The Active Paddle Series Returns in 2027: Building Endurance, One River at a Time
The Kayakers Journal | West Michigan Kayaking Club
By Brad De Young
Cofounder, West Michigan Kayaking Club
Every spring, Michigan’s rivers begin to open up, the days grow longer, and paddlers start thinking about the miles ahead. For some, the season begins with a short trip to shake off the winter. For others, it begins with a more ambitious goal: getting stronger, developing endurance, and preparing for the challenges that lie downstream.
In 2027, the West Michigan Kayaking Club’s Active Paddle Series returns with a simple purpose: get on the water, put in the miles, and become a better paddler.
Beginning in early March and continuing through April, the series brings paddlers together on Sunday mornings for regular training outings designed to build stamina, improve efficiency, and prepare for the longer adventures that define the club’s paddling season.
And in Michigan, early spring paddling is rarely predictable.
Rain, Cold, and the Willingness to Show Up
Spring in West Michigan can bring sunshine, freezing temperatures, rain, snow, rising water, and rapidly changing river conditions. A calendar might say spring has arrived, but the water has its own schedule.
That is part of what makes the Active Paddle Series valuable.
Showing up consistently, preparing for the conditions, and learning to make sound decisions on the water are all part of becoming a capable paddler. The series offers an opportunity to develop those habits alongside people who share an interest in going farther and experiencing more of Michigan’s waterways.
The goal is not simply to accumulate miles. It is to become more comfortable in the boat, more efficient with each stroke, and better prepared for the demands of a long day on the river.
Ten to Fifteen Miles at a Time
The series typically features paddles of approximately 10–15 miles, with a target pace of roughly 4–4.5 miles per hour when river conditions permit.
These outings are intended to be active training paddles rather than leisurely recreational paddles. Participants have an opportunity to develop their endurance, refine their paddling rhythm, and gain experience maintaining a steady pace over longer distances.
River mileage, however, never tells the whole story.
Current, water levels, obstacles, wind, temperature, and the characteristics of a particular river all influence how a day unfolds. A good paddler learns to balance ambition with judgment, understanding that conditions—not the clock—ultimately determine the appropriate pace.
For paddlers preparing for endurance events, that distinction matters. Fitness is important, but so are equipment preparation, efficient technique, sound decisions, and the ability to manage changing conditions.
The Road to the Hugh Heward Challenge
The Active Paddle Series also provides an opportunity to prepare for one of Michigan’s distinctive endurance paddling events: the Hugh Heward Challenge.
Scheduled for April 24, 2027, the challenge gives paddlers an additional goal to work toward as winter transitions into spring. The weeks leading up to the event offer a chance to build a consistent training routine, test equipment, and learn what it takes to spend extended periods on the water.
For West Michigan Kayaking Club, supporting endurance paddling is about more than completing a particular event. It is about helping people discover what they can accomplish when they develop their skills, prepare deliberately, and challenge themselves over time.
Not everyone will approach the series with the same objectives. Some paddlers may be preparing for the Hugh Heward Challenge, while others may simply want to improve their stamina or feel more confident on longer river trips. The common thread is a willingness to put in the work.
Michigan Rivers Are the Classroom
One of the advantages of a spring training series is the opportunity to experience different waterways as conditions change.
A river that seems straightforward at one water level may present a very different set of decisions after rain or snowmelt. Current speed, eddies, strainers, submerged obstacles, and changing banks all demand attention.
Those experiences can help paddlers develop a better understanding of moving water and their own abilities. They also reinforce an important principle: preparation begins before the boat enters the river.
Participants should arrive with appropriate equipment, dress for cold-water immersion, wear a properly fitted personal flotation device, and understand the demands of the planned route. Early-season paddling can involve serious cold-water risks even when the air temperature feels comfortable.
The series is self-supported. Participants are responsible for their own equipment, transportation, preparation, and decisions on the water. These are not guided trips, and joining a group does not replace the need for appropriate skills, judgment, and personal responsibility.
River conditions and route details should be reviewed before each outing, and a paddle should be postponed or modified when conditions exceed the abilities of the participants.
More Than a Training Calendar
There is another reason to keep coming back each Sunday: the people.
Time on the river creates opportunities to learn from other paddlers, exchange ideas, develop friendships, and discover new places. Shared miles have a way of bringing people together without requiring much more than a willingness to participate.
The Active Paddle Series offers a regular point of connection for people who want to make paddling a more consistent part of their lives. It gives experienced paddlers a reason to keep improving and provides motivated newcomers with an opportunity to learn through preparation, practice, and experience appropriate to their abilities.
West Michigan Kayaking Club was built around the idea that adventure should not be limited to a few weekends each summer. The rivers are out there throughout the season, and meaningful progress often comes from the small decisions to keep showing up.
One Sunday becomes another. A few miles become fifteen. Confidence grows, skills improve, and the next big trip begins to feel more achievable.
Join the 2027 Active Paddle Series
The 2027 Active Paddle Series is scheduled to run on Sundays from early March through April. The club’s published event announcements list a typical meeting time of 10:00 a.m., with individual routes, launch locations, take-outs, and conditions announced for specific outings.
Membership and club events are free. Participants must complete the club’s membership agreement before their first event and review the safety requirements.
To learn more, visit the official club calendar:
https://www.westmichigankayakingclub.online/calendar
Membership information:
https://www.westmichigankayakingclub.online/become-a-member
Follow the West Michigan Kayaking Club Facebook community for announcements and updates:
https://www.facebook.com/share/g/17wBZ9RP4w/
Spring comes quickly in Michigan. The water will be moving, the days will be getting longer, and another paddling season will be waiting.
The question is whether you will be ready for it.
Sometimes the best way to prepare for the next adventure is simply to start paddling.
West Michigan Kayaking Club
Wild Rivers. Rugged Trails. Real Adventure.
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