C-Forum

I was just showing some friends down a local river today, when I realized I was about to take them over one of the finest little boofs in Vermont. It's a slope that ends in a little three-foot boof. So you have a ton of speed. You have to boof into the eddy on the left, which is cake given how much speed you have. You slide down with good speed, then suddenly you're in the air, then you're gliding into the eddy with that solid "boof" noise.

I reflected that this is my favorite move in all of boating: Boofing into eddies. Especially eddies on my on side. That is so fun. Think of "Bastard" on the Upper Yough, boofing into that eddy. That is what I love.

This is followed closely by the one-stroke upstream! I don't get many of those just yet, but the few times I have (such as Rattlesnake last year) I feel like a changed person.

So what is your favorite move in boating?

Alden

I love the front surf .....just moving back and forth on the wave... Yipeee!!!!
Back surfs are cool, and boofs, and cartwheels, cleans, and.... wait I just love being in a boat!
Did I mention boofing is sweet, too!!!

Carving up a wave on a front surf . That and the boof. Front surfing always plasters a smile on my face, especially when I can keep the boat up on top of the wave (glass or foam) and keep cutting back and forth keeping the nose high and dry. Doesn't matter if it's my Atom or a glass boat, front surfing is what it is all about !

KNeal

I'm becoming really fond of the rock spin... I just tried one off of the boof on Tablesaw on the Ocoee... (about 4', easy boof) and nailed it. Too much fun. As far as playboating, I love the loop

Hmmm...not sure about my all time favourite move, but two weeks back I was goofing around in the Groove on flatwater and discovered something that kept me smiling all night - get up a little speed, lean forward and submerge the bow a bit - but not right up into a bow stall, then throw in a cross-bow draw. First time I did this I was totally surprised, but in the Groove you spin into a cool bow pirouette and if you time the throw right I think you could transition from that into a stern pirouette, although I didn't quite get that right. Definitely my favourite flatwater move so far.

On the river I think my favourite move would have to be either running (boofing) waterfalls - there's just something sweet about flying through the air or surfing the open boat on a big fast wave (I got it on Babyface on the Ottawa a couple of weeks ago - who would've thought the Detonator would bounce!), but I'm still working on the control enough that that can still be very frustrating....or was it doing an ender out of left side Horseshoe in the Detonator? Hmm...choices choices choices. I think I have to agree with PAC that my favourite move is just paddling a river!

So many river moves...I must say, like others, that I enjoy them all. BUT, for different moods, I have favorites....there's nothing like sliding down a glassy wave, or executing a nice stern squirt (or a bow pivot NZMatt describes ). Or, running Fowlersville falls on the Moose

Surfing is where it's at. There's nothing like a front surf. I'm happy on a 6"er or a 6'er.

Stern squirts, bow squirts, pivot turns & attaining are fun in the Viper too, but surfing, definately surfing is the most fun.

At the OC downriver nationals this year, a bunch of us were making a practice run & I saw a paddling buddy at surfer's rapid. I eddied out to talk & get in a surf with the 16' Penobscot as everone else in the group paddled on looking for fast lines. When I caught up to the group they all wanted to know if I was ok. My reply, "yeah, now that I got in a surf "

I'd rather paddle 2nd in a flatwater race so I can ride wake (really just a surf) & get my fix.

Mike W.

i think i got to go with the fist blunt as my favorite move. we were on the lower gauley this past weekend at 3800. it was a perfect level for lunch counter! really fast, and slightly breaking LARGE wave. felt really great carving back and forth, and spinning at will. the best part was the HUGE fist blunts i got on it. prolly the biggest i have ever gotten. even better is that its a trick kayakers cant do and it looks really cool one you figure it out. always a crowd pleaser. --- joey

I like boofs. One of my favorite moves I've ever done is boofing Big Splat. Such a sweet move. I also like the boof move at Tablesaw on the Ocoee. Wavewheels are fun as well, my buddy and I do tandem wavewheels into hades Hole which is a blast. Lastly, I'll have to say the offside Blunt. Nothing feels better than nailing a huge offside clean blunt. Pure heaven. But a good boof....
will

Clean air back stab going into cartwheel

Cruising downstream, cross the eddyline, with a slight double pump bury the bow, then quickly into two or three ends, finishing parked in the eddy like nothing happenend.

It's pretty easy in a C-1, looks impressive, and is so much cooler than just eddying out.