[Paddlewise] Definitely Semantics - was (mostly a semantics)

Doug wrote:

>There is basically two rolls only - the sweep and the brace roll (and
>combinations).

If you are using a paddle (or your hands for that matter) to roll I'd suggest that
there are infact three possible actions to get support:

Sweeps (if you sweep back and forth then sweep = scull)
braces
Draws (vertical paddle roll, storm roll? semantics again I'm afraid)

But then again when does a brace become a draw? As far as I can gather (sorry
peeps I've been too busy to follow the list recently) this thread started with
head dinking or dunking or something. I think what I'm trying to say is that how
you get the support is much less important that what you do with it, and shaking
your head around isn't part of the deal.

There is no one way to do a roll, it definitely doesn't matter what you call it,
and it also doesn't really matter whether you finish forward backward, head up
whatever - that is only important when you are learning the movements when just
coming up is the goal. The key I think is when you suss out that your body is used
as a sort of 'universal link' which continuously couples support from the paddle
(or your hand or throwing stick, or float or whatever) into rotating the boat.
Some people call this the 'hip flick'. I have no idea why, as flicking isn't what
your trying to do, and you use your whole body, not your hips.

When you have the body action down how you get the support (and how much you need)
becomes much less relevant, and so do the names. I don't subscribe to Seakayaker,
and haven't read the Derek Hutchinson's article, but I suspect that what he was
saying is that if you have to worry about dinking or dunking or flunking your head
about then you've missed the point. If rolls don't feel effortless, then in a way
you've also missed the point.

Sorry if this doesn't help much just saying that rolling is effortless. For those
roll challenged amongst us (and every roller was there once) - I have no magic
tricks to help learning apart from offering the support that when you can do it
you'll wonder what all the fuss was about, and why there was a time when you
couldn't. Relax, be loose, take your time - try to think in slow motion - you
don't force the boat to roll in an instant, practice, and once you have felt a
roll really working you'll know what I mean. But by then you probably won't fall
over too often if you don't want to.

You must be the paddle grasshopper ;-)

Cheers

Colin Calder
57º19'N  2º10'W




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