Outdoor Afro x Smartwool launch second hiking sock
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – Restock your sock collection with a new, comfy styling option co-created by national not-for-profit Outdoor Afro and global sock and apparel brand Smartwool: the Outdoor Afro Hike Light Cushion Print Crew Socks. Launched July 2022 and designed by Outdoor Afro volunteer leader and artist Leandra Taylor, this colorful print speaks to Black joy, healing, and unity in nature.
On the heels of Outdoor Afro’s second annual Juneteenth commemoration, “I wanted to be intentional about what this sock represents,” said Taylor. “It’s universal. Different versions of Blackness to identify with because we’re not a monolith – even in our outdoor experiences.” Within a matter of weeks, Taylor’s creative process of scribbling, coloring, and sketching morphed into a collage of skin tones.
The Merino wool socks also feature a Virtually Seamless™ Toe to prevent chafing; 4 Degree™ Elite Fit System to stop bunching, blisters, or sock slippage; Indestructawool™ for unmatched durability; and mesh venting for maximum breathability and moisture management. The joint project marks the second time the two brands have partnered on a sock product.
Taylor also created Outdoor Afro’s 2020 “Slice of Nature” socks to illustrate the network’s love for the outdoors despite entering COVID times. That performance hike sock emphasized joy and community in the outdoors while standing together to protect local areas and wild places – even while quarantining. “This new sock involved more than the patterns I typically create,” Taylor said. “The faces flow and wrap around the foot, showing every angle of our Black beauty.”
ABOUT OUTDOOR AFRO: Outdoor Afro is a national not-for-profit organization that celebrates and inspires Black connections and leadership in nature. What started as a kitchen table blog by Founder and CEO Rue Mapp in 2009 has since grown into a cutting-edge nationwide network with 100-plus volunteer leaders in 60 cities with network participation reaching 60,000 people. Outdoor Afro reconnects Black people with the outdoors through outdoor education, recreation, and conservation. Follow Outdoor Afro at outdoorafro.org and @outdoorafro today.
ABOUT SMARTWOOL: Based in Denver, Colorado, Smartwool® is a sock and apparel brand whose products are designed to get the most out of the inherent benefits of Merino wool to bring comfort, confidence, and community to a life lived outside. For information on the full range of Smartwool® products or to find a dealer near you, please visit Smartwool.com. Smartwool, a division of VF Outdoor, LLC, is a brand of VF Corporation.
Outdoor Afro's Paddle Camp returns, doubles participation
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – An increasingly popular on-the-water experience for Outdoor Afro volunteer leaders is about to go into summer class again. Paddle Camp 2022 — in collaboration with boating and fishing equipment brand Northwest River Supplies, Inc. (NRS) — takes place July 30 through Aug. 6 on Lake Champlain in Burlington, Vermont.
“It’s so fulfilling to help guide our volunteer leaders in activities that continue to strengthen our community connections to water,” said Chaya Harris, Outdoor Afro’s National Program Director. “Paddle Camp is an opportunity to teach proper paddling techniques and water safety so that our volunteers can take these lessons back into their neighborhoods.”
With the support and expertise of NRS, camp engagement increased from 10 Outdoor Afro volunteer leaders in 2021 to now 20 volunteers wanting to learn boating skills that will help them better navigate and explore local waters. The seven-day summer session will include 10 canoers and 10 kayakers taking in-class and lakeside courses at St. Michael’s College outside of Burlington. Each volunteer will take away invaluable training, earning a Level I or Level II kayaking or canoeing certification through the American Canoe Association.
“Breaking down barriers to the outdoors is about creating opportunities for people to develop the skills and knowledge they need to get outside safely and enjoyably,” said NRS Chief Marketing Officer Mark Deming. “We’re thrilled to be able to support this effort to prepare volunteer leaders from Outdoor Afro to share their love of the water with people in their home communities.”
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Paddle Camp prepares volunteers to become certified canoeing and kayaking instructors. The camp is led by NRS ambassador, accredited paddling instructor, and outdoor school leader Todd Johnstone-Wright. Prior to last year’s Paddle Camp, Harris also became a certified instructor under Johnstone-Wright’s instruction and helped lead the inaugural Outdoor Afro volunteer leader cohort.
“Todd does an amazing job uplifting everyone as a fully capable learner while also honoring the knowledge and experience each participant brings,” Harris said, “no matter how minimal their skill sets may be at the start of camp.” Once camp completes, volunteer leaders are expected to host at least three post-camp activities in their respective communities across the United States. During 2021, volunteers exceeded this expectation, said Harris.
That year, up to 109 people learned how to paddle — as well as general paddle safety — after volunteers hosted follow-up paddling activities in their local communities. Outdoor Afro volunteer leader Antonio Simmons participated in the 2021 cohort. “I never imagined going into this camp that I would have an experience I thoroughly enjoyed the way that I did,” said the Delaware, Maryland, and Vermont network leader. “I came away with so many new tools.”
Harris anticipates volunteer leader participation and the overall community impact becoming something even bigger after this year’s camp. Paddle Camp is just one of many professional development opportunities Outdoor Afro offers. The network's now 117 volunteers are able to expand their leadership and outdoor safety acumen within the industry through local events, national conferences, and seasonal expeditions.
Annually, Outdoor Afro trains a select group of applicants to participate in its Outdoor Afro Leadership Training or OALT. This training equips volunteers with the essential outdoor proficiency to guide local communities in nature sustainably and safely. Paddle Camp is just another beneficial possibility that allows volunteers to build their nature portfolio. After successfully finishing the 2022 course, volunteers will have much to applaud alongside NRS, which celebrates 50 years in the business. Established in 1972 by business professor Bill Parks, NRS is the leading manufacturer of paddlesports equipment and apparel with a mission to empower adventures on the water.
In addition to creating boating gear, NRS is committed to preserving access to on-the-water recreation and to promoting stewardship of wild places. The brand works closely with national organizations and local groups throughout the world to help care for rivers, lakes, and oceans. “I was able to achieve my three classes in the DMV network last year as a result of Paddle Camp,” said Simmons. “Some people had never been kayaking, so seeing the joy and excitement on their faces as their fear of the water went away was thrilling and eye-opening.”
ABOUT OUTDOOR AFRO: Outdoor Afro is a national not-for-profit organization that celebrates and inspires Black connections and leadership in nature. What started as a kitchen table blog by Founder and CEO Rue Mapp in 2009 has since grown into a cutting-edge nationwide network with 100-plus volunteer leaders in 60 cities with network participation reaching 60,000 people. Outdoor Afro reconnects Black people with the outdoors through outdoor education, recreation, and conservation. Follow Outdoor Afro on social @outdoorafro today.
ABOUT NRS: NRS is 100-percent employee-owned and is the world’s leading supplier of equipment and apparel for water recreation, safety, and rescue. Founded in 1972 with a vision to create a better kind of company, NRS is dedicated to promoting the health and well-being of its customers, employees, and community. For more information about NRS, visit nrs.com, @nrsweb, or call 877-677-4327.
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10 beginner swimming pointers from leader Mardi Fuller
As summer draws nearer, anticipation for beach, pool, and lake days grows. Nationwide, Outdoor Afro looks forward to time outside with family and friends – as well as the wonder of weightlessness and the joy of cooling immersion that the water provides. Our network is in constant pursuit of deeper connections to nature, bringing Black people together in community and water-focused activities. Black people have faced exclusion from public pools and beaches over the course of the 20th century. Swimming areas were segregated through the 1960s, and Black people did not benefit from the pools and swim clubs built in white neighborhoods either. This deliberate prohibition has resulted in a great disparity in who has access to swimming and water safety, and by extension, the many sports and activities for which swimming is a foundational skill. I like sailing, fishing, kite surfing, or water polo.
Outdoor Afro is working to change this through its Making Waves program, a program designed to help increase access to swimming for Black families across the United States. The program provides swim scholarships to children and their caregivers. Learning to swim is first about survival: knowing how to gauge safe swimming conditions, gaining water confidence, and moving efficiently in the water in a relaxed manner. Once achieved, swimming opens the door to a new world, truly, as 70 percent of the earth is covered by water. It has been called the best form of exercise because it’s easy on joints and builds muscle tone all over as the body works against the water’s resistance. I am fortunate to have had my mother take my brother and me to swimming lessons when I was around 3 years old.
My mom didn’t know how to swim and took classes at the same time. To this day, swimming is the exercise in which she finds the most ease, and it has helped her manage chronic pain. Swimming has been a refuge for me as well. As a kid, I was always happiest when playing in any body of water, and I participated in swim teams throughout childhood. I became a lifeguard and swim instructor in high school and college. These roles allowed me to be around the water and were some of the best paying jobs around. In adulthood, I now swim for exercise and injury management; I’ve swam in triathlons, and I still enjoy open water swimming. Above all, it’s always brought me massive joy. If you are a beginner swimmer looking to increase your water confidence and have more fun at the beach or pool this summer, here are my recommended tips to get started and build a rewarding lifelong relationship with water:
CHANNEL YOUR ANCESTORS. The most important thing for you to know about swimming is that you belong in the water; it is your heritage. Historically, West Africans were proficient swimmers at a young age. Swimming, boating, and fishing were integral to our cultural practice, including spiritual beliefs, economies, social structures, political institutions and worldviews. In Undercurrents of Power: Aquatic Culture in the African Diaspora, Professor Kevin Dawson’s research reveals how descendants of Africans demonstrated aquatic fluencies at home as well as while enslaved in the Americas. West Africans built and navigated the waters in dugout canoes. They spear fished. They evaded enemies by swimming. Reading this scholarship brought new meaning into my understanding of our powerful water-based legacy.
LEARN THE FUNDAMENTALS OF WATER SAFETY. Understanding the risks of being in and around water is the first step to becoming a strong and safe swimmer. Familiarize yourself with water safety tips from the American Red Cross, where you will find a national database of swim instruction available near you.
FLOAT ON. AND ON. AND ON. Once you’re comfortable in the water, floating is a survival technique as well as a restorative practice. You can float when you’re too tired to swim anymore, and you can float simply to relax and be present in your surroundings. Practice by laying on your back in shallow water with arms and legs extended. Have an experienced swimmer support you by standing next to you, gently placing a hand under your lower back. Press your hips to the sky. Cup your hands slightly, fingers together, and slowly move water towards your body, and then flip your hands and push water away. This is called sculling. Each body floats differently, depending on muscle mass, body fat percentage and your body’s surface area. Most people can’t float without some gentle movement, such as sculling or a gentle flutter kick. Practice and discover exactly how much movement it takes for you to float with ease.
JUST BREATHE. After learning to float, your next priority is regulating your breath. Once you do so, the experience of swimming can be quite calming and beneficial to your overall health. Swimming increases lung capacity and breath endurance. Interestingly, one study compared swimmers’ lung capacity to that of elite football players and found that the swimmers had larger lungs and better cardiorespiratory function.
PRACTICE BLOWING BUBBLES. Swimming proficiently for any length of time requires putting your face in the water. You can try this at home. Fill a basin with water and get comfortable dunking your face right in. Whenever your face is in the water, you are always blowing air out of your nose and mouth – never holding your breath. After you’ve pushed the last drop of air from your lungs, lift your head out of the water and inhale through your mouth slowly. Repeat. As you gain comfort, practice turning your head to either side to inhale, as you will when you learn the crawl stroke or freestyle stroke.
TAKE A SHOWER. We are not trying to have damaged hair or dry, ashy skin. Not only is it good hygiene to rinse yourself off before going into a body of water, but also allowing your hair and skin to absorb fresh water means that your cells and follicles have less room to absorb damaging chlorine or salt.
TRY TO CREATE GOOD CONDITIONS FOR LEARNING. Your local YMCA, YWCA, or community pool will offer lessons for children and adults. Outdoor Afro even offers “Swimmerships™” (swim lesson scholarships) through its Making Waves program. If you have options, shop around and find an instructor you’re comfortable with and in a supportive learning environment at that. It can feel hard to try to learn a new skill as an adult, too. Settle into a mindset in which you’re patient with yourself and open to learning and growth. Find a bathing suit you feel good in. Check out Black-owned soulcap.com for swim caps designed to fit our various hairstyles and hair volumes. Get a pair of swim goggles to protect your eyes from chlorine and to make it quicker to transition between being above and under the water.
WEAR FINS. When you’re practicing on your own, fins are a great support to use to learn how to kick. When you kick with fins your body naturally executes a flutter kick emanating from your core and hips. It’s easy for beginners to want to bend their knees to kick – a motion which will get you nowhere.
AVOID FLOATATION DEVICES. You will find varying opinions on this, but my opinion is that flotation devices are important for safety on open water, but while learning to swim, they can provide a false sense of security. Children who wear floatation devices often feel overconfident in deep water before they are truly able to keep themselves safe at that depth. Wearing a floatation device may tempt a new swimmer to not pursue stronger skills. Better to stay within a swim area where you can stay safe. Progress to deeper water as your skills advance.
DON'T STOP PRACTICING. Learning how to swim takes consistency – some estimate it takes 75-100 hours of lessons and practice to become proficient. It may take five years of swimming once or twice a week to become a comfortable lap swimmer, but you’ll become strong enough to be safe and enjoy yourself well before that. And of course, have fun! Find your own water joy, whether it is the peace and quiet that comes from ducking underwater, riding waves in the ocean, or floating for relaxation. Or picking up a sport like stand-up paddle boarding or windsurfing. Oh! And don’t forget to bring a friend or family member along with you.
Underwater, action shots by Joe Klementovich: @klementovitch; portrait shot by Philip Keith: @philipckeith_
Machine Falls: where endurance hikers, leaders are born
The accordion-like hike chugs along with ease. Then, a collective cautiousness seeps in. Ahead, a 60-foot descension. Disjointed stones, hard-to-identify wooden staircases, and protruding tree roots offer occasional guidance with each unsure footstep. A steep, jagged drop any hiker would question. Then, her voice echoes toward the group: “Take your time,” said Outdoor Afro volunteer leader Danielle Young, 35. “There’s no rush.”
“Whew!” Some blurted. “Thank goodness!” Another wave murmured under their breath. Once that part of the hiking gauntlet completes, everyone temporarily lands back on solid ground. Young gives clear direction for this next part: It’s slippery entering the water. Which, by the way, comes to one's knee. Something she gave notice about weeks before on Outdoor Afro’s Tennessee Meetup page.
“So walk slowly,” Young said. “I will be there at the halfway point to tell you where to go next.” A woman of her word, she does. For the last time as an Outdoor Afro volunteer leader. An assignment she now passes to new 2022 volunteer leader Danae Gaiter, 36. After a few mental scares and semi-water treading hesitations, the party of nearly 15 community participants arrive at their destination: Machine Falls Loop Trail in Tullahoma, Tennessee. Roughly an hour drive from Nashville.
The aerospace and aviation hub in Southern Middle Tennessee is home to the world's most advanced flight testing center. Railroad construction actually created the community, which chartered in 1852. However, the city’s surrounding springs became popular tourist attractions alongside its growing avionics history. Machine Falls became one of Tullahoma’s many challenging sightseeing routes and waterfalls visitors wanted to test. Explore water life (creek beds and smaller waterfalls), fauna, and flora as pluses to the trail.
Positioned off a 4.1-mile loop, the more than 60-foot-tall waterfall is a top Outdoor Afro activity on Tennessee participants' to-visit list. For the past three years, Young has guided those interested in the destination on Outdoor Afro weekend adventures. COVID paused group trips to Machine Falls until recently. However, Young found personal peace at the waterfall while waiting for network events to start again. Outdoor Afro has helped Young in present times of grief.
“Logging offline and heading into nature is just soothing, especially with everything that has been thrown at me,” said Young, a cyber defense major. Because Young plans to move closer to her sister who lives in Texas, she recommended Gaiter as her volunteer leader replacement. Gaiter, who participated in her very first Outdoor Afro activity in November 2021, accepted. As network events posted to Meetup, Gaiter joined more journeys with Young. Refreshed. Inspired.
“It felt so good to be with like-minded people,” said Gaiter. “Breathing in the early morning air. That sense of being welcomed. Getting all my questions about nature answered.” Sold on taking Young’s place, Gaiter applied to become an Outdoor Afro volunteer leader. After many screenings and interviews by the networks’ national program director, Chaya Harris, Gaiter joined the Class of 2022 volunteer leaders. Totaling 117 volunteers this year. Next, Gaiter hopped on a flight to Granby, Colorado, for Outdoor Afro Leadership Training (OALT) held at River Run RV Resort.
Another weekend experience but for selected and trained applicants to gain the essential tools needed to guide local communities in nature sustainably and safely. The training is organized annually by Outdoor Afro staff and experienced volunteer leaders who share the organization's history, values, best practices, and industry knowledge, including: trip planning basics; health impacts of nature conservation ethics; risk management; and effective social media storytelling. Select partners and guest speakers are invited to the training to provide field insights, and share inspiration and encouragement.
After training, volunteer leaders like Gaiter create and guide monthly trips that foster local program collaborations, and help strengthen community relationships with land, water, and wildlife. Volunteers center joy and healing, disrupting a false perception that Black people do not have a relationship to nature. “I’m really big on making people feel comfortable,” said Gaiter. “We belong in this space. I look forward to reassuring our participants that there is safety in numbers within group experiences.” Gaiter’s contributions are part of Outdoor Afro’s 60,000 participation network.
The national not-for-profit organization spans 60 cities across the country. Located in 32 states, including Washington, D.C. That moment at Machine Falls where participants made it safely and together to the cascading water scene is what OALT prepares volunteer leaders for. The arduous hike left 67-year-old Jesse Green Jr. of Nashville in anticipation for the local network’s next nature quest. “I could have stayed at that waterfall all day with Outdoor Afro,” said Green Jr., a former YMCA certified swim instructor trainer. “I loved hearing the water. Although it was really cold water, it was a great experience with new people.”
