PADDLER 48
Fig . 1 Fig . 2 Fig . 3 Fig . 4
PADDLER 48
I read Bruce ’ s article only
recently , but it affirms what I experienced from my first encounter with Freestyle canoeing . While the need to become an effective communicator with our canoe is clear , it makes sense that the surest way of becoming a Good Communicator is to become a Good Listener to the conversation between our paddle and canoe .
This conversational dynamic has played an integral part in my learning of the various strokes and manoeuvres of FreeStyle . It has also opened up another dimension for why I love to canoe . In addition to functional and interpretive FreeStyle , this conversational approach has led to what I think of as contemplative FreeStyle : paddling different strokes and manoeuvres for the inner equanimity and harmony it can bring .
After my first FreeStyle symposium at Paul Smiths in July 2022 , I returned to my local Puffer ’ s Pond to practice what I had learned . Although I knew how to do a J-stroke , I felt like a total beginner in meeting all the other new techniques and terminology of FreeStyle . Therefore , I was highly motivated to master the remarkable turns and sideslips I had seen in videos and now in person .
EFFORTLESSLY MOVED THEIR CANOES
The way my teachers effortlessly moved their canoes in such incredible ways seemed like magic , but I wanted to understand what was really going on so I could replicate these moves myself . I would spend good amounts of time trying to master Axels and Sideslips the way I had been shown , but one day , I paused from working directly on such manoeuvres . I found myself moving my paddle in the water in a playful but attentive manner .
With the angle of my blade parallel to my canoe , I pushed it sideways away from me , causing my canoe to move sideways away from my paddle . Then I drew or pulled my paddle towards me , moving my canoe towards my paddle . The way my canoe responded to my paddle was naturally of interest , but what stood out most for me was the pressure I felt on my paddle . I was struck by the contrast between feeling the water press on the outside face of my paddle blade as I pushed it away from me compared to feeling the pressure on the inside of my paddle as I drew it towards me .
I was not thinking about what laws of physics were involved ; I was simply living in the two distinct sensations of pushing and pulling . I repeated these simple paddle moves several times so I could live more fully into the pushing and pulling sensation . Attending to this play of forces felt like I was listening to my paddle and canoe . Sometimes , it even felt like we were singing together .
In subsequent sessions , this initial experience evolved into my warm-up routine . The particulars might vary from session to session , but over time , I recognised a range of variables that gave an inherent order to my playful explorations . It was something of a revelation to realise every paddle stroke involves some combination of three basic elements :
● The angle I hold my paddle blade ;
● Where I place my paddle blade in relation to my
canoe when initiating the stroke ;
● The direction I move my paddle blade in making
the stroke .
FOUR PADDLE BLADE ANGLES :
There are many possible blade angles ; however , for the sake of simplicity , I limit myself to four . I refer to them simply as Angles 1-4 , but also as Parallel , Closed , Right Angle , and Open , as shown in Figures 1-4 .
Note : All images show the bow of the canoe , indicated by the small triangular figure
Fig . 1 Fig . 2 Fig . 3 Fig . 4