ThePaddlerUK 6
The reason for its
difficulty is two-fold:
firstly, it is a disorientating move that feels improbable
from the uncomfortable start position. This is a move
that only starts to make sense once you are
performing it, so it is difficult to plan; it’s partly a
commitment thing. Secondly, as an uninterrupted
barrel roll, the momentum gained makes it possible to
perform the rodeo roll without a hip flick (hip snap to
US readers). This sounds like good news, but it is the
downfall of the many who can perform the move, but
not perform it well. A good flick is vital to coming up
fast and positively and keeping your shoulders from
strain.
The second bit of misinformation about this roll is that
it’s potentially dangerous, and only suitable in freestyle.
This only comes from those who can’t perform it – or
can’t perform it well. Some of these detractors are
referring specifically to the rodeo roll, some to the
rodeo and back deck rolls. As they call them by the
same name, it’s impossible to know what they are
saying, hence my wish to sort out the terminology!
The truth is that the rodeo roll is largely a trick move
– it’s not often used in anger but looks wonderful
when it is – but the back deck roll is something every
paddler should learn. And the rodeo roll is a fun way
to learn it.
The reason it is potentially dangerous, say the
detractors, is that the paddler’s underwater position
exposes his face to the river bottom. Something that
top US paddler Ken Whiting pointed out makes a
complete nonsense of this. If you flip lying back (the
most common scenario), then in order to set up for a
traditional roll, you have to lean all the way forwards
into a tuck anyway, thereby exposing yourself to the
bottom of the river considerably more than by simply
flipping up from the back deck.
Other points to consider are that, if performed well, a
rodeo OR back-deck roll is much shallower than a
traditional roll and much quicker, again lessening that
exposure. And finally, a rodeo or back-deck roll will
bring you up in a neutral position with your strong
side blade planted at the bow of your boat, ready to
pull through.
The third myth about the rodeo roll is that it is a
strain on the shoulders. Until you nail the move
properly, that much is true. But once the move is
performed correctly, it’s as easy as any other roll. I’ve
certainly never experienced any problems, and I’ve
been doing 50 a week for a few months now.
What’s the back deck roll for?
The back deck roll is well-known among freestyle
paddlers (or ‘playboaters’) as well as surf kayakers, as a
trick move. It’s the basis of the entry move
(performed while dropping into a stopper/hole); the
airscrew (one of the iconic wave surfing moves), and
the kickflip, a downriver move. It’s also just a coollooking roll to perform as you’re flipping back up in
the wave train.
If you are a river runner, these won’t be of interest to
you; but it’s the safest, quickest way to right yourself
after an inversion lying back, and that should be of
interest. In an ideal world, kayakers would come up
from an inversion in whatever position they were
flipped. In over half the cases, this would mean a back
deck or rodeo roll. As a very fast move, it’s also a
good way to get used to the dynamism of playboating
manoeuvres, where many moves (the cartwheel is a
classic) happen so fast, they leave your reaction times
lagging. It’s interesting to note that those with a good
rodeo roll or back deck roll usually use it as a first
choice. And it’s also interesting to note that
playboaters and surf kayakers, the two most dynamic
disciplines in kayaking, and who flip with the most
regularity, use it almost exclusively.
Ke