ThePADDLER 62
EVERYTHING WE DO INFORMS EVERYTHING WE DO
Flatwater freestyle holds immense value in the kayaker ’ s toolkit . I am a firm believer that dedicated practice in any discipline of kayaking will have a knockon effect in all other disciplines . Freestyle teaches you to use river features well , surf enables you to read and tackle big-volume whitewater better , touring improves your forward paddling downriver . Everything feeds into producing better-rounded paddlers .
Unsurprisingly , deliberately throwing yourself into the kinds of weird , contorted positions that the river sometimes thrusts upon you is vital training for more challenging whitewater . It promotes a physical selfawareness that maximises control over not only your own body but the boat as well .
On top of that , pushing for new freestyle tricks has the inevitable side-effect of developing a solid roll . Repeatedly falling on your face as you try for your first bowstall , pursue the elusive third end on your cartwheel or dial in the loop means an awful lot of roll practice ! And not just run-of-the-mill roll practice either ! No , this is confusing , unprepared , twisted-upevery-which-way roll practice ( the best kind !), the sort of roll practice that develops a truly bombproof roll when it transitions to a river environment . From experience , this is the sort of dedicated practice that will allow you to keep composure in a challenging hole , even having lost your paddle !
Beyond kayaking , flatwater freestyle is simply a phenomenal way to keep in shape . When you are starting to string moves together , it becomes serious aerobic exercise , while the range of movements provide muscle-toning for the whole body , but especially the core . Plus , very few other sports offer the same benefit of getting fit whilst still technically sat down !
LET ’ S GET TECHNICAL
Getting started in flatwater freestyle has never been more accessible than it is currently .
Not only do we have an abundance of excellent modern playboat designs to choose from , but the resurgence of old-school freestyle boats and the popularity of slicing makes finding an appropriate boat easy . For budget paddlers , most playboats designed within the last 15 years more or less fit the ‘ modern ’ mould , i . e . short and voluminous , which is precisely the right thing . Besides that , having a paddle with a reasonably shallow feather – 30 degrees or less – is advantageous , but it is far from necessary for the novice freestyler .
Probably the best place to start learning flatwater freestyle is with a few simple drills . First and foremost , you will want to gain mastery over trim , edging and balance in your kayak .