YOUTH PROGRAMS
Zoo Town Surfers has provided quality youth whitewater programs since 2004. Our youth programs have successfully taught hundreds of teenagers the sport of kayaking, facilitating their progression into competent whitewater enthusiasts and building confidence on and off the water. Our instructors are dedicated kayakers, which makes our programs successful. Lead instructors are also certified ACA instructors and swiftwater rescue technicians. All of our youth programs focus on kayaking techniques, river awareness, responsibility, conservation, and of course, FUN! Watching the future of our sport progress and grow is one of the most rewarding benefits of teaching and kayaking.
YOUTH KAYAK CLUB
The youth kayak club creates the opportunity for local teenagers to kayak safely through a fun and supportive club atmosphere. Under the tutelage of expert instructors and positive mentors, we focus on teamwork, river safety, and kayak skills all summer long. Students in the youth kayak club are organized into three different groups: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. The club meets on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Any student in a more advanced group may also join a group with less experience on any given day. There are skill benchmarks within each group, which gives the students goals, allowing students to have fun and continually progress throughout the summer.
2 DAY YOUTH INTRO CLINICS
Our youth intro clinics are great for youngsters or teenagers who aren’t quite ready to join the youth kayak club or people visiting Missoula looking to introduce their kids to the sport of whitewater kayaking. We begin at Frenchtown Pond where we play games, go over equipment, and learn basic kayaking skills such as wet-exits, strokes, miracle hand, and braces. Our instructors lead by example and make kayaking fun and safe. The following day we go over everything we learned on the first day and then head to a local Class I section of the Clark Fork River where we go over river safety, ferries, and eddy turns. Later in the afternoon we apply everything we have learned and kayak the Class I section of the Clark Fork River from East Missoula down to Brennan’s Wave.
PRICE: $175/student
Minimum of 4 Students
Out of Town Trips
Zoo Town Surfers out of town trips are the ticket for exploring new rivers, making new friends, and lots of paddling. It’s a great introduction to traveling and multiple days of kayaking. Our out of town trips focus on river running, swift water rescue techniques, and competition.
Kelly’s Whitewater Park, Cascade ID July 5-9
Kelly’s whitewater park is a one of a kind whitewater park that has multiple features that are appropriate for all skill levels. Students participating in this trip will focus on training, multiple days of paddling, competition, and teamwork. This is a USAFK (USA Freestyle Kayak) event and is part of the USAFK point series.
Requirements: Minimum of 4 students, 12 or older, comfortable Class III paddler
Cost: $400/person (includes instruction, food, and transportation)
What you need to bring
-Kayak Gear
-ID
-Signed Waiver
-Event Fees
-Camping Gear (sleeping bag/pad, warm clothes, toiletries, tent, water bottle, headlamp)
-Personal spending money
What we provide
-Transportation
-Instruction
-Food
-Kitchen Gear
-24 hour supervision
