Paddles for Performance

When sports are conceived, a variety of equipment choices are typically non-existent. As sports grow and technology has progressed our options for equipment have become quite varied and as a result, quite cumbersome. Within every discipline of kayaking you have a plethora of choices for equipment. My hope is to help throw light on your paddle choices by going back to some very fundamental thoughts within kayak instruction concerning body mechanics as well as discussing some of the nuances of materials used. Be aware however you will get what you pay for, and of course if you paddle less, then some of the subtleties of more expensive kayak paddles can easily be overlooked and unnecessary.

A little nomenclature for those not experienced with paddles first. The paddle is broken down into 3 major parts, the shaft, the blades and the throat (the blades structural integrity and where the blade meets the shaft). Many manufacturers use different construction techniques, but in large part are very similar. It may be worthwhile to take an interest in the idiosyncrasies of each paddle manufacturers techniques for construction. You will also start to find that paddles are now offered with many upgrades such as neutral bent shaft, handgrips and different shaft diameters.

The major factor in making your paddle choice will probably be the materials that paddles themselves are made out of. This includes plastic polymers, fiberglass weaves, different carbon fiber weaves, wood, foam core and the list continues. Each material has differences in weight, durability, flex or stiffness, and aesthetics. The most common and cost effective are fiberglass paddles which will include qualities of some of the higher end paddles but are still a great price point. At the high end are carbon fiber weaves that will at times include a foam core to add rigidity and buoyancy. Plastics are typically the lowest cost as manufacturing and cost of materials are reduced, but are also extremely reliable. Though wood paddles used to be the most common on the river at one point at time, they are less common now.

 

So a few questions will help us determine what type of paddle we will purchase. What is the paddles primary use? How often will you use the paddle and for what duration of time? What style of paddling are you? What is your price range? These are a few of the questions your local outdoor retailer may ask you when considering your paddle purchase. General outdoor retailers will sell predominantly what sells best and may lack the variety that many specialty retailers may have. The more specialized the shop, the more specialized the service. So be sure to do your research on the retailers as well the paddles.

The paddles primary use will narrow down many of the choices initially. This typically means what discipline of kayaking you do. Whitewater, sea touring, recreational are the large umbrella disciplines and can be further broken down. For example whitewater can be segmented further into play-boating, creek-boating, river running and different styles of racing. The more specialized your discipline of kayaking the more specialized your paddle becomes. It is pretty simple at first however with each company offering quality entry paddles that will perform well for all disciplines.

How often will you use the paddle and for what duration of time? A person who uses the paddle 4-5 days per year for a couple of hours will choose a completely different paddle than one who paddles over 300 days a year all day long. A few of the reasons are that particular materials will take abuse much better and therefore last longer. Are you beating your paddle off of rocks down a steep creek, or do you have 300 feet of water underneath you? Include incidental abuse from multiple “abusers” such as rental programs or paddling schools as a consideration.

Author using his paddle for fun - Copyright Rolf Loken Photography - www.loken.us  

Also contemplate your time spent paddling. Are you going out for a few hours on the weekend, or maybe paddling a major crossing for a 10-hour day. Materials differ drastically in weight and therefore you need to think of how many strokes your swinging that paddle through the air. If you paddle an open water-crossing non-stop for ten hours you are taking one stroke per second or two. This is an average stroke rate of 40-60 strokes per minute, or 4000 – 6000 strokes per day. There are many different combinations of materials that help you reach the levels of durability, weight and price.

Next thing to consider is what style of paddling you have. I distinguish a style of paddling as the predominant stroke form that an individual uses. The stroke form is the angle in which you predominantly hold the paddle, stroke choice, and cadence which all effect length of paddle, blade shape and paddle feather (blade offset). This is typically where people differ the most on what they choose for their paddles, as this mainly is a stylistic choice. A few things to know however, the length of the paddle will directly affect the angle (verticality) of your strokes and cadence, which in whitewater boats is immediately noticed and not so much in a sea kayak. Basically, longer paddles equate to wider strokes, shorter paddles equate to more vertical strokes. For the sake of saving a lesson on paddle strokes, a whole book in itself, we will keep it that simple. It is a great idea to take a lesson from an instructor to learn many of the subtleties of stroke concepts.

Blade shape is also a direct reflection of the angle of your strokes but also translates to how much propulsion you receive from the paddle. Essentially, the more surface area, the more power. Take into consideration that moving a larger blade through the water can be more fatiguing. Larger blades are usually reserved for those looking to accelerate quickly as opposed to smaller blades used for a very uniform paddling cadence over longer periods of time.

Outer - Larger RiverRunning Blade

Inner - Smaller Downturned Playboating Blade

Blade offset, also known as paddle feather, has become a hot topic of debate in recent history and has so many differing opinions that I would be opening a grand forum for never ending head aches, er... I mean debate. Each has its advantages and disadvantages and should be played with to find what you like. You will most commonly find 45° paddles in retail stores, though retailers are carrying a better variety to cater to new trends in paddle sports.

One last stylistic choice again takes us back to materials. Different materials will flex and absorb shock differently as well transfer power from your body to the paddle more effectively. Once again the best course to find what suits you, is to try out many different paddles to see what you like. A way to tell a paddle that will flex more or less is in the density of the material used to make the shaft and blades. I will use carbon as an example as these materials are the easiest to see its density of weave. The tighter the weave of the carbon, the stiffer the paddle, and hence the wider the lay-up the more flexible the paddle will be.

Tighter Weave - Stiffer Feel

Larger Weave - Flexible

The bottom line will probably always come back to price and it is not difficult to get sticker shock the first time paddle shopping. I have however never regretted paying higher prices for a paddle, as I have always have been satisfied with the quality of the product. The customer service is top notch as well.  That being said, a good all-around mid-range paddle can be acquired without breaking the piggy bank and give you years of quality service.

Paddle Images Courtesy of H2O Performance Paddles

The Green Boat Is Here!

We've finally got our hands on a Green Boat at the Center and it was definitely worth the wait. We will have it on hand for a few more days if you want to come out and test drive it. It's fast, it's slick and it's mean. Come see for yourself.

Here's a pic of my two favorite red-headed Limey's after their first few laps.

Newfoundland Whitewater.

When the last call you get from the President of KNL is "now I caan't stress the moose enuff, really watch out for the moose" you take it seriously.

It's now 2am on the Newfoundland portion of the TCH with some doughnuts and coffee and my rather erratic driving. I'm not sure which is scarier, me driving having had little sleep in the last two days or the fact that 90% of a moose's body weight is at the same level as my head or higher propped up on some very spindly legs. An overactive imagination and fog is not a good thing. Luckily we did not have to deal with any moose and arrived at the retreat at a respectable 5am and a very friendly Dave Ennis. Not really thinking of it at the time but in retrospect I am sure we looked rather disheveled and concerning to our hosts having managed only a few words in response we crashed.

Dave returned at 9 for the much needed wake up call and we were off to the river. Bryan joined some of the experienced paddlers on the upper section of the Terra Nova River while I headed to The Ruins. Typical of Canadian rivers the water was black from the tannins and running over bedrock ledges to form great class 1 and 2 rapids for the beginner group. Set under the backdrop of an abandoned factory adorned in some of the better graffiti that I have ever seen in the middle of nowhere this section of river provided an atmospheric and perfect setting to paddle for these novices.

The Ruins

Saturday evening was a chance to relax, socialize, share stories from the rivers around the world and gorge ourselves on some enormous steaks once again provided by Dave Ennis. I keep using Dave's surname on this one since I met more Daves than I can count over the weekend. Bryan came back from the Terra Nova with some good carnage from his group that another Dave was subjected to. Putting his brand new helmet fully to the test and breaking his boat, it was an eventful day. Despite his head Dave M. was in high spirits. As with most paddling events the beer was always present and some of the sea kayakers were dancing to Michael Jackson with some moves I am sure the King Of Pop would be proud of.

Now with some reasonable rest Bryan and I were to switch up the groups and I was off to the Northwest for some quality creeking. Maybe it's a Newfie quality or just Darren, he definitely understated the quality of both these runs. I was blown away by the solid nature of the rapids and their quick succession with classic Canadian backdrops.
The day was set up as a creeking clinic which supplied an interesting dynamic while they were giving me rapid descriptions and I'm trying to convey some body mechanics for the boof. After a few drops the guys were pretty sold on some of the new ideas and happily clearing holes on their way down the run.

Darren in Fishhook

As far as Newfoundland paddling this group was huge. We were fortunate to paddle this run with Jim who is pretty much the Grandfather of Newfoundland whitewater having pioneered these runs over 20 years ago, and was joining us on this run for the one of his first in a year and half. Paul of Red Indian Adventures, Chris, Dave, Darren, Cody and I rounded of the group.

Distinctly split into three sections the run never lets you down. Starting off with a very open and ledge type rapids the run rolls through several bends over multiple drops. With great boofs and smooth lines the run would not be that fun upside down due to the rather abrasive bedrock.

Bryan clearing one of the many boofs on the run.

With the open section of the river ended we entered the two mini gorges of the run.

Dave Ennis entering the first mini gorge.

Both had similar style drops that flowed well into each other for great flowing moves.
The second gorge was short and sweet with a good lead in rapid to the infamous weir. The guys were able to give me great beta to route it and after cruising up to the lip it was the best boof of the run.

The lead in to the Weir.

Bryan clearing the Weir.

Feeling Lucky is the biggest stand alone drop on the run and having only been run Kevin England and Fraz Champion it holds a fair amount of local lore. The group looked hard at this one on Sunday but we all walked away from it and ran the salmon ladder instead.

Making it through the golf course with only two swims and no stray golf balls, which was probably a larger achievement. Running between the tee off and the green was nerve wracking. After all golfers must be sick and twisted if they are going to stand in the rain chasing balls. So we scampered through the drop as fast as possible.

Chris boofing through Par 3 in the golf course.

Golfers are a strange bunch.

Several golfers we playing through while we ran down
Darren routing the last big drop of the golf course after spending a few good moments in the hole at the top.

At the banquet dinner Bryan and I were required to say a few words after which Bryan gave a helluva presentation chronicling his team's Vacation to Hell expedition in Peru. Mixing video, slides and his take on the trip it gave a very unique perspective to the group dynamics and factors that lead to them hiking out of the Wayaga.

Then the Screech-In begun. Jim put us through Screech-In. Inaugurating us into the Newfoundland community. For whatever reason we bit the head off a dried fish and then drowned it in a hefty shot of Screech, newfie rum. I could taste this for a couple of hours after this each time I belched. Bahhh!

Following more stories and accounts from locals we heard all about kayaking in Newfoundland and learned a fair amount of the general history. As with many maritime cultures the people are hard, welcoming and when plied with a little lubrication will open up more than you would expect.

Leaving full on pancakes and bacon we had one more trip to the Northwest waiting for us before all heading in different directions. After a full night of thinking about the run, I was feeling just a little luckier.

Sunshine always make the bigger rapids just that little more enticing and when we arrived at the drop I was pretty psyched for a good run. Bryan got into position on river right for some video and Darren and Dave got downstream. Rolling up to the lip it was all looking sweet and coming off the lip right where I wanted to be it was home free from there on.
With the apature set it was now Bryan's turn to roll to the lip and cruising up he styled the line.

Bryan stomping the drop.

Sitting in the pool below the drop a float plane gave us a immaculately timed flyby. New people, sunny days, big drops, long rapids, it all adds up for a great day on the river.

The view back up to Feeling Lucky

Finishing the run not letting 50/50 live up to it's name and a couple of take out beers we loaded up, caffeined up, donutted up and made the hike to St. John's. Passing a refinery and many miles of beautiful coast we got the word that the ice bergs had moved south of the city so we were to take a slight detour. However, the catch was that the dreaded fog was moving in fast leading us to duck onto some back roads making the decent down to the coast a touch faster.

50/50

Unfortunately as we ducked down off the plateau the fog was in full effect and while we could feel the icy presence of the bergs we could not see hide nor hair of them even though they were only 200 feet offshore. We tried a couple more bays to see if anything was visible but after 30 minutes we left the fog to check out St. Johns and grab some fish and chips.

The ice bergs are out there somewhere.

Having filled up we wound our way up to Signal Hill for a lit up city view. Suitably though we had less than 20 feet of visibility with fog so thick you could not even see the glow from the city below.
Standing up on the top of a socked in hill freezing in the Atlantic breeze listening to the fog horn my first trip to Newfoundland ended much as it had begun; shrouded in fog.

St. John's.


Thank you to everyone at Kayak Newfoundland and Labrador. Especially, Leslie Wells, Dave Ennis, Darren Macdonald, Paul Brennan and everyone that made the trip happen.
Cheers

What can hold a plane back?

Chewing Gum, oil leaks, cats, rouge snakes horny on pheromones. Unfortunately Fog is not quite so easily fixed. St. John's has been encased in a thick pea soup for the last several days. Hoards of Newfie's are practically breaking down the doors to be let out and we are stuck wanting to get on to the island.
Last night I arrived looking at a lot of red blinking lights and trying to figure out what "annule" meant, it quickly switched to canceled which was only slightly better but I got the hint. Waiting for the baggage I met up with the other presenter for the KNL retreat, Brian Smith, and we hatched a plan to get on a plane the next day. After a truck stop dinner and some late night wrangling we end up at quality inn for the night with a leaky air mattress and so free coffee.

The next morning we are on the way back to the airport and an unlikely standby situation to St. John's. Not wanting to be pessimistic we wandered our way to the gate and actually got on the flight much to our surprise. The plane took off, flew, circled, returned, landed and off we got. Back in Halifax. As we touched down one of the locals I was sitting next too lets us in on some local wisdom, "you don't groow up in Newfundlund withoot knoowing the best laid plans will get screwed by the weather." Brilliant!
This is the most ground I saw on the whole flight, other than that I was watching an enormous alien attack New York.


With little or no chance of making it to St. John's, Gander or the island today we opted for a definitive flight to the oposite side of the island to at least set foot on the Province. The guys from KNL are now on the case arranging for a rental car so that we can drive through the night to the retreat. Look out Moose, here comes a driver stoked on coffee with little or no sleep to speak of and whitewater on the horizon.

Booze Cruise Take Two

The Booze Cruise has been rescheduled for this coming Saturday, May 17th at 6PM. If you or anyone you know are interested in a guided Catawba River tour exploring Long Creek and all of the colors of spring and then have a beer tasting at the River's Edge restaurant including food pairings from our talented chefs, sign up now by calling reservations at (704) 391-3900 or stop by the Kayak Check-In building for more information.

See you there. Just another way to Take It Outside.

Staff Profile: Kayak Front Desk

Kayak Check-In offers a plethora of activities. You can sign up for the Weekend High Ropes Course, Climb-to-Zip (I always accidentally call it Zip-to-Climb but am constantly reminded by the staff that that is almost an impossible way to go about said activity), private kayak lessons, group lessons, guided Catawba River tours, flatwater rentals and of course, it's where you go to get your bib to paddle. Not many people know that Kayak Check-In is also where you can sign up for overnight boat storage, demo whitewater kayaks, buy some nose plugs or croakies, and get info on our trails system.

When you walk into Kayak Check-In anyone of our Front Desk staff are able to help you with any of these products as well as shoot the breeze.

When Erin isn't hanging out with Logan, her adorable all-American retreiver mix, she is busy working behind the desk listening to some classic rock. Brittany just finished college so we aren't all that sure what she'll be doing when she's not at the Center because there won't be classes and two other jobs to juggle anymore. Essentially, Brit will be here a lot this season to answer any of your questions and talk to you about kayaking. Ted, if he hasn't told you already, is the best employee of the entire of Whitewater Center and once you meet him and hear him laugh you'll understand why that's true. Jessi will show you some of her ballet moves when the line dies down a little. If she isn't twirling she is working hard to make sure the kayak area stays orderly and ready for our high volume of guests. Anna has recently joined the Kayak Front Desk as a part time gig away from working as an ER Nurse. She is quick with a story and has that type of personality that gets along with just about anybody. Now that Casey is on the US Slalom team as a C2 contender he is busy training for an Olympic spot in his spare time from being part of this team. Although Becca has been working at the Center for over a year she is our newest member of the Front Desk staff. Her background in reservations along with her infectious smile is a fantastic attribute to this group of folks.

So, next time you're in Kayak Check-In be sure to say hello to Erin, Brittany, Ted, Jessi, Anna, Casey or Becca. They're super knowlegdable of all our products and are quick with a thumbs up for any photo op.

The Condiments of Life; much like mayo on french fries, it just makes things better!

At this time of year the important decisions are only too apparent.
Q: How much relish do you want on that Hot Dog and are you sure you also need copious amounts of buttah (spelled of course to show the due respect to cows around the world that produce the real stuff) on that bucket of popcorn.
A: Lots, and hell yeah! what else is popcorn but a medium for trans-fats.

Yes it's true the summer blockbuster season is upon us with a vengeance and while Ironman was a spectacular way to kick it off, the orgasmic glory of the first Hot Dog of the summer surpassed all the flashy special effects and this was devoured well before the trailers had finished.
You may well ask how I got to this state of cinematiccolesterol fueled bliss? Well let me accompany you on that small caffeine odyssey along I-85.

During the drive to Greensboro to pick up some bright and shiny new boats we decided it was to be a day of American experiences. Let's kick the day off properly with a high dose of caffeine. Mine was prepared diligently using a French Press, while Sarah used the convenience of the local Starbucks to ease her socially accepted addiction. However, like the crack head has a sixth sense, even if the first 5 are not fully intact, to know exactly which alley to creep down to get a hit, so the hardened coffee abuser knows which exit is going to produce the best pulse racing shot. In our case this happened to be barely 10 minutes into our drive and just down the way from Lowes Motor Speedway. While I am no NASCAR fan you can hardly be immune to the shear enormity of the stadium and in a sense of awe of the marketing genius that these execs have achieved. Now desperately craving a Coke and with a strange desire to live in a climate controlled motor home we were back in the Saturn heading north to four hunks of plastic.

Given that one US Cup is the equivalent of 8 fluid ounces I am now running on 6 cups and it's only 1:30pm. Oh yeah and don't forget the Wendy's Double Classic with Cheese. One hour later and several changes of music genres, politics, music, people and general gossip covered we have finally arrived at the Liquid Logic/Legacy paddle sports factory and distribution center.
The little Saturn was not too sure what it thought about having 200lbs of boats on the racks and with stimulate assisted visions of the roof racks ripping off we went a little slower.

On the drive back Sarah found out that I had never been to Chick-Fil-A and insisted that we stop and try the best chicken sandwiches, waffle fries and lemonade this side of the mason-dixie line. I'm still not sure where that really is but I nodded my head and let her order a Meal Combo 1 for both of us. I am not sure when I have ever had a chicken sandwich before but I am certain I have never had anyone be quite so excited about serving me one.
Whatever my opinion of Chick-Fil-A it was very conveniently right next to another Starbucks.
9 cups and counting. Some more highway, a glass of wine and three tickets to Ironman it's alll goood.

It's at this point we join our protagonist biting into a glistening movie stand hot dog overflowing with ketchup and relish.
So what does this have to do with kayaking?

Absolutely nothing, and hence quite a lot. There comes a point when kayaking is so all encompassing that you have to escape. Ever since moving to the Ottawa 7 years ago it has been Tuesday night movies and the after-movie curbside donut and coffee from Tim Hortons as my escape from the river, the tent and talk of the river. Whether in Chile, New Zealand, California or Massachusetts, movies have provided me with an escape. Anyway, I digress.

Arriving fresh from an entire day avoiding kayaking, Sarah and I loaded up the trusty Saturn once more, although this time with slightly less on the racks but an equal if not larger quantity of caffeine coursing through my veins, it was off to IHOP on Cox Ave.

Now the glorious thing about IHOP along with Friendly's in the Northeast is that not only do they give you a bottomless cup of coffee, they leave the carafe on the table so you can mainline it at your leisure. Now uncomfortably full, you know the feeling where you almost need to waddle, we manage to head to the Green.

Passing many roadside attractions and used car lots we stopped in to Liquid Logic's top-secret R+D facility, mainly so that Sarah could gossip with Obie and meet new puppies. With Sarah now stoked up on some Red Bull we headed to the parking lot. 30 seconds of outfitting my boat later and the last few ounces of coffee we trudged down the trail. The most striking aspect of this day was paddling the Green while there were leaves on the trees. Having only paddled in the south during the early spring or late fall it's been fairly bare and it was a beautiful treat to see the river with foliage.

I'm not going to bore you with tales of the river since it's been written about more times than you could shake a cat at. Since you can shake many cats many times that makes lots of times.


Some people may well be thinking about the next run, the next whitewater adventure, my mind is wandering off to where my next black gold fix is coming from. Then I might be able to contemplate another foray to the river, but the day a thermos camel back for paddling hits the market I am all over that.

So what are the condiment that we use to season our lives? While the river may supply the roast beef or the fresh cut thick chips (that's the french fried variety) it all those little extras that make things really zing. Movies are the mayonnaise, good coffee the fresh ground pepper, poking fun at all your friends constantly and mercilessly the Marmite. Well that last one is more like the snacks you keep to munch on constantly. Much like Yucatan Sunrise hot sauce makes the chili taste just that little better, so does every random roadside purple gorilla in yellow boxer shorts make putting on the river that little more exciting.

Canadian Twighlight Zone, you are entering NST

When most people have found out that I am off to Newfoundland this weekend, they turn their head slightly off to the side, screw up their face a little and often reply with"why? Now paraphrase with me here, what they really mean is "where?" It's okay to admit that your geography of Canada is slightly fuzzy. You were probably not taught anything about it in school, and even if you were it might mention that they speak a bastardized version of French that even the French make fun of, or that french fries with cheese curds and gravy is called Poutine.


The modern map and below is Cook's version from back in the day.

So it's understandable that you may not know that the furthest piece of rock to the east, poking out into the Atlantic where the cold Labrador Current and the warm Gulf Stream meet is Newfoundland. Inhabited by a hospitable crowd of folk with an accent lost somewhere between Irish, Scottish and Canadian, who unjustly so are often made fun of by the rest of Canada. Which is a shame really because we know full well that the only Canadians we should be picking on are the Quebecois.

Thursday morning I'm off to Newfoundland and an entirely new place. It's been some time since I went somewhere completely new and hearing the other day there are icebergs in the bay i was truly excited. The type of excitement when you go the video store and they have the watermelon variety of Sour Patch Kids, or you find Marmite in an American Supermarket. That wonderful childhood "just found your mum's secret stash of white chocolate and macadamia nut cookies" excitement.

Newfoundland's official animal is the Caribou, a large, majestic beast tough enough to stand up to the harsh winter this province is subject to.

It is also in possession of it's own time zone. Newfoundland Standard Time, which is an hour and a half, please do not forget the half, a head of Eastern Standard Time. Those crazy kids!

After getting a message the other day that saying we may have a chance to see icebergs in the bay I was getting a little more excited about the trip and the possibility of quality whitewater. While I thought about this a little more it dawned on me how cold I was going to be. So checking the weather was not really that much more comforting. Tonight's forecast is 0 degrees centigrade with freezing drizzle. A quick couple of calls to beg for a borrowed Dry-suit and I'm glad that I did not donate my down jacket to goodwill when I moved to the south.

Having been paddling in a rash guard for the last few weeks it will be odd to don every piece of fleece I own but fun none the less to see new runs in a place I have never been. Can't wait, and if the Shipping News is anything to go by I am sure that it'll be a fairly beautiful place. Despite the freezing drizzle. Oh yeah, and Puffins.

A Few Of My Favorite Things

Last night I got to see one of my favorite bands, Radiohead, live at the Verizon Amphitheater. While there, I saw many disenfranchised youth with ponytails wearing woolen beanies in 85 degree weather drinking $4 bottles of water. The disenfranshised youth of America and their conspicuous consumption are my favorites. Before we left for the concert we had our Friday Night Freestyle for teens out on the water. Six kids got together with Fergus and Daniel to throwdown on some of our new features. Having folks gather around to watch our future shredders was a favorite moment. One of my favorite people from the whitewater industry is here this weekend. Anna Levesque is teaching women's clinics today and tomorrow. Introducing women to the sport of whitewater kayaking is definitely one of my favorite things. Successfully throwing loops, smiling people completing their first trip down the comp channel, being serenaded with Stevie Wonder songs by a handsome man, having a splash of bailey's in my coffee on a day with nothing to do, paddling with friends who make you laugh, hiking the trails at the Center, pushing my skill set on challenging creeks, the look of excitement when someone rolls for the first time; these are a few of my favorite things. Summer is here and I hope each one of you is experiencing, discovering and creating your favorite things.

Watch Your Television

Don't forget to watch the 1-hour television broadcast of the US Olympic Team Trials for Whitewater Slalom on Sunday, May 11, 2008, Noon-1pm ET on MSNBC