EJ: What is you first kayaking memory?

Dane: Paddling back and forth to the island at the Ottawa during the rodeo. (he was in his little puddle jumper, a small fiberglass slalom type boat) I remember the day I did my first combat roll.

EJ: What was that like?

Dane: It felt the same as you pushing me backwards in flatwater like a backender. So the same thing happened to me in the rapids, I rolled up, and it felt the same.

EJ: What does rolling feel like to you now?

Dane: It feels like, when I tip over in rapids, that you are moving around a lot.

EJ: Is it hard to roll up?
Dane: I pretty much roll up right away so I don’t miss whatever eddy I want to get in. It isn’t hard, I just think about rolling up when I tip over.

EJ: Why wouldn’t you let me teach you how to roll the first couple of years you paddled?

Dane: Because I was scared of tipping over and I was scared that I would get stuck there even though I knew I could pop my skirt. Pretty much because I was scared that you want to roll up every time you tip but if I missed my roll I might swim.

EJ: Why did you suddenly decide to let me teach you to roll?

Dane: I wanted to try more things and run more rivers. I wanted to learn to cartwheel and loop but could try it until I learned to roll.

EJ: What is you favorite part of kayaking?

Dane: When you tip over I like the feeling of rolling back up. Actually, what I like most about kayaking is that there is so many things you can do in a kayak, and you get wet, and I really like getting wet. It makes your muscles stronger, I like that.

EJ: What advice do you have for the other kids out there that want to learn to kayak?

Dane: That there is nothing to be afraid of other than tipping over and not knowing how to roll yet and having to swim, but that is not so bad. I think a lot of kids think they want to try it but wait to try it. You can’t learn to kayak until you try it. I think the best place to learn to kayak is on the Ottawa because you have the middle channel and the main channel, pretty much everything you want

EJ: The Fun 1 is coming soon, what do you think of that?

Dane: The exciting thing about it is that the moves I can’t do well in my boat now will be better like loops, keeping my balance, and cartwheels. It will have good footroom, outfitting, and looks cool. How long until the Fun 1 comes out?

EJ: Three weeks until you can paddle the prototype.

Dane: Exciting, it will be fun as soon as I have it.

EJ: Anything you want to tell the world out there?

Dane: Keep your excitement up and your afraidness down and you will have a lot of fun out there.

EJ: Thanks Dane, sounds like good advice to me.