First Time at Bow: A Special Moment on the Water

Some moments on the water stay with you and today was one of them.

Kirsten, our newest paddler, sat bow for the very first time.

It’s her first year paddling, and this season she’ll be racing in the greenhorn category alongside other first-year paddlers. Watching her step into that role today was something special.

In the canoe, every seat teaches you something different. There’s real value in moving around the canoe, learning each position, and understanding how it all comes together. But sitting bow for the first time... that’s a moment.

Bow carries a different kind of responsibility.

You’re setting the pace.
You’re reading the water ahead, watching for logs, currents, anything that could affect the crew.
You’re holding strong through turns, digging deep to keep control and direction.
You’re finding your rhythm again after every shift, every call.
And always, you’re listening closely for the skipper’s voice.

It asks a lot. But it also gives a lot.

There’s something powerful about being at the front of the canoe, feeling the water first, guiding the energy, helping carry the crew forward.

Today, Kirsten stepped into that space for the first time, and she did it with strength and heart.

I’m really grateful I got to witness it and even more grateful I got to capture it.

These are the moments that remind us why we paddle.