Don’t Worry About A Tip Mehrens Conquers His Fears, Takes The Kayaking Plunge

Water sports have never been one of Joe Mehrens’ strong points.

So when Mehrens agreed to go on a whitewater rafting trip in Idaho last summer, the only thing the 26-year-old Spokane resident had on his mind was survival. What he ended up with was a desire to try something even more daring and adventurous.

“While I was on the river I saw a couple of kayakers and thought, ‘Boy, that looks like a lot of fun,”’ Mehrens said. “I’d always been curious about kayaking, but the thing that had really kept me from trying was the initial fear of rolling or having a problem in the boat and not knowing how to get upright or get out.”

Also contributing to Mehrens’ apprehension was his love-hate relationship with water.

“To be honest, I’ve always kind of had a slight fear of water,” he admitted. “I’m not real comfortable on a lake or on the ocean, but on a river, I’m happy. I grew up on the Little Spokane and have always had running water by the house.”

Mehrens found out about an indoor kayak water polo league, sponsored by the Spokane Parks Department and Spokane Canoe and Kayak Club, that started last winter and was running during the summer in the Shadle Park pool. It offers boaters of all abilities an opportunity to hone their skills.

Boaters use their hands to paddle around the pool and are divided into teams ranging from 3-6 members. Elevated goals rest at opposite ends of the pool and teams attempt to move the ball and score in a manner similar to regular water polo.

“I figured we were going to be in a pool under controlled conditions, so what the heck,” he said.

With the encouragement of a few friends, Mehrens traveled to his first kayak water polo session. After receiving a brief introduction to the kayak and how to properly exit in case of a rollover, he hopped in the water and went at it.

“It was fun,” he said. “I got in and it felt a little tippy, almost kind of like you want to move. Then once you get the balance of it and know what you can do, it’s actually very easy.”

Despite tipping over three times, Mehrens soon felt at ease in the kayak. After two additional sessions in the pool, he headed for a section of the Spokane River with some friends.

“It was nice and quiet out there,” Mehrens said. “The different things you can do on a river, like surfing or shooting rapids, just add that much more to the whole experience. In the pool you’re using yourself for the propulsion, but in the river you just sit back and let it take you.”

Mehrens decided to commit himself to the sport, and floated the Spokane River several more times after purchasing a boat. In addition, he continued through the indoor water polo season.

“The skills I learned in the pool were primarily how to lean into your turns properly, as well as the ability to enter and exit an eddy line properly,” he said. “The reason I like it is, I’m in a pool under controlled conditions so I get a great opportunity to sit there and practice these things.”

Mehrens said he will continue to participate in the club’s 1996 winter league, and one day he hopes to return to where the adventures began.

“I want to be able to boat the Locksaw, which is the section in Idaho I rafted originally,” he said. “That’s a class-4 river, so I figure in maybe two or three years I’ll have my skills set well enough that I’ll be able to go and while my friends raft, I’ll be able to kayak it.” , DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: ON THE WATER The Spokane Canoe and Kayak Club indoor water polo league runs through March 3, Sundays in the Shadle Park High School pool, 8-10 p.m. Info: Andrew Brewer, 838-4244.