The University of Mississippi Department of Campus Recreation has converted what is normally an outdoor sport –– kayaking –– into an action-packed indoor activity for students.
Rather than kayaking on a lake or river, on Kayak Thursday, participants paddle in the 65-meter heated pool at the Turner Center Natatorium.
Freshman political science major Rory O’Connor looked forward to participating in the activity.
“I saw this event on the Ole Miss calendar, and thought I would give it a try,” O’Connor said. “I have tons of experience kayaking from Boy Scouts and from doing it with my friends. I am pumped.”
Laura Counts is a Campus Rec staff member and instructor for Kayak Thursday, which is sponsored weekly by the recreation department. Though she only recently started running the program, she has plenty of experience.
“I was a lifeguard and kayak instructor at the summer camp I worked at,” Counts, a junior theater arts major, said. “Sometimes teaching college students how to kayak is the same as teaching campers.”
The featured event of Kayak Thursday two weeks ago was Kayak Polo — a game that combines the goal-scoring fun of water polo with the challenge of maneuvering a kayak. Kayakers break into two teams to see who can score the most goals.
After a demonstration of how to sit in the kayak and slide into the water, kayakers were encouraged to familiarize themselves with paddling around the pool. Little did they know, getting in the kayak was the easy part.
“I ended up tipping over twice,” Liam Huddleston, a freshman general business major, said. “But that was all part of the fun.”
The water temperature was approximately 81 degrees, so going overboard was not too bad. Participants hauled their kayaks to the ledge of the pool and raced to dump the water out before rejoining the game.
Huddleston was not the only kayaker to fall into the water. Every couple of minutes, different kayakers would find themselves upside down in the pool. Luckily, there were several measures in place to ensure kayakers had fun safely.
In addition to taking place in the shallow end of the pool, Kayak Thursday has several lifeguards in attendance. A minimum of two American Red Cross certified lifeguards are on duty at all times in the Natatorium.
“(The lifeguards) are consistently scanning each section of the pool to ensure the safety of all patrons,” Nick Longhorn, assistant director of aquatics, said.
Along with safety, inclusivity is a key aspect of Kayak Thursday. The pool is fully ADA accessible, equipped with an ADA Step system in the shallow end of the facility as well as a portable chair lift for access to other areas.
One kayaker who stood out among the mostly male college students was Mirela Ovreiu, an instructional assistant professor of biomedical engineering at UM.
Ovreiu has been a long-time fan of Kayak Thursday. She has participated every week for the past two years.
“I discovered it by accident,” Ovreiu said. “I saw it online and thought I would go. I would absolutely recommend it to anybody. I even bring my students sometimes.”
When Ovreiu’s students have a long or intense lab, Ovreiu invites them to Kayak Thursday to help them de-stress.
“For me, it is very relaxing,” Ovreiu said, “It is safe and very entertaining.”
After an hour of scoring goals, splashing and flipping, Kayak Thursday was finished until the next week.
“It was good fun. I would definitely do it again.” O’Connor said. “It would be great to get even more people out here next time. The more people, the more fun.”
With its mix of competition and camaraderie, Kayak Thursday is a must-try event on campus. Campus Rec hosts Kayak Thursday every Thursday from 7-8 p.m in the Turner Center Natatorium. There are only 12 spots available per week.
For more information about Ole Miss Campus Rec Aquatics programs, services, event schedules and registration, visit the Campus Rec website.
