Kouwe Klouwentocht KV Wyrda

Kayakclub Wyrda had the New Year Reception with Glühwein and Champagne and "lekkere hapjes" (= Good Snacks) this afternoon . The club offered a paddle as a starter: the "Kouwe Klouwentocht"(Cold Hands-tour). 7 tough members showed up for the paddle-tour. At a temperature of 8 degrees Celsius you can hardly speak of "kouwe klouwen" - this is no winter, this is almost spring? It was the wind that made it at least a bit chilling during the break.

I paddled with the traditional Greenland paddle for the first time on a distance - this relaxed paddle on 10 km was a good occasion to give it a try: in the beginning the feeling was strange and uncomfortable: the narrow positions of the hands, the elbows near the corps, the movement low above the deck of the kayak, new muscles to use. But at the end it started to feel more natural. "New Years resolution" with Guus: we are going both to practice with the Greenland Stick, starting Next Tuesday.

I was a bit disappointed that I was the only one for a New Years Club Rolling Session ;-) As a result of the limited enthusiasm only a small number of (but highly exclusive) public was left to watch my show. But perhaps this was better. According to Greenland Rolling Experts "you should see water as your friend" for successful rolling - this afternoon my friend was very cold and my performance lacked a bit the usual finesse ;-) Fun was it anyway..

Btw: "Cold" is a bad excuse:
..."Greenland rolls were developed out of necessity. The water is lethally cold, and hunters were sewn into their kayaks, so exiting the boat was not an option. Learning these rolls prepared hunters for these dangerous conditions."...