PADDLER 38
PADDLER 38
Prying Sideslip moves the canoe diagonally , away from the paddle .
Slicing the paddle forward , into the Axle or Post position , turns the bow of the canoe towards the paddle . The stern continues to move toward the offside , turning the canoe .
Drawing Sideslip moves the canoe diagonally , toward from the paddle .
Slicing the paddle forward , into the Wedge position , turns the bow of the canoe away from the paddle . The stern continues to move toward the onside , turning the canoe .
Once the prying sideslip is moving the canoe diagonally away from the paddle , you put your paddle parallel ( neutral ) to the keel and slice forward to a spot slightly ahead of the point of rotation , then open the paddle angle so that the front of the canoe turns and then rotates around your paddle . It can be either an axle or a post with the correct heel . With practice , you will feel how much momentum you need after the sideslip to perform the manoeuvre .
To turn our canoe away from our paddle , we use a sweep to initiate a wedge , because the sweep pulls the canoe ’ s rear towards our onside . A drawing sideslip pulls the entire canoe in the same direction . Once the canoe is moving diagonally towards the paddle , we slice the neutral paddle forward to a spot slightly ahead of the point of rotation and reverse the angle of the paddle blade so it pushes ( wedges ”) the bow of the canoe away from the paddle . This is a fun sequence because the drawing sideslip carries more momentum into the manoeuvre , and the wedge demonstrates finesse .
Because we use a sweep to initiate a cross axle or cross post , the drawing sideslip also works for these manoeuvres . Likewise , any manoeuvre initiated with an onside J-stroke can be effectively initiated with a prying sideslip . Once you figure out the mechanics , you can apply the same principles to all the other quadrants ( cross forward , reverse , and cross reverse ). Granted , it takes some practice to reach the point where your brain no longer needs to contemplate every paddle placement and angle . With practice , it becomes natural .
NOW , LET ’ S APPLY THIS IN EVERYDAY LIFE :
Imagine canoeing in a narrow , slow-moving , twisty stream . Up ahead , the stream turns sharply to your onside , but the creek is shallow on the inside of the curve , so you want to move over away from the shallow . You start with a prying sideslip to move into the middle of the stream . As you approach the bend , you slice your paddle forward in a neutral position and then open the angle as you would in an axle . You magically turn around the shallow bend . You probably won ’ t need the conclusion , so instead , take a forward stroke to straighten out and position your canoe for the next turn . The sideslip positions your canoe ideally in the stream , and the conversion of the sideslip into an axle turns you . This is an elegant way to negotiate the turn , but it is also very efficient because you use fewer paddle strokes to make the turn .
If the bend is to your offside , you might initiate with a drawing sideslip and apply a wedge or a cross axle ( or cross post ), depending on which suits the turn the best . If I use the cross manoeuvre , I often take a couple of cross-forward strokes after the turn because it straightens out the canoe more quickly than switching over . Another reason for the crossforward stroke is that often , your onside is too close to the bank after the turn , and you may not have room to make an effective onside forward stroke .
* A note on heeling . Generally , we teach students to heel away from the paddle when drawing sideslips . The heel allows the canoe to ride up over the water instead of pushing it . Likewise , one normally heels toward the paddle on a prying sideslip . The problem comes when switching from an offside heel for the drawing sideslip to an onside heel for the wedge . The issue is that switching heels will rob momentum from your canoe -momentum that you need to manoeuvre . One can sideslip with a flat boat – and do functional manoeuvres with minimal heel . ( So don ’ t overthink it .) I could do my Sideslip Etude with extreme heels because my canoe has a round bottom . I could roll the canoe from one side to the other with minimal loss of speed .
A cool move is to paddle straight in ( perpendicular ) to a dock or landing . Apply a drawing sideslip and continue toward the landing . Apply a wedge a few yards ( meters ) before you reach your target . The wedge will turn your canoe parallel to the landing , but your momentum will carry you slowly right up to shore , and you ’ ll step out with grace . This move takes a little practice to get the start point and timing perfected . But once you have it down , you ’ ll see jaws drop because it is a cool yet useful way of initiating a turn with a sideslip .
All of these manoeuvres take practice . More importantly , consider which sideslip to use with each manoeuvre . A sweep wouldn ’ t be the correct initiation for an axle or post . For that reason , it is not effective to perform an axle after a drawing sideslip because the canoe is moving in the wrong direction to initiate the turn . With practice , it becomes second nature and gives you efficient ways to turn on streams and creative approaches to an interpretive routine .
Tracy Hunt rocked my world about how much fun ( and useful ) sideslips can be . I hope you will have fun and try sideslips as initiations .