Archive for June, 2008
GAP Summer Tour at Potomac Paddlesports
I’m off on a three week road trip that started with a Girls at Play Summer Tour event at Potomac Paddlesports in Washington D.C. It’s one of the coolest looking paddlesports stores I’ve been into. The owner, Sunny Pitcher, has great vision and has created (and is continually creating) a very forward thinking paddlesports business. I hadn’t [...]
Filed under Anna's Blog, Latest News, Trip/Tour Reports : Comments (1) : Jun 27th, 2008
The Sweep Stroke: To look or not to look
When I’m teaching basic strokes women often ask me if it’s better to follow the blade through the water in the sweep stroke and stern draw or to look in the opposite direction of the spin momentum.
In my opinion, torso rotation is the most important skill set for good stroke technique and following the blade [...]
Filed under Kayaking Tips : Comments (0) : Jun 19th, 2008
Visualization
If you want to feel less fearful and more confident on the river it’s worth taking the time to visualize yourself feeling good and making the moves you want to make. Visualization is a technique that’s used successfully by countless high performing athletes, but seems to be overlooked by regular enthusiasts and weekend warriors. If [...]
Filed under Inspiring Articles, Kayaking Tips, Yoga for Kayaking : Comments (0) : Jun 19th, 2008
Tips on Basic Stroke Technique
As the paddling season approaches many of you are probably hitting the pool to practice some rolls and get back in the groove before venturing out on the chillier rivers. Pool sessions are a great opportunity to practice your basic strokes. Even though it seems more fun to practice rolls and flatwater moves, basic strokes [...]
Filed under Kayaking Tips : Comments (0) : Jun 19th, 2008
Finishing the Roll
The most common problem I see women (and men) have with their roll is that they lift their head up first when trying to finish the roll. Some even have great roll technique up until the very last second, but because they then try to throw their head up, they don’t make it! Here’s a [...]
Filed under Kayaking Tips, Uncategorized : Comments (0) : Jun 19th, 2008
The Sculling Draw
The sculling draw is a stroke that will allow you to slide sideways in the water in both whitewater and recreational kayaks. In whitewater it’s useful for maneuvering in small eddies, for positioning yourself next to an eddie line in preperation for a ferry or for paddling out onto a wave. In recreational kayaking the [...]
Filed under Kayaking Tips : Comments (0) : Jun 19th, 2008
The Boof
The boof is my favorite river running move. It’s usually considered a must-make move in some class IV and V rapids, but it’s a move you can easily practice in class II and III. It’s really fun! The name comes from the sound that your kayak makes when it lands flat on [...]
Filed under Kayaking Tips, Uncategorized : Comments (1) : Jun 19th, 2008