The Watersmith Journal
In Our Own Backyard - A First Waves Film
The First Waves Team was back in Johnstown with a whole new cast of youth participating in the project for the first time. In total, more than 20 students from the Greater Johnstown Schools took part with activities ranging from river surfing, the art of filmmaking, and watershed conservation sciences. The students also completed a riparian improvement along a Class-A Wild Trout Stream as part of the project.
Adaptation - A Recap of First Waves 2020
The endeavor of running rivers, especially ones strewn with whitewater, is a practice in adaptation. The best looking lines don’t always work out, and plan B or C are often called on for relief. Something as small as a light bump with an unseen rock can alter a smooth descent into a sideways and backwards gauntlet like ballet in combat boots. While style and grace are admired, the important thing is getting to the bottom in one piece. In the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic, education and youth experiences edged beyond a light bump with a stone. In many cases, it was as if the entire river disappeared beneath them. For the First Waves program to continue working with youth in the Johnstown area, the mindset of adaptability needed to be fully embraced.
Contours - Official Film Premiere
Contours is the latest film project by First Waves, a program that inspires conservation through the art of filmmaking and the pursuit of river surfing and paddleboarding.
The Current to Conserve - Official Film Release
The Current to Conserve is a paddleboarding and watershed conservation film by the students of First Waves! Additional support from the Pittsburgh Filmmakers/Pittsburgh Center for the Arts.
2018 Ignites with Envision Blind Sports
With spring looming in its awkward stage, "invigorating" water temperatures, and a reclusive sun - it was up to the participants and volunteers from Envision Blind Sports to set the tone for the kick-off paddleboarding adventure of 2018!
Breaking Waves at Mount Ararat
Nestled in the urban sprawl of Pittsburgh’s East End, The Mount Ararat Community Activity Center provides innovative programs and experiential learning to the area’s families and youth. Earlier this summer, the Center debuted a new program for a select group of students, part of which involved teaching them to surf in whitewater rivers. While surfing might be the last thing many think of in this landlocked region of Pittsburgh, that is exactly what Mentorship Director, Dr. Charles Howell, has brought to the Center through partnership with a local organization called, First Waves.
FIRST WAVES STRIKE USS REQUIN
The USS Requin is a floating museum of World War II era technology along the Carnegie Science Center on Pittsburgh’s North Shore. While educating and enchanting hundreds of thousands of visitors about the life and science aboard a submarine, the ship often helps divulge a more sinister story about Pittsburgh’s waterways.
Paddleboarding for Visually Impaired Youth
At First Waves, we have been dealt the opportunity to work with amazing partners and volunteers. The latest project in conjunction with VIP Sports was one of the most memorable. By working with Slippery Rock University volunteers and VIP Sports instructors, we were able to provide a standup paddleboarding experience to more than 60 youth participants that were blind or semi-blind. Here's a short film documenting the training process and the event itself! Enjoy!
A "MONSTER" ADDITION TO FIRST WAVES PROGRAM
The river wave at Greenhouse Park is little more than a pile of foam during the hot month of July in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The Stonycreek River is the tamest version of itself and instead of whitewater enthusiasts, the park attracts sunbathers, tubers, and swimmers to its shores. What most have overlooked, however, is this wave’s potential as a training ground for the area’s youth to become river enthusiasts. When presented in the right way, the wave can capture the attention of teenagers better than the latest X-box and carve a path for outdoor recreation and education that is widely available but pervasively ignored. This is exactly what the First Waves Johnstown Program is able to provide to underserved youth in the area.
