[Paddlewise] Purity vs Bastards

From: Nick Schade <schade_at_guillemot-kayaks.com>
Date: Sun, 19 Jul 1998 20:23:55 -0400
John Winters wrote:
>
>True but a disgusting thing to do. It destroys the purity of solo paddling.
<snip>

What the heck is purity good for anyway? Not just in what paddle to use,
but in many areas, there is usually a group of people that feel purity to
the original is an ideal to be strived for. The thought seems to be that
the traditional is better due to the virtue that it has been around longer
than the new idea. I guess the theory goes: "X is the result of thousands
of years of experiment and evolution by people whose life depended on it.
Further changes at this point would just make it worse."

I would like to reiterate my previous advocacy for bastards. If the
"non-biblical" mating of a kayak paddle with a canoe works better, then why
not use it. In most cases a kayak paddle would probably work better when
used in a kayak, but when what you have is a canoe, or when the canoe has
some other advantage, go for it. While the bastard may not work as well as
the pure-bred boat does when used for the "pure" purpose, you can often
improve a boat for  specific uses by stealing ideas and breeding bastards.

I say the heck with purity. It is fine for museums, but if you are
interested in actually using your boat, do what works best. Let the purists
avert their eyes and cross themselves as you cruise past.



Nick Schade
Guillemot Kayaks
c/o Newfound Woodworks, 67 Danforth Brook Rd, Bristol, NH 03222
(603) 744-6872

Schade_at_guillemot-kayaks.com
http://www.guillemot-kayaks.com/

>>>>"It's not just Art, It's a Craft!"<<<<


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Received on Sun Jul 19 1998 - 17:24:33 PDT

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