Rapid Connections: Former East Student Jay Hutchinson is spending his senior year kayaking around other countries and has bonded with his group members

After six hours of kayaking the Rouge River in Quebec, former East student Jay Hutchinson and his friends returned to their home for the week — a tiny wooden lodge with a rusted tin roof. Soaked by both sweat and river water, Hutchinson tore off his gear and kicked it under his bunk, ready to sink into his bed.

But a high-pitched squeaking sound made him hesitate. He lifts the sleeping bag and sheets of the musty mattress to find a squirrel inside it, building a nest. For the next half hour, chaos ensued as the six roommates scrambled around the cabin to catch the squirrel.

It’s moments like these that bond Hutchinson and his roommates together, yet without the World Class Kayak Academy, these friends never would have met in the first place.

The World Class Kayak Academy is a traveling high school that provides some of the best kayaking teachers and opportunities in the world. Each quarter the school travels to a different part of the world to paddle iconic rapids. It had been Hutchinson’s dream to attend since he was a sophomore.

Despite nearly every one of the 22 students coming from a different background — speaking languages from Spanish to French, they were able to come together over their love for kayaking and desire a change from traditional learning.

“It’s remarkable to see students from so many different backgrounds connect over a shared passion,” principal Kalob Grady said. “Every year I get the chance to watch new students form a community based around their love for kayaking.”

The first quarter was spent in the Canadian regions of Ontario and Quebec, an area revered for its high-class white water rapids. Over 2 months, the group packed up into vans and moved to a different river every one to two weeks.

While exploring not far from their camp near the Mistassibi river, Hutchinson and his friends noticed a high ropes course — a sort of obstacle course in the middle of the forest, 50 feet up in the air that requires a harness to walk through.

“We wanted to go do [the course] but we didn’t have the harnesses,” Hutchinson said. “So we built makeshift harnesses out of our kayaking gear and went up and did the entire thing. Right when we finished one of the workers saw us and started yelling at us in French and we all just bolted.”

Hutchinson also found less perilous ways to appreciate Canadian culture such as going on hikes and even attending a hockey game with some other students.

One weekend, the students heard a semi-pro hockey team was playing in the ice rink not far from their tents along the Rouge river. Hutchinson and a few of his friends jumped on the opportunity and spent the day at the rink watching the local team — The Rouge. During half the game Hutchinson and the others spent their time talking to locals about their families and professions.

“It was cool getting to know all those people and understanding their lifestyle,” said Hutchinson. “I wasn’t expecting to have any sort of cultural experience in Canada just because it is so near to the US. This opened my eyes and helped me appreciate that every town has its own culture, it’s not just something you attribute to a country.”

Though Hutchinson didn’t expect a culture shock in Canada, he did know that he was on his way to some incredible kayaking and cultural enrichment. What he didn’t expect was to make so many great friends to share those memories with.How does Mrs. Kearney allow her grasps at social profile to dictate her life

“We’ve become such a tight knit group,” Hutchinson said. “We’re all very similar but we’re friends for more than just because we love the same sport. We have the same mindset and very similar personalities. We want to take advantage of every minute we have out here and we’re all adrenaline junkies. I’ve never been to a place where I’ve been surrounded by so many people just like me.”