DON'T STOP BELIEVING!

Cue The Journey Song….

Now that you’re singing it in your head. Imagine a small town girl that’s used to paddling a chill river thinking she could show up to a River 1 SUP course and like most things in life figure it out pretty quickly. 
Nope.
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THE RECKONING:

This photo clearly sums up my first year of SUP on whitewater: Stand, paddle, touch the current, fall, swim, remount, repeat.
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It was exhausting!


←Note: 
Always keep your paddle, I did not!
​Photo: @ashvoykin

While many find the rush of whitewater exhilarating, I was convinced after hearing about all the hazards in the river I was supposed to identify and avoid; I was going to die in it. 

There is no rational explanation to the visceral reaction I had standing near the water's edge. My whole being shook: legs, trunk, arms, brain. It was the first time I felt such an adrenaline dump that crippled my ability to learn, react or progress.

Every time I tried to apply what was being explained my body would do the opposite out of reaction. Which caused me to literally do the wrong move each time. It becomes really hard to practice when you’re so tired from self rescuing yourself onto your board. Fear itself is tiring, causing you to become rigid and in turn creating a harder learning environment.

Let’s just say nothing was setting me up for success except Reta Boychuk. She was very patient and evolved herself as an instructor to find ways for me to be successful. If you ever require an exit buddy into the current, that’s a direct reflection of the time she had to ferry me across the river because I froze. Nemo depending on Crush The Turtle….


​THE REPETITION:
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Other than being determined and understanding that if you keep showing up it eventually happens. 

I could have quit a thousand times. One time I nearly said it outloud; but I didn’t. I’m pretty sure the tears of frustration said it. Typically, I’m not a big crier but I have had more tears on the side of the river than any other place.
In September of 2020 I ran Thunder Bunny and didn’t die, even though I was terrified I knew deep down I was safe with the group and trusted that.
Now this feature is fun! Two years later…
The first summer was autopilot, I don’t remember a lot of it but every time I paddled on the current I picked up something. Whether I had the ability to execute it or not I was slowly evolving.
Ironically, every time I left the river even without paddling on whitewater it seemed my brain could process what I was trying to learn off the water.
I’d return and somehow start to put the pieces together. 
Photo @ashvoykin -->

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THE RIVER SURFER:
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March 2021 I met up with Reta as I came off Vancouver Island and her from The Sunshine Coast. Picking me up in Vancouver we road tripped to the epic Trail Wave. Unsure if it would be at the appropriate levels we took the chance and went anyway.

Use the Badfish IRS to dial in your surf skills!

The weird part of this whole experience is I could still hear the words come out of my mouth less than a year earlier at the end of my Advanced Flatwater Instructor Course.
After seeing a magazine photo of Reta surfing this wave I told her I would NEVER PADDLE THAT CRAZY WHITEWATER STUFF SHE DOES!
Bahahahaha as five days later I was paddling the Kananaskis River in 2020 with her. Eating my words.
However, we were headed to some big water. The Columbia River is no joke. Trusting Reta when she said I would be fine, I channeled my inner yogi…stay calm.

<--Photo @reta.sends

The Trail Wave I believe was the biggest turning point for me in paddling whitewater. As big as it seems and with a fairly big swim after I was hooked. I was magic. The safest, most perfect place to build my confidence. 
Tears of joy and disbelief were coming down after this photo. It seemed so surreal that I just surfed there, without the coaching and mentorship from Reta it would never have happened.
It was a great start to the 2021 paddle season, a year that pushed me further than I ever thought possible. Paddling The Red Deer River at high water, taking my Swift Water Rescue Level 1 Technician, paddling from Jasper to Athabasca 663 km and going down The Slocan River were just a few highlights.

THE RIVER INSTRUCTOR:
Outside of paddling flatwater on Slocan Lake on a winter SUP expedition in February 2022, I hadn’t touched water for over seven months. As past progression showed though, I usually relaxed more over that time and was able to process what needed to happen. It did cross my mind briefly to not even try to attend the course as I wasn’t sure I would be ready.
Winter passed by quickly and I hadn’t even put any thought into the technicalities I should be practicing to prepare for my instructor course until a week out. By studying and getting back into the groove for the week I had this odd unattachment to passing. If I did great, if not I had more work to do; I was prepared for both outcomes.

Magic happened: 
I had put in the time.
I had connected the dots.
I had the skills.
I trusted myself.
I never shook once beside the river.
I even liked it.
There I said it, I like whitewater.
Having three amazing days of paddling where I felt confident, competent and had fun on the water was such an accomplishment. The deep sense of pride I feel in consistently showing up when I didn’t want to, being supported to keep trying and finishing what I started won’t fade quickly.
It will be shared and passed down to other new paddlers who may struggle with the same things I did. I have deep empathy for those nervous paddlers. 

And if nothing else just remember:
Don’t Stop Believing…


Sending You Love N SUP,
Lisa Stocking
The Reluctant Whitewater Paddler
CANRVRSUP River 1 Instructor www.paddleathabasca.com/
Find the Badfish SUP River Shred and Badfish SUP IRS online or locally at AQ Outdoors.