Sea, Lake, River and Surf Paddling Converge at Inaugural Port Angeles Kayak & Film Festival

Port Angeles, WA (PRWEB) March 18, 2014

Anyone living in the Pacific Northwest who has toyed with the idea of learning to properly maneuver a kayak or standup paddle board (SUP) won’t want to miss a one-of-a-kind event that is coming to their own backyard this next month. Nine experts specializing in all genres of kayaking and SUP will gather in Port Angeles on April 12-13 to offer two days of on-the-water instruction at the inaugural Port Angeles Kayak & Film Festival (http://www.portangeleskayakandfilm.com). Designed for novice to expert level paddlers, classes ranging from introductory sea kayaking and SUP to Eskimo rolling to debacle deterrent and much more will be offered at Hollywood Beach, Crescent Beach, Freshwater Bay, and the Feiro Marine Life Center on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and on Sunday from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Advance registration is highly recommended.

A corresponding outdoor film festival featuring adventure kayaking expeditions in scenic locations around the world will take place on Saturday, April 12 from 4:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at Port Angeles’ Gateway Transit Center Pavilion. Titles include Bhutan: The Last Shangri-La; the Of Souls+Water series; Wildwater; and Mountain Mind Collective, which was filmed on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. The Next Door Gastropub will serve street tacos with beer and wine during the film festival.

“We are so pleased to bring an event of this caliber to Port Angeles,” says Tammi Hinkle, owner of Adventures Through Kayaking, one of three local businesses that are sponsoring the festival. “It’s one-of-a-kind; no other event in the country highlights and promotes all classes of paddling. We hope to introduce a lot of new paddlers to the sport, to help seasoned paddlers learn new skills, to entertain, and to come back and do it all again next year!”

Experienced paddlers can test their sea kayaking finesse during the Skills and Obstacle Race at Hollywood Beach. Balance and rescue techniques will be equally challenged, and efforts well-rewarded with a $100 prize package going to the winner. The fun begins at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 12.

Adventure Kayaker Chris Duff to Give Keynote Presentation

Port Angeles resident Chris Duff’s (http://www.olypen.com/cduff/) many adventure kayaking expeditions include an 8,000 mile solo trip around the eastern third of the US and Canada, as well as solo circumnavigation of Ireland and New Zealand. In 1986 he became the first person to sea kayak around Great Britain alone. Duff is the author of two books, On Celtic Tides, an award winning account of his Ireland trip which won the National Outdoor Book Award for 2001; and Southern Exposure, a chronicling of his epic New Zealand journey, which won the National Outdoor Book Award, the Benjamin Franklin award and the Banff Mountain Book Festival Grand Prize.

Join Duff for an evening of photos, stories and a sharing of his passion for the sea on Saturday, April 12 from 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. at Port Angeles’ Red Lion Hotel. A no-host bar will be available during the presentation.

Test Drive a Kayak at the Demo Beach

Festival-goers can test the comfort, handling and capabilities of a number of different kayak models at the Demo Beach on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and on Sunday from
9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Pick them up, test their weight, check out the quality of construction and learn firsthand about all the different designs and materials. It’s a rare opportunity to demo so many different kayaks and accessories in one place. Special pricing will be available throughout the festival.

Registration & Ticket Information
There are four ways to register for events - reserve your place early for kayak courses and race!

•     Guarantee your space by reserving online at http://www.portangeleskayakandfilm.com.
•     Call (360) 417-3015
•     Register at the Welcome Party at Barhop Brewery & Taproom on Friday, April 11 beginning at 7:00 p.m. The house will be rocking with live music and serving up some fresh eats! Barhop is located at 124 W. Railroad Ave. in Port Angeles, (360) 797-1818.
•     Register at the festival check-in tent.

Beach and Festival Passes Start at $10. Advance purchase available online.
Visit http://www.portangeleskayakandfilm.com for a la carte class descriptions and fees.

Film Festival/Keynote Presentation: $10.00

Skills and Obstacle Race: $10.00

Kayak Demo: $10.00 (refundable with kayak purchase)

An all-inclusive pass, good for an unlimited number of classes and entry to the film festival, keynote presentation and Demo Beach, is available for $100.00.

Sponsors

The inaugural Port Angeles Kayak & Film Festival is made possible through the collaborative efforts of:

Adventures Through Kayaking http://www.atkayaking.com

Sound Bikes & Kayaks http://www.soundbikeskayaks.com

Olympic Raft & Kayak http://www.raftandkayak.com

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