don’t panic
JUSTINE CURGENVEN, FILMMAKER, CACKLE TV
Paddling from her home base in Wales, Justine Curgenven
helped popularize wild-coast paddling with her This is the Sea video series. She gets beginners to focus on the basics.
“Many people who struggle to get a consistent roll struggle with being under- water. If you do, spend time underwater wearing a mask and seeing how long you can hold your breath. Don’t give up and don’t panic. Always try to roll first.”
WITH ITROLL give in
DAN LEWIS OWNER, RAINFOREST KAYAK ADVENTURES
With 34 years of kayak instruction under his spray-
skirt, Dan Lewis is the go-to guy for kayak in- struction in the Clayoquot Sound area. Lewis tells beginners and pros alike not to fight the power.
“Whatever is taking you down will bring you back up if you go with it. That’s why learning to roll on both sides is so important. Simply set up on the side you are tipping toward—now your paddle is pulling down on water, which wants to lift it up. This trick works in both rivers and surf. You’ll be surprised how quick and easy you pop back up when working with the forces that caused you to capsize in the first place.”
50 KNOW HOW|| Annual 2014 get flexible DIGITAL EXTRA
For more kayaking tips and techniques, go to
Rapidmedia.com/0097 or check out the iPad or Android edition of the Paddling Buyer’s Guide.
5 MASTER KAYAKERS SHARE THEIR SECRETS FOR SUCCESS
So you want to ace rolling your kayak? Or maybe you’ve already mastered your roll in flatwater and want to lock it in so you know you can right yourself every time, anywhere, and in any condition. We checked in with five pros, master kayakers and instructors, to go beyond tucking, bracing and hip snapping and bring you the secrets of their teaching success.
skip the setup
SHAWNA FRANKLIN OWNER, BODY BOAT BLADE INTERNATIONAL
When not circumnavigat-
ing large islands like Iceland, Haida Gwaii or Vancouver Island, Shawna Franklin runs Body Boat Blade International from her base on Orcas Island, Washington. She gets her students to aim for rolling success by skipping the anticipation and just going for it.
“Skip the above water set up! When knocked over, we typically fall over in a low brace first. If that fails, we rotate into a high brace position. And, if that fails, we are in a rotated position underwater and can, from there, easily move forward to the underwater set up.”
JAMES ROBERTS OWNER, ONTARIO SEA KAYAK CENTRE
James Roberts has been instructing for eight of his 12 years in the cockpit of a
kayak. Based in Parry Sound, Ontario, James runs the Ontario Sea Kayak Centre on Lake Huron, and sums up his number one tip in one simple word: stretch.
“Flexibility is very important. A little yoga before you roll goes a long way. It’s all in the hips—not the paddle. You can roll without a paddle, you can’t roll with- out using your hips.”
stop overthinking
DAVE WEIR OWNER, ICE BLINK EXPEDITIONS
After nearly a quarter century of kayak instruc-
tion, Dave Weir, owner of Yukon-based Ice Blink Expeditions, gets into his students’ heads to help them master their rolls. Paddlers often overthink their rolls and get caught up in memorized step- by-step instructions instead of going with the flow, he says. His part-Yoda, part-Elvis advice addresses this.
“It’s important to try not to think too much—I’ve always found rolling to be more of a physical exercise than a mental one. Forget the paddle and work your hips, then work your hips some more.”
Dave Quinn is a regular contributor to Adventure Kayak and a wildlife biologist, sea kayak guide, writer and photographer.
PHOTO: NEIL SCHULMAN // INSET PHOTOS (CLOCKWISE): COURTESY KIRK MASTIN, JAMES ROBERTS, DAVE WEIR, SHAWNA FRANKLIN, DAN LEWIS
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196 |
Page 197 |
Page 198 |
Page 199 |
Page 200 |
Page 201 |
Page 202 |
Page 203 |
Page 204 |
Page 205 |
Page 206 |
Page 207 |
Page 208 |
Page 209 |
Page 210 |
Page 211 |
Page 212