rolling Rolling Troubleshooter
whAt to Do If you’re StIll Not gettINg It || By Alex MAtthewS
YEARS AGO, a buddy and I tied a couple of borrowed kayaks to his car and headed to the lake. Our mission was simple: we were going to learn to roll. We even had a book that was going to teach us how. We studied the crude line drawings, barely bothering to scan the ac- companying text. Being natural athletes and confident of mastering such an easy trick, we
quickly identified what we perceived to be the essential elements and jumped in our boats. I remember that our main strategy was to throw ourselves into the water with maximum force in order to generate the momentum necessary to get back upright again on the opposite side. We failed to roll even once. In our defence, at the time it was just about un-
>> DON’T beat yourself up if you’re not immediately successful. Most paddlers need more than one or two lessons, so be kind to yourself.
>> DO make sure that your boat fits you. If you are so loose that you can’t achieve a solid grip on the boat with your lower body, you will not be able to roll.
>> DON’T forget to really work on your hip flick. A great drill is to grab the side of the pool (or a dock or the bow of someone else’s boat), lay your head down on the pool’s edge and practice rolling your boat upside down and then upright again, using only your lower body and not your arms. Keep your head down!
>> DO have a buddy stand in the water beside your boat, and have them guide your paddle through the proper motion.
>> DON’T let your blade dive during a roll. Maintain a climbing angle on your active blade. Use goggles or a mask to watch your blade.
>> DO get your buddies to spot you with a T-rescue. That way, instead of having to swim, you can simply grab their bow and pull yourself upright if you blow your roll.
>> DON’T bring your head up first. Duct tape your head to your shoulder, bite the sleeve of your jacket or use any other means to ensure that your head comes up last.
>> DO strive to be supple and flowing. >> DON’T be rigid or try to depend on power.
heard of to be able to roll (at least in our circles). In fact, I don’t think that I had ever even seen the manoeuvre successfully performed—there were rumours, but no confirmed sightings. Now, with the benefit of hindsight and many successful (and a few less successful) rolls be- hind me, it’s time to present a few hints about the often elusive art of rolling:
>> DO practice a dry land roll by sitting in your kayak and going through the motions in the backyard – this is a great drill that helps your body learn the motions through repetition.
>> DON’T miss a pool session or any other chance to practice.
>> DO make rolling easier by using a paddle float on your active blade. But don’t get stuck at this stage – ditch the float once your body has learned the motions.
>> DON’T forget to visualize a successful roll. Visualize your roll while sitting at your desk at work, lying in bed or while performing surgery (if that’s your job).
>> DO wear nose plugs to prevent water rushing up your nose. You’ll have an easier time concentrating on the motions, and avoid the dreaded “post-rolling-session nasal drain” (which for some reason usually happens during a meal).
>> DON’T hesitate to get a video and/or a book on rolling. Videos are great because they let you see the movements in real time. But don’t rely solely on a book or video—get instruction!
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| ADVENTURE KAYAK early summer 2007
ILLUSTRATION: PAUL MASON
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