For all of the kayakers using a giant canoe paddle and laying claim that this is something new and revolutionary... i've officially decided to call them closet canoeists
Haven't these folks ever heard of canoe poling???
I know of a few c-boaters that'll stand up and paddle... mostly to stretch their legs. I know Eli's been getting into it for a while... but at least he's standin' up in a canoe and not on some silly surfboard that you really can't "paddle" when push comes to shove.
Oh... and striding... to me for whitewater... that makes a heckuva lot more sense... but it's still a bit nutty itself.
Eli inspired me to try it out. I invested $50 or so in a paddle from Mohawk Paddles (www.mohawkpaddles.com) and have been giving it a shot. I made it down our local II+ stretch in a 16' boat. I didn't have the balance to pull it off in a 12' Probe... Side benefit is that it is a great way to demonstrate strokes when instructing.
Dick Wooten used to paddle almost everything standing up in an OCA. This was in the late 70's early 80's and everyone just thought he was crazy. When Nate .of head hunt fame on the Ocoee, was striding Dick was some of his inspiration.
As the boats got shorter it got a lot harder to do. Next will be the new sport of gunnel jumping....
Bill
Cool that somone would have the balance to stand in a canoe, although to get from point A to B I don't think so. I stand in my skeeter to give my knees some relief, can't see doing the whole river.
I just never unnerstand how people decide what behaviors to accept as ok or rational and what behaviors to believe are wrong or retarded. Seems like alot of people can accept standing up on some big surf board thing, and even Striding. But every time I go out in the longboat, stern sittin, bow to the sky, people are fallin over themselves to give me advice on how Im doing it all wrong. Strange thing though, never have a problem goin anywhere on the river, and nary a problem. I dont understand what gives.
Anyway, standin up on a giant surfboard, w/ super long paddle, I wouldnt say its wrong, but doesnt seem very efficient.
Last edited by Longboatin on Tue Aug 25, 2009 6:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
Hey now, living on Lake Michigan, I have to say the SUP's are fun...of course I had to build me one instead of paying the big bucks for one. Although two years ago nobody here knew much about them and now, holy crap!
I used to stand and paddle the old Mad River Explorer down rivers here for entertainment and could see where the SUP's would be fun for that as well.
Hey, at least your on the water having fun right?
MB
Poling ain't got a thing to do with this Stand Up Paddling nonsense.
First off, polers don't paddle. (duh!) They pole. Paddles push water. Poles push rock mostly.
Second off, poles are nothing like paddles. They're long, 12 feet or so, and skinny. 1 1/8 inch or so. They got no blades. They got no T grips.
Third off folks generally find it difficult to paddle, standing or kneeling, upstream.
Now if you really want to talk stand up paddling you might look up Mel Knoll. He's been doing it for years. AFAIK his knees are bad and he doesn't like butt boats. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLleivougZw&NR=1
