The Department of Natural Resources' Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) program will hold a "Beyond BOW" event July 11-12 to teach women ages 18 and older how to kayak. Bahnhof Sport in Petoskey will co-host the event, which includes a six-hour Introduction to Kayaking course.

The course will be split between the two days, and registration is limited to 16 participants. Instruction will take place in a private setting with female instructors.

"This workshop is geared toward women who have both never kayaked, and want to learn, to those who have some limited experience with the sport," said DNR BOW Coordinator Sue Tabor. "Our goal is for everyone to have a fun time learning new skills with knowledgeable and friendly instructors in a beautiful up-north setting."

The registration fee is $250, which includes all instruction and lodging, two breakfasts, two lunches, a special T-shirt and an optional trip to the Oden State Fish Hatchery or three hours of bike rental. Participants should bring raingear, long pants, a long- and short-sleeved shirt, a jacket, hat, bug spray and sunscreen.

Topics covered during the workshop include kayaking gear and safety, how to plan and prepare for a kayaking trip, your responsibility as a paddler, boat balance and trim, loading and launching your kayak, use of safety gear, paddle selection and use, boat maneuvers, controlled capsizes and rescue techniques.

Check-in for the workshop begins at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, July 11, at Bahnhof Sport, located at 1300 Bay View Rd. in Petoskey. Bagels and juice will be served. Instruction will take place until noon, and lunch will be provided. There will be an optional afternoon trip to the Oden State Fish Hatchery and Michigan Fisheries Visitor Center for a tour, or participants may choose to take a bike ride around Petoskey on a rental bike (provided as part of the registration fee).

Check-in at the Comfort Inn, located at 1314 US-31 North, will start at 4 p.m. Saturday. On Sunday, July 12, a continental breakfast will be served at the hotel at 7 a.m., and at 8:30 a.m., participants will gather at Bahnhof Sport for the second day of instruction. Lunch will again be provided.

For more information about this program, contact Sue Tabor at (517) 241-2225. Information also is available online at www.michigan.gov/bow.