Time flies! Our last newsletter went out in February, and somehow it’s October 🍂. Yes, we know. Your membership covers a lot: boats, paddles, PFDs, safety kits, electricity, water, soap and toilet paper. But the newsletter (and many more) runs on volunteer power, and we could use your help! Join the board at the AGM!
Now, on to the updates!
- Surf the New Website
- Summer Recap
- Fall Maintenance on October 17
- AGM on October 31
- Rapid Fire with Steve Pither: Maintenance Officer
- Reminders!
Cover photo from the 2026 Lotus Poker Paddle. Courtesy of Steve Pither
Surf the New Website 🌊
Our site has a fresh new look, but the surfing doesn’t stop there. We’d love your help spreading the word. Share it with your Burnaby friends and family!
Big thanks to our website committee: Steve, Grace, Mika and Tiffany! Thanks also to Steve and Rob for the photos, and to Elton for tech support.
3 easy ways to help us drive traffic:
- Sharing the site with friends and family.
- Leaving us a stellar Google review about your paddling experience.
- Use Google Maps to navigate to “Lotus Sports Club” next time. Even though you know your way to Lotus by heart, this helps us show up higher in local searches.
Bonus: Like our posts and follow us on Instagram and Facebook.
Summer Recap: Thank You!
- Open houses: A big success! Not only did we drive visitors from Burnaby schools, the SFU rugby team, but we had an amazing turn out from our community. Thanks to everyone who volunteered at the info session, open house, clubhouse clean-up, drop-in orientations, and keeping our guests informed and safe.
- Hard rigging clinic: Lots of interest and love for manual rigging. Thanks to Grace and crew!
- Lotus Iron and Lotus Poker Paddle: Thanks to the race directors, registrars, support crews and volunteers. Check out the photos from race days (Lotus Iron, and Poker Paddle)!
- Practices: Thank you all for those fun practices that involve hot dogs, donuts, pastries, sea otters, whale sightings, that AI generated turtle, beautiful sunsets, sitting out the lightning, and of course, the technique and training (thank you, coaches)!
- Painting: Thank you Caroline for the mesmerizing, new coat of daffodil yellow paint in the women’s washroom! 🌼 Just in time to brighten us on rainy days.
Fall Maintenance on October 17 🧹
When: October 17, 2026, 11:00 AM (after practice)
What: Come help Lotus prepare for the winter season – cleaning, repairing, and whatever else needs a little care around the clubhouse. The more hands, the quicker it will be!
AGM on October 31
When: October 31, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Where: Lotus Clubhouse
- Director and financial reports
- Voting for your new Board
- Coffee and snacks provided
Calling for nominees! Want a say in how Lotus runs? Put your name in. We’d love to have you.
Rapid Fire with Steve Pither: Maintenance Officer
How long have you been part of the Lotus family and how did you get involved?
I think my first year was 2000. I had started paddling with a corporate dragon boat team in 99. As the next season was drawing to a close, I didn’t want to stop paddling. Someone knew about Lotus so we came out to give it a try. DB is intense and the team is fun but OC is so much more interesting.
What’s your most memorable race and why?
If I have to pick one, I’d have to say the Na Pali Challenge. It’s a long (~60 k), challenging, 12 person change race with beautiful scenery. We had big water to start which made for fun changes. Sometimes the canoe would veer and you’d be on the wrong side or struggling to not be run over. As we rounded the island the big water morphed into a hot slog to finish. I was with 4 other “extra” men from Lotus so we joined up with 6 women from Oahu and a steers person. A mixed team from Lotus was also there and we did a 4 day OC1 clinic, so it was more than the race that made this a special time.
What do you love about being a Lotus Club member?
It’s the people.
Maintenance is essential, yet it’s unseen and underappreciated. What keeps you motivated?
I do it for the people. I don’t feel under appreciated at all. It’s a pleasure to be able to contribute.
Is there a question you want to ask the next board member? (Burnaby Liaison)
Could you tell us about your paddling / rowing history?
Reminders!
- Shorter days: Don’t forget to use lights. Parking lot closes at 7 PM.
- PFDs: Use certified PFDs. Vaikobis aren’t certified, so keep a Lotus PFD under your seat.
- Layer up: Gore-Tex or neoprene pants, proper footwear and a roomy rain jacket.
- Cold hands: Paddling and gripping hard can trigger Raynaud’s. Keep warm gloves handy for off the water.
- Cold water huli: If you’re not sure you could handle one, it puts the other five paddlers at risk. You must be able to look after yourself. Rather stay dry? Our indoor ERG is ready for you.