Look at Alden fly!

[Craig Smerda]

Nice move Alden!

http://www.localpaddler.com/publicgalle ... um&cat=501

I guess the Birdman really can fly?

[Alden]

That's a little move I like to call "The Smerda Smectacular . . . "

Alden

[sbroam]

Neat move. Neat picture, too - notice the foreshortening of the paddle? It's that or Alden has a reeeeeally big blade on that stick and a right hand that is much larger than his left! Also, as happens in most of my pictures (both of and by me), he is faceless. In the case of pictures *of* me, this is a good thing.

[Craig Smerda]

....If you want to involve my name in there you are going to have to pump a little iron bro'..... although having hollow bones assists in longer flights I'm certain.

Alden... next time you are here the cheescurds will be waiting for you!

[Alden]

my friends, i had a revelation this morning at great falls. A few days before, I bought the new paddle seen in the picture. I had noticed that my new friend (the way drug addicts become friends) Joe Stumpfel (the best c-1er in the whole world . . . behind, of course, The Sman himself . . . smerda) uses a 54 inch paddle, despite the fact that he is only an inch shorter in height than I. Actually he seemed to have great experience on the extremes - he once even used a 50 inch paddle! (And according to him, this is too short).

Anyway, after a descent of Vermont's Big Branch river during which Joe threw about 74 cross bow boofs, I vowed to examine getting a shorter paddle myself.

So I finally did get one - a 54 inch werner like Joe's . . . and it is . . . awesome.

Well, the paddle itself is not. In fact, I cracked it today at Great Falls on its second day of use, for no particular reason at all! The Werner Bandit is a piece of junk. I mean, while suffice to say I love the design, lavish T-Grip, weight, price (and of course, length), the durability was astoudingly bad. What kind of paddle cracks for no reason on the second day?

But I digress. WHat I wanted to say was that on my first run, apparently before I broke the paddle, I approached the lip of the waterfall "Grace Under Pressure" and right at the lip, did something I've never done on big falls - I actually threw a monster cross boof. I definitely got into the spirit of Stumpfel. I had no plan to do this today; it just happened.

Having the shorter paddle, for me, really facilitates being able to switch from cross bow to onside - fast, and in the middle of rapids - and to be able to throw more effective cross boofs more often than before.

It definitely doesn't give you as much leverage. That's for sure. I'm going to stick to my 60 inch paddle for slalom. But for creeking, 54 is definitely what I'm going to start using (even at 6' tall and sitting somewhat tall in the boat). Anyway, just thought I would share my thoughts. On my second run of Grace, I was incidentally able to duplicate the cross bow boof, although I landed so flat I think all the beer I drank the night before (just had to throw that in so the open boat racers will have something familiar to read about) nearly came right back up.

I once had a guitar teacher who, I have no doubt, would have murdered on the spot Guns and Roses guitarist Slash if he had met him on the street. My teacher, a struggling jazz guitarist, had absolute disdain for a man who would own more than one guitar, let alone more than 100. To him, it was an incredible waste to have a different guitar in your hands every night. I think he would not approve of my specializing in paddles like this (what will I have next, a different helmet for . . . well, actually . . . but everyone does, right?)

Anyway, I like to reason that this kind of consumerism keeps our friend Kaz fed during the winter. (On beer of course - right, open boater friends?)

Alden

[billcanoes]

Nicely written;

Congrats on the cross boof.

I've been experimenting with my 54" Bandit too. Adter 2 years of retirement (retired after 3 trips) class 1-2 maybe a 3. Anyway, I've been using it because its shorter- and I probably have 5 square inches of delamination with 8 total trips-

I have met a boater who loves his and hasnt had any problems.

I have shortened my other paddle to about 53, and I'm loving it and the bandit is back where it belongs, retired in the closet.

Bill

[James]

I think you guys are nuts with this cross boof business, but I wanna try it.

Completely agree on the werner bandit, broke two. I think it was hitting my boat learning to cartwheel, very weak paddle. Now I use it for canoe tripping (despite a large crack in it), with a trusty raft paddle/ club as a spare.

[Craig Smerda]

... Joe is an awesome paddler... I'm 35 years old and work for a living ... I'm married ... I live in a state where most folks ask more questions about how my boats are for fishing than they are for doing blunts ... and yet a cross boof comes as easily as a long belch after an old Milwaukee.

So.... anyway. Alden are you coming to the Wausau race in July. If you want a place to crash we have room. Our dogbed is oversized and he likes folks with an accent. Seriously... hope you get to come. Then we will go playboating for fun.

Craig

P-S---- C-L-I-N-C-H R-I-V-E-R P-A-D-D-L-E-S

[CosmikDebris]

Alden? WHERE ARE YOU, I'M IN COLORADO, LETS GO KAYAK, I LOST YOUR NUMBER, WE'RE DOING NSV TOMORROW, THEN BACK TO OBJ FOR THE RACE WED. THEN I'M WORKING TO WEEKS SO I CAN GO TO CALI, CALL ME IF YOU GET THIS SORRY FOR YELLING i WANT TO BOAT WITH ANOTHER CBOATER!!! 859 221 8300
WILL