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Snow kayaking picks up speed in the Black Hills

SEE VIDEO OF BLACK HILLS SNOW KAYAKING

RAPID CITY, S.D. (1/12/10) -- Skiing and snowmobiling usually get all of the attention from winter sports enthusiasts in the Black Hills. This winter, however, there’s a new kid on the block that’s sure to turn some heads – snow kayaking.

Snow kayaking is a lot like traditional sledding, except in a kayak -- and you can steer. It’s a simple sport: Find an old kayak, drag it up a hill, get inside, and hang on for dear life. It is indeed a rush, according to Randy Ericksen of Rapid City.

“Snow kayaking is pushing the limits so hard that the limits are like, ‘Ow! Quit it!,” Ericksen said in his narration of a video on Black Hills snow kayaking. (See link above.)

Adventure addicts throughout the Black Hills have been getting their adrenaline rush from snow kayaking this winter while they wait for the creeks to thaw. Ericksen and Paulette Kirby, a 2009 Primal Quest Badlands endurance race competitor, are both snow kayaking enthusiasts.

“I bought a used kayak two years ago to use for snow kayaking. We attach a rope or carry the kayak up the hill. The uphill climb usually lasts longer than the slide down, but it’s definitely worth the effort,” said Kirby.

They often use an old kayak paddle to help guide their way down the snow-covered hills, but some snow kayakers just use their hands to balance and steer during the ride. “It’s quite a thrill since the kayaks can get moving so fast,” Kirby said.

Global Market, a downtown Rapid City retail store, sells kayaking gear and is an information source for kayaking enthusiasts in the area. The staff at Global Market said that people in the Black Hills have been snow kayaking for years with old kayaks. But the activity recently started to grow in popularity.

Since the local ski resorts obviously won't allow a 12-foot kayak to go cruising down their meticulously groomed slopes, snow kayakers in the area have had to get creative with where they can sled. The main thing is to find a wide-open area with few trees in the way, Ericksen said.

But with more than a million acres of Black Hills National Forest land, there are plenty of slopes in the Hills.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Randy Ericksen
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