By Don Hammen
I decided to devote 2018 to improve my paddling skills. Among the motivations was to more gracefully section paddle the Northern Forest Canoe Trail.
While searching for options to improve my paddling skills, I ‘discovered’ Youtube videos of amazing Canadian and Freestyle paddling. Paddling artistry by experts such as Bill Mason, Rolf Kraiker, Marc Ornstein, Becky Mason, and Karen Knight inspired me to seek out instruction in Canadian and Freestyle paddling.
I found the most incredibly perfect opportunity to begin developing these skills at the 2018 Adirondack Canoe Symposium (ACS) held on the lovely campus of Paul Smiths College on the northern shore of Lower St. Regis Lake in the Adirondacks of New York.
Why was it so perfect? The setting, the beautiful weather, the outstanding expert instruction, and most of all – the generous, caring, and fun people who organize, host, instruct, and participate in this event. The people made it an enjoyable experience.
The first two lessons I had were with
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Marc Ornstein and Rolf Kraiker!
Yes, two of the amazing paddlers whose Youtube videos inspired me to seek out instruction in Freestyle and Canadian style paddling. How could this have happened? Are you kidding me? And they turned out to be generous, patient, and fun instructors. Yes, this really was perfect!
Could it get any better? Well, actually, yes it could, and it did.
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Paddling on Church Pond
It turns out that all of the instructors are truly expert and very skilled at teaching people how to improve their paddling abilities. Especially people just getting introduced to Freestyle and Canadian style techniques. These people have refined their teaching strategies over the years to where they have made it an efficient, logical, fun, and effective process for everyone. They all truly seem to be more excited than the student when a student “gets it”. Yes, it really was perfect for me.
So what did I learn?
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Instruction in progress…
For beginners, people new to Freestyle, the instruction starts with shoring up your on-side forward stroke along with refining your correcting stroke, typically a J in Freestyle. On-side sweeps, slips, sculls, and reverse strokes came next. Then an introduction to the on-side forward quadrant strokes: Axle, Post, Christie, and Wedge.
The Canadian style instruction also focusing on shoring up the forward stroke with more explanation and demonstration of the correction options eventually leading up to an introduction to the Guide stroke. In addition, the all purpose sweep and scull strokes were demonstrated in ways to show how they are kind-of the swiss army knives of strokes for fine boat control.
I also was taught some tips on handling wind and waves by none other than
Charlie Wilson…
I hadn’t mentioned it, but I have been researching and shopping for a solo canoe. There was one name that constantly appeared in my search … Charlie Wilson. Another freestyle champion paddler, instructor, author, principle partner in multiple canoe building businesses and conceptualizer of several of the finest solo canoes ever designed and made. Charlie, his blustery personality, expert instruction, and generosity are having a lasting positive impression on me. Yet another reason why this event was perfect for me.
And, there’s more, an exhibition is part of the ACS event. This is where everyone, but most notably the experts, get a chance to spread their wings and show off what they can do. All the exhibitions were excellent. However, I can’t help but to drop some more names … and gush over
Bob and Elaine Mravetz
and how impressively skilled they are. Marc Ornstein was amazing, as always, and other standouts include
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Tim Burris and Ron Young.
Along with all the other exhibitors, they were all really inspirational. Even if in a very small way, I’d love to be able to do what they can do. Perhaps, it’s perfect motivation to get out and practice?
Of course it’s not realistic to name everyone. But there was one other person that had a big impression on me –
Robyn Lowenthal.
Robyn coordinated the event and made it special. She was thoughtful and took extra time before the event to make sure I selected the classes that would benefit me the most. What a gem!
I was provided a lot of material and encouragement to go forth and practice to become a more proficient paddler. While progress sometimes seems frustratingly slow, it is coming along and I have clearly seen my skills improve a lot since my instruction at the ACS. I’m still amazed at having the opportunity to meet so many of the most talented people in the Freestyle community and experience
their expertise, but even more, their welcoming and encouraging spirit. What a memorable experience it was. It’s not an exaggeration to say ACS-2018 was perfect for me.