The Commodore’s Report
January 2023
by Brent Hwang
My very first introduction to HCC was a summer paddle down the lower Brazos in 2018 with Bruce Bodson and David Portz. Nursing a worsening knee injury from a decade-long long-distance running routine and seeking ways to escape and destress from the hectic pace of day-to-day life in the corporate world, I conscripted myself a 2nd hand Hobie sit-on-top and joined the 20+ miles trip down the river. I soon realized why only 3 of us showed up for this trip; I had to relearn the definition of "acceptable take out and put-in" and had to keep up with 2 of the strongest paddlers (as I found out later) in the club. It was a stretch for someone who was merely seeking a better personal attunement to the aging physical self, but I was also hooked. Since that time, HCC membership has allowed me to experience my own existence on various waterways from Armand to Buffalo Bayous, from Lake Charlotte to Trinity River, Colorado to Brazos, and from San Bernard to the Rio Grande to name a few. By tenure, my time at HCC has been short if not relatively new compared to many, yet its impact on my mental and physical steadiness and balance, and the experience of the joy of appreciating nature from the cockpit of the kayak is of immeasurable value. For that, I am grateful to all those who led countless trips, offered friendship in paddling, and kept the club active despite many challenges. It is a privilege and honor to serve this club as a commodore along with many of the distinguished board members in 2023.
With the New Year comes a new promise of hope. In writing my first commodore welcome letter, we find ourselves continuing to persevere through the adversity of the global pandemic and a historic draught yet with promise and optimism abounding with new paddling opportunities and events. The HCC owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to the stewardship and support of Natalie Wiest during her long tenure and support. She and the board members (many of whom are returning for another year, thankfully) left us in a position of strengthened club association, a recognized influential voice in the region’s paddling community, and a positive influence on the sustainable stewardship of the state’s waterways.
With the baton having been handed to me, I am mindful of carrying on the legacy left on HCC by many notable members, among those who passed this year like Louis Aulbach, Margaret Sasaki, Bill Nixon, Cliff Peery, and Berry Bennick. Looking forward to 2023, I am excited to be joined both in the Board and board leadership along with Greg Fan as a vice commodore. A big shout-out to our dedicated and passionate board members and other volunteers who led so many wonderful trips. We will see more co-host events with another well-known paddling group, HASK, more collaboration and peer-to-peer exchanges with other paddling groups near and far, and new members joining in the new year as we together help build an expanded and exciting paddling community and outreach in and around our Houston area.