Paddlepalooza and Greenland Camp

Georgian Bay’s Paddling Festival!

Paddlepalooza is Ontario’s Sea Kayaking Symposium hosted by Ontario Sea Kayak Centre at Killbear Provincial Park. What makes this event so special is all of the professional instructors and enthusiastic attendees who come together each year to learn, share, and celebrate a love of kayaking together.

We bring together the best sea kayak instructors from some of the top paddling schools in Canada and expert Greenland paddling mentors for this event. All of us at Ontario Sea Kayak Centre love hosting Paddlepalooza. For 2024, Paddlepalooza will be in it’s eleventh year of gathering kayakers from across Canada and America. Parry Sound’s proximity to the open waters of Georgian Bay, and the sheltered inlets of the Sound make Parry Sound the ideal location for hosting Paddlepalooza.

We welcome paddlers of all skill levels to Paddlepalooza and offer skills clinics for every level of paddler from complete beginners to seasoned experts. Paddlepalooza is a two or three-day event, depending on how much time you have to commit. The main event is Saturday and Sunday and when you sign up you can choose to add Friday to your weekend of learning, fun, and socializing.

Arrive on Friday at Killbear Provincial Park or Thursday if you are taking the Friday sessions. Check-in at the OSKC organizer’s tent where there will be staff on hand to point you to an available campsite. You can set your tent up and if you like move your kayak down to the beach area. Attendees make their own food at their campsites but it is a very social event, so feel free to wander around and meet other paddlers.

Saturday night we will be hosting the Paddling Film Festival again! Bring a camp chair for these inspirational

2024 DATES

September 13th,14th and 15th, 2024
Friday 13th is an optional extra day of training.

Confirmed Instructors

We are excited to have compiled an amazing group of talented passionate coaches for this year’s event. At Paddlepalooza we will be offering traditional skills like paddling with a Greenland paddle and rolling as well as contemporary paddling skills with a euro blade. Our team of instructors are able to offer skills clinics for all levels.

Jeff Adler – Greenland Mentor and ACA Instructor – Wisconsin, USA

Jeff Arbing – Paddle Canada Level 2 Instructor – Port Stanley, ON

Ray Boucher – Paddle Canada Level 3 Instructor – Wawa, ON

Tim Gallaway – Greenland Mentor and ACA Instructor – Michigan, USA

Dympna Hayes – Paddle Canada Level 2 Instructor – Parry Sound, ON

David Johnston – Paddle Canada Level 4 Instructor – Peterborough, ON

Greg Mason – Paddle Canada Level 3 Instructor – Parry Sound, ON

Jarrod Gunn McQuillan – Paddle Canada Level 3 Instructor, PEI

Erik Oogard – Paddle Canada Level 4 Instructor – Toronto, ON

Jeff Phaneuf – Paddle Canada Level 2 Instructor – Chatham, ON

James Roberts – Paddle Canada Level 4 Instructor – Parry Sound, ON

Kam Truhn – Greenland Mentor and ACA Instructor – Michigan, USA

Gwen Truhn – Greenland Mentor and ACA Instructor – Michigan, USA

Karl Vollmer – Paddle Canada Level 3 Instructor – Halifax, NS

Plus more are being confirmed soon!

What clinics are offered at Paddlepalooza?

We work closely with our Coaching team once we have everyone confirmed and come up with a list of clinics that best suit the skill sets of the coaches and also allow us to teach to all levels. We run around 10 clinics at a time so there is lots of choice. Once we have the confirmed clinic list, we email them to you and you can choose which session you want to take on Friday and Saturday and Sunday morning and afternoon.

Some of our previous clinics have been:
Basic paddling strokes
Self-rescues or partner rescues
Navigation and Trip Planning
Kayak camp cooking skills
Maneuvering tricks, edging, and kayak ballet
Kayak play for improved balance
Learn to roll a kayak
Intermediate/Advanced Greenland skills
Sculling for support and re-enter and roll
…and many others

Kayaking at Killbear Provincial Park

This year we will be back at the beautiful Killbear Provincial Park. This location lets us launch right into the Georgian Bay Islands from one of the Park’s many white-sand beaches. It also allows for sheltered water for classes that require it and access to more exposed textured waters for those who crave it! Campsites are included for the weekend so bring your tent or small trailer and set up a little home away from home. Comfort stations are open so you can shower and use flushing toilets.

Ontario Greenland Camp and Traditional Skills.

Traditional paddling skills are where all of the knowledge we share today started and we love to celebrate this important fundamental skill set. From bracing and rolling to forward paddling or simple blade awareness, refining these skills will benefit every paddler. If you are looking to learn some Traditional or Greenlandic paddling skills this is the event for you. We have been sharing these skills since 2007 and have traditional skills and learn-to-roll classes throughout Paddlepalooza. Take a class with one of our expert traditional skills coaches.

Don’t own a sea kayak or gear? No problem.

When booking online you can choose a weekend rental package for only $25/day. This includes a sea kayak, skirt, paddle, PFD, pump, throw rope, and paddle float.

Friday optional extra day!

Paddlepalooza works best as a three-day event, to make this happen, add the optional Friday training to your cart during checkout. Session sign-ups will happen a little closer to the event.

Paddlepalooza 2024: $359

This includes your event pass for both Saturday and Sunday’s kayaking clinics, parking, campsite permits at Killbear Provincial Park for Friday and Saturday nights, Saturday Paddling Film Festival, and launch fees at off-site locations.

Optional Extra! Friday full-day training: $199

To make the drive to Parry Sound worth it and to get the most out of your weekend of skills training we offer an optional extra day on Friday. Choose to add Friday at checkout and meet your instructor Friday morning for an extra day of coaching and skills training.
NEW THIS YEAR! – For anyone taking the additional Friday sessions we are now including camping at Killbear Provincial Park on Thursday night.

Signing up

Registration is now open and the event usually fills up fast. Grab your spot below and secure your place at Paddlepalooza 2024. See you on the water.


September 13th – 15th, 2024
Sign up here!

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