DETAILS

Date: April 11th-13th

Time: Events 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Friday-Sunday with concerts at 7:00 p.m. Friday and 6:00 p.m. Saturday

Location: James Island County Park (871 Riverland Drive, Charleston, SC 29412)

Cost: $1 or a Gold Pass gets you into the park to check out the exhibits. Once inside, $10 buys a "Try It" pass to test out kayaks, SUPs, canoes, bikes, disk golf, climbing and more.

My first taste of the East Coast Paddlesports and Outdoor Festival was a bit different than most participants....mostly because I was wearing a fake mustache and dressed like Ron Burgundy. Though different, it was quite pleasant all the same. The Thursday before the festival kicked off, Traveling Ink had been invited by Charleston County Parks and Recreation to particpate in the Ron Burgundy Media Challenge, and I was more than happy to assemble a team. Professionals from various news and media outlets came together to get a sneak peak of the festival, participate in a paddling relay race, and channel the energy and couture of the movie Anchor Man (costumes were encouraged).

Get your paddle on with all kinds of kayaks. Recreational kayaks are available for those looking for an afternoon of fun, while touring kayaks provide paddlers a place to store gear for overnight or extended trips. Both sit-on-top (great for beginners) and sit inside models of kayaks are available as well.

Beautiful Backdrops and Experienced Kayak Guides

When it comes to kayak tour experience in the Charleston area, Coastal Expeditions is the name to know. The family-owned business has been providing guests with stellar adventures since 1992, and has a variety of different tours and locations for patrons to take advantage of. The tour guides are dedicated naturalists who are eager to share the natural beauty and wildlife of the rivers, salt marshes, and blackwater in the Lowcountry for paddlers at most any level.

One of the things I love about the East Coast Paddlesports and Outdoor Festival is that each year I attend, I find something new that I would not have necessarily thought of trying myself. Last year, it was shooting a bow and arrow and riding a mountain bike across a seesaw. This year, it was sailing in a kayak and getting a fly fishing lesson.

If you've ever seen the movie Weekend at Bernies, a film about two guys who get invited to their boss's beautiful beach house for the weekend, you've seen Bald Head Island. Portions of the movie were filmed there. Aside from the strange plot twist the guys encounter along the way, the island is quite lovely. You could easily see why the boys wouldn't want to leave. After visiting Bald Head Island in North Carolina for myself, I can commiserate with them. We didn't want to leave either.