Wednesday August 26th 2014 This week, we are going to encourage the novice and rookie bow paddlers to paddle in the stern. Mentors will sit in the front today, help steer and give (encouraging!) feedback. Since the water is low and slow and the weather is still warm, this is a good time to give it a try. Steering in marathon canoes is still all about speed: we switch sides to steer instead of using j-strokes and we lean the boat gently to make small corrections. Here are a few tips:
Wednesday August 20th 2014
All paddling is good paddling, but different kinds of boats need to be paddled in different ways. Recreational paddling often involves some j-strokes and steering strokes behind a paddler's hip. However, in marathon where the main goal is going fast and the boats are lighter, it pays to keep your strokes up front and minimize the drag of paddling behind you. Lighter, up-front strokes keep a light marathon boat moving, without being as muscular or tiring as deep strokes that pull way back. Many of the marathon tips are similar to those we covered when we talked about keeping the boat light a few weeks back:
Wednesday August 13th 2014 Good changes are synchronized, quick, and maintain the glide of the boat. When things aren’t going well, they take too long and can disrupt the boatrun. Here are some tips for good changes:
Wednesday August 6th 2014 Special Guest presenter Graham Smith will share with use some of the finer details of how to successfully complete a portage section during a race. Portages can be critical moments in a marathon race. There is no wash to ride when you are running so teams will often use the portage to try to break up a pack or otherwise gain an advantage on their competitors. While being able to run fast is never a bad thing, there are many other aspects of a good portage that can enhance your running advantage or make up for lack of running speed. Tips for a good portage:
Photos by Audry Blais from the Classique internationale de canots de la Mauricie facebook page.
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