South Sound Traditional Inuit Kayaking Symposium

The impetus for SSTIKS came out of discussions starting in 2001 among local kayakers who had a love for Greenland paddles, skin-on-frame boats, and the traditional Inuit paddling arts. At the time, there were very few folks in the Pacific Northwest who followed this discipline and even fewer resources for learning; videos were few and far between and no Greenland paddle mentors visited us in this region.

Wouldn’t it be great, they asked,  if there was a weekend wherein those who loved this kind of paddling could gather to share skills and learning?  To have fun on the water in our peculiar craft?

So SSTIKS was born.  The first event was held in June of 2002.  It attracted about 75 attendees. As the event was dedicated to the open sharing of knowledge, the ethos that would later be defined as SSTIKSishness was laid down: a non-commercial, non-profit, familial, community-based event for sharing knowledge and having fun.

Many of the STSIKs traditions were established early – paddle carving classes, the salmon barbecue, the shared meals and more.  In 2005, the first SSTIKS kids track was held.  This proved immediately popular and has served to help define our event - the only kayaking event that welcomes kids as part of the process.  SSTIKS was truly a family event.

SSTIKS continues to thrive, each year introducing new ideas whilst preserving the core of SSTIKIShness laid down in 2002.

Click Here to Jump to the SSTIKS Home Page @ http://qajaqnw.org