Duane posted this link on Facebook. I thought I'd copy it and post it here for those of you who are interested. http://duane.smugmug.com/Hobbies/TAKS2009/10013845_9vNjZ#685223870_STtWz Craig Jungers Moses Lake, WA www.nwkayaking.net *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Craig, I'm sorry you couldn't make it down for TAKS (Traditional Arctic Kayak Symposium), but maybe we'll see you down here this winter. TAKS was a great event once again. Although one sour note for me was a few people constantly BCU bashing. Although I feel more G-style than BCU in recent years, I found myself constantly defending the BCU. Like I always say, I really don't care what kind of paddle people use, because the important thing is to be paddling. Also, G-style and the BCU could learn a lot from each other. I feel lucky to have learned a lot from both. Duane --- On Mon, 10/19/09, Craig Jungers <crjungers_at_gmail.com> wrote: > Duane posted this link on Facebook. I > thought I'd copy it and post it here > for those of you who are interested. > > > http://duane.smugmug.com/Hobbies/TAKS2009/10013845_9vNjZ#685223870_STtWz *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Hi Duane.... I really wanted to get down there for TAKS but real life intervened. I think Dec or Jan are more realistic. The only problem I have with BCU is that it looks to me like a power grab and money making scheme all rolled up in one. But I'm not much for "credentials". I think the USA (and the western world in general) is far too credential-driven. I sympathize with people trying to determine who is "qualified" to instruct and who isn't, however. So far the Greenland folks have managed to avoid the credential system and I, for one, hope that it stays that way. I have learned a lot from Greenland folks but also a lot from people who have no documentation whatsoever. That particular list is pretty long. Once you introduce politics you inevitably get rancor. It just seems to be part and parcel of the human condition. I no longer know which "style" I use to paddle. I have everything from kevlar to SOF and paddles from wing to GP. I just use whatever seems to fit the day and my mood. There are a lot of Greenland techniques that I'd like to get better at. See you later this winter. Craig On Mon, Oct 19, 2009 at 8:48 PM, Duane Strosaker <strosaker_at_yahoo.com>wrote: > Craig, > > I'm sorry you couldn't make it down for TAKS (Traditional Arctic Kayak > Symposium), but maybe we'll see you down here this winter. > > TAKS was a great event once again. Although one sour note for me was a few > people constantly BCU bashing. Although I feel more G-style than BCU in > recent years, I found myself constantly defending the BCU. Like I always > say, I really don't care what kind of paddle people use, because the > important thing is to be paddling. Also, G-style and the BCU could learn a > lot from each other. I feel lucky to have learned a lot from both. > > Duane > > > --- On Mon, 10/19/09, Craig Jungers <crjungers_at_gmail.com> wrote: > > > Duane posted this link on Facebook. I > > thought I'd copy it and post it here > > for those of you who are interested. > > > > > > http://duane.smugmug.com/Hobbies/TAKS2009/10013845_9vNjZ#685223870_STtWz *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Craig said: The only problem I have with BCU is that it looks to me like a power grab and money making scheme all rolled up in one. But I'm not much for "credentials". I think the USA (and the western world in general) is far too credential-driven. I sympathize with people trying to determine who is "qualified" to instruct and who isn't, however. So far the Greenland folks have managed to avoid the credential system and I, for one, hope that it stays that way. I have learned a lot from Greenland folks but also a lot from people who have no documentation whatsoever. That particular list is pretty long. Once you introduce politics you inevitably get rancor. It just seems to be part and parcel of the human condition. I no longer know which "style" I use to paddle. I have everything from kevlar to SOF and paddles from wing to GP. I just use whatever seems to fit the day and my mood. There are a lot of Greenland techniques that I'd like to get better at. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I don't see it that way. Basically, I've seen the BCU system for what it is, a path for skills progression that at first is general in nature then becomes discipline specific. Along the way paddlers make up their minds if they want to add a coaching path to their paddling skills progression. Now and then a symposium featuring some excellent coaches from the UK and other countries comes along and while we paddlers are paddling for fun it is nice to hear some perspectives from people all over the world, not just around here. I've never felt I ceded authority to the BCU or joined a cult, drinking prodigious quantities of Kool-Aid. I took a clinic, let's say 2 star, and took their feedback and then took a test and they said, good, 2 star! I have not met a BCU coach (or a non-BCU coach for that matter) that earned vast sums of money from coaching and supposedly indoctrinating paddlers. There is a cost to attaining all the coaching standards they have to meet and maintain and whether anyone wants to add that to their decision on whether to go through a system, it's their call. I can say this, I've met some really good coaches from *over there.* If someone wants to be a groupy to a particular personality or system that is their issue, alot of us just did something stupid, cringed and thought we should call in a pro to help us out. I first learned about Greenland paddling from Sea Kayaker magazine. However, it was the BCU that went to the trouble of hiring someone, flying them to the symposium destination and paying them to teach. That's not a particuilary wise move if you want to run a control scheme, but they do it at all of the symposiums I've been to and ones I see advertised. That's also where I met Greg Stamer, a person I have a high regard for as a teacher and a paddler, by the way. The people that focus on Greenland techniques also have evolved some great methods of disseminating information and creating events that are very well done and a source of great energy and creativity. I'm with Duane on this, I don't believe they are mutually exclusive goals if you are paying for instruction and spending time improving your performance. Every day I go kayaking I try to learn something and if my universe is not open to alot of practitioners operating at a high level in whichever facet of the sport I'm trying to improve, I'm not doing myself justice. Some people are very good at self improvement, I'm not one of them. Anyway, that's just my take on things. Cheers, Rob 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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