We are so excited to be back after a two-year hiatus. The first year you attend Qajaq TC you are instantly a part of the crew, and every year following that, you feel like you’re at a family reunion. This year you can expect plenty of time around the bonfire and on the deck overlooking the lake making new friends and catching up with old ones you haven’t seen in a while. Prepare for some serious belly laughs and good times as you reconnect with paddlers, learn new skills, and enjoy a much needed break from regular day-to-day life.
Paddlers who appreciate the origins of kayaking know that the main reason the Greenland qajaq was developed was to reach game on the water that hunters could not reach on land. The harpoon co-evolved with the qajaq and was key to the survival of the Inuit. Now is the time to complete your Greenland kit. Spend the day with Sipke Deboer and Chuck Smith making your own practice harpoon. This harpoon will be one piece and suitable for beach practice or in the water. A custom Norsaq (throwing stick) is included.
I’ve been paddling and making paddling gear since last century. I’ve built about 20 Skin on Frame Kayaks and helped with hundreds, including running several large group builds. I’ve made a few hundred paddles, run workshops building paddles, harpoons, norsaqs, and more. I can help you, too! I enjoy helping others build things, learn to roll, and how to get back in their qajaq from deep water.
When Sipke raises his harpoon the styro-foam seals of Minnesota turn tail and swim hard in the other direction. Unquestionably the mighty hunter of camp, Sipke loves to share his passion for throwing the harpoon as well as his knowledge of the history and use of the Inuit hunting tools. Having a fully equipped hunting skin-on-frame qajaq, Sipke is uniquely equipped to both educate and entertain, oh and I should mention he is a talented yodeler too…
“Dubside” is known internationally as an authority on Greenland rolling and rope gymnastics. He has appeared in Justine Curgenven’s “This is the Sea Four”, Bryan Smith’s “Pacific Horizons”, and magazine articles in “Sea Kayaker”, “Canoe and Kayak”, “Paddler”, and “Adventure Kayak”. He has his own series of instructional DVD’s. Dubside does presentations, demonstrations, and instructional classes for symposiums, clubs, and outfitters throughout North America and Europe.
Danielle practically grew up at QajaqTC and she is still coming back all these years later. She began her path as a mentor via the ACA and soon began paddling with a traditional paddle that she carved herself. It took a few more rounds of carving, but now she rarely ever paddles with anything else. She is passionate about many aspects of traditional paddling, including ropes, rolling, and building. She will encourage you to try something new or help you take your next step, whatever that may be.
I am a fun-loving mentor that is up for anything new and interesting. I love working with beginners to get their first roll or to polish an old one up. My specialty is in working with anyone that is struggling physically or doesn’t feel completely comfortable underwater. I live in Marquette, MI, and am often out paddling Lake Superior and exploring life up North. I love paddling, rolling, ropes, bonfires, and great food and drink, which pretty much means that this is the best weekend ever!
I have paddled almost exclusively with a Greenland paddle since 2001. I enjoy helping people learn and improve their rolls. What I really want to see is everyone become proficient at paddling/maneuvering their qajaq. Qajaqs aren’t just for rolling, they are for hunting. I use mine to hunt for scenery! Nothing is more fun than hugging the cliffs along a Lake Superior shoreline, matching each rock and cove with the maneuvers of your qajaq — except maybe doing it in some wind and waves.
Pete enjoys kayaking, whether guiding a group in a fully loaded boat or wearing a tuilik in a skinny Greenland kayak throwing a harpoon for points. Biking and blading would be some of his dry land fun and when the water gets hard, it’s time for snow kiting. Pete is an ACA level 4 kayak instructor, wilderness first responder, and a PASA certified snow kite instructor.
Tim is a kayak coach, Qajaq builder, and expedition paddler based in south west Michigan. He loves to help students progress through the rolling list and fine tune their rolls to make them as smooth and effortless as possible. When the winds build up you can find him on 'The Big Lake' playing in the rough water.
Jeff has been kayaking since 2000, when some friends introduced him to kayaking and using a Greenland paddle. Since then he has been paddling with a Greenland paddle on all his adventures around the Great Lakes. He has built his own paddles and has finished a skin on frame kayak. During the winter you can find him at the local pool, teaching rolls & rescues. Look Jeff up at training camp if you are a beginner to rolling and he can assist you in the finer points of the lay back roll.
Renee is so excited to be back with friends and make new ones! I’ve been teaching for many years, and by far, this event and people are the best skills track for everyone. I love working with beginning rollers and maneuvering strokes.
Doug Van Doren has been a practitioner of the “Traditional” (Greenland Inuit influenced) style since he began paddling in the early 90’s. He is one of an early handful of North American paddlers to research, experiment with, and honor the traditional paddling style and equipment and to show its proficiency for padding in any sea condition. He is a regular instructor at symposiums throughout the U. S. well as Canada, Wales, and at the International Symposium in Llanca, Spain.
Sharon began kayaking 22 years ago. She first attended Qajaq TC in 2004 and has been attending ever since, first as a participant, then as a mentor. She directed the on water instructional experience for a number of years as well. She loves to help beginners work through a progression, beginning on land, that helps them find their roll on the water in a safe and comfortable way. She also likes to help participants develop an efficient forward stroke and become more comfortable with a variety of strokes that are used in real world paddling.
Ryan is an ACA L4 Kayak Instructor and the ACA State Deputy Director for the ACA. He works as a kayak guide and trainer at Pictured Rocks Kayaking. When others are running from the water to avoid big waves is his favorite time to go kayak-surfing. He loves helping student get their first roll. Those rare times he isn't in a kayak he enjoys mountain biking, hiking, and camping. A former student at QajaqTC, he says he is excited to give back by helping as many people as possible.