Bring it Boise

“I am very excited to continue pursuing my outdoor passions beyond Boise.”

Background Information

Chris and Sophie decided to undertake this project mainly to bring attention to the outdoor recreation in Boise.  Not only Boise, but all of Idaho is brimming with areas where some form of outdoor recreation is possible.  From rock climbing, to kayaking, even to something as common and basic as hiking, there are an incalculable number of areas in which to play.  Both Sophie and Chris had noticed a waning of participation in the outdoors by the youth, so they decided they needed to highlight their favorite pastimes there.  Particularly, for his aspect, Chris focused on whitewater kayaking, as this is his favorite thing to do in the summer.  Chris and Sophie taught a two day ‘camp’ where they taught kids the basics of whitewater kayaking and climbing at several popular spots for each in the Treasure Valley.

“I have had the pleasure of kayaking on rivers in both hemispheres, but nothing is quite comparable to Idaho whitewater.”
– Chris

Implementation of the Project

When starting this project, Chris faced the challenge of tracking down enough gear in order to make it possible for all the interested kids to try whitewater kayaking.  As it is not the most popular, or affordable sport, he thought that this may have been pretty difficult.  But, he was pleasantly surprised at the generosity he found that the paddling community had to grow the sport.  Chris and Sophie had a relatively small Action Team, with only 2 other people on it.  Their team and them planned on introducing the kids to the outdoors through a camp, where the basics of technique and safety would be taught.

“My Action Team was vital to the success of my CLP, and I’m grateful for their support.”
– Chris

Bring It Boise from Chris Michael on Vimeo.

Results of the Project

The project that they created went very well, with 8 kids participating in the camp.  Chris and his Action Team taught them the basic skills and safety techniques that would be necessary whenever on the river.  However, this number could indirectly grow if the participants they taught go on to teach lessons of their own someday.  This ripple effect is what they were hoping to achieve, although even just one more enthusiast is deemed a success.

“To us, it didn’t matter if anyone actually like kayaking or climbing.  All that mattered was that we were able to show them what was out there, and let them pursue their own passions in the outdoors.”
– Chris

What’s Next

Next year, Chris will be off at college and Sophie most likely will be at boarding school.  Chris is still planning on teaching friends the benefits of the outdoors, informally.  Next summer, he is hoping to continue teaching close friends how to kayak, as well as climb, before moving on to college.  Chris is planning on going to Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana.  There, he hopes to continue pursuing his passion for the outdoors through the variety of venues offered there.

“I am very excited to continue pursuing my outdoor passions beyond Boise.”
– Chris