Re: [Paddlewise] sponsons/inuit/rolling

SNIP
>Most Greenlanders historically did not roll for serious survival.
SNIP
>Is this true??

John,

There was tremendous variation of kayaks and skills across the arctic. The 
Greenlanders hunted (and continue to hunt) sea mammals in very challenging 
conditions, and are often regarded as achieving the pinnacle of rolling 
skill. Seals were commonly taken via harpoon and line, and many of the 
rolling methods were devised to survive a capsize should your paddle, arms 
or torso become entangled with the line. Rolling was (and remains) a serious 
survival tool to the Greenlanders, but even rolling could not prevent many 
of the ways a kayak hunter could be killed. For example, if you missed with 
the killing lance, to finish a kill, an enraged seal or walrus could turn 
and attack (sometimes from below) and rent holes in the kayak. A number of 
hunters were killed when the harpoon line became caught on the kayak, and 
they were pulled, kayak and all, forcefully through the water. Maligiaq 
Padilla's great grandfather died in this manner, the tremendous pressure 
broke his back.

FWIW, the Greenlanders also possessed inflatable "balance sacks" for 
stabilizing a novice's kayak that are very similar in appearance to the 
current commercial sponsons (Skinboats of Greenland, H.C. Petersen, pg 109). 
To this day, Greenlanders adopt a "stay in the kayak or die" approach to 
safety, and generally do not practice rescues that involve a wet exit. 
Kayaking is still an important aspect of the Greenland culture, and the 
Greenland championship includes a rolling competition with thirty different 
maneuvers (see http://www.qajaqusa.org/QK/rolls/rolls.html).

Regarding the historical practice of rolling in Greenland, I have seen 
various statistics. It does appear that there were always a number of 
kayakers who could not roll. In 1767 David Crantz wrote in The History of 
Greenland, "Every Greenlander is not capable of learning all these ways of 
oversetting and rising again; nay there are good seal fishers that cannot 
rise again in the easiest way. Therefore many men are cast away in the 
sealfishery".

The following is a quote from "Eskimo Life", by Fridtjof Nansen, in 1893; 
"In earlier times, on the west coast of Greenland, every at all capable 
kaiak-man was able to right himself; but in these later days, since the 
introduction of European civilisation, and the consequent degeneracy of the 
race, this art has declined, along with everything else. It is still quite 
common, however, in many places. For instance, I can assert of my own 
knowledge that at Kangek, near Godthaab (Nuuk), almost all the hunters 
possessed it. On the east coast, according to Captain Holm, it seems to be 
usual, yet not so much so as it was in former times upon the west coast. Nor 
is this to be wondered at, as it is far more necessary on the west coast, 
where there is little drift ice and heavy seas are common".

Greg Stamer
http://www.qajaqusa.org

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