K-1 & C-1 Technique
Stern Squirts A
kayak or C-1 stern squirt is a 360-degree pivot on the stern of your boat using only one
blade.It is a combination of torso rota-
tion, boat tilt,a reverse sweep and
timing.The best place to learn is on a small and distinct eddy line that is deep enough so you don’t whack your stern on the river bottom. Heavier paddlers in long slicy, low volume boats make it look easy to sink the stern under the water. River running boats typical- ly squirt well but with a lower angle. Shorter spud boats are defi- nitely easier to get vertical, but require more edge control and bal- ance to control their short corky
sterns.Although it is fun go fully vertical and fall over, learning to control the angle will result in smooth and predictable stern squirts.
Step 1
Set an angle of about 45 degrees to a deep and clean eddy line. Generate a couple strokes worth of forward momentum; enough so you can glide into the current.
Step 2 Rotating your torso, set up for a
big reverse sweep. Drop your back shoulder and look past the stern of your boat. In a larger boat leaning back slightly will help you sink and engage the stern edge.
Step 3 Glide across the eddy line with your boat flat and your reverse
sweep ready. Wait until you feel the current begin to grab your stern. Now, tilt upstream engaging your upstream edge. The amount of edge or tilt you use to engage the stern determines how vertical your boat will go.
Step 4
Unwind your torso driving the stern down into the water by push- ing up on your reverse sweep. Let the current provide the spin momentum.
Step 5
At the end of your sweep bring your body to neutral position and lift your knee to level off your tilt and continue the spin. Continuing to look in the direction of the spin seems to help.
Step 6
Finish the full 360-degree squirt with your blade in the water. It pro- vides balance and you can switch to bow draw or forward stroke to control your exit into the current.
by Mike Lamarche
Tips: If you’re continuously going over
vertical, back off on your tilt and/or don’t lean back as much. Try a smaller eddy line until you learn to control your edge.
Getting the boat vertical but falling over to that side? Once you’ve engaged your edge, remember to lift your knee and level the boat out to let it spin.
Spinning flat on the eddy line is a result of not enough upstream tilt and is understandable considering it’s against everything we’ve learned about eddy turns. Looking back during your reverse sweep is a sure way to get torso rotation, monitor your tilts and improve tim- ing because you can see the stern engaging the downstream current.
Squirting too early or too late does- n’t take advantage of the current to provide the spin momentum. You can pull off a 360-degree rotation in flatwater, but the eddy line uses the downstream current to engage the stern and then the opposing cur- rents of the eddy to continue the spin.
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Step 6 winter 2002 23
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