The Great Oyster Point Runoff
Sep 28th, 2011 by Charleston Waterkeeper
The Great Oyster Point Runoff
Saturday, November 5, 2011 (11AM-4PM)
Colonial Lake
FREE to Attend
FREE to Attend; $10 to Float (pre-event); $15 to Float (day-of); limited amount of rental kayaks, canoes, and SUP available at the event
On November 5, 2011, the Colonial Common (Colonial Lake and Moultrie Playground) will be transformed into the site of a day-long festival, honoring and celebrating Charleston’s right to clean, fishable, swimmable, and enjoyable waterways. The Great Oyster Point Runoff is a Waterkeeper Alliance SPLASH Series Event, presented nationally by Toyota in partnership with KEEN.
The Great Oyster Point Runoff Details
Event Layout
View The Great Oyster Point Runoff Event Layout in a larger map
All Day (11AM-4PM)
WATER FESTIVAL — Sponsors, nonprofits, and water-focused clubs will be on hand to talk about the many ways to celebrate our waterways. Whether it be on, in, or around our water, we’ll have information for everyone. Vendors will be providing gear demos, workshops, and rentals for all those in attendance.
MUSIC — What’s a festival without music?! We’ve got a great lineup of music throughout the day, including the following acts: Mark Mandeville & Old Constitution, the South Carolina Broadcasters, and more.
FOOD & DRINK — Between food trucks (Taco Boy, Strada Cucina, and more) and oysters, we’ll make sure none of you go hungry during the Great Oyster Point Runoff. And to wash it all down, there will be a beer garden featuring local and national brewers dedicated to clean water and good brew!
Event Schedule
11:00AM – 12:45PM OPEN PADDLE — All are welcome to spend the day paddling around Colonial Lake in a kayak, canoe, or on a SUP. Participants must be registered to launch their boat.
1:00PM – 2:00PM Poseidon’s Parade — Poseidon’s Parade will be a grand display of our right to clean water. Charleston Waterkeeper invites all kayaks, canoes, and SUP to parade around Colonial Lake for a three-lap celebration of our waterways. Participants are invited to dress in festive water-related attire. Spectators are invited to bring noise makers and signs.
2:15PM – 3:15PM Exhibition Race — All are welcome to compete in the Great Oyster Point Runoff Exhibition Race. Kayaks, canoes, and SUP are welcome to compete for the Great Oyster Point Runoff Championship Belt. The race will involve one lap of Colonial Lake (with some obstacles here and there).
3:30PM – 4:00PM Awards & Prizes — Awards will be given to the finest competitors and participants of the day’s events. Some of the categories will include: best costume, best boat/board decorations, winner of the exhibition race, and largest fundraiser.
* Schedule is subject to change. All paddlers MUST be registered and must check in on the day of the event.
For more information and to register to float on Colonial Lake, visithttp://oysterpoint.org/.
Workshops
Through the generous support of some extremely talented volunteers, the Great Oyster Point will feature a variety of educational workshops for attendees looking to learn a bit more about a variety of activities on, in, and around our waterways. Each workshop will run between 45 and 60 minutes long and will be held in the Moultrie Playground baseball field area unless otherwise noted.
- Fly-Fishing (2:30/2:45PM): Workshop by Baker Bishop (professional fly-fisherman, sponsored by Costa Del Mar, and a supporter and board member of Charleston Waterkeeper). Learn about the basics of fly-fishing from a professional fly-fisherman. Baker will introduce participants to the sport of fly-fishing by presenting on the following points: how to tie a fly, when and where to use different flies, how to cast a fly-rod, when and where to go fishing, and more! Here’s a video of Baker in action…
- SUP (Stand Up Paddleboarding) Basics (11:30/11:45AM): Misty and Dean Johnson from DEAN Watersports will be providing instruction on the basics of stand up paddleboarding. This class will be aimed at beginners or newbies and is open to everyone. A SUP is highly encouraged for the workshop as there will be an on-water component after the initial land demonstrations. If you don’t have a board, there will be a limited amount of SUP for rent at the event (first come, first serve – $10). Boater registration will be required for all paddlers and participants of the on-water component.
Over the last two years, standup paddleboarding (SUP) has become the fastest growing water sport in the world! Many people may not know that there’s a local SUP manufacturer right here in our backyard. Dean Johnson of Dean Watersports will briefly talk about the fascinating history of SUP, what lead to his passion of becoming a board manufacturer, and how he strives to use materials made in North and South Carolina. Misty Johnson, SUP Fitness instructor, will then give an on-land introduction to SUP, demonstrating proper paddle stroke and body position. After the instruction, everyone will be comfortable and ready to hit the water!
For more information about Dean Watersports and their SUPs, visit http://deanwatersports.com.
- SUP Yoga (2:30/2:45PM): Lead by Deborah Kaufman, this class will be introduce the fundamentals of yoga with some tips of how to stand on the SUP and feeling comfortable with balance and posture (of course the mat serves as the board!). Strength, flow and grounding postures or asanas that combine well with the movement of the water. All levels and ages welcome. SUP not required.
NOW WHAT?
If you’ve gotten this far, you’ve already realized that you won’t want to miss out on the Great Oyster Point Runoff. So, to get the best out of the experience, here’s what you should do next.
If you’re wanting to launch a kayak, canoe, or SUP in Colonial Lake during the Great Oyster Point Runoff (including participation in any of the activities: the open paddle, Poseidon’s Parade, or the exhibition race), you’ll need to register your boat at $10/person (all donations go to support Charleston Waterkeeper’s water quality monitoring program).
To stay up to date with all event details and changes, make sure to RSVP on Facebook.
To get a sense of the event’s “feel” and the inspiration behind the Great Oyster Point Runoff, check out our event announcement.
Finally, are you a part of a brand or company interested in being a part of this rare event? Take a look at the 2011 Corporate Sponsorship Packet. We’ve developed a variety of opportunities for sponsorship and partnership. If you like what you see, get in touch.
EVENT GOAL
To encourage the public and clean water enthusiasts to discover, learn about, and celebrate the many ways to have fun on, in, or by Charleston’s waterways – all while enjoying the rare opportunity to play around on Colonial Lake. The event also aims to educate local residents about stormwater runoff, the most common cause of water pollution throughout the nation.
This event is part of the Waterkeeper Alliance SPLASH Event Series
