C-Forum

The Olympics not only do not increase participation in a sport, they destroy it. Decked boat slalom is now for national team members and small children, or at least those under 18: all others, please stay home, but BTW send money to help pay the salaries of the national office. C-2 is nearly dead, a...

"...i don't think that would go over too well with my students. " I can tell you that it wouldn't... I remember a couple of Tom Foster's Instructor Cert students (yes, potential instructors) moaning about "The Pond... and the Pond... and the Pond... and back to the Pond.." Years ago when I was still...

First & foremost forward stroke because of what it gives back. A perfect forward stroke means that you can maximize the forward momentum and minimize the losses in correction -- and not just for racing, either -- also for making that one single stroke drive you into thank-god eddy above terminal dro...

Excuse me, but everyone seems to have missed the origin of plastic boats:

A very heavy blue barrel that was found on the road after being run over by a truck.

Why would anyone even want to???

The best answer is to be able to use "any" stroke effectively. Then you can pick as you choose. Yes, stern correction strokes will kill your speed. But maybe you don't care, or maybe you even want to. Also, different boats do respond differently. If it won't crank around for you at a critical moment...

Re: "after torquing on them over time, hairline cracks would develop in the finish. Moisture would get in and start deteriorating the wood. Then it was a matter of time. " Do you not sand & refinish your paddles each winter? I was taught that it was proper & necessary maintenance. Never broken one, ...

Sorry for the mixup.

I was referring to the move shown by eddyhops earlier in this thread.

Re: top hand: Many years ago (so many that I actually sometimes paddled K****ks), I attended a class with Carrie Ashton and a student who was an OS, Preston Blake, MD. Duffek strokes were discussed, and in particular the "elbow behind the ear". Carrie demonstrated her technique -- with the upper han...

Nice photography, but how did all the butt-boaters sneak in here????

You bet!!

Attaining is a practice that mercilessly punishes every less-than-perfect stroke. You soon learn that fussing & fumbling to get the power where it belongs lead to frustration and failure. Of course it also trains the eye to seek the line of least resistance, too.

Not sure how helpful this is, but what taught me to paddle C-1 with minimal "correction" was many, many hours on the "flat canal" aka the C&O canal. At first I was continually frustrated because the forward stroke I was using started with a tiny touch of a draw to straighten, and this draw would eve...

@Roger: What do you consider the "natural" side? I am right-handed, but paddle with the blade on the left. -- ie, "lefty". Was sort of serendipitous, but I also believe that it is the "correct" way for a right-handed person because you use the right hand on the teegrip for precise control. (I've had...

RE: If'n you can stand up to pee - canoe, if you can't - kayak. ****************************** Free beer if you can pee standing up from an Olympic flatwater C-1 and not get yr feet wet (Years ago Steve Draper used to have a standing bet of a free case to anyone who could get in a Olympic flattie C-...

If you do all of those things, you are a Rodeo Clown

Here is my take: If you paddle with a single blade, you are a canoeist, period. Some canoeists break out a double blade on flatwater, just to make it easier to rack up miles. But they have the single blade skills when it counts. If you paddle with a double blade, sitting on your butt, you are kayaki...