Re: K1 - Getting Ready...

Posted by Kyle T on Apr 4, 2005

Hi Kurt.

I took in a forward stroke clinic last weekend with past Olympic kayaker, Karen Lukanovich. She was absolutely amazing. She could sit unmoving in her K1 with her paddle out of the water and talk to the class without a twitch. It went against the laws of physics.

Advice: Make sure you are in absolutely flat water to learn. It will be tough enough without any wave action. The hardest part will be turning. We are used to doing a sweep with the paddle and that will just upset your balance until you get used to the K1. Rudder rudder rudder.

Karen also recommended pulling your knees together. Not spread out and locked into the sides like we do in sea kayaking. I just couldn't do that.

Don't lean into the paddle by any means but use the opposite force generated by the paddle stoke to keep you from spinning on the axis of the kayak. I hope that message is understandable. Try to time the tippyness of the boat so that you are falling over onto the side that the paddle is in the water. Use the paddle stroke to keep you from falling over and it will push you over onto the other side where you will be pushing back on the next stroke.

The students got a chance to test their balance in the K1�s in a sheltered little cove of shallow water about three feet deep. Most made it about 6 feet before rolling out of the boats. In fact half the class was never able to get going at all in the K1. There were other trainers to work in for those guys. I am proud to say that I was able to paddle out and back several times without flipping. That�s not to say that I wasn�t on the verge throughout the entire experience.

I didn�t see anyone try a roll. We were not using skirts and anyone that might have had a roll was experienced enough not to turn over.

Have fun.

--KT--

In Response to: K1 - Getting Ready... by Kurt Maurer on Apr 1, 2005

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