Story of the Paddle

What’s the story behind the dent in your yoke? The scratch or crack in your paddle? Paddle maker, Andy Convery, wants to know.

His new project, Paddle Sea to Sea, is a collection of paddling-related stories and objects from across the nation that will showcase the secret, on-the-water lives of canoeists. The objects will be used to make an assembled, larger-than-life paddle that will tour the country.

“I’m collecting paddling objects imbued with stories—your broken paddle, a piece of thwart or yoke that has a story behind it—any of it,” says Convery.

Still in the collection stage of the project and due to start building this summer, the Ontario-based paddler and owner of Echo Paddles says that the final look of the piece still remains open-ended. That’s part of the beauty, he says. “It’s not my story, it the stories of paddlers and the people that I’m sharing, so I’m not dictating what it will look like at this point.”

So far the objects that Convery has received are varied, everything from photographs with stories attached, a broken gunnel piece to old tripping pants and original mockups for Bob Henderson’s Every Trail Has A Story. “As a woodworker, I was envisioning a lot of wooden objects—some of the stuff that’s been coming in, it’s really interesting to imagine how to incorporate it.”

Though Convery will use only parts of the objects he receives “so it won’t become a monster,” he does envision the assembled paddle being larger than life.

Inspiration for Paddle Sea to Sea came from New Brunswick artist Tyler Aspin’s mid-90s art piece, The Canada Tree. When a majestic red oak was cut down, Apsin used the stump to form the base of his project. Wanting to build a sculpture of a tree from many different wooden objects, he called for submissions from across the country. Blending red cedar, walnut, oak and pine, he set out to tell the story of a nation. Weighing 10,000 pounds and standing at 35-feet high, The Canada Tree is made up of thousands of objects.

Imitation is the best form of flattery, agrees Convery. “As paddle maker, I just love the concept, that we can generate those paddling stories, then tell those stories.”

Convery’s company, Echo Paddles, is well known for their high-end wood construction of both whitewater and flatwater paddles. Convery founded the company in 1998 because “Canada needed a Mitchell and we didn’t have one.”

The environmentally-conscious Convery started out by reusing wooden objects, including old hockey sticks and wooden boards. Today, Echo paddles are made from sustainably harvested wood. Echo Paddle also offers paddle-making workshops for solid wood and laminate paddles.

Want to contribute to the story? Send your object to Andy Convery at 111 James Street, Kingston, ON, Canada. K7K 1Z5. www.echopaddles.com.

This story first appeared in Rapid Media’s April Paddling This Month online magazine. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.

Daily Photo: Double the Fun

7bc8cb8699a452430e95a37b47c70175_XL — Photo: Robin Murray

Adventure Kayak reader Robin Murray didn’t have a big, fancy sea kayak to share with little Millie. That’s okay, we don’t think she noticed. Location: Ardeche River, France.

Want to see your photo here? Send to [email protected] with subject line Daily Photo.

Carbon Kayaks

Photo: Patrick Camblin — Composite Kayaks

This article originally appeared in Rapid’s late summer 2011 issue.

The recent rash of carbon fiber playboats from mainstream kayak companies—think Wave Sport, Jackson and Fluid with Pyranha poised to folow—and specialized manufacturers like freestyle sector upstarts Black Sheep, Titan, ZET and Vajda, has some kayakers wondering: who needs carbon, anyway? Can it really make the average playboater that much better or is this just a new toy to keep the pro paddlers happy?

Black Sheep Kayaks designer and builder Dave Nieuwenhuis says, “The upper echelon of freestyle paddlers are the ones buying or expressing interest in carbon boats. The majority of kayakers couldn’t justify owning a carbon boat simply because of where they paddle.”

Why does it matter where you paddle? Rocks.

Nieuwenhuis compares a carbon boat to a high-end sports car, “Your Ferrari might soak up a few bumps and your carbon boat should handle a few rocks, but do you really want to test that out?”

This means you need to avoid shallow features, sliding down the banks into the water and throwing it in the back of your truck to rattle around. And you really ought to tuck it into a soft, cozy boat bag to prevent scratches and sun damage.

The other disadvantage for the average boater is the hefty price tag— about two grand more than a plastic counterpart. For some serious riders, however, the siren song of carbon is simply irresistible. Canadian Freestyle Team member Keegan Grady worked all winter to save up enough money to buy a carbon boat, “It’s the best investment I’ve made in my riding to date.”

So what makes carbon such a good investment? More stiffness and less weight. Nieuwenhuis explains, “Although a plastic boat may appear to be stiff on the water, the upward deflection of the plastic hull is unavoidable. It’s simply the nature of the material. Carbon boats with foam cores have zero hull deformation and the result is an incredibly stiff surf that gives the truest sensation of floating. They surf like nothing else.”

The feathery weight of carbon is equally important. “Carbon boats are extremely responsive and seemingly effortless in comparison to similar plastic boats,” Nieuwenhuis continues. Which is why more and more pro freestyle paddlers are converting to composite.

Level Six Capital Cup 2011 champion and carbon advocate Adam Chappell says, “It took awhile to dial in tricks because the boat was so reactive on a wave. Now I don’t think I could ever go back to paddling plastic.”

At the 2009 Freestyle World Championships in Thun, Switzerland, plastic boats dominated a smattering of then just-emerging composite rides. Still, when this magazine went to press, carbon ruled the quivers of top paddlers competing at this summer’s Worlds.

So, despite their disadvantages for the average paddler, carbon boats clearly have their place on the water. But do they make you a better boater? Not according to Grady, “Carbon boats are an undeniable advantage, but I think the best rider will win regardless. The 2009 Worlds were a testament to that.”

This article originally appeared in Rapid, Summer/Fall 2011. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.

Video: Water & People

Videos

EpicTV introduces Water & People, an exclusive five-episode series, retracing a year of adventure in some of the wildest places on earth.

Let yourself get carried away by rivers , astonishing scenery and the lifestyle nomadic kayaker experience. Coming next , “State of Matter” , the story of a 20 days multi-sports venture in the heart of British Colombia .

www.epictv.com

Master The Basics: How To Edge A Kayak

Every whitewater kayak has edges of some sort. Some of them are so pronounced that you can reach your hands under your kayak and feel big grooves running parallel along the length of the hull. Some kayaks have less aggressive edges. These edges will feel like rounded corners on the hull of your kayak, and are sometimes so round that the kayak feels like it has no edges at all. However, if used correctly, even these round-bottom kayaks can be paddled on edge.

The purpose of edges on a whitewater kayak is to provide the boat with a flat, stable hull to surf waves and glide across the water on. Edges are responsible for making whitewater kayaks maneuverable and easy to turn in whitewater, as well as making it possible to go in and out of different river currents without capsizing.

Person in blue whitewater kayak — Learning how to edge a kayak will lend greater proficiency in all aspects of whitewater paddling, helping you better understand your boat.

How to edge a kayak

Edging a kayak is actually quite easy in flatwater. In order to engage the right edge of your kayak, lift your left knee. In order to engage your left edge, lift your right knee. The part where edging becomes difficult, is when you combine it with moving water and whitewater. For this reason, it is important to practice edging in flatwater before you take it to the river.

Flatwater exercises and drills for practicing edging

When sitting in a kayak, there are several exercises you can do to practice edging.

Strengthening your obliques and hip flexors

For the first edging drill, sit straight upright in your kayak, as if you have a string coming through the top of your head and holding your body in good posture. Have a friend randomly call out “Right,” “Left,” or “Go.” When your friend calls “Go,” lift one knee at a time repeatedly and at a fast pace, so you are rocking back and forth from one edge to another.

As soon as your friend calls “Right,” you stop on your right edge, tightening your left oblique muscles in order to keep your kayak on edge as much as possible. When your friend says “Left,” you do the same thing on your left side. Have your friend call out these commands, one at a time, with several seconds in between them, for about a minute. Take a rest and note how tired your obliques and hip flexors are, then repeat the exercise again.

Increasing awareness of different levels of edge

The second edging drill is less focused on building strength in your obliques, and more focused on creating awareness and stability around the edges of your kayak. This drill exposes the kayaker to the four different “levels” of edge. When paddling different difficulties of whitewater, you will use different levels of edge—lower levels for easier whitewater, and higher levels for more challenging whitewater,

Level 0: Sitting upright with good posture. The boat is flat, and your knees are both relaxed.
Level 1: Lift your left butt cheek, as if you are sneakily trying to let out a fart.
Level 2: Combine level 1 with bringing your rib cage over to the right side of the kayak. Lean your torso a bit.
Level 3: Combine level 2 with engaging your left knee and lifting it up. You should be fully on edge at this point.
Level 4: As far as you can get on your right edge without flipping over.

This drill is effective in teaching a kayaker how to control their edges, and how to maneuver their body in a way that allows for the most efficient edging techniques. Practice holding each level of edge for 20 seconds, then switch sides and do the same thing with the other edge.

Eddy turns

Learning how to maneuver a kayak in whitewater can be daunting, but if you know how to edge your kayak properly, the task becomes effortless. An eddy turn is used when you paddle into an eddy or out of an eddy and into the main current. Eddy turns are tricky because the oncoming current you are paddling into has the possibility of grabbing your edge and capsizing you.

The key with eddy turns is to edge your kayak away from the oncoming current. If you are leaving an eddy stationed on the left side of the river and paddling into the main current to head downstream, you will want to lift your right knee, sit on your left edge, and lean away from the oncoming current.

A good way of remembering what to do when edging for eddy turns is to think of the phrase “fart upstream.” If you pretend you are letting out a toot toward the oncoming water, you will lift the correct edge and hopefully avoid capsizing.

[ Further reading: How To Do An Eddy Turn ]

Surfing a kayak

Just like edging a surfboard to surf an ocean wave, you must edge your whitewater kayak in order to surf a river wave in your kayak.

If you want to carve to the right, dig your right edge into the wave. If you want to carve to the left, dig your left edge into the wave. Keep edging back and forth, placing rudder strokes as you do this, and you will be surfing away!

Boofing

A boof is a kayaking stroke used to keep the bow of the kayak up while kayaking over a large hydraulic (often called a “hole”) in the river. A boof stroke is placed at the edge of a drop, waterfall or just before a hole. The kayaker positions their body forward, puts their kayak on edge, plants the stroke, thrusts their hips forward, then leans forward again and flattens the boat back to a level 0. The goal of all this is to avoid plugging the kayak into the hole and getting stuck.

The purpose of putting the kayak on edge while boofing is to have as little surface of your kayak on the water as possible. This creates less surface drag, which allows you to have more lift when you take your boof stroke.

[ Also read: Guide To Boofing ]

Bracing

A kayaking brace is a stroke used to prevent a capsize. As soon as a kayaker feels themselves being pushed onto their edge and about to capsize, they plant a brace stroke, and edge the other direction. The goal is to get the boat back to flat, thus preventing a capsize.

Bracing is best practiced in flatwater. First, you are going to lift one knee to put your kayak onto a level 4 edge. As soon as you feel the kayak starting to capsize, smash the back face of your paddle into the water just perpendicular to your kayak. Use the water’s surface tension on your paddle blade to gather momentum the other way, and edge your kayak in the other direction—hopefully back to flat.

Daily Photo: Surf’s Up

Photo: Vince Paquot — Daily Photo: Surf's Up

Freshwater surf on Lake Superior’s north shore peaks in late summer and autumn when the warming waters release their ferocious energy. “The onshore wind was so strong,” remembers Adventure Kayak editor Virginia Marshall of this October surf day, “that I couldn’t even punch out past the final break. But there was no shortage of excitement in the soup!”

Want to see your photo here? Send to [email protected] with subject line Daily Photo.

Trash Talkers

Stories

Photo: Fredrik Marmsater — Trash Talkers

Hand most kayakers a GoPro and they’ll attach it to their helmet and charge through the surf. Shay Bickley, Chris Bensch and Jason Self—known as Team Out of Sight, Out of Mind (OSOM)—mounted their camera on a grocery cart and filmed themselves trying to buy food without plastic packaging. “We couldn’t do it,” recalls Bensch. “We couldn’t make a single meal without plastic.”

The three Portland friends formed Team OSOM when the Deepwater Horizon gushed oil into the Gulf of Mexico for 87 days in 2010. Environmental disasters usually cause more fear and despair than action. But Bensch, Bickley and Self went from spectators to activists. Three years later, they’ve launched a nationwide cleanup contest; kayaked 100 miles down the Columbia River collecting litter and towing a garbage-filled canoe for their first film project, Trashpedition; and are working on a three-part film series, The Search for the Perfect Day.

“We’d been complaining about things that affect paddlers: water pollution, salmon dying off and ocean health,” says Self. “We didn’t have money, but we had access to Facebook,” he adds. “We started the Never-Ending Cleanup Contest, where people pick up trash, post photos and win prizes. It was a place to start with what we had.”

OSOM provides an end-run around barriers posed by science and politics. “Most people are motivated by emotion, not science,” says Self, who has a background in environmental science. But voting with dollars is something everyone can do relatively easily. “Cleaning up beautiful places is a launching pad to thinking about purchasing habits,” says Bickley.

Their latest endeavor, The Search for Perfect Day, was filmed in Northern California, Florida and Kauai. Set for release this summer, the series will highlight outdoor exploration and the intersection of natural beauty with less picturesque elements.

“Kauai is a paradise,” says Bensch.“But it’s also where the Hawaiian Chain bumps against the Northern Pacific Gyre—a.k.a Great Pacific Garbage Patch—where plastic degrades and enters the water column and food chain. Some of the highest concentrations of PBDEs (an endocrine-disrupting chemical in plastics) ever measured are in the breast milk of Pacific orcas.”

The Search for the Perfect Day begins to blend in the science and politics of trash, featuring interviews with researchers, wildlife rehabilitators and advocates such as Jennifer Savage of the Ocean Conservancy, who surfs both ocean waves and the rougher seas of the California State Assembly.

OSOM’s future will be experimentation and evolution.“We’re still finding our voice and how much we can do balancing day jobs,” says Bensch, who works as a kayak coach. He’s also an avid surf kayaker, organizing the Pacific Paddle Surf Series and traveling to Australia in July to compete in the 2013 Surf Kayak World Championships. Self is a kayak instructor and kayak fishing expert, giving him yet another reason to think about ocean health. Bickley, a designer and artist, holds down the fort at Portland’s REI outdoor retail co-op.

They constantly push the limits of a 24-hour day, but don’t regret it. “Everything is scrambling and we never feel fully prepared,” says Self. “ There’s never a good time to start something. Do it anyway.”

Neil Schulman is a kayaker, photographer, writer and environmental advocate. You can see his work at www.neilschulman.com/neilschulman2. Learn more about Team OSOM at www.seatrash.blogspot.com or find them on Facebook.

This article appears in Adventure Kayak, Early Summer 2013. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.

Daily Photo: Bird of Prey

Photo: Steve Bruno — Daily Photo: Bird of Prey

Before Steve Bruno begins work driving outdoor tourism in Ontario, he’s often out the door before six o’clock, camera on his back. We told him that in this case the early bird certainly gets the worm. He replied, “Or as they say in Ospreyland, ‘Fly softly and carry a big stick.’”

This photo was taken by Steve Bruno. Want to see your photo here? Send to [email protected] with subject line Daily Photo.

Tumblehome: High School on the Coppermine

Stories

This article originally appeared in Canoeroots and Family Camping magazine.

Four years ago, when then 15-year-old Angulalik Pedersen left Kugluktuk, Nunavut, to attend high school on full scholarship at Upper Canada College in Toronto, he brought with him a dream that one day he could take some of his southern classmates north to visit his hometown on the Arctic Ocean.

In the summer before Pedersen’s final year, with the help of his geography teacher at UCC and the Kitikmeot Inuit Association, he finally pulled it all together—a canoe trip on the Coppermine River that would end at his house on July 9, Nunavut Day.

The goal of the expedition—named Atanigi, “when two things come together” in the language of Kugluktuk—was to bring together Pedersen’s new classmates with youth from his home in the North. Because paddling is part of the extra-curricular program at UCC, Pedersen had no trouble drumming up interest for the trip in Toronto. Back home, however, extra- curricular activities involved powerboats, snow machines and ATVs…but not canoes.

With the infectious enthusiasm of Kugluktuk High School counselor cum recruitment officer Kenny Taptuna, however, half a dozen northern youth signed up. They found a canoe and the will to start learning strokes. Unfortunately, it was May and nearly everything was still frozen. As a result, when the group gathered as a whole for the first time on Air Tindi’s wharf in Yellowknife, half had no real paddling experience on flatwater, let alone preparation for whitewater.

Incredibly, the northerners surmounted their inexperience with natural athleticism and a seemingly near-genetic familiarity with boats in general. Aided by the skill and determination of three wilder- ness guides, the group practiced strokes and maneuvers on the first hundred or so kilometers of calm water near the Northwest Territories/Nunavut border.

By the time the crew turned north at Big Bend and started into the current and class II–III rapids for which the Coppermine is known, cross-cultural paddling teams were working like reasonably well-oiled machines. On the more difficult rapids, lead guide Colin Smith lashed two canoes together to make a pontoon boat— a.k.a. the “party barge”—which created a super stable, almost relaxing whitewater experience for novice paddlers.

At the Coppermine campsites, Taptuna taught nightly lessons in Inuit language and traditional games. Others started string games, throat singing lessons and impromptu inukshuk-building workshops. Traditions from the north and south blended in the common experience of paddling to the Arctic Ocean under the midnight sun.

When the paddlers arrived cold, wet and happy in Kugluktuk on Nunavut Day, they were celebrated for coming together to accomplish something remarkable. Pedersen and the other northerners were recognized by the town as the first people ever from that community to arrive via the river.

Equally significant was the realization of one young person’s dream to make this land just a little bit smaller by bringing people together in canoes.

James Raffan hopes paddlers will be inspired by Pedersen’s example to use their canoes to connect with their country and each other. Don’t forget: National Canoe Day is june 26, www.nationalcanoeday.net. American canoeists are encouraged to celebrate as well.

This article appeared in Canoeroots & Family Camping, Late Summer 2011.

Daily Photo: Cozy Campsite

Photo: Claude Delorme — Daily Photo: Cozy Campsite

Nothing like seeing your campsite peek through the trees after a long day of adventure on the water.

This photo was taken by Claude Delorme on Lac aux Sables, in the Reserve Faunique Mastigouche in Quebec. Want to see your photo here? Send to [email protected] with subject line Daily Photo.