Blogger Upload Tool refused to do its job yesterday. So I add this picture of a Bowstall-move at the Freestyle Cup in an extra post. The participants of the Cup made moves with odd names like Tricky Wu, Mary Lou, Space Godzilla. It's a world in itself. These moves are far beyond my reach. That's not only because my WW-kajak has to much volume in bow and stern, but more because I am not such an explosive and powerful type of kayaker (getting old?). Yet I have a great admiration for the freestylers and like to watch them doing their moves, and sometime I even join the freestyle training of Jorn.
For doing it myself I am more attracted to the classic rolling thing. I continue trying new rolls with or without my euro-paddle. Now also in Holland Greenland-style rolling is getting more popular. Axel Schoevers has part in introducing it to our scene. Sunday one of his pupils, Gerard, gave a demonstration in Axel's NDK Explorer with a Greenland stick. Greenland moves have beautiful names like Qaaannaq Ataatigut Ipilaarlugu (Sculling Roll with paddle under kayak) or Qiperuussineq (Vertical scull). Sounds great, looks great: learn more about it at qayaqusa.org. One of my favorite kayak-books is John D. Heath's history of Eastern Arctic Kayaks. I have spelled it! And every now and then I study it again.
Despite this fascination: I have not rolled with a Greenland Stick nor paddled an skin on frame kayak yet. I would love to, but up to now I have only seen the original Greenland skin frame qayaqs in musea, not the right place to try one. My new kayak the Pintail, is said to be inspired by the original West-Greenland-kayaks of Igolorssuit, but it is far from a real Skin on Frame design.
Now a dream comes through: yesterday I heard Freya Hoffmeister comes to Spiekeroog in the same week I am coaching the German-Dutch 4-star (Zeevaardigheid/Seebefähigung) kayak-group over there. Freya is a highly talented Greenland Style Kayaker and will be giving rolling classes at Spiekeroog in the weekend after Ascension Day. No discussion: I am staying one or two days longer at Spiekeroog! I subscribed immediately to her class... This morning Freya answered and invited the whole group...
Derrick will be jealous... ;-)
2 comments:
hmmmm, well since she was kind enough to pat Ross on the head in Florida . . . maybe I can ask her to just SMACK you!! :)
Green, dark, hot-blooded resentment.
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