Re:[Paddlewise] tennis elbow

Gordin wrote:
<Snip>>>>>>Now my legs are burning, my lungs have collapsed and I'm not even
a third
of the way down when I planted my right pole directly onto a rock.  I felt
the shock right through to the bones in my elbow.<<<<<snip>

Thirty some years ago my solution to those hard pole plants was shock
absorbers in my ski poles. I was skiing (Freestyle) for Hart skis and Allsop
bindings at the time. I told my idea to someone at Allsop when I was up in
Bellingham getting some more bindings and having the release on them
checked. They were concerned that I had been able to carve on my boots to
make their bindings a lot less likely to prerelease on me. The had never
seen such high release numbers on their bindings and didn't want to blemish
their (at the time) "no broken legs" record. (Their rep broke his leg on a
pair shortly thereafter).  They must have thought the shock absorber poles
were a good idea though because they came out with just such a thing by the
next season. I got a couple of pair from the new rep and I just loved them.
No more wrist and elbow pain on those hard pole plants in icy moguls. I have
used them ever since (not the same pair though, I break poles about as often
as skis--about once a season). Every once in a while I hit a pole plant hard
enough to bottom out the shock absorbers and am instantly reminded just how
much I would miss them. Several years ago Allsop suddenly quit producing the
shock absorber poles. Since then I have bought any I could get (for $5.00 or
less at thrift stores and garage sales). I also buy other poles that I like
the baskets and tips on (the lightweight kind with points or jagged ends
that don't skip on ice--like the newer cupped Allsop ones do--and I then
mount the Allsop shock absorber handles on those better poles).
BTW I bought my first pair of shaped skis at a garage sale for $25 last
year. I don't see any $1000 pair of skis in my future either but I'll keep
looking for a bargain priced replacement pair for those I have now as I do
really like how confident I can be that they will carve quickly when I set
them on edge. Of course, I've been thinking what would even shorter and
smaller radius skis do to maybe make even quicker carved turns. I may have
to find some slalom racing demo skis to find out. It is hard to pay more for
a rental than I pay for a pair skis though.

As to your paddling around the island: my advice would be to not aggravate
your injury and risk making it chronic. If you must go, get a battery
powered propeller system, a motorboat, or paddle a double kayak with a
strong and sympathetic paddler to help (so you can slack way off). Do we
have any Paddlewise volunteers from your area? Don't all speak up at once.
Doug, are you out there?

Matt Broze
www.marinerkayaks.com
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