Swimming, rowing, canoeing, sailing, and manning the long boats and the Viking Ship. The waterfront at Lanakila churns with activity every day. If you’re up for it, take the Purple Albatross challenge and make the swim around the whole lake. Or skipper a JY in the big 3-camp regatta. Or join the swim team.

Like team sports? Baseball, basketball, soccer, tennis, ultimate Frisbee, American Ball, lacrosse, a fast game of street hockey? There’s instruction, tournament play and plenty of pick-up games with counselors and friends on the courts and fields of Lanakila. We keep competitiveness in perspective, but when we compete we play hard, we play fair, and we value sportsmanship.

No shortage of more individual activities here either: archery and target riflery with .22’s for perfecting your best shots. Nature exploration, camp crafts and woodworking to hone your hands-on skills. Photography, arts and crafts and drama to satisfy your creative streak. They are all opportunities to feel the pleasure of learning to do something well and creating something of quality.

Out of sight! Lanakila campers take hiking, canoeing, biking and climbing trips all over New England for as little as an afternoon or as long as 5 days -- to the Green Mountains of Vermont, the White Mountains of New Hampshire, the Adirondacks in New York, and the Rangeley Lakes in Maine. You learn things about yourself on a mountain top or in white water rapids that you can’t in tamer places. Here’s your chance. (Great sunsets too!)

If you like well-earned rewards, you’ll love Viking Honors -- Loki, Tyr, Thor, and Odin are ranks at Lanakila, each more challenging to achieve than the one before. In learning skills in boating/canoeing, swimming, exploring, camp craft and other departments, you compete against yourself and the challenges of the rank. Younger boys can often reach Loki in one summer; becoming a Tyr or Thor may take several summers’ work. Since 1922, only 16 campers have made it to Odin. Maybe you’ll be the next!