November/December 2002
Volume 4, Issue 4

THE RAP

Inside this Issue:
Holiday Specials 2 Seasons Greetings

We have already had a couple of storms with snow and we are hoping that this is an indication of things to come for this winter. Think snow!

Don?t forget to come and visit us this winter. We are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and we get lonely in the winter. The Deerfield generally runs all winter long. Paddle during the day and ski or ride at night over at Berkshire East under the lights.

We still have some used boats for sale. For the most up-to-date list of boats and prices, see www.zoaroutdoor.com/salepage.htm.

 Zoar Rap Going Digital

We are switching next spring to a digital only version of this newsletter. Please email me at evie@zoaroutdoor.com to sign up to receive it. We publish 4-6 times a year and include news and information on paddling in the Deerfield River Valley and the surrounding region as well as boat reviews, safety tips, paddler profiles, and great deals on boats and gear.

New Boats for 2003 2
Winter Pool Rolling Clinics 3
Whitewater Symposium 2003 4



The Outfitters Shop

Hours of Operation:
April 1 - October 15
Tuesday - Friday
Saturday - Sunday
(closed Mondays)		 9am - 5pm
8am - 6pm		 Wilderness First Responder Course
[outdated course info removed]

All outdoor people may find themselves in situations where help is more than a phone call away. Typical first aid courses train students to provide care before an ambulance arrives. This course is designed for people who often travel where dialing 911 is not an option. It is experiential and tough, with emphasis on practical sessions and video taped simulations using made-up victims. The course is taught in conjunction with Wilderness Medical Associates of Maine.

Cost: [outdated course info removed]


WFR Recertification
[outdated course info removed]

For folks who need to keep their WFR certification up to date. This course is an intensive review and retesting of the WFR curriculum with updates where protocols or treatment options may have changed. This course includes a CPR update.

Cost: [outdated course info removed]

The Charlemont Rain Gauge

If you didn?t already know, we record local rainfall on our website at:

www.zoaroutdoor.com/gagepage.htm.

We have been keeping track for a little over 2 years now and it?s an interesting record. You can certainly see the drought of last season and our recovery from it this spring, although it does not show how little snowfall we got this winter.

Check out the Northeast River Forecast Center's Quantitative Precipitation Forecast website. This Quantitative Precipitation Forecast (QPF) is the prediction of precipitation amounts over the Northeast River Forecast Center's forecast area over the next 24 hours.

October 16 - February 28
Tuesday - Sunday
 10am - 4pm
March 1 - March 31
Tuesday - Sunday		 9am - 5pm




Page 2

Holiday Specials
The "Santa Doesn't Paddle" Sale
Here are some great deals and gift ideas for the coming holiday season. Don?t forget that we are open weekends (as well as Tuesday through Friday) all winter long.

[outdated sale info removed]

Sale ends January 15, 2003 and applies to in-stock merchandise only.

Boats for 2003 already here from Pyranha and Wave Sport

The Transformers are here!

Once again Wave Sport has gotten a jump on the competition and shipped their new boats for 2003 earlier than almost all of their competitors. You have got to see this boat to believe it. Not only does it come in four different sizes, designated T1 (70? 49 gallons) through T4 (80? 67 gallons), but it comes with 3 different interchangeable ends (5/8? bumpers, 5? & 8? slicy tips) that allow it to adapt to whatever river or river feature you are paddling. More details and specs are at www.wavesport.com/ kayaks_new_products.php

Pyranha?s new I:3 series

The Pyranha I:3 223 just arrived. It replaces the Ina Zone series and combines features from that series with the S series to create a hybrid that will play and run rivers well. There will also be a 221 & 222, the main difference in these being volume, ranging from 45 - 62 gallons. It looks like a great all-around play/river running boat. More info at www.pyranha.com/2002/ america/i3.html

Blaze & G-Ride also here
Just before publication we received the Perception Blaze & the Dagger G-Rides. Come and give some of these boats a try!

A note about the railroad tracks by Zoar Gap...
The folks from the railroad company that owns the tracks and the land surrounding them on river left next to Zoar Gap have expressed concern to us that people are walking up the tracks to put in the river there. We are trying to spread the word of their concern to as many river users as possible. Please keep in mind that these are active tracks and that it is not always easy to hear a train coming around that corner. They are justifiably afraid that someone will be hit by a train there. Also, they are afraid that if a train has to brake hard on that curve that they might have a derailment (& it would not be the first one on that corner). According to www.trainweb.org, there were 463 deaths and 413 injuries in 2000 of people trespassing on railroad tracks in the US - that?s an average of more than one a day - surprising, eh? So please avoid walking on any railroad tracks and be respectful of the railroad police who are enforcing these laws for our safety! See you on the river!


Page 3

Winter Pool Rolling in Waltham
January & February 2003
Many people find that it is more pleasant to learn how to roll in the warmth and security of a swimming pool than in the chilly waters of the river. No ice cream headaches and you can see under the water. For the past 5 years, we have been offering rolling clinics in the capacious pool at the Waltham YMCA, located conveniently in the Boston area. Our experienced ACA-certified instructors will teach any and all aspects of rolling a kayak, starting from scratch if need be or helping you to analyze why your roll is not working or is not consistent in whitewater.

We're offering four weekend sessions this winter in the Boston area. Each class is two hours long and we'll have a maximum of 6 students with a 1:3 ratio of instructors to students. The clinics are geared toward advanced beginner to intermediate kayakers, C-1ers, and OC-1ers. During the first half of each class we'll focus on skills such as strokes, leans, and braces. We'll work on improving your execution of these basics so that when you put boat to river next spring you'll be ahead of the game. The second half will be devoted to rolling. For those who can't roll, we'll start from scratch, leading you through a logical progression from hip snaps to paddle motions to a full-blown eskimo roll. If you're an experienced roller, you can work on improving your technique, flipping without setting up, and learning an off-side roll, a hand roll, or any other variation of the basic roll.

The Facilities - We use the Waltham YMCA pool, which is an excellent facility, easily accessible to the Boston-Worcester-Providence metro areas. It can comfortably fit 6 students and 2 instructors. It is located at 725 Lexington Street in Waltham.

The Instructors - Your instructors are all American Canoe Association (ACA) certified and have many years of experience teaching kayaking, canoeing, and rolling. Some of your instructors will be Bruce Lessels, a former World Whitewater Champion and author of the Whitewater Handbook, Janet Burnett Cowie, Director of Instruction Programs at Zoar Outdoor, Greg Poehlein, Retail Manager at Zoar Outdoor, and Karen Blom, Personnel Manager at Zoar. Our low student-to-instructor ratio guarantees that you will receive the personalized attention our instruction program is known for, and our flexible instruction method uses both the C-to-C roll and the Modified Sweep roll to accommodate people with different body types and to make learning fast and enjoyable.

Equipment - We're happy to supply boats, paddles, life jackets, helmets, and wetsuits, but you may also bring your own. We encourage you to bring your own gear if you have it so you can get used to its quirks.

Questions? - We would be happy to answer any other questions that you might have about the pool clinics. Our office is open Tuesday - Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call us during these hours at 1-800-532-7483 or email us any time at info@zoaroutdoor.com.

Dates for winter 2003

[outdated course info removed]

Session run from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Cost
[outdated course info removed]

In order to fit into your busy schedules, we have organized the rolling program so you can sign up for 1 weekend or for all 4 weekends. Each session consists of a Saturday and a Sunday evening from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. We suggest you plan to arrive about 20 minutes early to get changed so you'll be ready to begin on time.

Signing Up
Reservations are on a first-come-first-served basis. We reserve the right to cancel the series and refund students' deposits in the event of insufficient enrollment. Reservations can be made over the phone (800 532-7483), by mailing a check to Zoar Outdoor, PO Box 245, Charlemont, MA 01339 or by filling out the online reservation request form at www.zoaroutdoor.com (click on ?Making Reservations.?). Payment in full must accompany each reservation.

Cancellation Policy
All but $10.00 per person will be refunded for cancellations made more than 30 days in advance of the first day of the session. Cancellations made less than 30 days in advance will not receive any refund.





Page 4

National Paddling Event to Come to the Deerfield in 2003

Block out the weekend of October 3 - 5, 2003 for the first annual Whitewater Symposium at Zoar Outdoor! The Symposium is a three-day annual event to be held at paddling schools around the country. The goal of the event is to advance the sport of whitewater paddling by bringing together key players from all aspects of the whitewater spectrum including freestyle, river running, racing, rescue and rodeo. We're expecting several nationally-known names in whitewater to attend.

It is an opportunity for paddlers to exchange ideas about trends in equipment, instruction and technique. For the paddling public and active instructors, the Symposium will provide an all-inclusive package of technique instruction, dryland seminars, adventure film presentations and roundtable discussions as well as an opportunity to update instructor credentials in several areas. The Symposium will also provide a forum that fosters communication among paddlers and professional development for active instructors.

Expect to see more about this exciting event in future issues of the Zoar Rap or online at www.wwsymposium.com (website will be up after 1/1/03.)

For Deerfield, West & Millers Release Dates click here



The Zoar Rap is edited by Evie Locke.
Contact me at Zoar Outdoor with suggestions, feedback, ideas, etc.

1-800-532-7483
Copyright 2002 Zoar Outdoor Adventure Resort Inc.

Top of Page
Return to Outfitters Shop page.
Return to The Zoar Rap home page.