Kayaking in San Marcos

By MICHELE BROOKE

In the rolling hills of Central Texas, the San Marcos River is a sparkling gem that Olympic kayaking athletes have known about for years.

A spring-fed river that stretches from San Marcos to Gonzales, where it flows into the Guadalupe River, the lovely San Marcos contains swift rapids, technical waterfalls and tranquil flat waters.

Those features, plus the fact that the river maintains a temperature of 72 degrees year-round, translate into ideal water for kayakers -- so much so that a nonprofit kayaking center on the river hosted the full U.S. National Canoe/Kayak team for two weeks of training in January.

The event was part of the team's preparation for the Olympics to be held in Athens, Greece, in August.

The facility is the Power Olympic Outdoor Center, and although it is designed for Olympian training, it is open to the public April through November, making it possible for ordinary kayakers to learn from instructors who have been or are headed for the Olympics.

While the athletes train on the river, they also instruct and guide paying visitors on kayaking trips.

"Essentially, 100 percent of the proceeds goes into a fund," says Ben Kvanli, center manager and a 1996 Olympian. Kvanli's wife, Michelle Clements, also works at the center, where she is training and hoping to win a spot on the U.S. flat-water kayak team. "The athletes make proposals for trips or races or the things that they need to train, and our board allocates that money toward those endeavors," Kvanli continues.

In 2003, he says, the center raised $20,000 for the athletes to train for and compete in national events in five kayak and canoe categories: whitewater slalom, flat-water sprint, polo, marathon and rodeo.

The center is the brainchild of Houstonians David and Debbie Powers, owners of Integrated Protection Services and kayaking fans, in part through family members' involvement, including a cousin who won a silver medal in a Junior Olympics.

The Powerses bought the land and a house formerly rented out for fraternity parties on the San Marcos in 2001 and donated its use for the training of kayaking athletes.

Kvanli, who attended high school in Dallas but says he grew up as a "missionary kid in 38 states and three Central American countries," experienced the pull of the San Marcos River long before he wound up managing the center.

"I originally paddled the river on a multiday trip with my father, the president of his company, and his boys in 1985," Kvanli says. "This is noteworthy because it followed the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, which was a huge success here in the U.S. and led me to vow with my best friend that we would compete in the Olympics someday."

Kvanli took kayaking lessons in San Marcos, then moved around, training on rivers in North Carolina; the Washington, D.C., area; Colorado; and Central America, before coming back to San Marcos to train and to teach kayaking.

After intense training, he competed in the Atlanta Olympics in 1996.

"After my event was over, I hung out at the Olympics for a couple weeks and thought, `Now what?' I felt like there was more I could do."

He decided to return to teaching and eventually linked up with the POOC.

"We chose to locate in San Marcos because the San Marcos Springs are the most dependable water source in Texas, yet it remains relatively untouched by the throngs of summer vacationers," he says. "The location of the center has the most gradient of any section of the river, and it is close enough to the springs to run clear 99 percent of the time with a constant temperature of water."

The sun had already begun to bake the earth when my husband and I pulled up to the Power Olympic Outdoor Center at 9 on a June morning last summer. We met Kvanli and Clements as they were downing the last of their breakfast smoothies (no coffee here).

Kvanli took us around back to pick out our kayaks for the day. There were three kinds: whitewater, recreational and our transportation of choice -- long, slender touring kayaks.

When you're kayaking, a general rule is to expect everything to get wet. That means you wear a swimsuit and either go barefoot or wear river sandals. If you want to take photographs, bring a waterproof camera.

The San Marcos is 75 miles long and fed by more than 200 natural springs. At the point where we put in, it is kind to beginners -- tranquil and listless, giving confidence to two hardly intrepid novices.

It was a perfect summer day. Giant, jade elephant ears danced along the bank. The sun was hot, but trees on the bank shaded us.

That's how it began, at least, but the San Marcos does not disappoint those looking for action. During our half-day trip we came across two good drops and one 14-foot waterfall that had our hearts hanging in our throats.

Fortunately, the center's instructors practically held our hands the whole way, especially at the waterfall. One guide positioned me and my kayak at the top, while the other waited for me at the bottom. They counted to three, and I dropped off the top through the spray and plunked into the water. No skill required. The kayak automatically rose to the top after dunking. If you happen to finish upside down, a guide will flip you over.

The river appeared harmless and serene with sunning turtles, darting fish (the water is so clear you can see the riverbed) and swaying flora. That doesn't mean danger can't be found, however, as I was reminded when the tip of my kayak interrupted a copperhead sunning on an outcropping of land.

Fortunately, copperheads are generally not aggressive, and I was able to back up and continue on my journey a little wiser. I learned it's best to steer clear of the bank and not stop paddling too long to take a photo. I must note, however, that the guides assured me that this kind of encounter is rare.

The center's guided tours run from April to the second weekend in November.

"April will be racing season (for the Olympic contenders), but we'll have people here who are past members of the U.S. team to conduct trips for the public," says Kvanli, who is touring Athens this month to preview the Olympic racecourse.

Kayaking instruction and trips range in price and length, depending upon your goals.

The basic class, the kayak sampler, is for the beginner. It includes boat rental, gear and an introduction to the sport and takes you on a full-day ($90) or half-day ($70) trip on the San Marcos River.

Also offered are kayak classics: three-day ($260) and four-day ($500) journeys, which are also geared toward beginners. Taught are both whitewater and flat-water kayaking skills.

Instruction for intermediate and advanced paddlers is available, as are private, customized and certification classes.

To reach the center from Houston, take Interstate 10 west to U.S. 183 (exit 632). Follow 183 to Luling, turn left onto Texas 80 and continue west to San Marcos.

Once in the city, take I-35 south to the San Marcos River. The POOC is across the interstate from the San Marcos Nature Center and the Tourist Information Center. The POOC is at 602 N. Interstate 35, San Marcos, TX 78666. For more information, call 512-392-9910 or 866-222-7998.

Michele Brooke is the travel writer for the Examiner, a weekly newspaper in Beaumont.

The Houston Chronicle
April 23, 2004