‘just take off my red shoes  | Put them on and your dream’ll come true
With no words, with no song  | You can dance the dream with your body on
And this curve, is your smile
And this cross, is your heart
And this line, is your path
– Kate Bush

Novorca Paddles has been a sponsor and supporter for quite some time now so Read At Your Own Risk!!

This is a beautiful paddle.  It was created for me by Ron at Novorca. As you know Novorca paddles are carbon fiber Greenland, or “traditional” style paddles.  What makes Novorca paddles unique is more than just the amazing colors, but also the fact that each paddle is essentially handmade while at the same time using modern engineering, materials and technology.

What brought me to Novorca originally was a quest for an unbreakable Greenland Paddle.  Well, not really unbreakable exactly, but something that would withstand my lack of skill as I progressed up the ladder of Greenland rolling techniques.  I had broken 2 pretty expensive wooden paddles while trying to learn a reverse sweep roll and was getting frustrated (and broke myself btw).  Through a friend I had a chance to talk to Ron and he offered to make me my first Novorca paddle and basically said point blank that I would never break it through my normal, yet somewhat untalented use.  I’ve used that same paddle for some time now and yes, I did finally learn not to push down on the paddle during a reverse sweep roll as well.  Thankfully my Novorca stayed in one piece through the effort .

For you number jockeys out there (Roy, I mean you!) my first paddle, Novorca #10 was an 83 inch with a 19 inch loom and 3.5 inch blade, squared off at the top. Some have called that a bit short but I prefer a somewhat shorter blade for rolling.  For what it’s worth I also have a black wooden blade of the same dimensions created by  Dan Beale and I love both paddles.

The carbon fiber blade is not only tougher of course, but it’s also notably lighter than your average wooden stick.   In fact my Novorca #10 was the lightest Greenland paddle I’d ever held until, well, when #138 arrived just a few days ago.  I realized that after I got over being stunned by the color. Wow! It’s a jewel.  The new “red” is ruby slipper red compared to my older paddle which is more “plum”.  Novorca Paddles also come in green, turquoise, purple, orange, and of course black. You can also add glitter if things are just going that way for you. You may remember he made a pretty unique Rainbow paddle for Freya Hoffmeister as well.

Since Ron started Novorca he has continually refined his methods and sought out new materials.  Most of it is much more technical that I’d ever hope to explain (or understand…) but the end result is today’s paddles offer a much more striking color, and a lighter, stronger blade.  My new paddle is 86 inches in length while still maintaining the 19 inch loom. The blades are rounded and closer to 3 inches.  They are also much thinner than my older paddle as well.  The difference in weight I’m told is a result in changes in the core material (it’s foam by the way) and the epoxy.  I don’t have a good way to weight them here but I can say the difference in weight is enough to be easily noticeable.

Now, I’ve been a very firm backer of Ron and Norvoca for some time and there are so many reasons. The most important is that I love the paddles of course.  I trust they will survive my awkward skills and unless you’re just an old grump you’ll agree that the colors are cool too.  I also feel it’s important to support small, innovative companies like Novorca as well.

What’s more,  I also don’t buy the argument that the Carbon Fiber paddles created by Ron are any less “hand crafted”.  I have both wood, and carbon fiber paddles and use both. I’m not even sure why such arguments come up honestly.  Novorca paddles are every bit as custom fit to the paddler as any wooden GP while at the same time engineered to be lighter and stronger. They also take much less maintenance from me which is a good thing. Chances are they’ll still be around for the grand kids.

My paddles take a beating!

If you look at the picture above, you can see my old number 10 (2nd from left) is getting pretty beat.  Ron told me how I can bring back it’s once youthful appearance.. so let’s have another post about that in the near future as well.

Now tomorrow I’m running over to my friend Silbs to look at a Skin Boat.. If that works I’ll have a new paddle and kayak to play with… Then I can bring you more pics as well.

By the way, if you have more technical questions or just questions in general about Novorca Paddles, just call or email Ron, he’s more than happy to chat and can certainly explain all that engineering stuff better than I can!

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