BRAINERD — Renee DuFresne and Becky Stadem are hardy souls.
The kayaking women also take things one step further than just floating on cold water while encased in protective neoprene suits, they roll their kayaks into the water and pop up again. Not a mean feat for experienced kayakers during the summer, but they aren’t stopped after temperatures are enough to cause them to keep an eye on ice floes.
“We have a desire every once and a while to get a wild hair to roll once a month for a year,” Stadem said standing next to a dark and cold Mississippi River in Brainerd in mid-February. “Finding soft water is a little tricky in the winter months, but we were happy to find the Mississippi open here.”
You don’t have to stop and it doesn’t matter when you start.
The women were out when there was still a little coating of snow and still plenty of ice to at least make kayaking a challenge. Temperatures were just above freezing. DuFresne said she went to multiple spots in the north woods before they chose a section of the Mississippi River open at Evergreen Cemetery landing in Brainerd.
They are teachers of the traditional Greenland kayaking methods for paddling, but their once-a-month excursions into the water are also about something more than kayaking, they are about inspiring others to be active at any age.
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DuFresne said they did the once-a-month roll challenge a couple of years ago and made a video of it, which they showed at kayaking events where they work and teach others the traditional Greenland kayaking methods during the summer.
One of those gatherings is in Merrifield in September. For more information about the Merrifield event, go to www.qajaqusa.org/ . Stadem said the traditional paddler gathering is part of Qajaq USA events, which are hosted across the country. The organization uses the Greenlandic spelling qajaq or kayak.
“We use our Greenland traditional paddles when we do the rolling,” Stadem said, adding they planned to do a standard Greenland roll technique in the river that day.
“Cold water, when it hits your sinuses right here, it gets you,” DuFresne said, rubbing her hand across her forehead on the Mississippi River bank as ice chunks floated on the river behind her. “You know that’s the ice cream headache everybody talks about and it’s a consistent issue when we are out here doing this.”
The kayak rolls the women were doing are taught at the kayaking events. DuFresne said there are 31 different ways to roll a kayak.
“We do like the idea that a good roll is one you come up on — that you finish,” Stadem said and smiled.
“One that you end up upright, that’s a good roll,” DuFrense said.
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Once in the water, DuFresne used her Greenland stick paddle to check the depth and watched for ice chunks coming downstream before rolling into the frigid river in a smooth easy motion. Both DuFresne and Stadem have been involved in paddling sports for decades and each has traveled across the country and the world — DuFresne to Greenland and Stadem to Norway. They embrace traditional kayaking, using the Greenland stick paddles that are becoming more popular with kayakers.
The Qajaq USA events, which welcomes beginners to the sport, involve paddling, learning traditional skills, rolling, turning, backup strokes and something people might not expect — throwing harpoons at styrofoam seal targets. They also have strength and conditioning skills using ropes between trees. And events include a history lesson over the weekend. DuFresne said over the years thousands have taken part in events across the country with each gathering bringing together 40-150 people. Qajaq USA, DuFresne said it’s the first club outside of Greenland to be allowed in the Greenland Kayak Association.
DuFresne traveled a lot for kayaking and put 25,000 to 30,000 miles on her vehicle to attend. She went to Greenland to participate in a national championship and spent a week paddling there. She’s paddled on both U.S. coasts as well as inland lakes and rivers.
DuFresne said they want to keep their kayaking goal going now to see how many years they can be consistent with rolling their kayaks at least once a month. They’ve had to search for open water in the past, traveling across sheets of ice before being able to launch their kayaks.
At Zorbaz, they walked across a 10-foot sheet of ice to get to open water. They haven’t had to travel south of the Brainerd lakes area to meet the goal yet. DuFresne said it isn’t really cold on the water, although there are little leaks here and there around the cuffs and face and maybe a little water getting in under the cockpit skirt but it really only gets cold once they are out of the water and on land again.
They hope to inspire people to try kayaking at any age. Often the people who have the time and interest are in their 40s although DuFresne pointed out kayaking is perfect for people as they age. Beyond kayaking, DuFresne said they also want to be role models for others like themselves. It’s about using it or losing it, she said.
“I’m going to be 69 in another couple of months and Becky is well into her 60s and it’s like, truthfully most of what I do about this — is about setting an example for other older people that you don’t have to stop and it doesn’t matter when you start.,” DuFresne said. “It's just this having these little, little things to give you a reason to get out of the house and a reason to do something besides watch TV … especially older women. I work a lot with them and just being role models for our paddling community and for women in general.”
Renee Richardson, managing editor, may be reached at 218-855-5852 or renee.richardson@brainerddispatch.com. Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DispatchBizBuzz.
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