Re: [Paddlewise] Greenland ACA endorsement

From: Greg Stamer <gstamer_at_magicnet.net>
Date: Fri, 04 Dec 1998 23:59:48 -0500
>I agree with you 100%.
>
>But I think that the ACA is not endorsing the Greenlanders; the ACA
>would endorse the white folks who choose to teach the Greenland way.
>In my case, I am going to pursue the ACA endorsement until I get
>the time to go to Greenland and really learn the material first hand.
SNIP

Julio,

I missed the point of your first post, my apologies. The ACA endorsement
will certainly not cause the Greenlanders to breathe a collective sigh of
relief that they have been blessed, but I wonder how much effect the
endorsement will have on the growth of Greenland paddling in this country.
Are there paddlers who will take it up simply because it will appear more
mainstream? Many Greenland paddlers seem to relish the fact that it is
somewhat different than conventional wisdom. Time will tell.

The good news is that the ACA does seem to be reaching out for input. I was
contacted last week and gave a caution similar to Chuck Holst's, and
provided an overview of what I teach. I don't know who else was contacted.
My initial impression is that the forward stroke and some key techniques
such as bracing, sculling and the balance brace will be emphasized, but
this is pure speculation on my part. I do hope that the ACA will choose to
teach the tenets of both the drag and the lift stroke and allow the
students to make a personal choice as their skills develop. This is
difficult to do in a short introductory class, since usually the students
need help with basic torso rotation and leg resistance, much less get
confused by nuances of paddle angles and lift/drag techniques. This could
be taught in a multiday or true intermediate course.

Good luck in pursuing your dream of traveling to Greenland. Greenland style
paddling is definitely in its infancy in this country and first hand
knowledge is sorely needed. 

Greg Stamer
Orlando, Florida

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Received on Fri Dec 04 1998 - 21:00:44 PST

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