Thursday, December 21, 2006

Upcoming: Greenland kayak rolling event

Kaat relaxing at Freya's Greenland Rolling Clinic at Spiekeroog, May 2006

3 January 2007: no places left: all clinics are booked - sorry!

I am happy to be able to (finally) announce the little project Axel, Nico and I’ve been working on lately. In Alphen a/d Rijn-Netherlands, in the weekend of 27 and 28 January 2007, the NKB Seakayak Committee organises, in cooperation with Zeekajak.NL, a Greenland Rolling Event with Greg Stamer and Freya Hoffmeister. You can find all the details (in Dutch) at the homepage of the NKB (the Dutch Kayak Association).

We have booked swimming pools for the whole weekend. At daytime, Saturday and Sunday, there are four workshops of 2,5 hours for 8 kayakers each. Every workshop includes an introduction and a demo by Greg and Freya, half an hour individual rolling instruction by Greg or Freya, explanation of techniques and hardware, the occasion tot try out different Greenland kayaks and modern NDK-seakayaks assisted by NKB seakayakcoaches. Tom or Dick of qajaq.nl will also be present to show their skin-0n-frame-kayaks and to introduce you to the activities of the Dutch Greenland-kayak scene.
Exclusively for the NKB-seakayakcoaches is the clinic at Saturday-evening on teaching rolling-skills by Greg, Freya, Axel and Nico. I am curious to see how the Greenland style effects the approach of our coaches to introducing rolling skills (in a standard seakayak with a euro-blade) and what they transfer to their own teaching style. In my own practice I noticed more focus on a gentle body-movement is indeed very successful with the majority of the pupils. I don’t start my rolling-lessons anymore with learning the aggressive hip-flick.

It’s the first time we do a project like this. I hope (no: I am sure!) every participant will be as enthusiast as the organisers are now! If you want to participate: here is more about entry, costs, time and place.

Links for more information:
1. Freya about her Greenland-style teaching method;
2. Gregs Bio;
2. A video-clip with more than a dozen of Greenland-rolls performed by Andrew the Dash Point Pirate at Bonnie’s Blog;
3. All about Greenland kayak activities in the Netherlands at qajaq.nl;
4. All you want to know about traditions and techniques of Greenland kayaking on Qajaq USA;
5. Zeekajak.nl of Axel and Nico, my partners in crime ;-)

pictrure of www.kayakunderground.com used with kind permission of Freya Hoffmeister

2 comments:

Michael said...

You're fortunate to be able to have such top level instructors for your classes Hans! Having seen both Freya and Greg teaching at Sweetwater in Florida last winter, I know people attending your sessions will take home many new skills and experiences.

Good luck to all.

Michael said...

Best wishes for the holidays and new year!