Note: For those of you who do not know about Professor Inverbon, I read Paddlewise posts to him and write his responses for him. He detests technology and refuse to own a computer. I take no responsibility for the content of his responses and publish them as a public service only. J.W. Scott wrote; >The "unfeathered," or "traditional" paddle came first. As I understand >it, the feathered paddle was developed as a racing thing in the belief that >the upper blade of the feathered paddle would create less wind resistance. Dear Boy, How gratifying to discover one so young with a healthy interest in history. So often the young ignore the lessons of history and charge blindly ahead into the abyss of the future un-armed as it were. Nevertheless, we must excersize caution and not believe everything that modern historians and paddlers call "history". I recall (and not all that long ago) when I too believed that the first Inuit paddles were untwisted. Then after many years of research while living with the Inuit and experienceing their twisted minds first hand I learned better and grew to accept and even love the twisted paddle. When you have seen first hand the tender affection the Inuit hunter has for a twisted paddle, seen him caress it and mutter sweet nothings to it on a summer evening beneath the never setting summer sun you cannot help but be moved. The Greeks, you see, had nothing on the Inuit. After a hard days paddling through the ice bergs far from home would it surprise anyone that not all Inuit were straight? Of course not. This was a hard life and one gets companionship where one can. But, I hear you ask, if they love them so much why do they keep it secret and why do we now believe the Straight paddle came first? We have narrow minded missonaries to blame for the secrecy. Along with spreading various European desease they also spread homophobia. If the priests had spent some time on the ice with the Inuit hunters they might have changed their tune but they didn't and we are the poorer for it. As for our belief that the Straight paddle came first we have the British naval officer to blame. British naval officers on duty in the Arctic soon twigged to the Inuit hunter's nature and took advantage of it. The Officers, however, ashamed to have engaged in such practices with anyone but a British seaman and fearing retribution from the people back home who believed the British Office would never stoop to such behaviour reported that the Inuit were straight. British amateur kayak builders picked up on it and soon the myth of the straight paddle grew to accepted wisdom. The Inuit, being impressionable people soon enough learned what the British sailors said about them and assumed that what they said was not only right but true and abandoned the twisted paddle. Fortunatley they did not wipe it out of their folklore. Up until recently the truth was spoken only in hushed tones as the Inuit still feared persecution by homophobic missionaries and /or government employees hoping to better the natives. Fortunately their fears are diminishing with the current glut of Gay TV series making the twisted paddle seem almost normal. It hasn't hurt that more liberal minded athelets using twisted paddles have become virtual folk heros. How wonderful it was this summer to watch their little round faces light up as they watched the best Olympic paddlers race to victory using twisted paddles. I predict that, with the help of researchers such as John Brand bringing to light the noble history of twisted Greenland paddles, the twisted paddle will take its rightful place as the very first Inuit paddle style. Dr. Peregrine Inverbon, Ph.d., DD, LL.d, Ph.G *************************************************************************** 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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