America's coldest paddling club offers the following member benefits:

• Learn new skills and have more fun on the water.
• Receive a subscription to Eddyline, KCK's regular newsletter.
• Attend monthly meetings in winter and BBQ's in the Summer.
• Network with other boaters to get trip partners and river updates.
• Participate in classes in rafting, canoeing and kayaking held each Spring.
• Stay current on gear, locations, issues & people.
• Participate in support for conservation through KCK.
• Volunteer for activities and sharpen your skills at the same time.

More detail:

SAFETY Each spring the KCK provides an evening of paddling safety information for its members and the public at large to assist in your enjoyment and safe return. Topics include: float plans, personal equipment and clothing, rescue and safety equipment, trip planning, river etiquette, reading and understanding water hydraulics, International Scale of Difficulty (Class I-VI), safety signals, tidal influences, defensive swimming, and hypothermia. It is a required class for all people who want to take one of the many KCK paddling classes.

CLASSES Learning a new sport can be difficult. KCK understands this and provides informative club supported paddling instruction each spring. Our emphasis is focused primarily on safety followed by education. The KCK teaches classes to the membership in basic flatwater canoeing, movingwater canoeing, whitewater kayaking, sea kayaking, and rafting. Each class is a mixture of classroom and hands-on exposure to equipment and techniques followed by one or more days/evenings of practical on-the-water experiential learning. Winter pool rolling sessions are also organized by KCK members to learn/hone paddling skills/techniques during the nonboating season.

RECREATIONAL OUTINGS & EVENTS Each year the KCK provides a variety of evening to week long outings and events for members. These functions are scheduled to provide a forum both for learning/improving skills and socializing. It's also an opportunity to meet others who share your interest in paddling, aquatic conservation, and to check out the myriad of options for paddling equipment. While outings vary from year to year, some of the perennial trips include the Memorial Holiday weekend on the Gulkana River, Tazlina or Tonsina Copper Rivers, Prince William Sound, Wednesday / Friday evenings/picnics on Eagle River, Resurrection Bay, Talkeetna River, and a fall trip on the upper Kenai River. Other trips get planned through to talking with club members.

CONSERVATION KCK is dedicated to the preservation of Alaska's waterways. As a club member you become a voice for the support of vital issues that affect all paddlers. The KCK works closely with American Rivers, American Whitewater Association, and other national, state and local groups with strong lobbying arms in Washington DC. and Juneau. Alaska is not immune from the destruction of our waterways. Reauthorization of and new dams, fees, user permits, allocation, and pollution are common place in other parts of the United States. Your membership and support helps insure these problems do not threaten Alaska.

MONTHLY MEETINGS The fourth Thursday of every month the KCK holds a meeting for members and prospective members. During the meetings we discuss important current and future paddling related issues as well as provide slide shows, videos, or other interesting presentations about paddling in Alaska or other parts of the world. During the summer months, potluck barbecue meetings are held in Anchorage area parks to swap stories or check out new equipment. The KCK Board of Directors also meets the first Wednesday of each month and members are invited. If you're interested in what KCK is all about, come to one of the meetings.

NEWSLETTER As a member, you'll also receive the Eddyline, a high quality, regular newsletter that keeps you informed of important paddling and conservation information, stories about Alaska paddling, notes from the board meetings, notice of the next meeting presentation, calendar of KCK classes and trips, members classified ads, great recipes for waterside cuisine, and more.

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