Kahlyn is one of our long standing Tuesday Night Race paddlers, and has been racing since 2001, and with her daughter Anika since she was just three years old! We caught up with Kahlyn to find out a bit more about their racing career…
Deep Cove Kayak: Hi Kahyln! Thanks for chatting with us, can you tell us a bit about when you started kayaking?
Kahlyn: I actually started kayaking when I started racing! I had canoed before, but never kayaked. I took some lessons with Bob which helped with technique, but back then it was mostly sea kayaks and I just figured it out as I was going along most of the time.
DCK: So how did you first hear about the Tuesday Night Race?
KA: My friend Bruce Gurney, who was an adventure racer, told me about it. He encouraged both Nancy Dixon [who also comes racing a few times a season] and myself to come out and try it, and here I am 17 years later!
DCK: What did you like about racing?
KA: I just loved being out on the water with other people. It felt safe being out there with all the other paddlers around you, and I really enjoyed having people to talk to – it’s such a great community. You may not see each other over the winter but then in the Spring you catch up and it’s just the same again.
DCK: How have you seen the Tuesday Night Race scene change over the years?
KA: The biggest change has definitely been in the gear used – it was mostly sea kayaks when I started racing, and maybe one or two surfskis but now the equipment has got so much faster. It used to be that to go fast you went in a double kayak, but now the surfskis and stand up paddleboards are incredibly fast. That has meant it is more competitive too, which makes it really fun!
DCK: And you race with your daughter, Anika?
KA: YES! She started with me in 2006 when she was just 3, and would sit in the front of a Manitou II and stay awake as long as she could while I paddled. She’s now 15, and in the last three years she has wanted to race regularly and I am so happy that she wants to be my regular race partner.
DCK: And do you guys paddle apart from Tuesday Night Race?
KA: We do – we have season passes and go out as much as we can [when I talked to Kahlyn, she and Anika were just heading to Deep Cove to paddle!]. We try to get our friends to come with us too so there are even more people we can paddle with. We also paddle with the Women on Water group as much as we can too, it’s just such a lovely community to be a part of.
DCK: Thanks Kahlyn! See you and Anika out on the water soon.