By Judi and Larry Fordyce
Larry and I discovered solo canoeing a little over a year ago, and for almost that same amount of time, we have been gradually diving deeper and deeper into FreeStyle canoeing. We never really intended to get into FreeStyle per se, it just sort of happened. Our most recent FreeStyle event was the 2023 Adirondack Canoe Symposium at Paul Smiths College, and this event did not disappoint!
The instruction was superb, as always. Not only are the instructors knowledgeable and patient, we really enjoy the exposure to a different instructor each day. And as Larry has said, the more we attend these classes the more we realize what we still have to learn. For example, I thought I knew how to do an effective forward stroke, but a forward stroke class showed me I still had things to learn. It is very satisfying and rewarding as the instructors/coaches continue to refine our technique.
This year this symposium went way beyond the usual offering, because it was held in conjunction with the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association Annual Assembly. If you have not yet attended, we very highly recommend it.
Exposure to the collection of classic wooden canoe heritage was extraordinary. Get there early to see as much as you can. Lovely wooden canoes, all kinds of them! Enlightening workshops – staining wood to match when repairing; caning a canoe seat; making your own wooden paddle; and much more. And then there is the spectacular evening parade of wooden boats called the “paddle by”.
The instructional paddling venue at Church Pond was glorious! Clean, clear, tannic mountain water, surrounded by breathtaking trees, and a glorious bog at the far north end. Be sure to sign up for the bog course from Molly and see sundews and pitcher plants, plus much more.
The customary Interpretive FreeStyle performance on a delightful Saturday
evening was particularly enjoyable at this event. Our instructors outdid themselves with new performances that demonstrated how to execute the strokes we had been working on with precision and grace. We observed how those strokes can be combined into a fluid routine, set to music. It was also encouraging to see some of our budding fellow students take the water, and progress to this next level of being a performer.
We also were treated to performance from a couple from the very active European FreeStyle
community. Katrin and Hans-George Wagner, from Germany, made the long trip “across the pond” and displayed a style of performance that used the same stokes but had a decidedly different rhythm and feel. We particularly enjoyed watching their performance of two solo canoes dancing side by side in very tight proximity, but never actually touching. Exquisite!
At the end of the evening the Wagners led a small group of volunteer canoeists in a “European Community Paddle”. The best way we can describe it is synchronized canoe involving side by side maneuvers, and moving in and out of a circle. They definitely showed us even more ideas of things to do in our little boats.
As a final thought we highly recommend this event for the camaraderie with other students as well as instructors. It is fun and entertaining to hear what brought others to this event, what type of paddling they had done previously, and where they plan to go from here. People who enjoy “messing around in little boats”, as mentioned in “Wind in the Willows”.
Even if you are not interested in Interpretive FreeStyle per se, learning how to better control a canoe can be wonderfully rewarding. Warning! You just might get sucked into FreeStyle, like we have, and many others before us have as well.
