SPORTS

Volleyball

Volleyball is an Events and Adventures staple and the club is full of players ranging from strong league players to those who are dangerous to their own team. Frequently there is more than one net so that you can pick the type of game that suits you.

Leagues: The club participates in volleyball leagues nearly year-round. Leagues are competitive and are played by strictly enforced rules. In leagues Events and Adventures fields teams with the intent of winning. Many members are more interested in “just for fun” volleyball, which is a summer tradition. We set up as people are getting off work and play until it’s too dark to see. If you come early and stay until we pack up, you will typically see up to 50 or 60 people stop by for some socializing and a relaxing afternoon.

Just for fun: In any group this size, there are players who are more competitive than others. Those who really worry about who’s winning or losing play at one net, while those who have to keep asking what the score is generally played at another. This isn’t a formal division; it usually just ends up that way. Experience and skills vary widely at these events, but the purpose is to have fun!

If we are at a busy park, expect to see a LOT of volleyball games going on a typical weekday afternoon. Check the directions sheet for a general location then look for the Events and Adventures sign at the base of the net or near the sidewalk. That’s us. The club provides the nets and equipment and everyone pitches in to set up and pack up after the game. Everyone who wants to play gets a chance. If there are more people than spots on a team, it is common for people to rotate in and out of a particular game. After a game, the teams usually mix up again and whoever ends up standing on whatever side of the net is on that team. During the summer we usually play until dusk. Once things are packed up, it isn’t unusual for a significant part of the group to move on to do something else. These “post events” are unscheduled, unofficial, and spontaneous. They are also unpredictable, which is what makes them so much fun.

Dress for comfort and common sense considering athletic activity and prevailing temperature. We don’t play if it rains. If you are uncertain, as always, give the office a call. Loose clothing that allows plenty of movement is a good idea; shorts if the weather is warm. And bring something to drink, especially is the weather is hot. Everybody will be your friend.

Tips for novice skiers:

Most ski areas offer beginner packages that include equipment rental, a couple of hours of instruction, and sometimes a lift ticket for beginner’s runs at a very good price. They have an interest in doing this: they want you to learn to ski so you will be a customer! Once you move beyond the “beginner package,” don’t rush out and buy equipment right away. When you are ready, boots are the most important item. A good general rule of thumb is that you shouldn’t buy skis until you are comfortable on skis that are as long as you are tall.

Ski or Snowboard? Yes. That choice is yours, and most resorts now allow snowboarders.  We have both in the club.

Sea Kayaking

This is not white water kayaking – there’s no shooting over waterfalls, etc. Anyone can be in control of a sea kayak in a few minutes.

We usually meet at the rental office. Kayak rental includes a life jacket, a “paddle skirt” (it keeps water out of the boat and off your legs), and a paddle. You can choose either a single or a two-person boat. This is a fairly physical activity, and your head, shoulders, and arms are likely to get splashed a bit, so consider those things when you dress. Don’t be surprised if we end up at a local watering hole for food and refreshment afterward.

Sky Diving

How could we include the word “Adventures” in the name of the club if we didn’t do this now and again? While certainly not for everyone, this event draws more participants every year, so if you’ve always wanted to try this, but didn’t want to do it alone...that’s why you joined the club to begin with, right? Once you have shared this experience with a group of people, you will never forget it.

The club arranges “first time jumper” packages. This package includes training, rental of all equipment (including a parachute, two actually), and a one-way airplane ride to a spot about 3,000-10,000 feet over a drop zone. We normally take training together and jump as a group without other people getting mixed in with us.

What’s it like? Unforgettable and scary and exciting and challenging and… Well, you learn a little about yourself. The jumpmaster will take photos as you hang on the wing and drop away so you can impress your friends. First jumps are tandem jumps with an instructor. Once your parachute is open, you have about a five-minute float to a gentle landing on the ground. There is also a radio on your harness so you can be guided though the turns to your landing spot.

You will want to wear loose, comfortable clothing, and shoes with ankle support. We won’t jump in the rain or through low clouds, but at 3,000 feet it is cooler than it is on the ground, take that into account when selecting your look for the day.

White Water Rafting (vs. tubing)

Events and Adventures always uses commercial white water touring companies. That company provides the rafts, wetsuits, lifejackets, paddles, bailing buckets, and guides. Typically a boat carries six or seven people plus the guide. A day trip usually lasts 3-5 hours.

These events are often, but not always, done in conjunction with camping trips. The exact mechanics of these trips vary from company to company and river to river.   We usually meet the rafting company’s representative near either the put-in (where we PUT the boats in the water) or the take-out (guess what happens here...). They issue wetsuits and booties for us to wear. Whatever you are wearing, including the wetsuit, will end up soaked. Most just wear a bathing suit under their clothes for the drive out. Other items of equipment vary from company to company. Some issue helmets, some don’t. Some provide “paddle jackets,” waterproof windbreakers to be worn over the wetsuit, but don’t count on this. The wetsuits themselves are almost always the “farmer John” sleeveless type.

Once everyone has been outfitted, we either head for the put-in point or for the bus provided by the white water company to take us there. There is no rule, by the way, that states the rafts themselves start out particularly close to the river. Their crews CAN carry them, and YOU are part of the crew. We divide ourselves into boat crews, are issued paddles and life jackets, and are assigned to our guides for the trip. Events and Adventures usually books an entire “float” for one of these trips, which means all of the boats will be ours.

The guide will then go over the commands, paddling techniques, safety rules, and emergency procedures with the crew.

In the boat, the guide is the skipper. He or she steers the boat and controls the motor (the motor is you). Everyone has a paddle, and everyone has to work together and pay attention to the guide’s commands. Things can get a little dicey out there at times, but that’s what makes it exciting – these events are not without risk.

Rapids are classified on a numeric scale. Class I rapids are flat water. Class II has “obvious channels” and up to three-foot waves. Class III is more intense, and you should know what you’re doing. That‘s what the guides are for. Most of the rivers we run are borderline II and III. There may be an occasional Class IV drop on a Class III run. Class V is for those who live on the edge; Class VI is unrunnable.

The guide usually rotates the positions of rafters during the trip. If you like excitement and lots of wetness, try to ride closer to the front.

There are frequently stretches of calm water between rapids in which people can relax, talk, and take in the view. But we came here to get wet, right? It turns out the 5 gallon bailing buckets are not only useful to take water out of your boat, but to throw water at people in the other boats. Here are a few rules:

1.   Listen to the guide—period.

2.   Boats can declare themselves “dry” and expect not to be attacked.

3.   Normally only people in the front two positions of the boat can throw water. People in the middle just end up hitting each other with the buckets, causing injury.

4.   Don’t bother bringing a squirt gun.

Things to bring:

• Rain gear. An anorak or outdoor waterproof jacket can make an otherwise chilly ride more comfortable. FYI: we don’t cancel these trips because of rain—you’re going to get wet anyway.
• A towel. Leave it in your car, as we’ll change out of the wetsuits at the same place we changed into them, which is wherever you parked.
• Sun block, even if it’s cloudy. ü A synthetic or polypropylene shirt, if you have one. This will keep you warmer in the shady spots. It is not recommended to wear cotton because it stays wet.
• If you want to wear sunglasses, that’s fine. Make sure they’re fairly rugged and won’t get lost if you get hit with a wave (or a bucket of water).
• Camera. Only if it is waterproof (you will be paddling through all of the good parts, anyway). Your boat will be photographed along the way at some point, and you have the opportunity to look at and order prints (prices vary). Events and Adventures takes no responsibility for lost or broken cameras.

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