Solo Canoe Clinic Turtle Pond May 30th
What a great clinic we had on Saturday May 30th at Turtle Pond. There is nothing better than a willing group of canoe paddlers who are really curious about how to handle their craft with more confidence, grace and ability. And of course a great venue and clear skies. One of the great aspects of solo canoe is that there is always more that can be learned and experienced and this day was no exception. Even for us, in helping others to explore a point here or a nuance there, we finished the day with some AHA’s of our own. The other way to know is if you have aches and pains in places that don’t seem logical for a canoe clinic. Any sore thighs out there? It is also amazing to take a fairly basic stroke, which was the draw, and work through all of the permutations around the boat from forward onside to the offside stern draw. I think everyone learned a lot about how to affect the turning ability of their canoe and getting a sense of what the boat will do “if I place my stroke in this slot”. Laura’s comment about helping people to “get their head in the water” was taken to extremes at least in one case but overall it was tremendous to watch people progress throughout the day. It may not have been noticed by the participants, but when heel was introduced, posture improved, the strokes became more slow and deliberate and people allowed their boats to do more of the work.
Side slips were introduced and have a well earned reputation as an elegant maneuver that is fun to watch, fun to do and really frustrating to learn. But it is an excellent drill to help learn the “sweet spot” for turning your boat. It also forces some torso rotation and is really quick to tell you when your paddle is not vertical or parallel to the keel. Seems so simple but mastery just takes practice and when your side slip, or shift as it is also known, works, the feeling is almost magical. With just a slight, almost unseen adjustment, your canoe maintains its forward momentum and moves to the side without any turning motion. It is also an impressive move in a tandem and is a staple of moving water and river running. Another “learning” for many was the need to think about “where do I want to end up and what stoke should I initiate with to help me get there?” Strong initiation is key to an effective maneuver. If we are looking to turn on-side, and want to use a bow draw to bring us around a great initiation is a strong J. The force of that J will get the bow moving to our on side so when we plant the bow draw, we can almost spin around that placement and then we can draw the bow in – completing our 180 degree turn. And, the best part is, if we add some heel and pitch to these stokes, we have the Freestyle Axel.
Mother nature was right on cue for the assisted rescue demonstration. In the matter of less than a minute, the swimmer, the rescue canoe, the canoe in distress and the paddle were all separated. Fortunately the dry suit was working and we were able to talk through and demo the right process (and I was pulled to safety using the sling rescue). A great learning experience for all who participated and those observing.
We encourage everyone who was there to take at least one aspect of the clinic and Practice- Practice-Practice. Your paddling will go to levels beyond what you ever thought possible. We were honored to have each of you in our clinic and we also want to thank our gracious hosts. We hope to be able to spend another day like this one with all of you in the future. Spread the word.
Here’s to “getting your head in the water” – Jeff and Laura
