by Brock Hunter for the Spring 2002 Newsletter

This spring is a time of redefinition for our club. Over the last several years our club has grown and our interests have evolved. Today, our membership collectively boasts an amazing depth and breadth of experience, knowledge, and skills. We have authors of kayaking guidebooks and Sea Kayaker magazine articles, certified paddling instructors, and veterans of numerous various crossings and long-range expeditions on Lake Superior and other exotic locals. We also benefit from the expertise of members from a variety of professional fields, including science, engineering, medicine, education, art, business, computers and law, to name a few. The time has come to redefine the structure and mission of our club to better utilize our collective talents and to better lead and serve the Twin Cities paddling community.

After a long winter of self-examination, discussion and hard work we are excited to announce the launch of a whole new club. Our new name, the Superior Kayak & Outdoor Adventure Club ("SKOAC") is intended to better reflect who we are and what we do. Although primarily a paddling club active on Lake Superior, we also love winter forays into the snowy silence of the Boundary Waters and other human-powered outdoor pursuits.

SKOAC is more than just a new moniker, however. We are a new club in substance, as well. We intend SKOAC to operate as a cooperative in which all members agree, up front, to give back to the club what they take from it. Every member can expect to be welcomed into a dynamic and diverse paddling community where mentoring and instruction will be given eagerly and ideas and participation actively sought. In this way, we hope SKOAC will be a self-perpetuating, ever-evolving organization.

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Based in the Twin Cities, the Superior Kayak & Outdoor Adventure Club is a group of around 150 paddlers dedicated to fostering a supportive, educational environment for those interested in sea kayaking and other outdoor endeavors.

The club's mission is two-fold:

• To provide low cost, practical training and experience to members through mentoring, skill workshops, pool sessions, and club-sponsored trips: and
• To provide area paddlers with a community in which they can meet and befriend other paddlers with similar interests.

This club is a cooperative endeavor. It will continue to thrive only if all the members commit themselves to give back to the club what they take from it.

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