“the pines” florida camp - rusty dragon...

2011 Rusty Dragons MOTLEY CRUE at Florida Camp www.RustyDragons.ca

Aerial and lakeside views of the Pines Resort in Florida

Information Package for the Rusty Dragons “MOTLEY CRUE” team at

“The Pines” Florida CampSunday April 10 to Saturday April 16, 2011

Taking place at the Pines ResortIn Indian Harbour Beach, Florida.

This is the practice site for some world championship dragon boat teams, as well as a winter practice site for some Olympic athletes in rowing, canoeing, kayaking.

This opportunity is being put together by the Rusty Dragons’ founders Tim MacFarlane and Caroline Goodwin. We first brought a team here 4 years ago (2007) and have been coming back ever since. The camp itself is organized by veteran paddler and national coach Jim Farintosh and his organization.

If you want to KICK-START your season and hit the water RUNNING when you return, then we want you to join our group of like-minded competitive paddlers/athletes. You will have guaranteed FUN as well as enjoy the camaraderie with other paddlers.

This document was prepared by us (Rusty Dragons) and not Jim Farintosh. If you do see something that could be added or clarified, please let us know and we will take care of it immediately.

The MOTLEY CRUE name is used by the Rusty Dragons for teams of experienced paddlers who belong to other teams/clubs, but join us for events above and beyond their regular programs.

ANYONE with paddling experience is welcome to join our crew of 20 paddlers.

2011 Florida Camp - Info for Athletes – 7 (Feb15) of 10

http://www.RustyDragons.ca/


THE RUSTY DRAGONS

Our Goal…

We want to provide paddlers with a well-planned opportunity to participate in this very unique training camp. The coaches and fitness staff are tops in the country. The camp itself is run by Jim Farintosh, one of the most successful dragon boat coaches both in Canada and Internationally. Where else can you forget about rush hour traffic and paddle on the Banana River with dolphins at your side. By joining this camp you are not committing to anything else with us (Rusty Dragons) after the camp. Our main objective is to create unique opportunities for paddlers that they can pick and choose from independently of their regular teams.

Note: This camp is not necessarily intended for Pickering Dragon Boat Club (PDBC) members who should be attending their own club’s winter training camp at about the same time of the year. Please contact your PDBC coach or Head Coach Scott Murray if you have any questions about your winter camp options.

The Benefits of joining us…

Rather than sign up as an individual, we are organizing a group so we can realize savings in many areas as well as make your trip even better. We have been planning events for several years and will use that experience to make your stay even better. This document outlines all of the details for the camp including registration details and costs, as well as many other group activities we have planned to make your stay better. We’ll help coordinate your flights and/or car-pooling, accommodations, transportation to and from the airport, team dinners, use of shared van for groceries and sight-seeing, etc. You will likely save about $400 doing this with us versus doing this on your own as an individual.

The Cost of the Program…

The total cost of the program is made up of several components which we will summarize here and provide fine detail in a subsequent section. The bottom line is that we want you to register with us in order to SAVE MONEY and be part of our team of like-minded athletes from Toronto and surrounding area. The cost to register for Jim’s program as an individual is $390 (Canadian dollars). However, we will register for the team in order to receive the group discounted rate of $355 per person.

As part of the services that we will provide to members of this team, we are offering a registration fee of $435 that will cover all of the following items and services (we are non-profit)…

• Registration to The Pines camp to save money via group discount.• Coordination of group flights and/or car-pooling to save money and make it easy for you.• Coordination of shared accommodations at the Pines to save money and make it easy for you.• Contribution to a camp rental van ($50) that we will all share for buying groceries, taking side trips, etc.• Note: Those who have use of their own vehicle during the camp are exempt from the $50 rental fee.• Contribution towards camp end gift(s) and dinner for our coach.• Arrangement of special events at the camp (including team dinners, and a trip to Cocoa Beach).

Costs which are not included in the above registration fee are air flights, accommodations, shared cost of the shuttle to and from the airport, food for the week, etc. All of these costs can be reduced by joining our group and capitalizing on the group savings. To see examples of what we believe your total costs will be for the trip, see the “Estimated Overall Budget…” section near the last page.

Online Registration:

>> Our Survey Monkey Registration page is now CLOSED as the camp filled to capacity.




CAMP DETAILS…

The following details of the camp have been provided to us by camp director Jim Farintosh. We’ve added our own comments and details, as well, based on our own experience at the camp.

Camp Director – Jim Farintosh

Jim has been going to the Pines as an athlete and coach for over 20 years. He values the special community of multi-discipline sports, friendships and the world-class training culture which exists there.

Jim has been putting together a top-notch camp through his knowledge of paddle sports, his creativity and organizational skills, and supported through his extensive network of top-notch national coaches and trainers.

There are other camps out there, but there are NONE like this one!

A Typical Day at the Camp

The schedule below is tentative and not specific to any particular team in Florida. The coach for each team will tailor the actual schedule to meet their goals and the goals of their team.

7:00 – 8:30am > training session #1 9:30 – 11:00am > training session #2 11:30 – 12:00pm > stretch session 1:00 – 2:00pm > video/talks 3:00 – 4:30pm > training session #3 5:00 – 6:30pm > training session #4 Evenings: Social time or free time

The frequency and intensity of training sessions will vary for each crew and may include running, outdoor circuit training, field games, swimming, weights, OC training, individual help, tempo paddle sessions, interval paddle sessions and competition workouts including time trial sessions. It is anticipated that each crew will use three training session slots per day according to their needs and day plans.

There may also be OC-2 sessions organized for interested individuals. Outrigger canoes are being used in more dragon boat training programs every year and are great for getting a better feel for the water as you try different techniques. They are also great for fitness testing as they are light and it all boils down to your strength and technique to make the boat move over a typical 100m or 200m test interval.

Please see “THE COACHES…” section on the next page where the bios of the coaches and trainers are detailed.

We will be providing more detail on the camp and schedule as they become available.

Stay Tuned!!




T HE COACHES…

Albert McDonald: Albert is “Mr. Dragon Boat East” and founder of the fabled Dragon Beast program in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Albert is a life-long canoe athlete who has won multiple world championships in dragon boat (~19) as well as being a national champion in sprint canoe numerous times. He is an accomplished basketball coach, a black belt in karate and a top track athlete in his day. His enthusiasm, knowledge and communication skills provide an exceptional foundation for his coaching style.

<Albert was our Florida coach in 2008 and we still use some of his drills to this day. We also attended Albert’s coaching clinic at the camp. He is a great communicator and motivator.>

Don Irvine: Don is the godfather of dragon boat on the west coast and was co-founder of the legendary False Creek Dragon Boat Club in the 1980’s. Don is simply the most accomplished and versatile canoe athlete at the camp with world champion experience in dragon boat (of course), as well as national team and Olympic credentials in sprint kayak, followed by multiple Molokai crossings in outrigger. As a coach he draws on all of these influences to provide an amazing week for his charges. Good sense of humour too!

<Don was our Florida coach in 2010 for our PDBC Masters team that raced in Macau in July 2010. Caroline attended the camp with the team and found Don’s broad experience in paddling enabled him to communicate technique in a very easy manner. He knew our goals and took the team to the edge. >

Kevin Kwan: Kevin is the founder of Kwantum Fitness in Edmonton, Alberta and is highly sought after as a fitness/wellness expert and speaker. His base of knowledge is extensive on dry land training, injury prevention, stretching and all the ins and outs of making a dragon boat club successful. Kevin is also a top-level dragon boat coach as well, having led his Edmonton Dragon Boat Club athletes to the Club Crew World Championships in Macau last summer. His “rock star” enthusiasm is infectious!

<We’ll never forget meeting Kevin for the first time in 2007 at his stretching sessions before each practice, as well as his early morning Yoga classes. He motivated everyone to crank it up a notch and have some fun.>

Tim Schaus: Tim is a “lifer” in sprint canoeing with many gold medal successes in kayak over a 40 year career. He also has distinguished himself as the stroke of the multiple world champion Canada senior open and mixed DB crews over the past 10 years. As a coach, Tim led the national senior women’s team to a gold medal sweep in Prague in 2009 and is aiming to defend those titles in Tampa in 2011. Tim’s background as an educator serves him well in his coaching style and effective communication skill.

Jim Farintosh: Jim has been coming to the Pines for over 20 years, both as a sprint athlete and a coach/administrator. He is the driving force behind the very successful Mayfair program in Toronto and has been a national team coach for the past 15 years, winning 22 world titles over that time. He has worked with crews of all abilities and enjoys helping people find the best in themselves. Jim’s forte is his unique combination of knowledge, experience, communication skill and passion for dragon boat.

< We were fortunate to have Jim as our Florida coach in 2009. His ability to explain technical details in an easily understood way is what stands out with Jim. He’s cool as a cucumber, and expects the most out of his athletes.>

Darren Mossman: This young man has become an exceptional coach over the past two years both in sprint canoeing and dragon boat. As an athlete he has won 13 medals at the junior level in the open world championships and club crew championships over the past 6 years. He has had extensive experience coaching crews of all levels and brings a very solid technical back ground to the job. He is a graduate in Fitness and Lifestyle Management at George Brown College in Toronto and is presently studying at Brock University in St. Catharines.




T HE PINES RESORT…

The Pines offers the unique experience of paddling on world renowned training water set amongst a rustic natural environment of canals, palm trees, herons, turtles, manatees and of course dolphins. The Pines are 2-story units set on 33 acres of landscaped space. The pictures on page 1 are of the Pines. Our dragon boats will be at docks near the units (far-right of picture below) and this waterway takes us practically from our doorstep to the nearby Banana River for the practices (2 minute paddle away). The Atlantic Ocean is also only 1 mile away!

The Pines Resort website: http://www.floridapinesresort.com

This is a view of a couple of Pinesunits from across the canal. This is a typical room with simple

layout and furnishings.

Room TypesThe table below shows the three unit types at the Pines and their associated total rental cost for the duration of the camp. The column on the far right shows what it would cost per person if the unit was shared by the indicated maximum number allowed for the given unit type. The two bedroom unit has two bathrooms, while the others have one. Each unit has a large living room area with a TV and cable.

Pines Unit Types

Weekly Rental Fee(taxes are 11%)

# People in unit(maximum)

Cost per Person (including taxes)

Junior efficiency w/microwave $435 USD + tax 1 $479 USDOne bedroom w/ full kitchen $685 USD + tax 2 $377 USDTwo bedroom w/full kitchen $735 USD + tax 4 $202 USD

PhoneNote that there are NO PHONES in the units themselves. If you need to make a call, you will need to use a cell phone or a nearby pay phone (which is just a 5 minute walk from the camp). We will be distributing emergency phone numbers should your family/friends need to contact you and you don’t have a cell or for some reason they can’t reach you on your cell. One option is to use phone cards at the payphone to save money.

InternetThere are no internet connections at The Pines. However, there is at least one coffee shop a short drive away that has free WIFI connections for patrons. This has been sufficient for those who bring a laptop or iPhone and who want to check their mail or other internet services occasionally.

Laundry ServicesThere is a laundry building on the grounds where you can wash and dry your clothes via coin-operated machines. We suggest groups of paddlers share the purchase of laundry detergent rather than bringing your own. The machines are large and clean and we have had no issues with them in the past.



http://www.floridapinesresort.com/


Master Itinerary … ** Tentative at this time we will work with our coach to set schedule**

An example of the complete trip itinerary (for which there are options) is as follows. This example assumes you want to join in all shared opportunities with the rest of the team. We will add more details as we get them.

Saturday April 9th – Packing! See the “Packing and Planning…” section on the next page for some help with this.

Sunday April 10th “Flight to Camp, Check-in and Orientation” 7:00am – Arrival at the airport for check-in. 9:30am – WestJet flight leaves for Orlando. 12:30pm – Flight arrives at Orlando International Airport. Transfer to airport shuttle to the camp. 2:00pm – Estimated arrival time at the Camp. Check in at The Pines office for room keys.

Monday April 11th “First day of training” Note: Our assigned coach will provide us with detailed schedule and plans for week on the first day. 7:00-8:30am – Paddle session #1 9:30-11:00am – Paddle session #2 11:30-12:000pm – Stretch session 1:00-2:00pm – Video/talk sessions 3:00-4:30pm – Paddle session #3 5:00-6:30pm – Paddle session #4

Tuesday April 12th See Monday’s general schedule. 6:00 p.m. Camp BBQ Social

Wednesday April 13th See Monday’s general schedule.

Thursday April 14th “Train and Play Day” See Monday’s general schedule. Potential afternoon side trip to Cocoa Beach, Ron Jon’s, etc.

Friday April 15th See Monday’s general schedule. 6:30pm – Team dinner with coach.

Saturday April 16th “Last Day of training, and Races” Practice and race with other teams. Details to be determined. Afternoon Camp BBQ

Sunday April 17th “Check-out, Orlando shopping, and return flight day” 10:00am – Check out of The Pines. 12:00pm – Last lunch at the Pines. 1:00-2:00pm – Airport shuttle to Orlando International Airport. 2:00-6:00pm – Shopping at malls near the airport. 7:30pm – Arrival at Orlando International Airport. 9:30pm – WestJet flight leaves for Toronto. 12:30am – Arrival in Toronto and customs declaration.




Packing and Planning…

Keep in mind flight restrictions for checked and carry-on luggage, as well as airline security restrictions. It is the sole responsibility of each paddler to ensure they have checked all rules and regulations for their flight.

Some notes on things that you might consider bringing…

Paddle gear - If possible, bring your own paddle and PFD. We may see if these can be brought by car. A butt pad is a good idea as we will have many long paddles sessions on the water. Paddles will not be available at the camp. We are looking into the cost of sending our paddles down via HTML courier as we have a contact Jackie that can get us a discount. You could also buy a PFD in Florida at the Wal Mart close by for $6.97 and then give it away afterwards or donate to the camp. Note that you do not need to wear your PFD, but must have it in the boat.

Sun Protection – You will need sunscreen (keep in mind liquid/compressed gas restrictions). We suggest that you might want to buy your sunscreen in Florida due to travel restrictions. Bring a baseball cap as well.

Clothing - Paddle gear is obvious, but note it could be very cool in the mornings. There will also be stretch classes, and opportunity to go to the ocean any day (either beach 1 mile away, or Cocoa Beach one day which is 40 miles away) so pack a swimsuit. Note that practices are rain or shine so you will want to bring a light water-proof jacket/shell. Practices are never cancelled except for safety reasons (waves, wind, lightning, or sharks – just kidding). A baseball cap light weight and not a dark colour is a good idea, and of course sunglasses. For the yoga you may want to bring a large towel as we will be taking these classes out side on an old tennis court. Paddle gloves are good because you will be paddling every day and blisters do form quickly.

Clothes line and clothes pegs are a good idea to hang dry your paddling gear in the sun after they have been cleaned. Most times gear left out dry within 24 hours.

Travel Insurance – available at many banks or Blue Cross.

Passport – Your number one most important item. It must be valid at least 6 months past your arrival date.

US Dollars – Needed for some spending, and as we will need some small change for tips, etc.

Camera – There will be plenty of opportunities for photos of the practices, the scenery and wildlife, etc. We will bring our digital photo and video cameras to take pictures to share with everyone online with FlickR.

Cell Phone - If you are bringing one, check conditions with your service provider, there are plans available for short trips to US. You can also use phone cards. Note there are no phones in the rooms at the Pines Resort. There is a pay phone about 5 mins walk from the Resort.

Credit Cards - Inform your credit/debit card companies that you will be in Florida for the week.

Food – You can bring a few things such as sugar, tea bags, protein bars, or other favourites you can’t do without. We will be shopping for groceries using a shared cost van rental. We have in the passed shared cooking meals between rooms and we can discuss this as we get closer to the trip.

Medications - Don’t forget your medications including deep heat rub! You may need it. If you have any allergies or conditions the coach should be aware of please ensure they are listed when you get the opportunity to complete camp-specific registration forms or waivers.

Water - We suggest you bring a re-usable water bottle to minimize waste at the camp. Imagine hundreds of paddlers drinking several water bottles a day!




Van Rental at the Pines…

Based on the location of local amenities such as grocery stores, shopping malls, banks, etc, we are renting two cars in order that we have transportation when needed to pick up groceries or go to the beach. This is very useful based on our experience at the camp and if we all share the cost it will be well worth the effort. There will be two designated drivers (Caroline and Tim) for insurance purposes. More drivers would add significantly to the cost. We will coordinate use of the cars when needed for errands or sight-seeing trips. We will also work with anyone who drives in order that the entire team can go to a planned event such as the planned offsite dinner and the side-trip one day to nearby Cocoa Beach. Gas costs would be shared for those drivers.

Estimated Overall Budget…

Based on our experience going to this Florida Camp, we have listed the estimated overall cost of the trip in the table below for your reference. The total is estimated to be $1,485 (less if you drive, more if you aren’t part of the group savings). Three scenarios are shown below for comparison. Also see the Notes section below for more info.

Description Scenario #1:Shared Group option(flight & accommodations)

Scenario #2:Drive with Shared Accommodations

Scenario #3:Non-group with flight (no rental car)

Return Flight - see note below $485 $0 $500Orlando Shuttle (return) $45 $0 $100Drive (with two passengers) $0 $185 $0Camp Registration includes tax $355 $355 $390Van rental for week $45 $0 $20Pines $205 $205 $485Food $210 $210 $300Souvenirs $100 $100 $100Admin/coach gift/team photo $40 $40 $0TOTALS (each option) $1,485 $1,095 $1,895

Notes:

FLIGHT: The return flight cost listed (West Jet) is TIME-SENSITIVE and is dependent on obtaining a group of 10 people at minimum. Your cost could be higher if you delay arranging your ticket with us or you do it on your own. We encourage you to be part of the flight together with us and the arrangements we have made for connections between the airport and the camp. Please note that to be part of this flight, you must book both flights together as part of the group. You must also pay for the flight up front.

DRIVING: It is 2,100km one-way from Toronto to the camp. Adding 150km of local travel during the week, this is a total of 4,350km driven. Using rough and rounded numbers to keep it simple, the math for the total cost is as follows: at 55L/500km, this is 9 tanks of gas. Total cost is 55L x $1.10/L x 9 tanks = $550. If this is shared equally between the driver and two passengers this results in a cost of $185 each for gas alone.

Scenario #1 assumes paddler participates fully with the group; this includes flights, airport shuttle trips, van

rental for week, and camp registration as part of group, etc.

Scenario #2 assumes paddler does the same as Option #1 for everything except that they drive to Florida. It is assumed they have one passenger and equally share all gas costs and toll fees (if any).

Scenario #3 is for comparison to a person who goes as an individual and is not part of a Rusty Dragon. It is assumed that they would register for an efficiency unit (the cheapest single person unit). They would not have a rental car (as that is not absolutely necessary), and as a result eat out more often. We marked a minimal $20 under “Van Rental” row to cover a trip or two via taxi/transit. This is meant to show group savings.




Payment Schedule…

There are 4 main components to your cost for this camp; camp registration, transportation, accommodations, and general living expenses at the camp (which aren’t mentioned below as they occur on the April 10-16 weekend).

Camp Registration: $435 CAD - This is due IMMEDIATELY after registration. We are turning around and registering and paying for the entire group within hours of regular camp registration opening in order to reserve the limited space available at the camp. Registration is only valid with payment.

Transportation Costs: $485 CAD is an example if you are part of flight group. Payment will be due by the Dec. 30th; or soon afterwards if we do not yet have the minimum 10 people required for a group discount. If you are driving or part of a car-pool, then obviously you would not have any expenses until the trip started.

Accommodation Costs: $205 USD is an example if you are in a shared two-bedroom unit with four people. You will need to provide a credit card number to the Pines (over phone) to reserve your room. Note that nothing will be charged against the card until your arrival.

Refund Policy…

While we hope it doesn’t happen, we know that unforeseen circumstances can arise that may result in a paddler pulling out of the camp months, weeks, or days in advance of the start of the camp. The difficulty this causes would be solely with the group arrangements we have made. We will do our best to help the remaining paddlers not incur any additional expenses, but we may not be able to eliminate all extra costs. There are three main impacts from someone dropping out (with less impact if we have more notice).

Rusty Dragons registration fee. The $435 registration cost is composed of two parts: Jim Farintosh’s camp portion is $355 and rest is $80 that we collect to pay out on your behalf as part of the group.

o Jim’s camp fee refund policy is as follows: There is a $100+HST ($113) non-refundable fee, and NO refund if you drop out after March 15, 2011.

o Rusty Dragons refund policy is as follows: We will refund the $80 if you cancel out before March 15th, 2011 (4 weeks before camp). After that, we respectfully will give no refund on the $80 and instead will use it to cover a portion of any resulting losses to other paddlers (shared accommodations).

Pines Registration fee. Note that you do NOT have to pay for your accommodations until you arrive. In order to reserve your unit however, you will have to supply a credit card number. You must give the Pines 72 hours notice in order to cancel your reservation without incurring any charges on your credit card.

o If you cancel, we will attempt to find someone to replace you so the roommates affected do not have to cover the loss of your shared room fee. We’ll use the $80 non-refundable fee to help if needed.

Air Flight Tickets. Please contact your carrier to determine your flight refund or credit options. If you were part of the group flight purchase, we have our fingers crossed that this doesn’t bring our total number under the minimum group size to get the discount. This is unlikely however; if it does then everyone will have to pay the difference to the airline. It is worth the try to get the groups discount AND to be together for the trip.

The Olympic Connection…

When we went to the Jim’s camp in April 2008, Olympic athletes Adam van Koeverden (K1 paddler from Oakville) and Thomas Hall (C1 paddler) were there practicing for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics that summer. They went on to win silver and bronze medals respectively at those Olympics. Both athletes spoke to the paddlers and it was inspiring to meet them where they practice, and to be in the same place training for our own sport. Olympic Athlete Adam van Koeverden




The Last Word…

If you have any comments or suggestions for this Information Guide or the Rusty Dragons, or any other questions, please do not hesitate to contact us as follows…

We use [email protected] as our common e-mail address for sending out information or as our published e-mail address for the organization.

You can also contact either of the Rusty Dragons organizers by phone at the following numbers…

Caroline Goodwin - Cell: 647-261-2464

Tim MacFarlane – Cell: 416-319-1867

We will also be posting information on our website for this event and many others that the Rusty Dragons will be organizing. Please check out the site for other unique opportunities!

Website: www.RustyDragons.ca

This document will be maintained and posted on the website. Please check the website regularly for the latest version of this document. It will be updated regularly prior to the start of the camp. See the “Version Number” at the bottom left of every page and compare that to the version on the website.

THANK YOU! We hope you enjoy our programs. Please feel free to forward our website link or any of our documentation or contact information to anyone you think might be interested.

We also help teams start up on their own through advice and help with management and budgeting, as well as connecting teams with coaches and practice sites.

We wish everyone a fabulous season participating in this great sport wherever you might be.

Yours sincerely,

Tim MacFarlane Caroline Goodwin




mailto:[email protected]

“the pines” florida camp - rusty dragon...

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