Not just another “Kayak Night” at Horseshoe Harbor Yacht Club—special guest and good pal, Luke (aka kayakhipster), presents a show-and-tell about traditional paddling and its “downside,” rolling. The audience is transfixed. Including this guy (can you name him? Please tell us!):
While you’re down there, fetch me a bunker?
Birds’ eye view?
Post-Thanksgiving sends most folks into a shopping frenzy. We prefer a different sort of free-for-all—especially when the water’s a balmy 51°F and the air a record-breaking 63°F. “If I’m not up in 20 minutes, call a plumber!” shouted Jerry, tightening his tuilik. (Click for videos.)
Behind Jerry is tiny Columbia (as in Columbia Broadcasting System) Island, and (still under construction) the only private island residence off the coast of NYC. The topic of a future post…as soon as we learn that forward-finishing roll. 🙂
Late summer fun and homage to Kayak Hipster’s “Flipped-Over Fridays”… David tests his new Rockpool Isel (it’s marvelous from every angle) while Felix entertains the crowd at Cockenoe Island near Westport, CT. (Click for video)
More photos from the 8/8 Sea Kayak Connecticut tour (click for slideshow) 🙂
Oh, to be able to roll as effortlessly as this… Below, our friend Gwen tries out her new Water Field Kayaks Mosquito, a Greenland style qajaq that’s built to roll (just like Gwen). Click for video (NOTE: this soundtrack is entirely at odds with Gwen’s sweet disposition!)
This week’s TBD (“To Be Done”): Ask Gwen to teach us some forward finishing rolls at the lake this summer, where mosquitos actually do want to suck your blood.
Jean tries her tuilik on for the first time. She is thrilled. Floyd (left) is oblivious.
Sorry, Ralph Lauren. But this is the new “it” thing for winter. Jean’s made-to-measure tuilik has finally arrived! Just in time for seal-hunting season (Greenland) and indoor-pool rolling practice at the YWCA (Greenwich).
A tuilik is an Inuit invention. Traditionally, it’s a sealskin garment that seals the paddler into their kayak via strings that are pulled tightly around the wrists and face and cockpit to create watertight seals. (A record number of “seals” in one sentence!)
Jean’s new Reed Chillcheater tuilik, by contrast, is polyurethane/polyester Aquatherm versus seal epidermis. But, like the original article, it keeps cold water out of your ears (important) and is so insulating that you quickly become Your Own Personal Steam Sauna. As the manufacturer’s website says, “it’s like having a paddle jacket, spray skirt and hood all rolled into one!”
Speaking of rolling, a tuilik also adds an element of buoyancy. Click arrow for video (1/10/15 at Greenwich pool; film credits to Jorge for swimming all over the deep end with camera!):
You know you want one! Order your own made-to-measure tuilik through the Kayakways online store.
Jean achieves rolling zen and facial zinc.
As advertised, a new day. With warm mid-70s temps, mild wind and a bright sunny attitude: become one with the sweep roll. (Make that two—you do want to get both sides.) Today, PFD-less Jean “found her float” and “became one with the paddle” (i.e., upon capsizing, she squared her shoulders to the water, looked at the sky, engaged her waterside leg while dropping her head back, then “swept” the paddle blade firmly but lightly as if flinging a Frisbee, and used her core muscles to slide onto the now-upturned back deck. 20 times both sides. Omm.)
Here are a few of today’s moments of Southern zen, including Jean’s sweep roll, plus sights and sounds of Tybee:
Tomorrow’s goal—rolling with an un-extended paddle and an element of surprise (i.e., “finding the set-up position”). And “finding a cold one” to enjoy on this here porch. Goodnight, y’all! 🙂
Alex likes to say, “Life is non-linear.” And guess what? Learning to roll is no exception. Just because you had success on both sides yesterday doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll simply pick up where you left off today. You might start overthinking your pivot hand, which can make you forget you even have legs that should be driving the kayak upright, and where should my [name of body part here] be now? thoughts come flooding in with the tide.
No worries—just review the basics. A lot. See the two video clips below, featuring Cheri and Turner and lots of Tybee sand:
So….Jean’s to-do list for tomorrow: 1) “find her float,” sans lifejacket, 2) keep her pivot hand on her pivot shoulder instead of pushing the paddle away or down or who-knows-where, and 3) scull for support. Tonight’s to-do, however: Remember that “tomorrow is another day.” (Pictures below from this evening, Thursday 10/16, Tybee Island, GA).
The other day, Jean tossed her kayak on top of the good ol’ Subaru and drove 840 miles to paddle none. That’s right—from New York to Tybee, Georgia, to spend five consecutive days rolling at the 2014 Sea Kayak Georgia Skills Symposium. She’s in expert hands: Cheri Perry and Turner Wilson of international Greenland-rolling fame! Assuming all goes as planned (i.e., Jean keeps breathing warm Georgia air vs. warm Tybee water), you can expect a nightly update on her progress. Below, the adventures of Day One 🙂
Learning the standard layback “sweep” began with no boat at all. Here, Jean emulates Cheri’s arched back/dropped head/raised hip position but looks like an ex-citizen of ancient Pompeii.
Cheri demonstrates the progression. After “capsizing,” she “finds the float” (shoulders square to the water, as if floating on your back in a swimming pool; paddle parallel to your shoulders and the water surface.)
Roll the hips (your boat will tilt partway up)
Engage your core muscles (abs) to slide your torso onto the back deck of your kayak.
Next, add a boat—but hold the water.
Here’s what it looks like on water:
Our turn! Jean and new pal Dee give it a whirl. Er, roll.
See you tomorrow!
Ailsa’s travel theme this week is simplicity. Here’s what that looked like on Saturday afternoon at the ACA camp at Lake Sebago (click to begin videos):
Meet ACA instructor and mermaid, Gwen, and husband/fellow instructor/merman Kam. These two make kayak rolling (a self-rescue technique) look easy-peasy! There are dozens of variations (i.e, Greenland rolls), all with decidedly un-simple names like assammik nerfallaallugu and avataq isserflup taqqaanut qaanap psinarsuanut qilerullugu (we are not making this up!). The former means “using the hand lying on one’s back” and the latter, “with a hunting float tied to the deckline at the isserfik (!) at the side of the kayak.”
Jean swears ALL these names are ONOMATOPOEIC because that’s pretty much what comes out when she gives it a whirl… “Isserflup aaaack-ack ptuiii!”
In this video, Gwen and Kam show how simple it truly is… It helps to be flexible, coordinated, and Gwen and Kam.
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2 Geeks @ 3 Knots 