Typical 5-Star mayhem.
photo: Jonathan Walpole
How did the British Canoe Union’s highest
sea kayaking is known for: rough wa-
ter landings, broken boats and night
order, the 5-Star Sea award, become our
navigation. early on in the crossing
Holy Grail of sea kayaking certifications?
portion, a paddler panicked and had
to be towed for most of the way. Then,
Dennis flooded someone else’s bow
by Conor Mihell
hatch—camping gear and all—and
left lash to pick up the pieces. All
the while and ever deadpan, Dennis
hen bruce lash started
w
ers, the likes of Derek hutchinson and watched on from a distance.
kayaking in 1983, he never
Valley Canoe Products designer Frank “it was like a rite of passage,” says
imagined one day leading a
Goodman, and had started the first lash. “i’ve never been so intimidat-
group of paddlers across 12 kilometres
sea kayak company on lake Superior. ed in my whole life. but there was a
of open water on lake Superior in no-
lash became part of sea kayaking’s certain comfort in knowing that the
vember. The self-proclaimed “ordinary
highest order in 1995 when nigel assessor put you in those situations
paddler” and firefighter from Sault Ste.
Dennis, a british Canoe Union (bCU) knowing that you had the tools to
Marie, ontario, first became interested
coach and legendary expedition pad- get out of them safely. And because
in sea kayaking as a means to better
dler, signed his 5-Star Sea Award. i went in ready for the worst, it was
duck hunting. less than a decade
lash says his 5-Star assessment achievable. but it felt really, really
later, he was paddling with top kayak-
included everything the holy Grail of good when it was over.”
40 Adventure KAyAK | EArly SummEr 2009
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