Hello Paddlewisers, I have been, as I have seen it called, a "lurker", for some time now. In fact, this is my first time actually getting involved in a discussion, since I am very new to the awesome sport of Sea Kayaking. From the first day I wrapped my hands around that "narrow bladed paddle", I was hooked. A large part of what actually drew me into the sport was the vast levels of so-called "difficulty". I could take this sport from the lake to the sea. Up a creek (no pun intended) or down the face a breaking wave. It could be a very safe sport or a very dangerous sport. So, with all these different levels of difficulty, it could be very easy to get in over your head, literally. As a way of gauging my skills and achieving a sense of confidence, in the water, good, "established" instruction seemed to be the smartest step for me to take, in my kayaking venture. I say "established" because I want to feel that I am learning from someone who knows his or her stuff. I don't want some Joe Schmoe (If there is a Joe Schmoe, on this list, I am sorry for the use of your name) who took a couple of Intro to Paddling classes one week and then is out there "Teaching" his/her newly acquired skills to the public, the next week. I needed to find someone with credentials. Anyone can try to teach. Anyone can gain experience. Not everyone can instill confidence. Fortunately, I was able to meet up with an individual who possesses a great deal of knowledge about Sea Kayaking. This person, of whom I speak, is an ACA Certified Instructor. In the few courses I have taken with him, I have left with a wealth of knowledge that has given me the drive and desire to learn more. The ACA Fundamentals of Coastal Kayaking Part One course was awesome and very thorough. I feel confident that I am learning the skills necessary to survive and truly enjoy Sea Kayaking. Earlier, I mentioned the "narrow bladed paddle". Yes, I prefer the Traditional Greenland Style Paddle. My interest in Greenland skills was sparked by its use and the brief sampling of culture I either read about or saw in videos (Amphibious Man). The mere fact that the American Canoe Association is "officially" providing instruction for anyone interested in Greenland Skills, can and will only add to my need and desire to learn more. I am not expecting to learn how to speak the native tongue of Greenland. I am not expecting to learn of the marriage rites of the Inuit tribe. If I wanted to learn that, I would go to the library and I just may as I start to learn more. What I am expecting to learn is how to paddle and roll with a narrow blade, as close to the traditional multi-faceted Greenland Style as possible. I understand that it appears, as stated by some people on this list, that the very culture of Ancient Greenland is at the risk of exploitation. I understand that it appears that their chief export is being taken right from under their noses. I can truly sympathize with how they must feel. On the other hand, I understand that their culture was presented to this country in the form of exhibitions. I understand that the very respected and honored John Heath, single-handedly, opened the eyes of people everywhere to this new "Style" of Kayaking by bringing Champions of Greenland over here to show their skills. They had to have had the foresight to believe that people would become interested and want to learn more. I ask this. Why didn't they originally prepare for this possible outcome sooner by establishing some kind of joint committee with an American organization capable of reaching the masses? Without this effort, it appears that smaller interested groups have been formed by people wanting to mimic and learn these skills. As time passed, variations in these skills were developed by people experimenting in a world that lacked "official" instruction. The once unique and sacred "culture" of Greenland has now been stretched and changed beyond its original boundaries. People are wanting to learn these skills. They see a paddle at a show or on a trip and an interest is sparked. But, where can one go to learn more? Where can one acquire the instruction necessary to adequately perform these skills? Enter the ACA, an organization of 35,000 members, like any college or school, as the next step in the evolution of Greenland Skills in the United States. The ACA saw the need and met the demand. I am confident that if I take a course in Traditional Greenland Skills that is offered by the ACA, it will be thorough and as complete as necessary. As for the Certification process, it would be awesome to learn from an actual Greenlander who learned from his father, who learned from his father, who learned from his father,...... . But, I can't afford to go to Greenland and I certainly can't afford the cost of Instruction to have a Greenlander flown here for every class I would like to take. As I see it, the ACA and its Certified Instructors are not claiming to be from Greenland. They are just meeting a need. I hope that I have not bored anyone with my opinions and observations. I just find it amazing how people can formulate opinions on basically any topic whether they know anything about it or not. Granted there is nothing wrong with expressing one's opinion. It’s a free country and a free list, so go right ahead. Now that I have gotten that of my chest, I think I will go back into the depths and hang upside-down underwater as I read my e-mail. Thank you. Oh and BTW, does anyone know where I could sign up for classes at the Winskill School of Romany's? I am curious about the Romany 16 and I wanted to take a class before someone suggests that the school consult Nigel Dennis Kayaks before proceeding. Dave Oshins sedoshins_at_home.com "If one does not like the taste of apples, then one should eat oranges and not speak badly of all the other apples." -----Original Message----- From: owner-paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net [mailto:owner-paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net] On Behalf Of John C. Winskill Sent: Tuesday, July 13, 1999 2:38 PM To: Johncw; 'paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net ' Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] ACA Greenland certific Tim; When I say 'denigrates the ACA' I mean that the ACA is now taking a stance that it is wanting to certify aspects of seakayaking that have little to do with the critical judgement and the skills necessary to be safe on the water and instead is wanting to stand in a place of authority over an area of seakayaking that has, in the past (and outside of Greenland), been relegated to historical and ethno-kayaking buffs . I also find it denigrating to the developing role of the ACA as the national "benchmark" of kayaking safety in the US to develop a course such as this (with certification as the goal) simply because there is a demand in the market. It makes matters infinately worse that the culture that created seakayaing and evolved with and because of seakakyaking for well over a thousand years was not even consulted. It speaks at best to a gross insensitivity and at worse to an attempt at control over an area to which it has no right other than self-proclaimed. The crux of the contoversy is the ACA wanting to grant certification. Certification allows the ACA and its instructors to charge applicants and students for instruction for which it is not qualified to provide. Who is certifying the certifiers? What connection do they have to the Greenland National Kayak League or to the elders that sanctioned them? You say that the need to provide consistancy between their instructors is the compelling reason for the ACA wanting to establish a certification process. This sort of rational can be used to justify anything. If the ACA is willing to compromise its standards in this instance for the sake of market demands or any other non-compelling reason, it brings the entire organization into question. John Winskill Mattson, Timothy G wrote: > > Ahhh come on John, the desire by the ACA to define a Greenland-style > paddling certificate in no way denigrates the ACA. > > There is market driven demand for instruction in Greenland-style paddling. > Maybe you aren't the sort of person who likes to take kayaking classes, but > I for one find them quite valuable. When I bought my greenland paddle a > couple years ago, I would have loved some instruction with the paddle. > > There is demand in the market, and the ACA jumped in to provide some > consistency between instructors. This is clearly in the scope of their > charter --- not some desire to validate their personnel preferences. > > I'm not saying they couldn't have handled this better. Maybe they've jumped > the gun and the style needs to gel more before a course can be defined. > Maybe they should have consulted with Greenlanders before defining the > course. But to say the course denigrates the ACA is going a bit too far. > > --Tim > > -----Original Message----- > From: John C. Winskill > To: Nick Schade > Cc: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net > Sent: 7/12/99 12:21 PM > Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] ACA Greenland certific > > Nick; > > I agree with you. If the ACA feels compelled to certify Greenland-style > paddling, let them call it something else. > Another point: I fail to understand why the ACA wants to do this at > all. The ACA understood in the light of standing for paddling safety > and consistant standards in the United States makes sense to me. Their > wanting to certify a technique that is outside of the safety/standards > issue is confusing and really serves in my view to denigrate the ACA. > It's as though a group of people are wanting to validate their hobby and > thereby themselves. OK, so they like thier skinny paddles. It's a > personal preference thing. There's no reason to build a whole official > certification process around it. > Who BTW, is certifying the certifiers? If they feel so passionate about > it why don't they get their training from the source? Consult the > Greenlanders. Its not an unreasonable request. > > Then again, I'm thinking; You know, I had the first Romany on the West > Coast, and I'm sure, one of the first in the country. What say I create > a Romany paddling certification school. The WSR (Winskill School of > Romany's). What do you think? We could begin classes for instructors > this fall. Any takers? > > John Winskill > *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Tue Jul 13 1999 - 22:17:20 PDT
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