Do you want to improve your teaching and paddling skills while traveling with some of the country’s best instructors?  Or learn more about the inner workings of a small paddlesport company and help it grow while learning new skills?  Or all of it?!  Check out our 2012 internship opportunities!

Girls at Play Summer Internship Asheville, NC

The Girls at Play Summer Internship based in Asheville, NC is designed to give the intern experience in the following areas:

• Small business marketing and social media marketing,
• Short video clip filming and editing
• Outdoor industry business and marketing
•  Whitewater kayak instruction
• Stand up paddleboard instruction

Benefits: 

• Receive hands-on marketing and social media marketing experience with a local, growing outdoor industry company.
• Learn how to teach kayaking from some of the best instructors in the world
• Receive kayak coaching from some of the best female paddlers in the world.
• Receive discounts on ACA certification and continuing paddling education/experience
• Have fun working outside and in a small, friendly office environment!
• Make connections in the paddlesports industry

Internship Duties

Marketing Duties:

• Social media marketing – using our existing networks and internet marketing to promote the Girls at Play brand and grow our community
• Videography and editing – produce short video clips to post on website and social networking sites
• Write blog posts for website and social media
• Be a friendly, approachable, supportive and compassionate ambassador for the company.

On-water Duties:

• Assist lead Girls at Play instructor in beginner whitewater kayaking clinics.
• Set safety in beginner whitewater clinics
• Assist with the loading and unloading of gear and pre-clinic prep
• Assist lead Girls at Play instructor with SUP workshops and Yoga on SUP workshops
• Be a friendly, approachable, supportive, compassionate and safe instructor/ambassador on the water.

Requirements:   Class II – III whitewater kayak experience.  Own personal whitewater kayaking gear.  Some experience in social media marketing, video and editing.  Strong writing skills.  Approachable, friendly personality.  Be willing to take initiative and work energetically.

This is an unpaid internship.

Hours per week:  10 –20 hours per week May – August

For more information please send your resume and  cover letter to Anna at info@watergirlsatplay.com

Application Deadline:  February 29, 2012

GAP Summer Tour Internship

The GAP Summer Tour Internship sends a female ACA certified instructor on a two and a half -month whitewater kayak and SUP clinic tour across the US.

Benefits:

• Get an expenses paid summer paddling trip across the US
• Improve your kayak instructing skills with some of the most highly trained and skilled instructors in the world.
• Improve your whitewater kayaking skills by traveling to different rivers around the country and paddling in between clinics.
• Positively affect women’s lives through kayaking and SUP
• Learn how to SUP and how to teach SUPing
• Receive free outdoor gear from GAP sponsors

Off-water duties:

• Load and unload gear
• Take care of gear
• Write 2 blog posts per month on the GAP website
• Post to GAP facebook and Twitter accounts once per week
• Socialize at off-water events and be a professional, approachable, friendly ambassador for Girls at Play

On-water duties:

• Assist the Girls at Play lead instructor with on-water kayak instruction up to class III
• Set safety in rapids up to class III
• Be a friendly, supportive, approachable, compassionate instructor

Qualifications:

• Level 4 ACA Certified Instructor (preferably through the Girls at Play/ACA Instructor Course)
• Feel comfortable paddling in class III – IV whitewater
• Be a professional, approachable, friendly, compassionate and fun person/intructor
• Be willing to learn and grow
• Be a team player willing to take initiative and work energetically for the benefit of the whole group

Compensation:  This is an unpaid internship, but your travel expenses are paid.

Time Commitment:  End of May through middle of August

For more information please send your resume and  cover letter to Anna at info@watergirlsatplay.com

Application Deadline:  February 29, 2012

The Girls at Play 2010 Yoga for Kayaking DVD with Anna Levesque and Joe Taft has taken off tremendously.  Hundreds of kayakers have redefined their bodies and minds through the sequences Anna and Joe take you through.  With such high praise and success, we’ve decided to offer a real life yoga for kayaking series at the Town and Mountain Training Center in Asheville, NC!

The series will include six yoga sessions on from 6:30-8:00 Tuesday evenings from November 8th through December 20th (no class on 22nd for due to Thanksgiving).  Each class will target a different area of the body which kayakers need to focus on.  Some classes may be based on stretching and opening parts of the body like the hips, while others may be geared more towards balance and strengthening the core.  With individualized approach to different aspects of yoga for kayaking, Anna will give you a comprehensive aresenal of poses, stretches, and sequences you can continue doing to improve your kayaking and personal well being.

The series is also excellent cross training during these chilly months when you’re not paddling as much.  Also, if you’ve been kayaking lots during the summer and fall, yoga is a great way to heal any pain, tension, or reoccurring soreness you’ve experienced recently.  Stretching and strengthening also plays a huge role in injury prevention, particularly in the back.  Kayakers often suffer from injuries such as bulging discs in the spine, which can be prevented and almost solely healed through yoga!

It is commonly said that it takes 21 days of completing an activity to make it a habit.  While the course spans the time of 7 weeks, by the end, you will certainly feel that incorporating yoga into your weekly or paddling routine is habitual.  This will allow for you to not only have a stronger mental game on the river, but your body will feel more relaxed, open, stronger, and less ridden by pain and tension.

California Kayaker Magazine recently published a review of the Yoga for Kayaking DVD in their Summer 2011 issue.  The author states that “I own a boat that has never been very comfortable for me to sit in.  In just a short while of sitting in it, my legs would fall asleep.  But after two weeks of doing the routines, this sleepy-leg syndrome was greatly reduced.”

Mary Ann Furda, yoga instructor and owner of High Health Studio in Palo Alto, CA said “Her precautions, such as how to safely practice if the viewer is hypermobile, are excellent.  Her choice of reclining poses are a good, rich blend of hip, thorax, and flank openers, excellent for kayakers after paddling to ease post-paddling stiffness, as well as to provide the opening over time that will allow for greater freedom in range of motions that can prevent injury and allow for better, more efficient paddling.  This section could easily be done by anyone who’d never had a yoga class.”

I’ve personally become addicted to my own yoga for kayaking practice which I adopted from the Girls at Play Yoga for Kayaking DVD.  I complete an hour long sequence after each day of paddling, and several other times throughout my week.  In my kayak, my body feels stronger and I have significantly less pain in my legs, lower back, and shoulders.  I also feel more loose and fluid with my strokes, and can achieve greater extension and rotation thanks to increased flexibility.  Doing yoga regularly has allowed me to maintain a schedule of kayaking 5-6 days a week and perpetually feel healthy, loose, and ready to go!  There’s no way I could kayak this much and feel this good without yoga!

Anna is a Registered Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance, having had a steady practice for over ten years and having completed over 300 hours of yoga teacher training.  With such knowledge and expertise in not only the field of kayaking, but yoga as well, this world class, specialized instruction cannot be beat!

Here are the details:

Dates: November 8th, 15th, 29th & December 6th, 13th, 20th (All Tuesdays)

Time: 6:30-8:00 pm

Where: Town and Mountain Training Center in Asheville, NC

Cost: $70 for entire series

Who: ANYONE! women, men, novice paddlers, advanced paddlers, non paddlers, etc.

Can’t make it to the series? Order a Yoga for Kayaking DVD  from the webstore so you can learn the best poses from Anna and Joe. If you’re interested in doing yoga in warm weather, check out our Costa Rica trips!

The roll is often seen as a daunting skill which can perplex novice boaters and frustrate more experienced paddlers.  But it doesn’t have to be!   Starting in November, Girls at Play will be offering weekly rolling session to help you learn or master this critical skill.

The sessions will take place on Sunday evenings starting November 6th through December 11th from 5-7 at the Zeugner Center pool in Arden, NC!  Everyone is welcome, not just women!

Girls at Play’s knowledgeable and experienced staff will be present to guarantee that you receive the help you’re looking for.  We truly enjoy teaching rolling, because the skill lends itself to so many valuable “ah-ha” learning moments.  In my personal experience, I’ve found that teaching the roll has been one of the most gratifying skills to instruct, making the process of learning fun for all!

If you’re looking for a more personalized one on one session with an instructor, we will also be available for 30 minute private sessions.  These individualized instruction times cost an additional $30, but are well worth it if whether you’re just beginning to learn the process of rolling, or are becoming puzzled and frustrated by a lack of consistency in your roll.  Spots go quickly so email us (info@watergirlsatplay.com) or call us (828 333-4482) to book your spot now!

These sessions are not just for beginners or folks experiencing difficulty however!  There are many different types of rolls, and the pool is the ideal location to learn all of them!  Maybe you always execute one specific type of roll, but would like to expand your repertoire or rolling skills!  Come and practice a C-C roll, an off-side roll, a back deck roll, a hand roll, or a skulling roll!  Once you have a tool box full of rolling techniques, you may find yourself feeling grateful in whitewater situations where a variety of techniques become needed.  I certainly have!

Maybe you’d rather not focus on your roll, but would like to keep your strokes and other paddling skills in top shape during the colder months!  The pool is perfect for practicing any kayaking stroke as well as skulling, bracing, and edging!  I personally attended a pool session every week for three years, and it tremendously improved my kayaking!

Perhaps you feel confident about your rolling abilities but would like to work on some flatwater playboating skills, this is the perfect opportunity you as well!  The pool is a forgiving and comfortable environment to practice squirting, the double pump, the bow stall, and countless other skills which transfer directly to playing in the river.

No matter what skill you’re working on, pool sessions are a great way to improve your paddling, sharpen your skills, and stay in touch with the skills you already have during the colder months.  Girls at Play creates a safe, comfortable, and supportive environment, where fun and learning come hand in hand.

Come on out and join us!  Here are the details once more!

Where: Zeugner Center Pool in Arden, NC

Dates: Every Sunday from November 6 through December 10 (no session Nov. 27th for Thanksgiving) – November 6th, 13th, 20th, December 4th & 11th

Time: 5-7 pm

Cost: $15 entry fee; additional $30 for 30 minutes of private instruction (optional) OR Register for all of the classes as a series and save $10! 5 classes for $65!

Who: EVERYONE!  Women, men, children, friends, family, beginners, experts…anyone!

Hope to see you there!

If you’re looking for more instruction in the comfort of your own home this winter, check out Whitewater Kayaking with Anna Levesque.

This past Tuesday kicked off the Ladies on the Ledges series, which happens EVERY TUESDAY IN OCTOBER AT 5:30!

Ladies on the Ledges is a free event we created to get women on the water together!  We spend from 5:30-7:30 (or shorter if you’d like) paddling on the Ledges rapid on the French Broad in Woodfin.  The 200 yard stretch of water is a long class I/II rapid which any level paddler can attain (paddle upstream) or walk up the shore, then paddle downstream and run the rapid!

This process provides tons of opportunities to work on your paddling skills, especially stroke technique, edging, boat control, and maneuvers such as ferries and peel outs!  If you’re interested in surfing and honing in on your playboating skills, there are several waves and an awesome hole to practice in as well!  Or maybe you’re most interested in doing faster attainments and getting an awesome cardio and core workout!  No matter what skill level or interests you have, ledges truly does offer something for everybody!

Ladies on the Ledges is also a great opportunity to paddle with some of the best female instructors around!  The Girls at Play expert team of kayakers and instructors will be there to help you get the most out of you time on the water.

Finally, Ladies on the Ledges is simply TONS OF FUN!  We laugh, cheer each other on, support each other through tough moves, and always come away with new friends.  If you’re from the Asheville area and are looking to find more women to kayak with, this is a great way to connect with other locals!

AND IT’S FREE!

The Ledges park is located about 10 minutes from downtown Asheville in Woodfin.  Here are directions from 240 in Asheville

Hope to see you there!

For more women’s kayak instruction and kayaking tips, check out our weekend clinics in North Carolina!  We have a novice clinic happening October 15-16 and another one October 22-23!

“Thanks goes out to Anna, Mary Frances, and Emily! what a great time playing at the ledges tonight. amanda and i definitely got a work-out…..not to mention that i learned some great paddling tips. can’t wait until next tuesday!”     -Rosie Eisenberg

This clinic is designed for women who have minimal to zero whitewater experience.  We start from ground zero, talking about gear, the wet exit, basic strokes and river maneuvers.  We’ll even cover topics commonly overlooked, such as how to carry your kayak, how to get into your boat and outfit it properly, and how to safely secure it to your vehicle when driving.  There’s also a huge emphasis on building confidence, and challenging yourself in a supportive and nurturing environment.

You’ll leave the weekend with new friends, and a love for the river which will leave you wanting more!  For those of you who would like to focus in on technique, you’ll have plenty to work on as you progress towards becoming an intermediate kayaker as well.

To sign up, email us at anna@watergirlsatplay.com or call us at (828) 333-4482!!!

Hope to see you out on the river!

The world needs more female kayak instructors…wouldn’t you agree?

Girls at Play has teamed up with ACA (American Canoe Association) to help make this ambition a reality.  We’re offering an official ACA instructor course, specifically designed for women.  Robin Pope of the ACA and Anna Levesque are co-teaching the course, and we couldn’t ask for a more qualified and inclusive teaching staff!  The entire course involves two weekends of time together on the water, with a month in between to improve on technique and teaching abilities.

This past weekend we kicked off the course in Sylva, NC with an incredible group of 7 excited and talented women.  We spent this weekend at Tsali Lake, nearby the Nantahala Gorge in NC.  The course focuses on many aspects of kayak instruction.  We had plenty of oppotunities to observe how Robin and Anna teach, and to practice teaching mini-lessons to each other and receiving quality feedback from peers and instructors.

Another key aspect of the course is focusing on personal technique and modeling ability.  It’s important as an instructor to not only be able to speak about a stroke or boat maneuver, but also to demonstrate it in a clear and accurate manner.  As we re-learned the basics and foundational strokes of kayaking, we tweaked our own strokes, offered feedback to one another, and practiced using our critical eye to pick out minute areas of improvement in one another’s strokes.  At the end of the day, we were also video recorded doing several strokes and maneuvers (including the roll) and later watched the videos in slow motion while Robin, Anna, and our peers offered suggestions for improvement.  It was unbelievable to see how many tiny adjustments can be made within a stroke to make it undoubtedly more effective.

When I first learned we’d be spending the entire weekend on flatwater, I admit that I was slightly disappointed.  I envisioned these two days being boring, tiring, and overly elementary…BUT I WAS WRONG!  Flatwater is an amazing thing, because it brings to light the true effectiveness of your strokes.  On the river, we often talk about using the water and the current to your advantage.  People who are good at going with the flow and not fighting the river often appear to be super smooth, when in reality they’re just covering up for poor technique.  Strength is another cover up we see on rivers and mistake solid paddling as proper technique.  Men especially often has so much brute strength that they can power down a rapid making it look easy, so no one questions their technique and true stoke effectiveness.  Flatwater acts as a mirror to showcase your technique.

I’ve been paddling for 4 years and have been teaching kayaking for 3 of them.  Although I constantly try to focus on my own technique, and was taught how to instruct by talented and capable people, this course has taken my own paddling and instruction skills to the next level.  It completely surpassed by expectations in terms of what I would take away, and gave me plenty of additional information to confidently teach to a variety of learning styles and abilities.

Girls at Play and ACA will continue to offer instructor courses throughout the future.  In the Spring of 2012 we’ll offer another 2 weekend course, as well as a 5 consecutive day course.

Whether you’re an advanced paddler who has been instructing for years, or you’re fairly new to the sport and are looking to improve your own technique, this course will certainly meet your needs and expectations!  Keep an eye out for more information and another update after the second weekend!

Check out this link for more information and details about the course – GAP/ACA Instructor Course

For ways to improve your technique and paddling skills at home, check out Anna’s Instructional DVD Whitewater Kayaking for Women!

Friday September 16th, 12 women ranging from age 15 to 55, from CO to PA, to West VA, descended the Lower Gauley together to raise money for American Whitewater. The morning was chilly and wet, the perfect setting for a day on the river. We were greeted at Swiss, the take-out for the lower, by Lila Menzies and Shannon Christy, the paddling representatives from AT Paddles and Confluence. Lila brought demo paddles for the women to try out. The rest of the crew trickled in and we were all present by 9:30 and ready to suit up and load up for the river.  Lots of women took advantage of Lila’s offer, checking out the cool bent shaft AT Paddles.

Once we made it the put-in with the help of Lee, Angie and Stewart (huge thanks!!) we played a fun “get to know you” game, learning a little more about each of the women and their experience with the Gauley. Anna then led us in some great “Yoga for Kayaking” stretches which warmed our bodies and boosted our confidence for a great ride down the river.

We put in at Wood’s Ferry, so we were able to punch through Back Ender and some other fun warm up rapids. We then reached Kuntz’s Flume where we all rocked our lines and cheered for one another at the bottom. Anna informed us all that when you see the river curve around a corner, that implies that there is a big rapid ahead. So, we would paddle a rapid and then coast through the mellower sections, chatting and laughing and then gather together before each rapid to discuss the lines. Our group was small, fierce and fun! The river seemed quiet and uncrowded so we were able to relax and stay together easily.

We stopped to eat lunch just up from the ledges. During our lunch we were visited by a beautiful water snake and a teeny bright orange lizard, who looked like he belonged in a tropical place like Costa Rica.

We nailed all of the rapids and enjoyed every minute of it, making great friends and future paddling partners. At the take out we raffled off the awesome AT Eddy Paddle that Adventure Technology Paddles donated to the event. Angie Purcell was the lucky winner of this awesome prize! We also raffled off a Girls at Play tee-shirt and Girls at Play DVD of choice. What a wonderful start to a weekend full of water, friends, laughter and adventure at the Gauley.

We raised $400 for American Whitewater! Thanks to Kelsey, Lee, Brynn, Joanne, Julia, Angie, Heather, Lila and Shannon for coming out and contributing your dollars and time!

We were fortunate to be accompanied by Scott Martin, a professional photographer, shooting for AW for the weekend. He has shared with us many of his beautiful shots to solidify the memories. Thanks to Scott for donating his time and talents!! scottmartinimages.com

Girls at Play will be hosting Ladies on the Ledges this October! We will meet at the Ledges Park on the French Broad River Tuesday evenings after work (5:30-6:00) and paddle ’til dark. Bring your boats and attain up the rapids for killer cardio work out, technique tips & tricks and stroke refinement. And if ladies are up for it, we’ll grab dinner at Earth Fare after.

Meet other paddling ladies, get a great work out and learn some new skills!!

Are you looking to hone in on your skills and technique so you can get out there and attain even better? Join us for one of our Weekend Whitewater Clinics in Asheville.

By Em Shanblatt

Every woman who paddled with the Girls at Play summer tour, whether the adventure took place out east with Anna or out west with Mary Frances and I, had her name entered into a raffle to win some sweet gear!  REMEMBER?!

Now that the Girls at Play team is finally reunited after a long summer of adventure and travel, we’ve drawn the winners!  Here they are!

[DRUMROLL]

 Kimberly Riggle!!!

by Mary Frances Hansford

We had an incredible six day, five night journey down the Main Salmon River just last month. Eight vibrant women joined us for the trip, bouncing down the water in kayaks, duckies, rafts and an open boat. This trip is like no other with its full days of whitewater, camping under the stars and remote venue. It is a challenge to share in words all of the wonder that this trip entails so I’m just going to hit on a few of the highlights. You’ll have to come for yourself to really know what it is like to spend a week on the Main Salmon.

THE RIVER- The Main Salmon River, also known as “The River of No Return”  is magnificent. It is big and gentle water which makes for a fun and bouncy wave train adventure. It is also the second deepest canyon in North America, just after Hell’s Canyon on the Snake River (Nope, its deeper than the Grand Canyon) which makes for deep sloping walls of rocky ridges and historic rock formations. It is rich in history and beauty.

One of the most interesting and unique experiences about doing a multiday river trip is that you never leave the river. We are on it and in it, each day. And once we have reached our campsite, just on the shore, we sit and sleep by it, listening and watching as it continues its path, carving through the canyon. The sound and vision of the river are completely soothing. The river is like the breath in yoga, it calms and clears the head of that mindless chatter. It is almost impossible to not find yourself lost in the moment, and forgetting the little worries you had back home. Each curve reveals a new stretch of river, a new experience for you to embrace.

PEOPLE & FRIENDSHIPS- We had a incredible group of women on the trip- eight completely unique and enthusiastic women. The women ranged in age 30 to 55 and were mostly from the Southeast, with one exception, Karen from Oregon. We floated the river in mostly kayaks, but also a couple of duckies, one solid open boat and of course the three rafts. We cheered for each other during every rapid and helped eachother with rolls, surfing, yoyoing, hula hooping, hand rolling, yogaing, laughing and listening. Each woman had a special reason for being on the trip that ranged from fun to self-discovery to stress relief. We all left with a new breath, a new bright light inside that came from our new experience and our new friendships bonded by the river.

CANYONS RIVER GUIDES- Our four river guides were superb! Lisa Whisnant (Whizzy), Laura Bechdel, Tessa Greer, and Erica Laidlaw all worked together to make the trip seamless and fun. They prepared each and every meal with care, paddled those big ore rigs with all of our gear and picked the finest campsites for each night. Besides working hard to take care of every detail, they also provided us with laughter and fascinating stories about the river and its history. Whizzy has been guiding on the Main Salmon for nearly 30 years and describes rafting it as “coming home”, so needless to say, her love and respect for the river is contagious. Laura, Erica and Tessa have all grown up on the river, taking trips with their families with Canyons since they were little fish. So, each of them shares the passion and connection with the river in a special way. They all added a unique personality to the adventure. I could go on forever….

FOOD- The food the guides prepare is exceptional! Each meal is prepared with care with the finest ingredients available. Canyons makes a point to use local and organic foods whenever possible, so that means fresh Salmon, homemade jams and locally roasted coffee. The recipes are all family recipes passed down from the Canyons family over the years. Some of the menu included- grilled Salmon, crab cakes (Mom’s recipe flown in from Maryland), homemade lasagna, fresh salads, steak, mashed potatoes, cheesy corn bread, pancakes, eggs to order (every morning!), sausage, biscuits, brownies, and sooooo much more. I could go on forever here too ….

YOGA- Each morning Anna woke up the guests with a gentle dinging of the Tingsha Bells for yoga. Once everyone made it to the yoga space and laid down on the mat in that breathtaking setting, Anna would start the class with gentle breathing and stretches to open the hips and shoulders: all those muscles that tighten when we sit in our boats for a long time. By the end of yoga, the sun would be peaking over the ridges and warming our bodies. My favorite morning of yoga, we did sun salutations to each direction, and Anna shared all of the meanings and animals of the directions, which made it so fun.

MOON- The moon played a pretty significant role in our trip down the Main this year. We put on the river Friday and Saturday night it was full. So, needless to say it was like a bright spotlight beaming on us each night. When you are that far removed from artificial light, the moon is nearly as bright as the sun. Saturday night a few of us couldn’t resist, and went for a moonlit skinny dip! I think we started with just the few of us who hadn’t yet trickled off to bed but we were so loud with our laughing that within a few moments most of the other women come out to join us for a frolick!

THE RAPIDS We had a few wild rides and dynamic swims in the canyon! However, after each rapid, everyone emerged smiling and laughing! To name a few- Elk Horn, Black Creek, Vinegar, Chittam and Bailey.

THE STORIES & STOPS Just about everyday we would learn about a new person, Indian tribe or historical event that happened on the river. We stopped at several homesteads along the river where people still live and farm. We also stopped at a warm Hot Spring called Barth Hot Springs where we bathed in clear blue naturally heated pools. We viewed pictographs along the way as well, drawings Native Americans left on the walls long ago. It was amazing to see how clear they remain, exposed to the elements like that. They allude to the fact that many people for many years have inhabited the canyon. The river has nurtured many people through the years. Fortunately in 1980 the Salmon was designated as a wild and scenic river, preserving it under law.

The trip is definitely an experience like no other. I’m so grateful I could be a part of it and experience such an amazing trip with so many amazing women! Hope you can join us next year! Dates are set, so get ready September 5-10 2012!

Check out our line of instructional DVDs, if you are looking for a tool to progress your paddling during the winter months. Or join us for a tropical whitewater paradise getaway in Mexico!