PADDLER 98
Words : Marc Ornstein Photos : Marc Ornstein
PADDLER 98
So , you want to buy a
FREESTYLE
CANOE
– or do you ?
Words : Marc Ornstein Photos : Marc Ornstein
I ’ ve often heard from folks who ask , “ I want to buy a FreeStyle canoe . What ’ s the best boat ?” After determining ( the paddler ’ s ) size , I could suggest several specific boats , but the question needs to be examined more closely to answer appropriately .
Is the questioner interested primarily in interpretive FreeStyle , i . e ., paddling routines choreographed to music ? Is he / she interested in functional FreeStyle , i . e ., using the FreeStyle technique to traverse meandering streams ? Perhaps it ’ s intended to be more of a touring / tripping canoe with ‘ FreeStyle ’ tendencies . What skillsets does the questioner have or be willing to work toward ? Perhaps budget is an issue . Recommending an expensive craft to an aspiring paddler with limited resources may not be helpful .
FreeStyle is a canoeing discipline emphasising the interaction between the boat , body , and the blade . It consists of various manoeuvres and combinations of manoeuvres , which , when combined with a heel ( leaning the canoe laterally ) and pitch ( weighing the leading stem down ), greatly enhance the manoeuvrability of most any hull . Interpretive FreeStyle is the most extreme form of the discipline , where 180-degree ( or greater ) turns are the norm . Generally , an interpretive routine consists of many such turns , often linked together with no more than a paddle stroke or two between them . Functional FreeStyle uses similar techniques to easily manoeuvre on tight twisty creeks or along other complex shorelines . While these techniques will enhance the performance of almost any canoe , hulls with certain characteristics will be more responsive .