It is with great sadness that I bring you the news that Cindy Cole passed away shortly after the beginning of the New Year, succumbing to a long battle with cancer. Cindy brought to her life and her kayaking a sparkling spirit, humble yet strong. Many of us in the traditional kayaking community, and those of us who were lucky enough to have been her friend, have been strongly influenced and touched by her life.

Cindy, along with her husband Charlie, founded the Delmarva Paddler’s Retreat. In addition to kayaking extensively around the Delmarva Peninsula area, Cindy enjoyed major kayak excursions to the islands of the Pacific Rim in British Columbia, the fiords of Greenland, Glacier Bay in Alaska, and the Mingan Islands in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Cindy was very influential in building interest in Greenland-style kayaking in the northeastern U.S., and she was among the “first wave” of kayakers who eagerly began learning, practicing, and later teaching Greenland technique as John Heath’s videotapes became available in the late eighties and early nineties.

Cindy joined John Heath to attend the Greenland Kayaking Championships as a spectator the year that John Petersen won the event. In 2000 Cindy herself competed in the Championship, the first year that the competition was opened to outsiders. She brought home a first-place in rolling, a first-place in the short-distance race, and a second-place in the long-distance race for her age group. Cindy earned enough points to put her in first place overall, for her age group. It was during this visit that she forged a close friendship with Kamp Absalonsen, the chief competition judge.

Cindy was a founding board member of Qajaq USA (she was Qajaq USA member number four) and she served on the board for several years helping to shape the new organization.

The 2007 Delmarva Paddler’s Retreat was special for many things, but for me the highlight was that it brought together Cindy and Kamp, for one last time, at the event that she helped create.

—Greg Stamer, QAJAQ USA President, January 2008

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