The seasons

The experience is the hot summer day with the sun high in the sky, a fresh breeze and water which sparkles invitingly in the sunlight, begging you to jump in the. The warm fall evening with a windless view of the sea while gliding silently across the water. The ice cold feeling of capsizing in April because of a single moment of unattentiveness. The winter trip wearing fleece, a drysuit, gloves and hat which inevitably gets too warm despite the temperature being -10 degrees.

Wildlife
The experience is the porpoise that appears a few meters to the side. You hear it breathe and see it dive. Where will it appear again? The fishing heron in the reed forest that takes off when you get too close. The cormorants, always suspicious. The seal that looks for you for a long time because it can't see well above the water. The crowd of seagulls, ducks and geese. The fox cubs playing in the scrub at the water's edge.

The rain

The experience is the torrent of rain streaming down from the sky and transforming the water around you into a calm carpet of drops splashing up towards you. Before the rain starts, you will see it approach as a gust of wind blows small ripples in the water surface towards you. The rain is like a clothing iron: The waves calm down and you can relax in your boat. Soaked but warm. 

The swimming trip

The experience is the joy of going out on a beautiful summer day to find the perfect sandy beach which is so darn difficult to get to by land.

The long journey

The experience is going on a trip with the buddies. Tent, sleeping bag and a couple of days of food packed into the boat. The wind and waves on the way. Sweat, blisters, cramping legs and a sore bum from the long day on the water. Cooking on the campfire at the campsite. The satisfaction of getting there and back home under your own steam.

Teaching others

The experience is helping out the newest batch of beginners, passing on the flame of passion for the sport and learning something yourself in the process.

The competition

The experience is giving it your all for the final sprint. Your paddle is whipping water backwards while your legs push the boat forwards. At maxium heartrate, sweat is streaming down your body while you use all the willpower you can muster to not let your competitor get past you. The wave of relief when you are the first to cross the finish line.

The persistence

The experience is the daily exercise trips, weekly training programs, months of kilometer after kilometer to build yourself up to win the races and reach your annual distance goals.

The full day

The experience is seeing the morning sunrise. The midday sun burning the back of your neck. The warm afternoon sun leading into dusk. The nightly spectacle of milky sees / mareel under the sparkling stars in the sky.

The mastery

The experience is getting suprised by the waves caused by the speedboat which passed you seemingly so long ago. The waves coming in diagonally from behind, throwing the boat out of course again and again. The irritating, persistent headwind which cools you down more than you would like when you still have so far to go. The unexpected gust of wind which hits you. But you push through, with more strength and balance than you knew you had.