The Kayak Forward Stroke DVD

I just finished watching The Kayak Forward Stroke: The Complete Guide, by Greg Barton and Oscar Chalupsky, 2nd edition.  The copyright date on it is 2003.  For me it was a great review of the forward stroke using a spoon and a wing blade (NOT a Greenland paddle).  Of course I was watching it because I'm trying to learn how to use a spoon blade all over again.  It's like learning how to write with your left hand if you are right handed. I was out today consciously rotating my torso, keeping my arms straight and high and blade vertical, and pumping my feet.  I also paddled with my legs bent and my knees up. So I wasn't using my knee braces and it felt a little unstable.  The most humbling thing is that I am not as confident in rolling with a spoon blade in any conditions like I am with a GP.  Also bracing for me is not reflexive with a feathered paddle.  So I'm definitely going to be hitting the pool to practice as often as I can this winter. There is no question in my mind that an asymmetric spoon blade is a more complicated tool than a Greenland paddle.  Will I ever get comfortable with it?  Well, I've decided to try it for a year.

By the way Greg Barton has skinny legs.  Let that be a wake up call for all of us -- no matter how hard you pump your legs in a kayak your still going to end up with atrophic chicken legs!

Comments

[Hans]

Hi Andrew!
Funny. It looks like we are inspired by the same masters: a while ago I had the pleasure to have (together with Freya H) a private clinic on the forward stroke from Oscar CH. : http://kajakwoerden.blogspot.com/2008/09/high-school-of-kayaking-with-oscar.html
What kayak are you paddling with the spoon blade? In the Anas Acuta I can't bring my knees together... Which really hinders optimal torso rotation.

Greg's stature is just perfect for a kayak-racer: muscle-concentration where needed, no superfluous mass in the legs. Perhaps I should stop cycling and spinning to get faster in kayaking ;-)

Greetings,
Hans

[Andrew]

Hi Hans,

I'm paddling an Epic 18X. The foot rest is a board that extends across the entire width of the kayak, so you can paddle with your knees bent and legs close together.

I'd love to take lessons from either Barton or Chalupsky. A friend of mine once took lessons with Greg Barton, years ago when Epic was still based in Seattle.