NOTE: “Today” and “tonight” refer to Friday, April 17.
PORT ANGELES — The thrills and spills of the Port Angeles Kayak and Film Festival will be paired with an emphasis on safety this weekend.
Organizers of the annual event announced Wednesday that a new class on cold-water immersion was added to the lineup in response to a deadly kayak incident at Dungeness Spit last Saturday.
Mandi L. Walkley, 39, of Chehalis and Jacob M. Austin, 52, of Lacey died of hypothermia after a sudden burst of high winds and waves overwhelmed them.
“These things happen, and I hate that it happens,” said Rhonda Schwab, one of nine expert instructors who will teach 18 classes at the festival.
“Kayaking is a lot of fun, and the best way to prevent accidents is by learning and practicing paddling safety and always being prepared.”
The cold-water immersion class, taught by avid kayaker Dr. Sam Baker, will cover the physiology of heat loss in water and air, life-saving immersion wear, what to do if you’re in the water and preventive techniques to be a safe, prepared kayaker.
Class is free
The free class will begin at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the Feiro Marine Life Center at Port Angeles City Pier, with seating for 24 on a first-come, first-served basis.
An open forum on the Dungeness incident led by Port Angeles endurance kayaker Chris Duff will follow the course.
Other courses at the festival include introduction to sea kayaking, introduction to surf zone, introduction to stand-up paddleboarding, introduction to surf stand-up paddling, basic paddle strokes, learning tides and currents, navigation, debacle deterrent, Eskimo rolling and towing techniques.
A full list of festival classes and films is available at www.portangeleskayakandfilm.com.
Billed as a community event “where sea, lake and surf paddling converge,” the second-year event will offer an expanded lineup of on-water and dry-land classes taught by expert paddlers.
It will feature an enlarged kayak “test-drive” demonstration at Hollywood Beach and two-day film festival.
The event was created after the annual Port Angeles Kayak Symposium was discontinued several years ago.
Last year’s inaugural festival drew hundreds of paddlers of all skill levels.
Tammi Hinkle, owner of Adventures Through Kayaking, one of three co-organizers, said she expects a similar turnout this weekend.
“A lot of people wait until the last minute to see what the weather is going to be,” Hinkle said Wednesday.
For a $10 wristband, festival attendees can test-drive a variety of boats at the Kayak Demo Beach at Hollywood Beach from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.
Manufacturers will offer an “extensive” array of models, including stable recreational boats, fast expedition kayaks and stand-up paddleboards, Hinkle said.
Classes will take place at various locations throughout the weekend. Prices vary by class.
Welcome party
The festivities begin today with a welcome party and film festival at Barhop Brewing, 124 W. Railroad Ave.
A series of short films will begin at 7 p.m., followed by live music at 9 p.m.
The free film festival moves to Peninsula College’s Maier Performance Hall at 7 p.m. Saturday.
Six short films will be shown, including Ken Campbell’s “Message in a Plastic Bottle,” which chronicles his 150-mile journey from Olympia to Bellingham on a kayak made of plastic bottles.
Campbell, a professional kayaker and co-founder of the Ikkatsu Project, an initiative to raise awareness about toxic pollutants, will deliver a keynote presentation after the films.
“We are so pleased to bring an event of this caliber to Port Angeles for a second year,” Hinkle said in a statement.
“It’s truly a one-of-a-kind event; no other festival in the country highlights and promotes all classes of paddling.”
Harbor excursion
On Sunday morning, Olympic Peninsula Paddlers of Port Angeles will lead a group of festival attendees on a two-hour excursion around Port Angeles Harbor.
The excursion will likely take place in the shadow of a 400-foot-tall, semi-submersible offshore drilling rig, Polar Pioneer.
The rig, which has been a target of Greenpeace activists, is expected to arrive in Port Angeles Harbor today.
Hinkle said she was informed about the rig Wednesday and didn’t expect it to interfere with the festival.
The Port Angeles Kayak and Film Festival is a collaborative efforts of three Port Angeles kayak companies: Sound Bikes & Kayaks, Olympic Raft & Kayak and Adventures Through Kayaking.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5072, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
