Re: [Paddlewise] snippings

> I'd like to be able to roll. Really.
>
> But my attempts to self-teach myself have been miserable failures,
> and the most easily available courses are both too expensive for my
> budget and at inconvenient times and places.

For self-taught rollers, it might help to think of a roll as an extreme
brace. When I made my first Greenland paddle, there was no one in my area
who knew how to teach a Greenland roll. My first attempt resulted in a wet
exit. Immediately I decided to teach myself from the top down. I started
practicing sweep braces and static braces -- tentatively at first, then
more aggressively as I developed confidence. Eventually, I got to the
point where I could submerge my head and still brace up. After that, it
was a short step to a roll, merely adding an underwater setup to what I
had done before. Learning this way patterns your muscles for what is for
most people the most difficult part of the roll: the last ninety degrees.

It also helps if a friend can stand by to give you an Eskimo rescue when
you miss a roll. I did this when teaching my wife to roll, and though she
missed many rolls at first, not once did she wet exit. It saves much time
and energy and makes learning to roll a lot more fun and less
discouraging.

Chuck Holst
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