Re: [Paddlewise] efficient stroke

From: Tord S. Eriksson <tord_at_mindless.com>
Date: Thu, 9 Jul 2009 23:18:11 +0100
On Wed, 8 Jul  Bradford R. Crain wrote:

>> What are the markers of an efficient stroke? Are elbows/arms up, paddle
>> blade grazing the hull, minimal paddle length, raw speed, the only
>> considerations?

>    Frankly, I could care less. My measure of an efficient stroke is how many
> cheeseburgers and medium fries it will take me to get from point A to B.
> Long paddle, short paddle, wing, leg, thigh, they are all good. Carbon
> fiber,
> Greenland style, European, whatever, I'm just happy to be cruising those
> open waters. Try to maximize your enjoyment of the experience, and forget
> about style points and going fast. Read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle
> Maintenance.

Reading Robert Pirsig's most famous book gave me an insight in people who 
are not like me, who never would dare to mix things, like fitting a Long 
Haul sprayhood on a Klepper (just to take an example - our hero's friend
rides a BMW and the handles are slipping, so our hero show him how you can
use the metal in a Coca Cola can as shims, to make the handles tight and
correctly tightened - his friend almost faints at the mere idea).

Pirsig's alter ego is pretty much like me, although I an ignoramus when it 
comes to philosophy. But I know other things that are extremely rare knowledge
among professional philosophers, like paddling, and sailing, Klepper folding kayaks.

I think the most important thing, when it comes to paddling, is that your
style doesn't hurt your upper body, so that you can keep it up with little, or
no, discomfort, for hours on end.

I am not there yet - need to get my shoulders operated on first! But
I see the light in the end of the tunnel!

Tord





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Received on Thu Jul 09 2009 - 15:18:20 PDT

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