[row] [col width=”1/2″]
It’s hard to write a feel good post about anything right now.
It’s really hard.
But, I do feel good about what our team is doing together, and what we will undoubtedly accomplish in the 2020 season. We just wrapped our team training this past weekend where we problem solved through methods of what instruction will look like responsibly. Let me say this right now… if you expect it to meet the status quo, this is not your year. Honestly, we never did well with the status quo anyhow and welcome the new challenges.
[/col] [col width=”1/2″][st_video video=”https://youtu.be/c9Z8hephcdM” ratio=”16:9″ width=”” height=””][/col] [/row]
[st_divider divider_type=”border” height=”” margin_top=”5″ margin_bottom=”5″]
[ubergrid id=118394]
[st_divider divider_type=”border” height=”” margin_top=”5″ margin_bottom=”5″]
I wrote and directed a number of instructional videos that challenged the paradigm of how we learn and teach in the whitewater world. We have challenged students every time they visit us to step up and lead themselves instead of following the stern of a boat downstream. We have pushed future instructors to break out of the dogma of “this is how it’s done” in every mentorship opportunity. And, again, we will challenge ourselves and our paddling community to teach with resolve and responsibility to the community at large.
So again I say, if you expect the status quo, H2o Dreams will not be your cup of tea.
I sincerely thought this would be the end of the work, the effort, the project, that is H2o Dreams. It was difficult to not feel completely helpless back in March. But I admit, our people invigorated me. The people who reached out and offered support, invigorated me. And those who have held steadfast through our entropy and have remained thoughtful and patient, have invigorated me.
We do good work always, sometimes at a profit and sometimes not. But, we always do good work. Know that that this time is no different.
We have consulted with our team, folks with the ACA, friends and family in medicine, and although the water is murky, if we work our system, risk can be managed. It is what we do after all isn’t it? Manage risk? You can never remove 100% of the risk in anything. There are certainly actions in life that are riskier than others. Some risks are physical, others emotional, and some financial. We are undoubtedly attempting to strike that balance. However, we are prioritizing it as just that — physical, mental, and financial.
We have folks who come to us who have big dreams of accomplishing incredible athletic feats big and small. You come to us to break the monotony or the frustration of the learning curve, or simply to just decompress and have a listening ear to help you rationalize these gritty activities. You also come to us because we help to make it fun! This above all else remains our mission.
I welcome you back to H2o Dreams for the Summer of 2020. Our priorities above have not changed, but the big element of risk management has been preeminent. We need you to be a part of that and to remember “WE IS GREATER THAN ME.”
Reach out to us. We’re here. We are undoubtedly slowing things down a bit, scouting a little bit harder, and asking the important questions with more discipline. We are excited in many ways to get back to the roots of paddle sports education. It’s less about the accomplishment and more about the process. We will be focused more on the skill building as opposed to the takeout or even the accomplishment of a section of river. I always know that if I need a venue to learn about the boat, body, or paddle, all I need is a little bit of current and a little bit of quiet for my mind. We hope to share that with you this year.
Stay well,
Chris Wing
H2o Dreams Executive Director
