LYNN — At Sluice Pond, it doesn’t matter who you are, the North Shore Maritime Center wants to help you get on the water.
On Tuesday, the North Shore Maritime Center hosted their second free kayaking event. Despite the heat, volunteers carried kayaking equipment down to the boat ramp, got them set up, and launched people off into the water.
The event is organized by Will Goldheim, executive director of North Shore Maritime Center, a Lynn-based nonprofit seeking to make watersports accessible to marginalized communities.
Goldheim explained the mission behind the North Shore Maritime Center, saying, “the problem is, historically, water-based activities have been very exclusive, and for the privileged few. Essentially, to boil it down, you go on the water and all you see is white wealthy people. What I’m trying to change about that is the face of these maritime water sports.”
Kayaking was open to all skill levels, including first-timers. Aniluz Jimenez-Rodriguez and her family had never kayaked before and came to Sluice to try it out. Even though the jitters cut their time on the water short, they said they would come back to kayak again.
Others, like Lisa Prak and her daughter Lotus Conroy, had a little more experience on the water. The two have kayaked together before, but this was the first time Conroy would be by herself. Prak said that this was an opportunity for Conroy to learn in a safe and accessible environment.
“I was like, this is a perfect time because there will be people who can show her how to do this by herself because, y’know, she’s getting older. I’m just like, OK, I feel more confident, there’s professionals here, she can kayak on her own.”
“I think it was just a great event for the community and the kids to learn to kayak by themselves,” Prak continued. “Anywhere else you would have to pay, and not a lot of people in this community can afford to even try the activity. Just having this for free for the community is just great for the kids and [for parents] to do something fun for the summer.”
Goldheim believes that water-based activities provide more than just fun. They are an opportunity to teach kids and adults about safety, team-building, communication, and perseverance. Additionally, he said, rhythmic sports like kayaking and rowing have the ability to help people with PTSD heal.
“It turns out that for low income communities post traumatic stress at rates that are twice as high as veterans returning [from combat], you just don’t hear about it as much.” Goldheim added, “It just makes sense that the community of Lynn and the surrounding areas need to have access to these sports and they didn’t exist before.”
Goldheim’s message to the community: “Watersports are for everybody. There should be no barriers to entry for them. Come get on the water with us.”
To learn more about public rowing and kayaking programs, visit https://www.northshoremaritimecenter.org.
Emma Fringuelli can be reached at [email protected].
