Re: [Paddlewise] Eskimo roll

Dana, don't let these nattering nabobs of negativity get you down.
My brother (just a new roller himself) tried to show me how to roll during a
2 hour pool session. I was not making it but was getting my head out of the
water before splashing back in. An expert roller came by and said "try to
wipe your nose with your bicep during the roll". I have been rolling ever
since and made the first one I tried on my off side (I paddle opposite
feather from my handedness--but that's a very obscure reference and another
story).

Several years later I was going to help a couple of friends learn to roll
and with us all in our kayaks had demonstrated rolling a couple of times.
Somebody else needed to talk to me so I was distracted for a few seconds and
when I turned back around to start the lesson again Lowell said: "I did it".
I said: "did what". He said: "Eskimo rolled". I said: "yeah, right" and the
other guy said: "no he did it, I saw him". Lowell was wet. I was sorry I
just missed seeing the only guy I have heard of to roll on their first try.
It did take him a little while to do it again though. I'd like to take some
credit for this but I hadn't had a chance to even really start the lesson
yet.

Rob gave you some real good advice. Paddle flat on the surface (slap it to
make sure) not angled up (that will just stall it and you need it to
fly--slice sideways--fast not stall and sink). Relax, hold the paddle very
loosely, your wrist on the roll side should be limp. Lead the paddle shaft
with your wrist. Don't try to control it or the blade angle, let it glide on
its own glide path near (but not on) the surface, your hand acting more like
a rope pulling the glider from your wrist. You can practice this on the
surface doing sculling high brace type strokes while letting your limp wrist
flop back and forth (remember loose hand encircling the shaft but not
gripping it) as you lead with the wrist.

Once in the upside down and bent way forward at the waist starting position
for this roll (with the paddle blade as far forward as you can hold it),
rotate your torso even further in the direction it is already twisted in and
stretch out as far as you can as you sweep the paddle blade. Sweep the blade
in as wide an arc and as far away from you as you possibly can. With the
straight outstretched arm wipe your bicep across your face, pushing your
head all the way back against the back deck with that outstretched bicep in
your face. Almost all learners do just the opposite and pull all their
muscles (especially the biceps) inward towards their body in an attempt to
force themselves up and lift themselves out of the water like doing a
pull-up. It is hard to break them of this habit and they insist on
practicing it over and over. Stretch outward as far as you can keeping your
arms straight, do not pull inward towards your trunk! (Repeat this a dozen
times aloud). Don't pull down until very late in the sweep (if at all--done
right you don't need to pull down intentionally at all). Never pull the
blade downward (or hip-snap) until the paddle is out at least to
perpendicular to the boat. Actually I'd forget the term "hip-snap" (it is
hard to imagine) just pull the kayak around with the thigh and knee that's
on the same side of your body as the hand closest to the sweeping blade.
When the paddle is at least to perpendicular think "knee pull" to rotate the
kayak (although you have already rotated it a lot just by reaching as far
out as can as you sweep the blade around on its glide path).

Don't try to picture in your mind what you are going to do you will just get
confused and mess up your body. Think about that one single thing the
instructor should ask you to concentrate on during the next try. Reject any
critique of what you have done wrong, you don't want to hear it (more
nattering nabobs). The instructor should do his critique silently and only
give you that one instruction you need to concentrate on the most to get
over the problems you are having.

Instructors vary in technique here, but I like using the tip-over on the
same side as you will roll up on as a wind-up for the roll (discussed in an
earlier post). Tipping over on the opposite side can come later (to make it
a complete "roll"--I don't know why, but this is important to some people,
seems like semantics to me). Early on it just confuses you to tip over on
one side and try to roll up on the other. Success is going from upside down
to right-side up, it don't much matter which side you tipped over on. Once
you can do that, learning other tricks, refinements, or other rolls is
usually quite easy.
I'd also start with the Pawlata roll because it is easier (one hand holding
the end of the paddle blade--it makes the other blade sweep in an even
bigger arc giving you more time and leverage--and keeps that in hand blade
from causing trouble). I much prefer doing preliminary exercises with the
paddle in the students hand rather than gripping the poolside (I think you
pick up bad habits along with the good ones if you hands are not on the
paddle while practicing "hip-snaps" (or "knee pulls"). I like a flat board
float of about 1/4 cubic foot of buoyancy (12x12x3 or 12x18x2, etc.) on the
end of the paddle to start with. A good instructor can stand behind you and
hold up the paddle shaft to help you out a bit and guide you through the
sweep at first, but if you're trying this on your own or with rolling
friends (who aren't regular instructors) helping you out--use the flat float
at first. If you use the float remember slow-motion and as little effort as
possible.

One final rule: Never ever try to teach your spouse to roll!

Matt Broze
http://www.marinerkayaks.com


>>From: Dana VerHague <sealion60_at_yahoo.com>
Subject: [Paddlewise] eskimo roll

  Thanks to all for the advice for rolling.  I was
under the impression that it was much easier to do.
My instructor made it sound so simple, and I also took
it light.  My real attempts begin now and I wont be so
frustrated (frightened) after knowing what really is
to be expected.

Dana<<



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