That sponson site had this in their ad copy! "In fact most Arctic people did not roll kayaks: Using floats, rafting up and ballasted designs, according to anthropologists. Most Greenlanders historically did not roll for serious survival. Nor any Canadian Inuit. Nor most Alaskan peoples. Rolling for reliable safety is a modern, commercial instruction myth. You must have reliable safety back-up. " Is this true?? John Blackburn *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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 _________________________________________________________________ Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
From: "John Blackburn" <digipixs_at_erols.com> > "In fact most Arctic people did not roll kayaks: Using floats, rafting > up and ballasted designs, according to anthropologists. Most > Greenlanders historically did not roll for serious survival. > Nor any Canadian Inuit. Nor most Alaskan peoples. Rolling for > reliable safety is a modern, commercial instruction myth. > You must have reliable safety back-up. " > > Is this true?? The part about using floats and rafting etc. is true. We know they did this. The part about not rolling is hyperbole if not absolute BS (depending on which Inuit or Aleut people you're referring to.) The part about having a reliable backup to a roll is a reasonable statement. The implication that the sponsons are the solution is an opinion, not a verifiable statement. If Timmy didn't exaggerate so much, some of us could take him more seriously. Mike *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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