
Ken Martin
Chris Cornejo
Will Reichenstein
Elise
Yvette
Kari
Nici
Nancy Mazone
Charlotte
GiGi
Debbie
Tifnie

Steerers-in-Training:
Heather Lewis
Nola
Denise
Austin O'Dell
Michelle O'Dell
Dale
Merilee
Tom Owen
Steve Lessi

The mandatory safety meeting for all steerspersons and coaches will be on Thursday, March 19, at the Harbor Patrol Office at 6:00pm. There will be no men's practice on March 19.

Since we are having so many other meetings and maintenance days this month, we will not be having the regular monthly Pale Kai meeting on Tuesday, March 17 at the Yacht Club. The next Pale Kai general meeting will be on Tuesday, April 21, at 7:30pm (to allow for men's practice).

While Chris remains committed to coaching and improving Pale Kai, his availability at practices will be somewhat limited. We must maximize his time with us. His message to the club follows.

See you this Saturday, or next Saturday, at one of the mandatory maintenance days in Avila starting at 9:00am. Please RSVP if you have not already to mdshandroff@hotmail.com.

Message from Chris
3/6/2009

Regretfully, I have some news of disappointing circumstances. Due to the escalating economic stress that has taken our country and even our small community by surprise, we are having to consider temporarily leaving this area of the beautiful Central Coast. Financially we have found ourselves having to make decisions and changes that we just didn't plan on and really don't want to do. Our decisions have narrowed to this, we are moving our base back down South until things get better.

After many many coaches meeting and much time planning, this new paddling year has brought much excitement in all of our minds. Well...don't everyone panic! My intentions and energies are still very much in the direction of progressing this canoe club to a new plateau. Myself, along with many committed coaches, have a program that will still proceed as planned. I will still remain in this area for much of my work. I will still be engaged in a lot of the workouts and in ALL of the planning involved in our program.

Even from the beginning, way back last year, there were understandings that I would not be available at every workout practice because of my personal race schedule...so this is why I came up with recruiting assistant coaches to help me in and out of the water. All this means for you as paddlers, is you need to really stick to our guidelines and boat etiquette as we ask and require. The foundation I set at the beginning of the year will always stand as the first and most important consideration for our evolution as a good club.

I say again that we NEED to have a good club before we can even consider to have a competitive canoe club. This means that in order to be a successful group, we must first become successful individuals. That is, a person that can contribute to this before they can expect to take away from it. Let's all work on self, mental and physical, get prepared to create a better experience than before! I'm anxious to get started and I know everyone is excited to hit the water, so get yourselves ready. Schedules are in the planning.

Thanks for your help and understanding,

Christopher Cornejo
juulsway@yahoo.com

ANNOUNCING OUR SPRING SEASON MAINTENANCE KICK-OFF!
From Mike S.
2/26/2009

With 8 canoes, our Avila storage site, and our sponsored stretch of
Avila Beach Drive all needing a good deal of cleaning and TLC, we have
decided to schedule 2 maintenance days this year.

Saturday March 7, 2009 at 9:00 am AND/OR Saturday March 14, 2009 at 9:00 am.

If you plan to join Pale Kai for the 2009 season, it is mandatory that
you sign up for at least one of these days. Please e-mail President
Mike, mdshandroff@hotmail.com, to confirm which date you will be
attending.

Please bring 1) clean rags for washing and waxing, 2) buckets/jugs of
fresh water for washing and rinsing, 3) gloves for protecting your
hands, 4) any tools that make road clean-up easier or more comfortable
for you, 5) snacks and drinks for yourself and maybe some to share to
sustain our energy for a few hours of work.

We will be collecting dues on these dates. Deadline for dues is April
1, 2009. Adults are $300, full-time students are $175, U-19's are $50.

We will be taking orders for 2009 race jerseys if you need a new one,
or if you are new to the club. We will also be selling Pineapple
Express 2008 apparel at discounted rates, as well as PKO hats and
visors. Please bring your check books.

Our official start date for Spring practices is yet to be determined
by the coaches, Pres. and VP. But the earliest start date will be
March 15, maybe later, depending on the completion of maintenance and
March weather conditions.

Another important date is Thursday, March 19, 2009 - Safety Meeting
for coaches and steerspersons at the Harbor Patrol Office in Port San
Luis. (more details to follow)

Once maintenance is completed and practices have started in Avila, we
will schedule a SPRING FLING - FOR FUN - SEASON KICK-OFF PARTY!

By the way, this is the last weekend (2/28 & 3/1) for paddling in
Morro Bay. The canoes will be moved back to Avila before March 7 for
maintenance over the following 2 weekends. In other words, no more
OC-6 paddling until we start back up in Avila.

Waivers, Dues, Work Day
From Justin
2/23/2009

A bunch of notes on many topics...

1. SCORA waivers are now available! Attached to this email, you will find both the SCORA and Pale Kai waivers. Remember, all paddlers need to complete both waivers (and both pages of the Pale Kai waiver) each year. If you so desire, you can mail your completed waivers to me:

Justin Crawford
2975 McMillan Ave. Suite 272
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

2. While you are at it, you might as well pay your dues! Dues are $300 for new or returning paddlers, $175 for full-time college students, and $50 for U-19 and below. If you want to get this over with, you can mail your check (payable to Pale Kai) in with your waivers to me at the above address. I will get your checks to Scott (Treasurer) as soon as possible.

3. Remember... We have a work day in two weeks: Saturday, March 7, 9:00am. This will be both a pre-season work party and trash cleanup day. (For those of you newer to the club, Pale Kai is responsible for trash pickup for a good portion of Avila Beach Dr.)

Denise will be taking race jersey orders and selling race sweatshirts, etc. from past seasons, too.

Mark your calendars! Or better yet, check the Pale Kai calendar on the web site... Go to Announcements and then Upcoming Events...

4. Michelle and Austin (shaka_family@hotmail.com) are still looking for people to help with the Pineapple Express. If you are interested, please send them an email!

Thanks, everyone. Enjoy your pre-season. Iron season is almost here!

February Club Meeting
From Mike S.

Please read the following announcements about your club and the
up-coming season:

Tuesday Feb. 17th, 6:30 pm at the Avila Yacht Club is our next
regularly scheduled club meeting. Agenda items will include reports
from each of the Board Members, changes to the Keiki Program this
year, Pineapple Express progress, and scheduling a pre-season
maintenance and clean-up day at our Avila site. (probably 2/28 or
3/7). This is the meeting to decide when to start our official Spring
practices in Avila, how much work needs to be done before then, and
how it's going to get done. We will start the meeting with another
informative, entertaining paddling DVD clip, and once again try to
start the meeting on time, and end by 8:30.

For those of you who have taken the Winter off, haven't been to any
meetings, or have otherwise been out of the loop, here's an update on
behind-the-scenes Pale Kai business:

6 of our canoes (all but the new Lightnings) are being rotated for
repairs out at John Miller's in Arroyo Grande. This includes
fiberglass ding repairs on the manus, pale kais, gunwales and hulls,
as well as new gel coats on the bottoms. It's costing the club some
money, but I think it's money well-spent to keep our fleet in good and
safe paddling condition. I would like to acknowledge our members who
have volunteered to load and off-load the canoes and trailer them back
and forth between Avila, Morro Bay and AG, especially Steve Lessi who
has done much of the coordinating, along with Tom O., Debbie, Dara,
Chris, Julie, Denise, myself, others and the paddlers who happened to
be in Morro Bay when the canoes came and went. Thank you all for
helping out!

Ted R. has coordinated repairs on the club's Huki OC-1s and damaged
amas. With Gavin's fiberglass expertise, those are getting repaired at
Ted's house. Thank you Ted and Gavin, and thanks to Joe W. for
transporting them back and forth!

Scott B. has taken all of the club paddles home and sanded them. He
needs help varnishing them. A few members have offered to help. If you
think you could do a few, please contact Scott B. soon in order to get
them finished by March 8th. Thanks Scott, and any willing paddle
re-finishers!

Linda F., Charlotte, Laurel and Elise have volunteered to clean and
repair our canoe covers, as well as sew some iako and ama covers for
use during transportation. Awesome - thank you! If you need any help
or materials, please let me or Ted R. know.

We had a special request from the property owners in Morro Bay to
clear some ice plant out of the way, so we could move their power boat
and make more room for our canoes. Ted W. coordinated that effort, and
got it done in less than 1 week from the time they mentioned it. Way
to go! I think this goes a long way towards good will and Pale Kai's
relationship with the property owners in Morro Bay. Thank you Ted W.,
Dennis, Dara, Cindy and Keya for your quick work, and thanks to Gregg
Foster and new novice John for bringing the Foster Enterprises truck
and hauling the ice plant to the dump!

Speaking of Morro Bay, we're getting a jump start on attracting and
training new novice paddlers on Sundays at 8 am. Interest is growing,
and we may have to start running 2 shifts. Thanks to Gregg for his
work with the novice men, Denise and I have been working with the
novice women. We've also had help from some of our experienced
paddlers - Ted R., Tom O., Steve L., Michele B. Scott B., a few
others, and occasionally, Chris, Will and Malia have been out to coach
and steer.

Thanks to Chris and Tom O. for working on a coaching strategy for the
up-coming season. Looking forward to some exciting changes and
improvements!

Thanks to Austin O'Dell and Michele Body for their diligent working on
Pineapple Express 2009! They are almost through the permitting
process, and we could really use a few more volunteers on the race
committee.

As you can see, Pale Kai has been busy over the Winter, and we always
need members' volunteer efforts to keep things going. If I left any
names off the "thank you task list", I apologize, and I'm sure we'll
be acknowledging more at the meeting. In addition to the above
mentioned items, I know we still need work on the dollies, Pineapple
Express, and of course we'll need lots of hands helping at the
Pre-Season Maintenance and Clean-up Day to wash, wax, and rig 8
canoes, plus pick up trash on Pale Kai's sponsored stretch of Avila
Bay Drive. If you haven't contributed to club maintenance since last
year (or longer), please step up and volunteer some time and skills.
Pale Kai belongs to all of us, and it takes all of us to keep it
running.

On the new Membership form this year, you'll be asked what areas you
are interested in besides paddling. This will give us a pool to pull
from when things need to get done and give you a chance to learn about
another facet of your sport.

Spring training is only 1 month away, and dues are due by April 1st,
so start saving and get ready to paddle. Hope to see you at the
meeting next Tuesday.

And one more "thank you" to all board members... You are making the
president's job easy.

January Club Meeting
From Mike S.

Note: Tuesday's meeting starts at 6:30pm with a 10 minute paddling video. We will close the doors to latecomers at 6:45. Please call Mike (550-1340) ahead of time if you are are coming, but must be late. Thanks - Mike

Tuesday night, Jan. 20th, 6:30 pm at the Avila Yacht Club we will have a club-wide meeting. We will be discussing winter paddling, the '09 novice program, the upcoming season, and Pineapple Express '09. We will hear from our Event Coordinators, Austin and Michele, about their plans. They will give us a status report and let us know what areas we need volunteers for. This is your chance to sign up for the tasks you are interested in, from parking to raffle to t-shirt sales to being on the race committee itself. It takes all of us to put on this event, so come and get involved.

If you can not make the meeting, but know what you'd like to work on for Pineapple Express, e-mail or call Austin and Michele before the meeting at: shaka_family@hotmail.com, 474-9935.

Pineapple Express 2009
1/19/2009
From Michelle & Austin

We would like to remind everyone that we also need volunteers for the Pineapple Express June 20th. There are plenty of duties that need to be done before race day, and we will be discussing the these things and asking for people to sign up at the meeting on Tuesday. Thanks in advance for everyone's help and cooperation.

Equipment Committee Forming
1/18/2009
From Ted R.

Mike and I have talked about equipment maintenance needs for 2009, and we agree that we need to engage more members in the process of keeping our club's equipment in safe, working order. There are paddles and iakos to refinish, hulls and amas to repair, dollies to refurbish, covers to clean, and rigging to inventory/replenish as required. We even want to come up with a way to protect the iakos during transport, since that's when most of the wear takes place.

We are asking that each of you consider what skill or interest you have that can be put to use in the maintenance effort. At this Tuesday's club meeting, we will be asking each of you to sign a call list for at least one of the maintenance tasks that need to be done prior to, during, and following the 2009 race season. You may or may not be called on, depending on needs and your interests. All paddlers who renew their memberships in '09 will be required to sign-up. So, don't let this stop you from coming to the meeting.

Equipment maintenance isn't always fun, but it has to be done. Since we all use the equipment, we all should share at least some of the responsibility for keeping it up. Working-on and learning more about our canoes makes us saferand better paddlers.

One of our members said it well a couple of years ago... "I just wanted to show up and paddle. There was a point when I said it's time to step up and help out."

Ted Rich

Men's Crews
1/18/2009
From Tom O.

The ' 09 season is rapidly approaching. Hopefully most of you are anxious to be on the water again. Our club has grown considerably and hopefully we can enlist more of our local talent to bring our club to a premier club reputation in SCORA .

One goal we have this year is to bring more top three finishes in all divisions to our club. Another goal I have is to have a pool of race qualified steerspersons to draw from so that no one has to miss out on a practice or race because of a lack of a steersperson. Later on how to accomplish that.

I want to let the men paddlers know we will be forming race crews based on the ability and dedication to practice and improvement from each of you. Steersmen will be consulted and will have a voice in the decision making of who will be in what crew. Our objective will be to have an "A" crew in each division. If enough good paddlers are in a particular division, we will have a "B" competitive crew also. These paddlers will be expected to make all practices with only an occasional missed practice. They will also be expected to commit to all ironman races. This will be flexible to a very small degree as I know we all have other commitments. The competitive paddlers will be expected to get the most out of our workouts. These paddlers should be participating now in a conditioning program of their own so as to "hit the ground running" when our practices start in March. Outrigger racing is an endurance sport.

We won't have crews designated at a steersman's crew. We are Pale Kai crews and will be formed and occasionally rearranged to meet the needs of our club , not an individual's social group. Any one wanting to make a race will be accomodated but it may not be in the same crew if that paddler isn't deemed to be an "A" paddler in his age division. We will have some variations of testing at the start of practice season and a couple weeks before our first race to determine the most competitive crews. Dedication to hard work and team spirit will be a factor. If someone believes he should be moved into the "A" crew in place of someone else we will come up with ways test those people. At the start of the season I will take a survey of those members who wish to be competitive and dedicate themselves to winning. Remember, you may be asked to prove yourself on an OC-1 in the bay and/or pulling an OC-6 by yourself. Your ability to keep in sync with the other paddlers will also be considered.
If you enjoy paddling and going to races but don't believe you want to commit to the effort to be on an "A'' crew list at this time that's O.K. let us know and we will try form crews for every race to get you in a boat.

Mahalo for reading this and Mahalo for wanting to be the best club in SCORA, T.O. Men's coach

Added: from Mike,

Remember, we have a club meeting coming up Tuesday Night at the Yacht Club, 6:30pm. Come ready to let us know which things you want to learn about and volunteer for this year.
Also, we are currently looking for paddlers to help with the paddles and iokos maintenance. Please email me or Ted Rich now to join the maintenance crew. Mike: mdshandroff@hotmail.com , Ted Rich: 459-8483.

Morro Bay Safety and Recognized Steerers
12/24/2008
From Mike S.

There has been a lot of fun paddling so far in Morro Bay. But, we have already had two cold water Hulis at the docks in Morro Bay this year. So in the name of safety here are a few tips, things to think about and things to do if you are going to paddle this winter in an OC6.

Huli Instruction: Steerers go over Huli proceedure before leaving the docks. Make sure this crew knows how you will expect a Huli to run and who will do what. Even though they may all be experienced paddlers, having a plan will let everyone relax and enjoy the paddle without worry.

Warmth: Hypothermia KILLS. Cold water shock will only give you a few minutes to get the canoe turned back over and get everyone out of the water. Know who is going to do what BEFORE a huli. Please dress appropriatly. Wear clothes that when wet still provide warmth (rashguard, board shorts). Have warm clothes and towel in your car waiting for you. Hydrate before and paddle with water. Don't paddle hungover. STEERERS, MAKE SURE ALL LIFE JACKETS CAN BE EASILY REMOVED FROM CANOE IN CASE OF HULI. Make sure no jackets are tied on.
Please take ten minutes and watch this video before you paddle again: http://www.nasbla.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm (thanks Elise), it may save a life.

Currents: Leaving and returning to the docks can be the most dangerous time of your paddle.
Look out at the moored boats and take note of current direction. Check high and low tide times to predict conditions upon your return to the docks. Discuss with steerer.

Crew Strength: We have recieved some concern about crews of four, after a paddle, not being able to get the canoe back up on the dolly and up the ramp on the slippery concrete safely. This is important. We don't want to see any injuries or anyone being swept under a dock. Evaluate crew strength before deciding to go. As always, your steerer, as captain under maritime conventions, will be ultimatley responsible for this decision. Make it wisely.

Upon return: Before docking all steerers must stop and communicate with crew about how they plan to execute docking. Now is the time for a crew discussion. Make sure crew knows who the two paddlers are that will keep their weight on the ama as the others reach for the dock and get out. Also make sure everyone in the canoe is familiar with "Backpaddle" and "Hold Water" techniques.

If current is outgoing, backing in is generally the safest docking method. It allows the canoe to drift to the dock. Listen to the steerer and don't second guess during docking. Keep weight on the ama side until other paddlers are out of the canoe.

If you choose to go head in with an outgoing tide, the risk of a huli increases with the current coming from under the dock aginst the hull and paddlers reaching for the dock toward the current and away from the ama.

If you are not comfortable or able to command the crew through these steps, you are not a qualified steerer and you must have an experienced Recognized Steerer in the canoe with you. Taking charge as Captain is a key to safety.

If you are involved in an incident that involves and injury (call Mike right away: 550-1340), equipment damage or failure, or have any other safety concern, please contact Yvette or Mike ASAP (email addresses below) .
- Show quoted text -

Here is a list of current members and coaches who are Recognized Steerers, Steerers in Training and paddlers who want to learn steerering

Recognized Steerers
Chris Cornejo
John Gibson
Will Reichenstein
Gregg Foster
Dennis Sutton
Kyle Fujimoto
Ted Waterhouse
Jeff Blauer
Kyle Blauer
Mike Nunno
Denny Thatcher
Bill Hurley
Dave VanMouerik
Mike Harkness
Mike Shandroff
Rob Mohle
Jamie Nozzi
Jill Urquhart
Elise McMasters
Yvette Paletta
Kerry Forsyth
Niki Rege
Charlotte Coyes
Gigi Radding
Tifnie LaCabe
Lisa Molin
Nanci Mazzone

Steerers-in-training
Heather Lewis
Denise Shandroff
Merilee Wilhelm
Nola Engelskirger
Michelle Body
Austin O'Dell
Tom Owen
Steve Lessi
Scott Bixler

Paddlers who want to learn
Cindy Holton
Eva Castro

This list is intended for you to know who is recognized, and so our coaches can formulate plans. If you feel that you are misclassified, please let us know.
Thanks for taking the time to think about safety, See you on the water,

Off-Season Training
12/01/2008
From Chris C.

Dear Pale Kai Members,
I'd like to take just a brief moment to introduce the intentions of the new coaching team. I'm sure by now you are all aware of the new coaching staff announced by President Mike Shandroff.
We have spent much time and a lot of discussion in an effort to update the club in coaching practices, techniques and procedures.
I know there are probably many questions. Also, I know sometimes new things and changes can be challenging. While we are organizing some logistics, before we all come together for the 2009 season, it is time to get yourselves ready. Getting in shape for canoe racing starts long before anyone ever gets in a canoe. You owe it to yourselves and your team.
Please take advantage of these next few months to build a training program for yourselves, if you don't already have one. Remember, coaches are only here to guide you along, we can't do for you what you can't do for yourselves. Go to the gym, run, bike, OC-1/OC-2, Concept II, swim, whatever it takes to prepare you for the challenges of your future.
Here are some helpful tips:

1) Getting started is the hardest part-
Usually once you have made the effort you will make it worthwhile. So...
Taking the first five steps means you will probably do a couple of miles, etc.

2) Calendar journal-
Get a calendar exclusively for charting your workouts.
Jot down brief notes of each workout. After time, make assessments on consistency
and progress. The calendar never lies.

3) Partner up-
A workout partner doubles the motivation. However, DO NOT use "not having a partner"
as an excuse to become a couch potato.

4) Make investments-
Making time to workout regularly is crucial. Having equipment to workout is necessary
(GPS, good running shoes, etc.)
Investing leads to results.

Personal goals are the foundation for team goals. Do your homework and learn about yourselves. At this time there is no club regimen workouts, but realistically, cross training is essential for healthy progress. Whatever it is - do it! Work the core group and have fun.

See ya soon,

He's Not Crazy
11/25/2008
From Mike S.

Aloha Pale Kai family,

Just wanted to say have a happy Thanksgiving. And thanks for all of your support with the club. I am very excited to be President again. Many have asked me lately if I have gone crazy stepping up to run Pale Kai. Well, you don't have to ask me again, here's the scoop.

After a long conversation with Chris Cornejo and Julie Way about how a larger club, like ours, can actually provide more opportunites for all levels of paddlers, Denise and I came to a new understanding of the potential of Pale Kai. We then came to an agreement with Coach Cornejo that would result in getting him to coach our women's program and teach us how to take our club to a place that will be more fun with more opportunities for everyone and less pressure and drama. MORE FUN!

A little background on Chris and friends:
Chris is currently one of the top OC1 paddlers in the state as well as a regular crew member in Danny Ching's top Lanakila crew. He has coached in many clubs including five years as Kona's Kai Opua Women's coach. They had over 200 members at that time.

Wil Reichenstein is a Cal Poly Rec. student. He has paddled ever since he was a little kid. Coached by his father, Willy, Billy Whitford, and Sam Couch of NAC, Danny Ching and Coach Cornejo, Wil is also a top paddler in the state. Wil has agreed to assist in coaching.

Gavin Miller and Malia Hohl are also Cal Poly students who grew-up paddling and being coached by some of the best at NAC. Gavin also has extensive knowledge and training in OC1 and OC6 repairs. If you need any work done, let him know. They will be assisting as well.

Then I heard Tom Owen wanted to coach the men. Denny and Gregg were behind the new efforts, and I was given the green light by our Board and then our voting members.

So, I'm back. Not crazy, just stoked.

We had a productive first coaches' meeting Friday night. Tom, Chris, Gregg, Will, Gavin and myself started working on a plan for next season. We also discussed Winter paddling and the Novice. For now, all Novice are to be directed to Laurel and Justin, our Membership Coordinators. They will send any new prospects to the Sunday Novice paddles where Gregg and Wil are coaching. A more structured Novice training program will begin in January.
The first change we are making is an all-out ban on unsolicited coaching comments from one member to another in Pale Kai canoes. You will be coached by a coach or steersperson only. I know it's hard to not share your experience and expertise with a friend who obviously needs your help, but we are going to have quiet canoes where paddlers can relax and concentrate on their own technique.
Also, there will be no pre-formed crews for the 2009 season. Paddlers will get to race at any race they want and will be placed in crews by their coaches. So age, conditioning and commitment will be big factors in which crew you race with.

We have the Lighted Boat Parade coming up soon, and we are still looking for a host for the Dec. 13 PKO holiday party. Contact our new Event Coordinator team, Austin and Michelle. We also have more maintenance on the equipment, contact Ted Rich.

Have a greatful Thanksgiving,

PKO Election Results
11/24/2008
From Heather L..

To all PKO Paddlers
(who were not present at he General Membership meeting...bad kids...)
The following changes to the PKO Board of Directors were passed unanimously.
Please welcome our new board members:

President- Mike Shandroff
Event Coordinator- Michelle and Austin O'dell
Men's Coach- Tom Owen
Women's Coach- Chris Cornejo
Youth Coach- Jeff Blauer

Being a member of the board of directors for Pale Kai Outrigger is a completely voluntary position, and as we have seen from past experience can be very challenging.

Please give our new Directors your complete support so that we can grow and move forward together for the benefit of all our paddlers, as a TEAM!

Welcome aboard gang!

Winter Paddling: Saturday at 10:30 am
11/24/2008
From Heather L..
Aloha all paddlers.

Who is interested in going out Saturday, November 29 at 10:30am? This crew will provide anyone that wants to get some steering time in, an opportunity to do so. These crews will be an on going event throughout the winter so come and join us. If you are on a 7:30 boat and want to join us after that practice, you are welcome to jump aboard also.

Please confirm with me if you would like to have a seat on this boat, and if we have enough interest we will setup a second crew, provided we can recruit another guest steersman.

heather@affordablebs.com

Winter Paddling: Wednesdays
11/17/2008
From Linda F..

Anyone up for WED am paddles please let me know ASAP. Ted said he could steer often. Kerry, Elise, or anyone else that up for steering let me know. It will be a 7:45 get there, on the water by 8 sharp.

Paddlers please commit only if you can make 90% of the workouts, as finding a sub for yourself will be difficult on weekdays.

Lfitty@charter.net or 528-0475

Winter Paddling
11/17/2008
From Ted:

Well, we had a great first Morro Bay paddle Saturday morning - just beautiful. As winter coordinator, I wanted to bring everybody up to speed on where things are with the winter program because I'm going out of town this week and won't return until Thursday evening.
Bob Biddinger will be coordinating the Saturday 8:00 crews (meet 7:45 - on the water 8:00 sharp) so if you want to paddle at that time, mail him at <rwbcycleboy1@charter.net> to see about seat availability.
Heather will be organizing at least one boat for 10:00 Saturdays, so for that slot, contact her at <heather@affordablebs.com> I, Ted, can probably steer on this boat most weeks, if needed.
Somebody said that they'd like to organize a boat for Wednesday mornings - but I must admit that I can't recall who it was. If you're the one who want's to do this, maybe you could put out the word to the membership through Justin this week and git it going. I'm also available to steer on this boat most weeks.
Note that there may be a second boat for Saturday at 10:30 if somebody out there wants to put it together or if Heather wants to organize both depending on interest.
There is also, of course, potential for boats on other weekday mornings if someone wants to put them together.
Note that it's not my job to actually assign seats or assemble the crews but I will be the clearing house and contact for anyone wishing to assemble and lead a crew. I will also be available (when I'm in town) to refer people to the appropriate crews.
Also note that AT THIS TIME, Sundays are currently reserved for the novice program through Greg Foster (no email but contact him at 431-0750). Remember that with the new policy, any new or guest paddlers MUST go through Greg and the novice program and are not to be coming out with the other crews. Also note that all boats going out must have a QUALIFIED steersperson on board. No exceptions on either of these rules. If you have any questions on these policies, contact Yvette or Mike Shandroff.
Mahalo, Ted Waterhouse

General Meeting And Other Information
11/17/2008
From Mike Shandroff:

Glad to see we have so much paddling interest in Morro Bay this year. Please remember that our election meeting is tomorrow night at the Avila Yacht Club at 7:pm. Chris Cornejo will be presenting his plans for the new Womens Program, Tom Owen will talk about plans for the Men, and I'll talk about the Board and other club issues. It will be a good chance to say thanks to those taking a break from their service to the club.

ON WINTER NOVICE: After our new Coaches are elected tomorrow, we will formulate a stratagy and schedule for Novice, so winter paddling schedule is subject to change.

OTHER CLUB STUFF: One of my main goals for the year ahead is to spread the responsibilities of the club to all members, so that all tasks are easily accomplished and that each member is invested in the club beyond paddling. So, please take a moment to think about your talents and what areas of the sport you would like to learn about and contribute towards.
I am putting together an inventory of all of the tasks required to keep our club functioning throughout the year. My plan is to then match-up all members with do-able tasks before we start again in the Spring.

Also, Ted Rich and I are working on a list of what equipment maintenance still needs to be done over the Winter. For those of you who could not attend the Fall Maintenance day two weeks ago, you'll be expected to sign up for maintenance over the Winter to get the tasks done that our sport requires. We'll make it clear and easy to choose what you can do. Look for that maintenance inventory soon. Once it is up, you'll be able to sign-up with Ted Rich for tasks, and join the Preferred Paddler List with the members who have already put in their time and energy at the Fall Maintenance day. This new Prefered Paddler List will be used in setting Winter crews and for events like Lighted Boat Parade and others.

To accommodate Ted Waterhouse's efforts, please email Mike at mdshandroff@hotmail.com if you would like to be considered as a qualified steersperson and describe what your experience is. The Board and coaches will go over the list and publish a Qualified Steersperson list.

With the knowledge experience and new coaching ideas that Chris and Tom bring to PKO, we are in for a super fun year ahead.

Please feel free to email me with any questions, ideas or concerns. I hope to see everyone at the Meeting tomorrow night at 7:pm. Please come to cast your vote, support those stepping up and those taking a break.

Paddling this Weekend and this Winter
11/12/2008
From Pale Kai Board via Yvette:

Pale Kai Paddlers,

The membership policy and dues policy has been completed and sent out by email. We are sending it again to make sure you all know the importance of reading it and abiding by the policy. It is especially important that all winter paddlers have read the policy prior to paddling. We will have a log for you to initial that you have read the policy @ the boat site in Morro Bay. We will also have the log available at our next meeting 11/18/08 @ 7pm at the San Luis Yacht Club.. As many of you know we have had problems in the past during winter season . This policy should help alleviate some issues that can arise. Please do not recruit paddlers to paddle at this time. If you have interested prospects please refer them to the Greg Foster or Denny. All new paddlers must start with the novice program.

We are very fortunate to have access to the Morro Bay site this year. Jason Vork, a former member helped facilitate Pale Kai's use of the site. Please thank him when you see him .

As you may know Ted Waterhouse has agreed to be the Winter season coordinator. Thanks Ted we do appreciate you.

If anyone is interested in paddling during the winter season, please let Ted know ASAP. His email is Edcat@aol.com.

Please show your support by attending our election meeting on 11/18/08.

Thanks and some of us will see you on the water.

General Meeting
11/10/2008
From Justin:

We are approaching our November 18th Pale Kai general meeting where we will vote for open officer positions. We have received many nominations for the open positions and, while some people may have turned down a nomination, we have at least one person running for each position. The current list of accepted nominees for the 2009 season is:

President:
Mike Shandroff

Event Coordinator:
Austin & Michelle O'Dell (co-coordinators)

Men's Coach:
Greg Foster
Tom Owen

Women's Coach:
Chris Cornejo

Keiki Coach:
Jeff Blauer

Yvette Paletta decided not to resign her position as Vice President and will complete the second year of her term. There are still others who have not yet accepted their nomination(s).

And it is not too late to get more nominations in the mix. If you have someone in mind who could do a good job at one of the positions above, please let us know as soon as possible. Please contact both me (jcrawfor@cdmtech.com) and Heather (heather@affordablebs.com).

Let us know if you have any questions... Thanks.