News Archives 2010
Whonnock Lake New Years Eve Fiesta!
December 31, 2010
This year's theme includes wearing tropical clothes, making it a fun dinner and dance. Thanks to all who attended!
Fall Newsletter
October 16, 2010
RCKC congratulates Ridge's Brian Malfesi who as a member Team Canada's Junior Team competed in both a 1000m K2 and a 1000m K4 crew who captured bronze medals at the Pan American Canoe Championships in Mexico City last weekend on October 10th.
After a successful spring and summer competition season, RCKC is looking forward to an exciting winter preparation season. Our newly renovated RCKC club house will provide a weight training center over the winter for both youth (U19yrs) and adult participants who simply wish to increase their physical fitness. As well, RCKC athletes will continue to paddle all winter in our rainy, but we hope snow-free west coast weather.
This winter, RCKC’s Level 1 NCCP canoe/kayak coach, dragon boat coach and certified weight trainer Sherry Hunt is coaching an excellent winter weight training program for adults on Tuesday and Thursday nights (6:30-8:00 pm) as well as kayaking/canoeing training on Saturday and Sunday afternoons (1:00-3:00 pm) at the RCKC boat house. Sherry will be hosting a information/sign up session on February 19th for dragon boat paddling beginning in the Spring. For the first time, RCKC will also be offering dragon boat paddling for school groups in Mission and Maple Ridge beginning in April 2011 under Sherry’s supervision.
Our Head Coach Peter Majewski, Level 3 NCCP canoe/kayak coach, will continue to coach an unmatched opportunity anywhere in the lower mainland to participants under 19 years of age who wish to pursue the sport of sprint kayak/canoe or who need to cross train for other sports. The training includes both short and long distance running, weight training at the RCKC boat house, as well as core strength exercises and basket ball in the Whonnock Elementary School gym. As weather permits our participants will continue their canoe/kayak paddling on Whonnock Lake. If the lake freezes, RCKC plans to offer group cross country skiing at Manning Park at an additional cost to the winter program.
RCKC continues to plan for our proposed future new boat house and community centre. Our main fundraiser this year will be on February 12, 2011 at the Whonnock Community Centre and will include dinner, dancing, silent auction and a main auction of at least two main items such as a ski weekend at Big White! RCKC is also planning on fundraising in conjuction with Whonnock Community Association by hosting a New Years Eve dance and late evening banquet at the Whonnock Lake Centre. Watch for details regarding this New Years Eve event on the Whonnock Electronic board on 272nd Street. Finally, RCKC is also planning on holding their first ever golf tournament fundraiser in April or May of 2011. Check out our website at www.rckc.ca for details in early 2011.
If you have any questions regarding costs or schedules for our winter programming or our future fundraising events, please contact Virginia Kuran at program_coordinator@rckc.ca.
Pacific Cup
October 3, 2010
RCKC would like to thanks all the athletes, coaches and volunteers that made this event a sucess. This years winner was the Seattle Canoe and Kayak Club, with RCKC in a fairly distant second.
Results
BC Bantam / Novice Championships
September 18, 2010
Held at Shumway Lake, Kamloops, BC.
Pacific Cup Entries Package
September 3, 2010
Pacific Cup Entries Package now available!
Entries Package (link no longer available)
Entries deadline: September 24
National Championships
August 29, 2010
RCKC has brought home four medals – a gold and three bronze - from the 2010 Sprint Canoe Kayak National Championships in Regina. The club finished 18th out of the 39 clubs from across Canada participating in the event.
Brian Malfesi brought home two of the medals - a gold medal in the Juvenile Men’s K-1 1000m race, and a bronze medal in the Juvenile Men’s K-1 500m. Gillian Fedechko and Michelle Kosaka each won a bronze medal in the Open Women’s C-2 1000m.
In addition, Malfesi was also this year’s recipient of the Jean Fournel Memorial Trophy, a national honour awarded each year to the winner of the Juvenile Men’s K-1 1000m race at the nationals. The trophy honours the memory of paddler and firefighter Jean Fournel of Lachine, Quebec, who competed at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. He later died of leukemia at the age of 41.
A Garibaldi Secondary School student, Malfesi has been paddling with RCKC at Whonnock Lake for five years, and is also part of Canoe Kayak Canada’s junior national kayak team. He is the only British Columbian to qualify for the team and will race at the Pan American Championships in Mexico City in October. Earlier this summer, Malfesi finished second in the senior men’s K2 1,000-metre race at the 2010 Lake Placid International Regatta in July - the largest sprint canoe/kayak event in the United States.
In all, 13 RCKC athletes were among the 900 competitors at the national championships, which ran from August 25th to 29th in Regina:
Athletes
- Olivia Cavasinni
- Gillian Fedechko
- Michelle Kosaka
- Taryn MacPherson
- Brian Malfesi
- Clara van Meel
- Tessa Nagai
- Amanda Sublett
Masters
- Virginia Kuran
- Verna McNichol
- Michael van Meel
- Kathy Nay
- Michelle Trent
Wascana Racing Canoe Club Information
Results:
Canadian Sprint CanoeKayak Championship Results: Day 1
Canadian Sprint CanoeKayak Championship Results: Day 2
Canadian Sprint CanoeKayak Championship Results: Day 3
Canadian Sprint CanoeKayak Championship Results: Day 4
Burgee Results – 2010 Canadian Sprint CanoeKayak Championships
BC Championships / Nationals Qualifier
August 7-8, 2010
Held at Long Lake in Nanaimo, BC
BC Summer Games
July 23-25, 2010
Canoe Kayak events were held in Langley, BC.
Athlete Success
July 6, 2010
Maple Ridge Paddler Brian Malfesi Scores Silver Medal at Lake Placid, New York International Regatta
Brian Malfesi of RCKC captured a silver medal in the senior men’s K2 1,000-metre race at the 2010 Lake Placid International Regatta last weekend. His partner was Jarret Kenke of the Saskatoon Racing Canoe Club.
The Lake Placid International Regatta, held July 2-4, has become the largest sprint canoe/kayak event in the United States, and attracts entrants from all over the U.S. and several Canadian provinces.
Malfesi is a 16 year old Garibaldi Secondary student who has been paddling with RCKC at Whonnock Lake for five years. He qualified earlier this year to join Canoe Kayak Canada’s seven-member junior national kayak team - the only British Columbian to qualify for the team.
The Ridge Canoe & Kayak Club is a flat-water sprint paddling club based at Whonnock Lake in Maple Ridge, BC. A community-based club, RCKC has offered both recreational and competitive aquatic sports programs on Whonnock Lake since 1982. RCKC welcomes people of all levels/ages and provides a variety of canoe, kayak and dragon boat programs for its members and for the community, with an emphasis on water safety, fun and boat skills – in that order. More information available at www.rckc.ca
Canada Day Regatta
July 2-4, 2010
Held in Regina, Saskatchewan
World Canoe Day
June 13, 2010
RCKC Invites the Public to Try Paddling during “World Canoeing Day” Open House at Whonnock Lake - June 13th
The Ridge Canoe and Kayak Club (RCKC) will “lend its paddles” to all comers at Whonnock Lake this Sunday, June 13th to celebrate the International Canoe Federation’s annual World Canoeing Day.
The Swiss-based ICF designates one Sunday every June as an international day aimed at furthering public awareness of the growing sport of canoeing, and encouraging participation.
To celebrate World Canoeing Day, RCKC is holding an Open House from 10:00AM – 4:00PM at the Whonnock Lake boathouse. As part of the event, anyone interested in giving kayaking, canoeing or dragon boating a try is invited to get out on the water in some of the club’s boats, under the supervision of RCKC’s coaching staff.
The tryouts are offered at no charge, and will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
“Many people aren’t aware that RCKC has grown into the largest canoe and kayak club in BC with 129 boats, and I think most would be quite surprised at the wide range of programs we offer, the level of training we provide, and the size of the club itself,” said Michael van Meel, Commodore of Ridge Canoe and Kayak Club. “We’d like everyone to come to the Open House and see for themselves how much fun we have on Whonnock Lake, and find out about our programs which introduce the sport to paddlers of all ages and abilities.”
The Ridge Canoe & Kayak Club is a flat-water sprint paddling club based at Whonnock Lake in Maple Ridge, BC. A community-based club, RCKC has offered both recreational and competitive aquatic sports programs on Whonnock Lake since 1982. RCKC welcomes people of all levels/ages and provides a variety of canoe, kayak and dragon boat programs for its members and for the community, with an emphasis on water safety, fun and boat skills – in that order. More information available at www.rckc.ca
Athlete Success
May 19, 2010
Maple Ridge Paddler Brian Malfesi Named to Canada’s Junior National Kayaking Team
Brian Malfesi of Ridge Canoe and Kayak Club (RCKC) has been named to Canoe Kayak Canada’s 2010 junior national kayak team.
Brian qualified at time trials in Montreal last weekend and is the only British Columbia paddler to qualify for this year’s seven-member men’s junior team. The 16 year old Garibaldi Secondary student will compete against paddlers from across Canada and the United States at the 2010 Lake Placid International Regatta at Lake Placid, New York from July 2-4.
Brian began his training five years ago at Whonnock Lake, and under Coach Krzysztof Lepianka and RCKC Head Coach Peter Majewski, Brian’s achievements to date include being named Team BC’s Peewee Male Athlete of the Year (2005), Bantam Male Athlete of the Year (2007) and Midget Male Athlete of the Year (2008).
Brian won a Bronze medal last year in the Men’s K2 2000m event at the 2009 Canada Summer Games in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island along with Ken Muir of RCKC. He also won three Bronze medals a year earlier (Midget Men K1 6000m, Midget Men K4 1000m, Juvenile Men K2 500m) at the 2008 Canadian National Championships.
“We’re proud of Brian and our coaching staff here at RCKC, which is quickly becoming a major force in the canoe and kayak field in Canada,” said Michael van Meel, Commodore of Ridge Canoe and Kayak Club. “RCKC sent 14 of BC’s 24 paddlers to the Canada Summer Games last year and helped Team BC win a total of 14 medals. RCKC has grown to the point where it is now the largest canoe and kayak club in BC. We’re lucky to have such a first rate team at Whonnock Lake, and Brian’s achievements are an inspiration to all of our members. We hope to see even more RCKC paddlers advance to national level competition in the future.”
RCKC alumni Wes Hammer of Maple Ridge, and Maggie Henderson of Mission, who now paddle in Nova Scotia with the Banook and Mic Mac clubs respectively, also participated at the CKC Montreal time trials last weekend, but were not selected to compete in Lake Placid.
The Ridge Canoe & Kayak Club is a flat-water sprint paddling club based at Whonnock Lake in Maple Ridge, BC. A community-based club, RCKC has offered both recreational and competitive aquatic sports programs on Whonnock Lake since 1982. RCKC welcomes people of all levels/ages and provides a variety of canoe, kayak and dragon boat programs for its members and for the community, with an emphasis on water safety, fun and boat skills – in that order. More information available at www.rckc.ca
Collegiate Nationals
May 14-16, 2010
Held at Renton, Washington
BC Spring Classic Marathon
May 8, 2010
Hosted by Fort Langley Canoe Club.
Slawko Fedechko Regatta
May 1-2, 2010
Hosted by Ridge Canoe And Kayak Club as a season opener.
Easter Eggatta
April 10, 2010
Hosted by Pitt Meadows Paddling Club.
Spring and Summer Programs Updated
March 13, 2010
Program infromation for RCKC Spring and Summer Programs has been updated
Programs with program codes can be registered with Maple Ridge Parks and Leisure at any time, programs without codes will be apearing the the Summer Arts & Recreation Guide, and can not register participants until the guide is released.
2010 Fundraising Banquet Success
February 14, 2010
Thank you to all of RCKC's Supporters and Friends
Annual Fundraising Banquet
January 5, 2010
Invitations are now being sent out for RCKC's 3rd Annual Fundraising Banquet.