Something To Look Forward To…
Published May 12, 2011 | 
You don’t have to be into traditional rolling to appreciate this… (But it helps!) The amazingly beautiful Black Pearl design by Björn Thomasson has been something of a dream boat among home builders and Greenland rollers for some time. The Black Pearl is low slung, reactive, fast and a dream to roll. Did I mention that its beautiful as well? It’s no wonder why there is a lot of excitement in the traditional sea kayaking community right now about the new SeaBird Designs versions of the Black Pearl which are just now beginning to hit US dealers. Continue reading
What Low Impact Means
Published August 4, 2010 | 
WarChild dance the days, and dance the nights away.
Open your windows and I’ll walk through your doors.
Let me live in your country — let me sleep by your shores.
Tull
Low impact does not mean dainty, wimpy or weak. Low impact kayak rolling is not about modifying a powerful roll to make it easy on the old bones. If you think low impact means, low power you’re missing the point completely. What we’re really talking about is efficiency. Continue reading
Posted in Learn To Roll, Learning, Paddling | 
greenland paddling, Low Impact Rolling, rolling, Traditional PaddlingThe Greenland Test
Published August 2, 2010 | 
You got me where you want me
I ain’t nothing but your fool
You treated me mean oh you treated me cruel
– Aretha Franklin
If your roll sucks I’ll know. It’s easy. Just put away that big blade and have a go with my Greenland paddle. Go ahead. C2C, Sweep, Modified Sweep.. whatever. Ok, I’ll even give you a warm up.. If you don’t roll after 2.. Um well… there it is then.
There’s a point where most every kayak roll becomes the same. It’s right at that moment when the paddler is who upside down, decides to roll up. At that moment the first thing you do, regardless of paddle, rolling style or technique, is roll the boat up. That seems obvious. Well, I’m not referring to the whole process of rolling the boat up, but only that millisecond right after the mind decides to engage the body in the process of rolling. At that moment, it’s all about the boat. It’s also the point where most of our energy is expended IF we’re doing it right. Continue reading
Posted in Learn To Roll, Learning, Paddling | greenland paddling, Low Impact Rolling, roll, rolling, Traditional Paddling5mm Leather
Published April 10, 2010 | 
Scratch, scratch, she’s clawing at the door
Whoa, no, I can’t take it anymore
Crack, crack I’m feeling so sore
I never should asked for black leather
- guns-n-roses
Now this is some thick leather! As I mentioned, we actually have a large leather craft shop here locally and a couple tack shops as well. (You’d think it was Wyoming..) But no one had leather cord that looked thick enough to me to last on a skin-on-frame kayak. Thankfully Bruce Stitt referred me some on Ebay which was just what I was looking for. Now to honest I have no idea what I’m doing, but I’m reading and learning as I go. Now that I have the cord, I have to figure out what sort of stops I want to use. The old wooden ones seem, well.. bland.
Skined
Published March 25, 2010 | 
Your skin
Oh yeah your skin and bones
Turn into something beautiful
– coldplay
Let me begin today’s story by saying again, I’m not a “Greenland” kayaker. 
Whew, I’m glad THAT’s out the way…. Which brings me to yesterday when I drove over to Milwaukee to take a look at my friend Silbs skin-on-frame kayak. The boat is a bit special, at least to me, in that he built the kayak himself in 2005 at a class with Mark Rogers of Superior Kayaks. Honestly I knew I’d buy it.. Well, if I fit.
Jewel
Published March 23, 2010 | 
‘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. Continue reading
Quick Tip
Published September 11, 2009 | 
Words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup,
They slither while they pass, they slip away across the universe
- lennon
No need to pontificate. Well other than to fill a bit of space and to satisfy the RSS feeds that ignore pictures. Did I say there was no need to pontificate? Oh, ok then. Sorry. Well, here’s the thing that there is no need to rabbit on about, but which can be addressed with 2 pictures. If you’re new to a Greenland paddle and you are trying to learn that whole sculling thing there is one common mistake you should avoid right off. It’s where you put your inside (my left, your right in the picture above.) hand. You should grip the paddle around the blade and not…
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