Zoo Town Surfers Blog

Tom learning how to roll

One of the things I love about whitewater kayaking is that’s its constantly challenging, both mentally and physically.  Maybe it’s those challenges and obstacles that keep us coming back for more.  Maybe it’s the one thing we all have in common: we like getting our butts kicked occasionally and enjoy the challenges.  One of the biggest challenges beginners face is learning how to roll, and even more importantly, learning how to roll in rapids (AKA: The Combat Roll).

The roll plays an essential part in the sport of whitewater kayaking, and significantly affects your safety, progression (both mentally and physically), and the amount of fun you can have.  We get calls all the time from people that have never been in a kayak and simply want to “learn how to roll”.  As an instructor, I don’t believe in just teaching roll and letting someone hit the river.  Many student that have never been in a kayak before are blown away that there are so many skills to learn prior to attempting the roll.  I have found there are 4 key components to successfully learning the roll:

1.       Comfort level

2.       Paddle technique

3.       Head position

4.        Hip snap

Comfort level

Getting comfortable in your kayak goes a long way in the learning process.  The more comfortable you are, the quicker the progression.  Being comfortable upside down also gives your instructor more time to make a rescue, which in turn allows you to stay in your boat, which in the long run saves you time and money. Get it?

Paddle Technique

Learning basic paddle strokes such as the forward stroke, sweeps, C-stroke, braces and proper paddle positioning will assist in the roll process.   Getting your paddle to the surface and keeping your blade at a sweeping or climbing angle are crucial.

Head Position

Keep your head down!  We all carp on occasion!

Hip Snap

If you can dance then I don’t want to hear any excuses.  Learning basic boat control, and being properly outfitted in your kayak are key factors in the hip snap.

Trying to roll prior to learning any of these key components is frustrating, tiring, and hard.  At ZTS, we focus on these 4 components before we even talk about the roll.  Learning these essential skills will help build mental confidence and make learning the roll easier.

In my next blog, I will focus on why the roll is important.

2012 Whitewater Resolutions

Each year time seems to fly by, faster and faster. Really makes me want start living even more. Feels just like yesterday that I started kayaking and fell in love with the sport. Now, this lifestyle that I have fallen in love with consumes me and everything that’s intertwined in this lifestyle defines who I am as a person. Yes there are doubts, ups and downs, good days and bad days, but overall, life is pretty damn good.
2011 was full of accomplishments, memories, new experiences, and of course, mistakes. I think most of my friends would agree that I’m crazy. And don’t worry, I’m ok with that. Well, every year at about this time I start reflecting on the current year and start looking forward to the next. I start thinking about what I want to accomplish in 2012, goals I can achieve, mistakes I don’t want to make again, and so on. I think they call those New Year resolutions, right?
Since this is a whitewater blog, I won’t get all wishey washy on you guys so let’s focus on our whitewater goals for 2012.
Here are some of mine:
1. Have another 200+day year on the water
2. Progress and innovate on the stand up paddle board
3. Go back to Peru and not get my ass kicked
4. Grand Canyon round 3
5. The Box Canyon on the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone (miss this trip every year!)
6. Annual high water Selway Run
7. Learn 4 new freestyle kayak moves
8. More multi-day trips with my lady
9. More self-support trips
10. Scare myself at least 10 times
I know 2012 is going to be the best year ever, on and off the water? What are you whitewater resolutions for 2012??

Ok, as a consumer in this day and age we have lots of choices, many times too many choices. The list could go on and on. Well, I’m gonna help you narrow down those choices for all you river rats out there. Each holiday season, we receive gifts that we never use and are pieces of junk. Why bother? I’m a gadget guy myself and I can’t have enough headlamps, mini flashlights, and small pocket knives with 25 attachments included. These gift ideas are sure to please that river runner in your family and are guaranteed to please!
Below is my top 11 gift list this holiday season:
1) Gift certificate from your local paddle shop
2) Gas card for all those shuttles
3) Yearly subscription to Kayak Session Magazine
4) Fresh pair of flip flops
5) A new throw bag (safety first!)
6) Membership to American Whitewater (includes bi-monthly magazine and it’s a good cause!)
7) Donation to The Max Wave (even better cause)
A kayak lesson for 2 (great for couples looking to bond or divorce)
9) Gift Certificate from your favorite local burrito joint (kayakers love those cheap burritos!)
10) New sponge (cheap, really cheap!)
11) Portable I pod dock for that dance party at the take-out

Some great stocking stuffers: paddle wax, duct tape, 20’straps, beer coozie, bottle opener key chains, energy drinks, fresh set of Docs earplugs, beef jerky, nose plugs, safety whistle, itunes gift card….
Anybody out there have some ideas I’m completely forgetting about? I want to hear some good one’s!!!

Last weekend I drove over to the Lochsa River, one of my all time favorites.  It was a classic Lochsa weekend, rainy, snowy, with an occasional beam of sunshine.   Fish creek, a river rat’s hangout, put-in, and sometimes take-out had plenty of traffic.  The crowd, mostly from Missoula was a good mixture of older paddlers and well, the new generation.

Once I arrived at Wilderness Gateway, a popular camp spot for river runners, I had a realization:  I am no longer the younger crowd.  There were a few other groups at “the gateway” and everyone in our group started to discuss camping and we were like” lets camp away from the crazies and have our own space”  It made me think of my crazy Lochsa days where the older guys would camp further away with their nice tents, campers, and trucks.  I guess it’s just a part of life; getting old.  What’s the alternative?

Getting old however does not mean you have to make sacrifices on the river.  When I started kayaking I had so much respect for the paddling generation ahead of me because they had great attitudes, were friendly, helpful, and were just happy to be on the water.  Getting old doesn’t mean you have to have a bad attitude because you can’t do what you used to do, or there are new people doing new things, in different equipment.

I like to paddle with the young and old paddlers because I want to continue learning.  For me, progression is important not only on the river, but off as well. I think this can be said for a lot of people in family businesses whose parent’s don’t want to buy into new business ideas or social media techniques.

So what I’m getting at here is to keep your ears open, be a good mentor, and continue to learn from paddlers of all ages. It will keep you fresh, innovative, and healthy.  There is nothing worse than when I meet a salty river dawg who is past his prime and is rude, has a know- it- all attitude, and doesn’t even have fun anymore.  The same can be said for younger paddlers who are hot-headed, inflated ego’s, and  bad attitudes.  If you can accept the old and new, it will go a long way for the future generation of paddlers and yourself.  Remember, it’s all about having fun

Tune in and turn people on to the wonderful sport of kayaking.