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Missing Paddler - Fingers Crossed

My thoughts are with the friends and family of the missing paddler, and the larger Vancouver Island paddling community as a whole. I've been eagerly hoping for good news since I saw that video yesterday morning.
Bryan
 
I think most of us would echo what Bryan (Pawistik) just stated: that our thoughts go out to his family, friends and paddling partners. I don't know . . . . , but there's so much I could have learned.
 
I know! Such an inspiration to us all. And, if you got the chance to paddle with him, so generous and patient with sharing his skills. As far as I know, the first person on this coast to really rock the Greenland paddle in scary big water, when everyone else was saying it couldn't be done. We are all really going to miss him, a lot...
 
I don't want to sound dumb or crass, lots are posting how much they think of this paddler, but who is he?
Do we know if all his family have been notified, and can someone now share his identity?
He sounds like indeed a kindred spirit of kayakers, do we assume he is indeed lost?
I wish to add the sentiment that prayers should be said in his behalf, regardless of final outcome, which I pray still may be positive.
 
Hi Rodnak

We are talking about Brent Arnold, a terrific Greenland paddler and a wonderful friend. I started paddling with Brent 7-8 years ago. He would often join Doug Taylor and me on long paddles (we were training for a long trip). A very considerable number of Saturdays or Sundays in the last 3 years or more Brent and I paddled together, just the two of us or in the company of others especially Paul Mysak (he and Paul often paddled together in big water, too - both being superior sea kayak surfers to me!), at Surge, or Tofino, Saratoga Beach, or Denman Island. We had a great week split between Rugged Point and the South side of the Brooks Peninsula in August. Wherever he went he seemed to make other paddlers light up. He was generous and gentle, and a strong, calm, unflappable paddler. Even if we weren't going to paddle he would call me midweek to chat about the last outing or to get some info on the surf forecast for Tofino the next weekend (he steadfastly refused to get a computer and did not own a cellphone). He loved the independence that this gave him.

I was pretty proud to be the other member of our little club, OGR (Old Guys Rock). It was his idea; you had to be over 50 to join, he said; a little light-hearted teasing of THR, The Hurricane Riders, and he was really pleased when Rowan of THR asked for some OGR stickers. He had such a strong sense of the community of sea kayakers, and loved to see new faces on the water especially when they caught the kayaking bug and got more and more skilled themselves.

I will miss him, and so will many, many others.

Jonathan Reggler
 
Yes, thanks Jonathon for sharing your wonderful words. My thoughts also are with his family, friends and the larger kayaking community as well. Tragic. I hope there are definitive answers found for the peace of mind of all of his loved ones.
 
Brent was an awesome guy ... talented, kind, gentle, strong, always smiling. Why? I am sad and surprised. I sincerely hope he is surfing a big wave on the other side with a grin from ear to ear.
 
I've been asked by fellow friend of Brent's, Nootka, to share the tribute to Brent I put on Facebook a while back. It's also posted on our local paddling club page which is open to the public and includes many photos:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/crpaddlersclub/

Last week I lost my kayaking partner and my best friend on the island, Brent Arnold. Brent was a kind, generous, warm man who would give his shirt off his back to help you out… and, if you were starting to kayak, would be giving you the ‘proper’ gear to ensure you were doing it right! He helped me so much when I started kayaking, and I am so grateful for all of his help and tutoring that allowed me to develop to the point that together we were constantly testing and pushing our limits. Most of all, I’m going to miss him as a friend. And it really, really sucks that I won’t be getting any more phone calls or messages saying, “SURF’S UP!!!” and knowing that we’re off on another adventure!

Some of my favourite stories/adventures with Brent:

Paddling to Rugged Point and exploring the islands that were untouched by the glaciers

Exploring the sea caves around Maquinna Point on Nootka Island

Brent grumbling that I was a terrible person to go on trips to the west coast with because I always had beautiful sunny weather with flat calm seas … which meant no surf or rock gardening!

Poring over the tide and current tables as soon as they came out and planning our big trips to Surge and Oki.

Taking the ferry to Quadra with Brent and Jonathan Reggler. Having coffee at Café Aroma, talking and laughing the entire trip. Listening to AC/DC while changing (much approved by Brent) and Disco (very much disapproved by Brent – but hey, Jonathan loves it :)!, then surfing the wave with Brent sporting a huge grin and cheering everyone on. He was always so happy for fellow kayakers that were sharing his favourite spot and enjoying themselves.

Having dinner with Brent and Jonathan and looking at all the latest kayaking videos.

Leaving at 5:30am in the morning to drive to Tofino in order to surf just for the one day. And whether the surf was good or bad, we surfed well or not, it was always an awesome day.

His laughter as we chased my kayak down the beach at Saratoga as it was been pin wheeled by the wind and blown away from us.

Brent’s meticulous preparation and understanding of all things kayaking. He described in great details all the huge paddling differences between two kayaks to the point that I would have sworn one was a 3 person double and the other a surf kayak. They were his two kayaks “Ozzy” (a NDK black with yellow stripe Romany with a skeg) and the “Raven” (A NDK Romany with black hull and yellow deck without skeg). I couldn’t tell the difference!

Changing in monsoon winds, soaking wet with the rain hitting us horizontally and saying, “Isn’t this awesome weather! It’s the best we’ve had all year!!!”

"WOOHOO!!!!"

He is still terribly missed by all of us.

Paul Mysak
 
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