C-Forum

Ok, this is an odd one* but I was (for once) able to push myself over the weekend, and found myself having an unexpected problem, on the first rapid of note on a particular river I found myself flying down a very steep boulder garden, boofing over everything with even the thinnest film of water and weaving round the really big ones...

After about 800 metres of this there's a short pool before more of the same... I came flying down, off the corner of the final large boulder, landed flat, planted an offside duffek/telmark and dropped my edge to try to turn, losing speed and move across the pool rather than straight on... Having built up so much speed something unexpected happened, I did start to turn, but the pool had flown past before I'd lost much speed (or really turned very much) and I was on to the next rapid, now leading (and more than a little scared to be leading something so hard blind).

Now my question is:-

• When you're running something very steep and continious where you unavoidably build up a lot of speed, how do you loose it quickly without doing something that's going to result in unexpected head-ruddering?

*I know, all my questions seem to be a little bit off base... but I'm just odd in general (or so I'm told).

....eddy out.


grab micro eddys - anything where the water isnt going straight downstream

FullGnarlzOC wrote:....eddy out.


grab micro eddys - anything where the water isnt going straight downstream

I made all the eddies on the rapid... all two of them, it wouldn't have been a problem If I'd been able to eddy hop down.

good question...

were there any holes (not man eaters) you could have hit a little sideways to scrub some speed?

the side of your boat can act as a brake... but every circumstance or the outcome of using it is going to be completely different... so it's kind've hard to say if that may have worked for you or not.

good question...

Drag your knuckles...

I employ the upstream ferry when i need to scrub speed. Its especially good for high volume runs as youre not likely to catch an edge or clip a rock unexpectedly when youre going backwards. Not always the best way to go, but its an option.

drogue chute or back strokes - I can think of a move on our local river that you have to slow down for or you blow past a narrow window to make an eddy - it's a strong side turn and a lean into it a bit and sweep the blade under the boat a bit.

Where there is room, I go with an upstream ferry or as I was told to do once when I was a beginner "eddy out even though there isn't an eddy".

I may be confused, but it sounds like the pool you were trying to turn into was eddy-ish? Maybe drop a little outside edge instead of leaning into the turn? That seems to really put the brakes on for me when getting into difficult eddies.

spin (360) on a wave?

I was going to make the same suggestion as busterblue. Spin quicker and maybe you will have more time for aggressive forward strokes...

Shep

Do a barrel roll

Dry rock boofs if there are no holes to hit in a blocking motion to slow you down. Good thing about dry rock boofs is the possiblity that you can ski jump it and get some animal type style points or get stuck pertched on top of it. Guess it all depends on your current speed and the size/shape of the dry rock.

Next suggestion is a drag chute!

When I catch myself going too fast it is usually because I am paddling too hard because I am nervous or off my game. Drift (at angle) more and use the paddle for corrections until you need to point more down stream and put the hammer down to make an eddy.

Maybe in shallow steep.. (these work for me - at least):

Angle slight to proper side, and back ferry on the upside (you don't want the blade on the downstream side here - oops n' oh large steaming pile of dog doo).... if there's enough water it'll help (tend) to slow you down some.... Also some times with the paddle on the upside, you'll find places that are a little deeper as you go by. This is far better than attempting to spin around into a normal forward eddy.

And if not enough water... turn paddle sideways on edge (on upstream side) and friction with some rudder (you did say - there was an absolute need to slow) AGAIN using some ferry angle will help a bit more.

Possibly a little side friction can also help... if you can uncontrollably pinball your way along using small benign features.

Often the upstream side of a boulder/rock will be pillowed (even if no eddy behind), and can be used to slow progress (or even use it to stop) from upstream pillow to upstream pillow. In order to not pick up speed at the top. I find these particularly helpful, and often use them instead of eddying out in normal everyday conditions.

On extreme occasion I have also used a elbow turn onto passing by rock -or- a hand grab to the shore... And of course you might dry out on a chosen rock, by leaning back and then throwing weight forward. Just be sure to not only spin around backwards.