Enjoy!

Aerial: When a kayak leaves the surface of the water.  Usually refers to freestyle (see freestyle) moves.

Attainment: When a kayaker paddles upstream against the current to get from a point downstream to point upstream. Many whitewater paddlers do attainments for a workout or to train for extreme racing (see extreme racing).

Back band: The band located behind the seat that can be tightened to keep the paddler in an aggressive, upright seated position.  The back band provides support for the lower back.

Back deck roll:  A type of eskimo roll (see Eskimo roll) performed with the paddlers body positioned on the back deck of the kayak.  This roll is used by freestyle (see freestyle) paddlers to quickly roll back up while surfing a hole (see hydraulic) or a wave.

Back Loop: A freestyle move.  A loop (see loop) performed from stern (see stern) to bow (see bow).

Back Stroke: The technique used by paddlers to paddle backwards.

Back Surfing: Surfing (see surfing) backwards on a wave.

Backwash: The water behind a hydraulic/hole (see hydraulic) that flows upstream back into the hydraulic.  The flatter the backwash the more danger of getting recirculated (see recirculate) by the hole.

Base layers: Layers of clothing made from natural (except cotton) or synthetic fabrics that paddlers wear under their outer layers.  Good baselayers wick moisture away from their skin, keeping the paddler warm or keeping them cool — depending on the weather.  Always avoid wearing cotton as a base layer as it traps moisture close to your skin, doesn’t dry quickly and keeps you cold.  Examples of good base layers are fleece, wool, polypropelene and neoprene.

Bent shaft paddle: A paddle with a shaft that’s ergonomically bent where the hands grip the paddle so that the paddler’s wrists maintain a neutral position.  Paddlers with tendonitis or wrist problems usually prefer bent shaft paddles.

Big Wave Surfing: Surfing on waves that are 5 ft or higher.  These waves are typically found on rivers like the White Nile in Uganda, the Ottawa in Canada and the New River in West Virginia.

Blunt/Backstab: A blunt is a freestyle (see freestyle) move performed on a wave where the paddler does a cross-grain vertical spin using a quick edge to edge transition.  The backstab is the move performed backwards beginning in a back surf and landing in a front surf.

Boat scouting: Scouting (see scouting) a rapid from your kayak by catching multiple eddies (see eddy) at the top of and on the way down the rapid.

Boils: Boils are found on very large rivers that have a lot of CFS (see CFS).  They’re usually found in spots where the river constricts, forcing most of the water down.  Because the flow of the river is so constricted the water is forced back up to the surface and then down again and forms features that resemble boiling water.  Boils are very unstable for kayakers and can easily flip them over if paddlers don’t know how to maneuver through them.

Boof: A river running move performed over a rock, waterfall, drop or hole to keep the bow of the paddlers’ boat above the surface of the water and to keep the kayak flat or close to flat.  The boof is a really fun and important move for remaining stable and making moves, especially on steep creeks.

Boof Stroke: The stroke used to perform a boof.  It’s a very vertical stroke that the paddler plants at the edge of the rock or drop while they thrust their hips and feet forward at the same time to lift their bow.

Booties: Neoprene shoes that fit tightly so that they can easily and comfortably fit in a kayak to protect the paddlers’ feet.

Bow: The front of a kayak.

Bow Draw: An intermediate turning stroke performed at the bow of the kayak.  The bow draw is a very efficient turning stroke.

Bow Stall: A flatwater trick where the paddler buries the bow of her kayak and balances the kayak close to vertical on her bow in flatwater.

Bulkhead (whitewater): The foot brace in creek boats and river running kayaks.  Bulkheads are usually made with strong materials and fill the area at the front of the kayak so that the paddler’s feet can’t go underneath or above the bulkhead.  The bulkhead is attached to the kayak via metal pieces with holes in them that can be slid back and forth depending on the length of the paddlers’ legs and are secured with removable bolts.

Carabiner: Is a metal loop with a gate. They’re used in climbing and in rescue systems in kayaking as well as tow leashes.  They can also be used to secure drybags, throw bags and water bottles inside the kayak.

Cam straps: A piece of webbing with a metal buckle that is used to tie down kayaks on roof racks.

Carping: When a frantic paddler takes a big breath while their head is briefly above water during a failed roll attempt – resembling a carp coming up for air.

Carwheel: A 360 vertical spin in a hole.  A freestyle move that requires good edge control, torso rotation and quick transitions.

Cave: A cave in the side of a river or canyon wall or behind a waterfall or drop in a river.

CFS: ‘Cubic feet per second.’  The unit used to measure the volume of  water in the river.  The metric system is called CMS ‘cubic meters per second,’ also called ‘cumex.’

Class I Rapid: Very mellow, easy-going whitewater with little or no consequence.

Class II Rapid: A rapid that has some waves and whitewater, but that is still very easy to maneuver with little or no consequence.

Class III Rapid: A rapid with faster flowing water and a few whitewater features to maneuver around.  Some consequence.

Class IV Rapid: A rapid that contains a number of features that require skill and experience to maneuver around with consequences that include the possibility of injury.

Class V Rapid: A very difficult rapid where consequences of missing a maneuver or swimming may result in severe injury or death.

Class VI Rapid: A rapid that is not runable.

Creek: A narrow, constricted, low-volume river that has steep drops.

Creekboat: A whitewater kayak that is designed specifically for running creeks.  Creekboats usually have higher volume to keep the kayak above the water and they’re designed to resurface easily, to maintain stability and to have speed.

Creeking: The act of kayaking a creek.

Cross-bow: When a stroke is taken with the paddle blade on the opposite side of the bow of the kayak.  This requires that the paddler reach across the bow with his/her paddle blade to initiate the stroke.

Drop: A steep rapid.  Usually found on creeks.

Drydeck: A drytop and sprayskirt sewn together as one garmet designed to keep the paddler’s upper body and the inside of their kayak completely dry.

Drysuit: A full body suit made with wind breaking material with latex gaskets at the neck and wrists and booties at the feet to keep water out and keep the paddler’s body completely dry.

Drytop: A paddling jacket with latex gaskets at the neck and wrists designed to keep the paddler’s upper body completely dry.

Double-pump: A technique using upper body rotation and edge control to initiate a cartwheel or a bow stall.

Downstream: The direction in which the current is flowing.

Downstream V: A tongue of dark water that loosely forms a ‘V’ shape with whitewater at the edges.  The downstream v is a river feature that indicates the deepest and most obstacle-free entry into or path through a rapid.

Dry bag: A waterproof, sealable bag that keeps contents dry.  Paddlers use drybags for first aid kits, snacks and other stuff they want to bring down the river with them.

Eddy: A river feature formed when the current flows around an obstacle and water flows back upstream to fill in the space left by the deflected current.  The current inside of eddies flows upstream.  Eddies are great for resting, getting out of the current, getting out of the river and scouting.

Eddy Line: The line at the edge of an eddy where the current flowing downstream meets the current flowing upstream in the eddy.  Eddy lines are swirly and unstable places in the current.

Eddy Turn: The technique used to enter an eddy with speed and stability.

Edge Control: The ability of a paddler to set, maintain and change their kayak edge to varying degrees to maneuver through whitewater and perform freestyle moves.

Edge to Edge Transition: When the paddler transitions from one edge of the kayak to the other.  Edge to edge transition is used in freestyle moves like the blunt and in river running moves like the boof.

Ender: An old school freestyle move where the paddler thrusts his/her bow into the green water of a hole or pourover.   This pushes the bow down until the water pressure releases it and sends the kayak up vertically in the air.

Eskimo Roll: The technique that kayakers use to right themselves when they flip over.

Extreme racing: A competition where kayakers race down sections of steep creeks, many containing waterfalls.

Feather: The cocking or bending of the wrist to make small adjustments to the angle of the paddle blade.  Feathering is used to ensure that the paddle blade enters the water at a certain angle, remains neutral in the water or creates resistance against the water to perform strokes and maneuver.

Ferry: The river running technique used to cross the downstream current to get from one side of the river to the other without being taken downstream with the current.

Flat spin: A freestyle move where a kayaker does a full 360 degree spin on the face of a wave.

Flatwater: Water without any current.   Usually referring to lakes or very large calm pools with little or no current.

Flatwater cartwheel: A cartwheel performed in flatwater.

Flatwater Loop: A loop performed in flatwater.

Float bags: Plastic bags shaped like the stern of a kayak that the paddler can place in the stern and inflate. Inflated airbags keep water from filling up the kayak and make it lighter and easier to pull or push to shore after a swim.

Foam pile: The part of the hydraulic or hole that is flowing back upstream mixing with the air to become aerated water.  It looks like a pile of foam and allows paddlers to surf friendly holes and wave-holes by creating the upstream force needed to keep them from continuing downstream.

Foot foam: Specially formed foam that is used instead of bulkheads in smaller freestyle/playboating kayaks.

Freestyle Kayaking/Playboating: A discipline of whitewater kayaking where paddlers surf waves or holes and perform tricks, including aerial tricks.

Forward Stroke: The stroke that paddlers use to propel themselves forward in the water.

Front Surfing: Surfing a river wave facing upstream.

Gauge: An instrument used to measure the speed of the current or the water level of a river.

Grab loops: The loops or handles situated at the bow and stern of kayaks that allows the paddler to carry and strap down the kayak. They are an important safety feature for attaching ropes or tow leashes in order to rescue or extract kayaks in rescue situations.

Gradient: In simple kayaking terms the word gradient is used to refer to the amount of drop or loss of elevation in a river from put-in to take-out.

Green water: Refers to the dark water that flows downstream.  The water is dark or green because it is obstacle free and/or contains a large amount of water.  Because the green water is obstacle free it can be very powerful.

Hand of God: A rescue technique where a paddler rights another paddler who has flipped upside down and can’t roll up.  The rescuer places him/herself alongside the kayaker that is upside down and pushes down on the edge closest to them while pulling up on the opposite edge, righting the kayak.

Helmet: The piece of gear that protects your head.

High Brace: A stroke used by a paddler to prevent him or herself from flipping over.

Hip pads: Padding that is placed on the sides of the seat at or above the hips to make the seat fit more snuggly to the paddler.

Horizon Line: A point in the river where the current drops off and the rapid below cannot be seen from upstream.

Hull: The bottom of the kayak.

Hydraulic/Hole: A river feature created when water flows over a rock or shelf in the river, drops, comes back up, mixes with the air and travels upstream back toward the obstacle that it flowed over.  This creates green water that is flowing downstream and a foam pile or backwash of aerated water that flows back up and into the green water creating a continuous flow cycle.

Jet Ferry: Using the trough of a wave to ferry quickly and efficiently across the current.

Keeper Hole: A very powerful hole or hydraulic in which the foam pile or backwash is so strong that it doesn’t easily release kayaks, debris or bodies and recirculates them in the hole for a long time.  Kayakers should always avoid keeper holes.

Lateral Wave: A wave that is breaking at an angle toward the center of the river.

Line: The path through a rapid.

Longboat: A kayak that is longer than 9 ft and is often used in extreme racing.

Loop: A freestyle trick performed in a hole where the paddler does a complete front flip from bow to stern and remains in the hole.

Low Brace: A stroke used by a paddler to prevent him/her from flipping over.

Micro Eddy: A very small eddy.

Neoprene: A material commonly used for making wetsuits, booties, sprayskirts and other garments used for paddling.  Neoprene insulates the body when it’s wet and keeps paddlers warm.

Noseplugs: A piece of gear used to keep water from going up the nose into the sinuses.

Outfitting: The term used for the additional adjustable features that allow for the kayak to fit snuggly to most paddlers.  Includes hip pads, seat, back band and thigh braces.

Paddle: A shaft with two blades on either end that a paddler uses to maneuver his/her kayak.

Paddle Jacket/Splash top: A paddling jacket without gaskets that is used to break the wind, but that doesn’t keep the paddler dry.

Park and Play: A term that refers to the act of going to a wave or hole to playboat without actually traveling downstream.  The paddler plays at the feature and gets out when he/she is done.  Park and play spots usually have road access nearby.

Peel Out: The technique used to exit an eddy into the downstream current efficiently with speed and stability.

PFD: Personal Floatation Device or lifejacket. One of the most important pieces of safety gear for paddlers.

Playboat: A kayak specifically designed to perform freestyle tricks in holes and waves.

Pirouette: A 360 degree vertical spin performed on the bow or stern of a kayak.

Portage: The act of carrying your kayak around a rapid because you don’t want to run it in your kayak.

Pourover: A river feature formed when just enough water pours over a rock to form a steep drop into a strong recirculating backwash.

Power Circle: A warm-up/stroke technique exercise that helps a paddler develop edge control, boat control and graceful paddle strokes.

Power Face: The concave side of the paddle blade that always faces the paddler as she/he is paddling.

Put-in: The place where paddlers access the section river they are paddling to start their descent.

Racks: A system of bars mounted onto the roof of a car used to carry kayaks or other toys such as bikes, skis etc…

Rapid: A section of river where the gradient increases causing the flow of the water to speed up creating more turbulence.

Reading water: The technique used to decipher and recognize the safest paths through turbulent whitewater.

Read and Run: Reading the water from your kayak as you paddle down the rapid.

Recirculate: The action of being caught in a hole or hydaulic where a person or kayak is pushed down by and pulled back up into the feature over and over again carried by the continuous flow cycle.

Rescue Vest: A PFD that is equipped with a rescue harness used in rescue situations.  Often worn by instructors and paddlers who kayak difficult rivers.

River knife: A small knife carried by kayakers and raft guides that can be used in rescue situations.

River Running: The act of kayaking down a river for the sake of paddling downstream and not stopping to playboat (the opposite of park and play).  Some paddlers who river run do stop and surf at playspots on their way down, but they usually focus on making river running moves such as boofs.

River Running Boat: A kayak that is designed specifically for river running – easy to maneuver, is stable, but can still surf a wave well. Somewhere between a playboat and a creek boat.

Rodeo: Another name for freestyle kayaking.

Scouting a Rapid: The act of pulling over above a rapid, getting out of your kayak, and walking to the edge of the rapid to look at it from land, discern the safest path and decide if you want to run it or portage.

Safety Harness: A harness attached to a rescue vest that has a quick release system that allows the paddler to attach him/herself to a rope or kayak in a rescue situation without being tied in. This way the paddler can release him/herself from the object keeping them safe.

Seam: A place in the river where two currents flowing in opposite directions meet and form a ‘line’ in the current.  Seams can be powerful and unstable.

Sculling Draw: A stroke where the paddle moves in the shape of a figure eight and draws the kayak sideways through the water.

Shortie: A short sleeve paddle jacket.

Shuttle: The act of setting a car at the take-out to the river so that you have transportation when you’re done with your run.  Shuttle requires at least two cars – one to set at the bottom and the other to drive the paddlers and their gear to the put-in.

Shuttle Bunny: Traditionally referred to women who drove the shuttle for their boyfriends or husbands.  She would drop them off at the put-in and pick them up at the take-out saving time.  Now that there are more women paddlers there are also male shuttle bunnies!  Yay!

Sieve: A pile or jumble of rocks in the current that creates a dangerous feature for kayakers.  Water flows through the rocks pushing the kayaker in and trapping him/her.  The pressure of the water keeps the kayaker trapped, but the rocks don’t allow the paddler to push through.  Paddlers should always avoid sieves.  They are more common on class V steep creeks.

Side Draw: A stroke that draws the kayak sideways in the water.

Slide: A rapid where the water flows over a rock shelf forming a slide that the kayak can paddle down.

Spin: A basic freestyle trick where the paddler spins his/her kayak 360 degrees in a hole.

Spray skirt: A neoprene skirt that’s worn by the kayaker and seals off the cockpit of the kayak so that no water can enter the kayak while he/she paddles downstream.

Stackers: Rack accessories that assist in stacking and tying down multiple kayaks on the roof of a car.

Stern Squirt: A basic freestyle trick performed on an eddy line where the paddler sends the bow of his/her kayak vertically in the air while sinking the stern of the kayak in the seam of the eddy line.

Straight shaft paddle: A paddle that has a straight shaft.

Strainer: Refers to a tree or tree branches in the current that allow for the water to flow through but that trap a kayak.  Works just like a spaghetti strainer.  Paddlers should avoid them.

Standing Wave: A tall wave that has no foam pile and that the water is flowing through quickly.  Standing waves are really friendly and fun!

Stern: The back of the kayak.

Stern Draw: A quick and efficient turning stroke performed with the paddle sweeping from the hips back to the stern of the kayak.

Stern Stall: A freestyle trick performed in flatwater where the paddler balances his/her kayak vertically with his/her stern submerged.

Sweep Stroke: The most basic turning stroke performed with the paddle planting at the feet and sweeping back to the stern.

Swiftwater Rescue: Rescue techniques specifically for situations involving current and fast flowing water.

Swimming: The act of bailing out of your kayak and swimming through the rapids because of failed roll attempts.

Tea cups: Friendly waterfalls with surrounding walls and rock that make the features look like water is being poured from a kettle into a tea cup.

T-Rescue: A rescue technique used when a paddler is having trouble rolling up.  One kayaker paddles the bow of his/her boat into the side of the kayak that’s upside down so that their kayaks form a T.  The paddler who is upside down can then reach up and roll themselves up using the other kayak.

Take-out: The access point for kayakers at the end of the section of river they’re running.

Thigh Braces: Plastic pieces just below the cockpit of the kayak that keep the paddlers’ thighs in the proper position.

Throw Bag: A rope that is packed in a bag that can be carried in the back of the kayak or on the kayaker that can easily be thrown to a paddler in trouble in a rescue situation.  Also used in other swiftwater rescue techniques.

Tow leash: A long piece of webbing packed and secured in a small bag that can be attached to a rescue harness.  Used by kayak instructors to pull kayaks to shore when their students swim.

Trashed: When things go bad and the paddler gets tossed around like a rag doll and spit out by the river.  Not usually life threatening, but not very pleasant.

Undercut Rock: A rock in the current that the water flows under and out the other side.  Usually enough room for the water, but not for a paddler.  Very dangerous for kayakers.  They should always be avoided.

Upstream: The opposite direction in which the current is flowing.

Waterfall: A place in the river where all of the water goes over a very tall, vertical drop.

Wave: Is a feature formed when the gradient increases, when the river constricts or when the current flows over rocks and other debris on the riverbed.

Wave-hole: A wave that has a foam pile at the crest. Wave-holes are usually great for surfing because the foam pile makes it easy for the paddler to remain on the wave.

Wave wheel: A downriver freestyle trick where the paddler performs a cartwheel as he/she paddles up and over a standing wave.

Wet Exit: The act of pulling your spray skirt and swimming out of your kayak.

Wetsuit: A neoprene suit that insulates the body when wet.

White water: White water is formed when flowing water mixes with air forming aerated water.  On rivers white water is formed when water flows over obstacles such as rocks in the riverbed or when the gradient of a river increases, quickening the flow and creating turbulence.

White Water Kayak: A kayak specifically designed for maneuvering in whitewater.  Whitewater kayaks are designed to maneuver and turn very easily and to be stable on edge.

Nonetheless, there were over 90 racers and a huge spectator crowd at Gorilla. Carnage opened the race with the course setter going off of Gorilla dead sideways. The next racer was my husband, Andrew Holcombe. He was first because he held the title from the year before and still holds the course record. He’s one of the best paddlers in the world and I rarely see him mess up his lines. So… I was surprised and a little concerned when he got turned around after the notch and ran Gorilla backwards! Since I was watching from the notch I couldn’t see his actual run down the falls, but I did see him washing out at the bottom upside down. I was happy to see him roll up and immediately shot his fist up in the air in good sport fashion. The crowd went wild with cheers. I was very relieved that he wasn’t hurt and he continued down the next rapid backwards. It turns out that he had spun out up at Go Left and also messed up his line at Zwix so when he ran Gorilla backwards he says it just made him laugh and topped off a bad race for him. I admire his good sportsmanship and his ability to let a disappointing performance roll off of his back. After all that he still ended up 5th which is pretty good considering!

There were a lot of other bad runs over Gorilla that made people cringe… backwards, sideways, upside down, paddles breaking, petons. Luckily no one got hurt and the crowd was good at cheering everyone on. There were also really good, smooth runs down Gorilla. Fellow Dagger paddler Pat Keller took the title this year. I think I heard there were over 30 Dagger Green boats in the race which is awesome. It’s really cool that all paddlers have access to new, modern race boats.

The women paddled really smoothly and they were fun to watch. There were three women this year, two in

long boats, Adrienne Levknecht and Laura Farrell, and one in a short boat, Louise Urman from New Zealand. I have a lot of respect for these women who raced because it’s a tough race. They have a lot of courage and talent. Adrienne had a fantastic run through Gorilla and she and Laura tied for first. All three women had nice lines and looked smooth.

For complete race results and video visit LVM.

These drills and exercises not only help you warm up before you paddle, but also help you develop good stroke technique, strong edge control and fluidity in your paddling. They’re simple and quick and if you use them your paddling will improve – I guarantee it. Enjoy!

Core Rotation Drills
When you watch good paddlers they look effortless as they maneuver through rapids. This is because the power to move their kayaks comes from their core and not their arms. They take less strokes and each stroke is well timed, powerful and efficient. Incorporating proper torso rotation into your paddling technique is the key to more efficient and effortless kayaking. What I mean by effortless is more smoothness and less struggle with every stroke – it doesn’t mean that you won’t exert yourself or feel tired. Here are some great tips on drills that can help you incorporate torso rotation into your kayaking strokes.

Paddle in the Mud Drill
Sounds funny, I know… This is a very quick drill that can help you better understand how your abs should engage with every stroke. Get close to the bank of the river or lake in a spot that is muddy enough for you to stick your paddle in the mud. Hold your paddle as if you were going to do a sweep stroke – this is very important – you want to hold your paddle just like you would if you were about to take a sweep stroke — and stick one blade in the mud instead of in the water. With your blade firmly planted in the mud move the bow of your boat away from and then toward the bank. Repeat the motion several times until you get a good feel for how your abdominals are engaging. Notice that you’re moving your boat with your core.

Our instinct when we start kayaking is to plant our paddle in the water and pull it through with our arms. This way of paddling feels more natural at first because it’s easier, but pulling with your arms requires more of a struggle and is less efficient than planting your paddle and then moving from your core to move your boat. The ‘paddle in the mud’ drill will help you to better understand this difference.

You can also do this drill with a friend by having a friend hold your paddle while you move the bow of your boat back and forth toward and away from her boat. This drill is demonstrated in my DVD Whitewater Kayaking Basics for Women.

Sweep Stroke Drill
The sweep stroke is a basic turning stroke and is the easiest stroke to incorporate proper torso rotation, especially as a beginner. The length of the stroke, from in front of your feet to your stern, allows for exaggerated twisting of the upper body. The key is to fully wind up before you plant the stroke so that your body can fully unwind as you perform the stroke. So, if I’m planting the stroke on the left side of my boat I wind my body up toward the right so that I can fully unwind to the left.

I recommend to my students that they follow the paddle with their eyes as they practice the sweep. This also encourages a strong and full rotation. Obviously, when you’re on the river you’re going to look where you want to go, but when you’re practicing these drills/strokes in flatwater the idea is to exaggerate good technique so that you create muscle memory that you can call upon when you need it in the rapids.

If you’re wondering if you’re using enough torso rotation try doing the sweep and keeping the arm that you plant the stroke with straight the whole way back. If you’re bending your arm and pulling in at the end of the sweep stroke you’re not using torso rotation. The practice of keeping your arm straight all the way back will help you determine if you’re rotating or not.

Finally, one of my favorite warm-ups for torso rotation in flatwater is to spin myself in a circle by performing a forward sweep on one side, rotating around and performing a back sweep on the other side. This gets your rotation going and warms you up before you start paddling downstream.

The “Frankenstein” Drill
Incorporating proper torso rotation into your forward stroke is one of the most challenging technical skills in kayaking. This drill will help you get the feel for the rotation. It’s called the Frankenstein because you’ll look like you’re paddling like Frankenstein would if he tried it.

Start by holding your paddle out in front of you, straighten your arms and lock your elbows. From here take short strokes while keeping your arms totally straight. If you keep your arms straight you’ll notice that you have to rotate your torso in order to take a stroke. If you don’t feel it in your torso pay attention to your arms. You’re probably bending them and pulling instead of keeping them straight and rotating. Once you get the hang of paddling with straight arms using your torso you can simply relax your arms, keep the same movement through the upper body and you’ll have a great forward stroke!

Hand on the Helmet Drill
This is another drill that I learned from Mary DeRiemer that can help you get the feel for torso rotation in the forward stroke. Hold your paddle in the plant position for the forward stroke. While holding your paddle bring your top hand to your helmet so that the back of your hand is pressing into your helmet just above your forehead. Your other arm (bottom arm) will be extended straight with that blade in the water. From here you want to take a short stroke while keeping your bottom arm straight and your top hand pressing into your helmet. Take the stroke out at the hip and switch. Take your time. In order to take a stroke in this position while keeping that bottom arm straight you have to rotate your torso. If you don’t feel it in your torso then you’re probably pulling with your bottom arm. Once you get the hang of what torso rotation feels like you can simply take your top hand off of your helmet, keep the same upper body movement and you have a great forward stroke!

Edge Control Drills
Edge control means to be able to put and maintain your boat on edge to varying degrees. We use edge control to make ferries, to catch eddies, to surf waves, to steer and to remain stable. Edge control is one of, if not the most important skill in whitewater kayaking. Because women’s center of gravity is in the lower half of our bodies, positioning and keeping our kayaks on edge means throwing our balance off – and that can be challenging. Here are a few drills that will help you increase your ability to maintain an edge and recover from getting thrown onto edge in current.

Sitting on Edge with a Side Crunch
This exercise is really simple and quick and it can improve your paddling by 100% because it builds strength and muscle memory. Start in flatwater sitting in your kayak. Hold your paddle up and concentrate all of your weight in your left butt cheek. This will put your kayak slightly on edge. Next, crunch the muscles on your right side together as if you were doing a ‘side crunch’ at the gym. Hold this position for at least 5 to 10 seconds. Then switch to the other side. As you get stronger and more comfortable on edge you can start to increase the amount of edge you use by pulling up on the knee and trying to tuck your cockpit rim into your armpit. I suggest being comfortable with your flatwater roll before attempting more edge!

Paddling on Edge
Paddling on edge is important when we’re maneuvering rapids because we use this skill to ferry and catch eddies and to make more advanced moves. Surfing and freestyle is also all about feeling comfortable moving on edge. We practice our strokes in flatwater to build muscle memory so that we can paddle with proper technique in whitewater so it’s just as important to practice paddling on edge in flatwater so that we feel comfortable with it in rapids. Use the ‘sitting on edge’ drill and, while maintaining your edge, paddle forwards. The challenge with this drill will be to reach over the edge that’s lifted to get in a good paddle stroke. This can feel unstable, but it’s good to get comfortable with this positioning. Switch sides when you’re ready and if you want a bigger challenge try paddling backwards while maintaining an edge!

Power Circles
I like Power Circles because they combine edge control with graceful paddling. They also teach how to combine paddle strokes, motions and feathers to maneuver fluidly and effortlessly. They’re a great way to warm up before paddling and to practice putting your kayak where you want it to go. The idea is to trace a large circle in the water with your kayak.

Beginner Power Circle
If you’re a beginner you want to start here. Paddle forward for about 5 or 6 strokes to build up momentum. Choose what direction you want to travel in before you stop paddling. If you want your bow to turn to the right then take a stroke on your left side and edge your kayak toward the right (you always edge into your turn in whitewater kayaks). Immediately take a stroke on your inside or right side and then take a stroke on your left side while maintaining your edge. The strokes you take on your inside should be longer than the strokes your take on the outside side. The inside stroke is to continue to create forward momentum and the outside stroke is to turn your kayak.

The idea is that you’ll trace a big circle with your kayak. If your creating small circles then your outside stroke is too strong compared with your inside stroke. If you’re not turning at all then your inside stroke is too strong compared to your outside stroke. If you start turning in the opposite direction you probably killed all of your speed before your turn – remember that you must take that first inside stroke as you’re turning. Don’t wait until you’ve spun out or stopped moving to take the first stroke on the inside. Keep your eyesight lifted and looking toward the center of the ‘circle’ that you’re tracing with your kayak. If you want to go in the opposite direction switch sides, but always remember to paddle forwards to gain momentum before edging into your turn.

Intermediate Power Circle
The intermediate power circle focuses on stroke and feather combinations of one blade to keep the circle going. Start by paddling forward for 5 or 6 strokes. If you’re turning to the left then take a stroke on the right, edge left and take a stroke on the left with your left blade. Instead of paddling on both sides of your boat you’re only going to paddle on the left or inside. Take a long stroke right alongside your kayak, at your hip feather your wrist up so that the blade is neutral and parallel to your kayak. From here perform a bow draw all the way up to your bow and then repeat this stroke. The draw is to keep your boat turning and the stroke is to give you forward momentum. This combination of strokes teaches you how feathering your blades can have a big impact on the fluidity of your paddling. Intermediate boaters want to be working on stroke combinations that incorporate the side and bow draws and these power circles help with this. If you want to go in the opposite direction switch sides.

Advanced Power Circle: Cross-bow
Once you’re comfortable with the intermediate Power Circle you can move into the cross-bow Power Circle. You start by paddling forward for 5 to 6 strokes. If you’re turning left your take a stroke on your right and then bring your right blade across your bow (out of the water) and over to the left side of your bow in the water. You’re body will be twisted toward the left with your right blade in the water on the left side of your kayak. From here you’ll do a very short forward stroke, feather your wrist down so that you perform a short bow draw back up to your bow where you perform another small forward stroke and so on. Cross-bow Power Circles are smaller and tighter than regular Power Circles. To travel in the opposite direction switch sides.

This advanced Power Circle really works flexibility, balance, edge control and fluidity.

Anna’s on-water warm-up

30 forward strokes focusing on good technique and torso rotation
30 back strokes
Intermediate Power Circles to cross-bow Power Circles
Sweep Stroke drill
Sitting on edge
Paddling on edge
Any strokes that I want to practice or review
A bit of stretching with the paddle (for another article)

When you’re in the Canyon you’re wedged in between walls of stone beings that have been around for billions of years. It’s as if they hold you in the present moment. There’s no space for thoughts about your other life to enter the depths of those walls. The instant you start down the river there is no other moment but the present and the people that you’re sharing the present with. I would wake up every morning to majestic, ancient beauty and stillness that immediately inspired feelings of gratitude and wellbeing. It’s so easy to feel joyful and peaceful in a beautiful, inspiring place like the Canyon.

After waking up I would roll out my yoga mat to practice and meditate. The view made entering into stillness easy and natural. On the days that I was paddling my kayak through flatwater I would paddle out ahead of the rafts, stop, close my eyes and listen. I could hear every little riffle of water magnified. That was usually when I saw the best wildlife too. A few times I floated up to unsuspecting bighorn sheep and other animals hanging out by the side of the river. When I was still like that I would notice little details about the birds, lizards, insects and water that surrounded me. I couldn’t think about the outside world if I tried — there was too much interesting stuff going on all around me.

One morning while I was packing up our camp site I flicked a good sized black spider off of my drybag. I kept an eye on it while I was putting other stuff away to make sure that it wasn’t going to make a run back to my bag. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed that a lizard was checking out the spider. As I watched, the lizard pounced on the spider, chomped it in its mouth and ran up the cliff wall with it. It’s pretty cool to be so relaxed, still and in the moment that you notice this kind of interaction in the animal kingdom. I learned a lot by being still, listening and watching — from my yoga mat, my kayak, the raft and on hikes.

On the white water side the trip was really fun. I kayaked on all of the days with big rapids and spent most other days in Andrew’s raft. He rowed the whole river deciding to trade in his kayak on this trip for an 18 ft raft weighing 2000 -3000 pounds! There were only two of us paddling kayaks on the trip. On some days I was the only kayaker and I would go down before the rafts. The rapids on the Canyon aren’t hard, but they are big and they can be intimidating when you’re the only one in a kayak. I love big water so I had a blast running through the big waves. Lava is definitely the most challenging rapid. It was at one of it’s most difficult levels the day we ran it, and it was really brown. The brown water makes reading the water more difficult because you can’t really see the white water — everything looks meaner. As I was going down the meat of the rapid I got pushed under by a huge crashing wave. I remember asking myself: ‘Am I upside down or just underwater?’ It was a cool feeling because I wasn’t upside down, but the water had pushed me under right side up. When the water released me I came flying out of the water, still upright doing kind of a stern stall. It was really cool. Andrew said that I was down for a 2 count. Everyone else was still scouting the rapid when I went so they saw me disappear from up above.

The rapids are great, but the side canyons are my favorite places to play. One of the best features of the Canyon are the multitude of crystal clear creeks with waterfalls that flow into the main Colorado. Some of the hikes are long and tough while others are short and sweet. I love the feeling of standing under waterfalls, filling my water bottle up at the mouth of a beautiful spring or making ‘butt dams’ for shoe races down small side creeks. I saw a few pristine water sources that give me hope that the Earth still has a chance to survive and thrive. We are so blessed to have natural places like the Canyon that are protected and appreciated.

As we were traveling down the river I felt I was a part of a small tribe. In our case there were 16 of us and it was a fantastic group of people of all ages and backgrounds. The youngest was in their early twenties and the oldest was in their sixties. I really love being part of a small community that is interdependent. Everyone treats each other with compassion knowing that the success of the group depends on the attitude and actions of each individual. There were no egos on this trip and I am very grateful for that. In a world where a lot of people don’t even know their neighbors it’s refreshing to pitch in to make the community work — setting up and taking down camp, cooking, eating together, playing together, helping each other out with lines in rapids and so on. Our body rythms adjusted to the natural light. We were all in bed by 8 p.m. most nights and waking with the light at 6 a.m. Everything flowed nicely and simply.

The trip reminded me of some of the important things in my life: joy, play, beauty, the present moment, community, simplicity, awareness, stillness and compassion. The biggest and best reminder for me was that it’s ok to take time off and not worry about it. While I was gone everything was taken care of — nothing fell apart, everything was o.k. There may have been glitches with my website and I may have accidentally deleted my entire inbox when I got back, but I was amazed at how this didn’t bother me. It really doesn’t matter. I came back from the trip with a deeper knowing that when I do what brings me joy everything is taken care of and I attract more joyful things into my life. I read an Oprah magazine on the plane on the way home in which she says: “The one thing I know for sure is that what’s best for me is already on its way.” After this Canyon trip I know that this is true for me too.

Below is a photo gallery of our trip:

June 7, 2007, started out to be the prefect summer day, with the temperature just right to feel comfortable with a t-shirt, shorts and sandals on. Little did we know that the day was going to dramatically change the life of the entire mid-western paddling community. As I packed my car to head up to the cabin in Langlade, I listened to the weather alerts on the radio about bad storms that might be moving across the north central part of Wisconsin. Amanda, a friend that I met through paddling, called and mentioned that she was also heading to the cabin for the weekend. We talked about the weather conditions and agreed it was hard to believe bad weather was on the way as it was such a beautiful day with the sun shining.

When I arrived up north I made a stop at Bear Paw as usual to catch up on the paddling news and to find out who was there for a paddle. Before heading to the cabin, I made one more stop at Mike and Alice’s gas station. Alice told me that Langlade County was under a tornado watch all afternoon, and warned me to stay off the water. She also told me that if a storm hits I should leave the cabin and head for safety.

It was around 3:30 p.m. when I arrived at the cabin and Amanda arrived shortly thereafter. The television was giving us an up-to-date weather report and announced that the storm was producing high winds and hail and moving at 50 miles per hour east of Antigo. Around 4:50 p.m. looking to the west out the cabin window, Amanda noticed the sky turning completely black as if it were the middle of the night. The air was very still and gave us an eerie feeling. That is when Amanda said we should leave the cabin and head to Bear Paw for safety. I started closing all the windows and turning off all the lights when we heard an extremely loud crack of thunder that made both of us jump. The rain was coming down hard as we both ran for the car. At 5:25 we left the cabin which is about six miles away from Bear Paw. When we were about a quarter of a mile from Bear Paw, Amanda and I noticed the road was covered with leaves. Then we noticed all the trees down on the road ahead of us, and, to our horror, we saw parts of trees that were left standing across the road with kayaks wrapped around them and debris strewn all over. The road was littered with lumber that had nails sticking out of it. Amanda and I pulled into a driveway and a speeding truck drove up next to us. I rolled down my window and asked where we were. The driver said “Bear Paw.” Amanda looked forward and said “Oh no, the Sun Bear Restaurant is gone!” All that was left standing was the bathroom doors marked Men and Women. When we stepped out of the car, the smell of lumber permeated the air. Within five minutes, the police, fire and rescue departments were all at Bear Paw. I turned and looked to my left and noticed that the office and trading post were gone and then I realized that the kayaks that had been in or near the office and trading post were the ones I had seen in the trees across the road.

The next thought that raced through my mind was that there was no way anyone could have lived through this. The rain was still coming down hard and the police officers would not let anyone go any farther than the parking lot because of live power lines being down. They kept reassuring us that everyone at Bear Paw was okay, but I would not believe it until I could see proof. As campers and Bear Paw employees started walking up to the parking lot, we could see that most of them were bleeding from cuts they sustained from the tornado. The last one coming up to the parking lot was the co-owner, Jamee. She had such a distraught look on her face that we did not even know it was her at first. I agreed with Dave Moss, an employee at Bear Paw, when he said the most beautiful sight that day was when we saw Jamee walking up to the parking lot and we knew that she was alive. I stood looking around for a moment in shock; the only two buildings still standing were the four-plex rental and the metal building that was the boat shed. I wondered if this was what a war zone looked like and where to start the clean-up. We heard a couple days later that it was a F3 tornado with up to 175 mph winds that devastated 36 miles and finally dissipated after the town of Riverview.

Within two hours after the tornado hit, the sun was out again and everyone at Bear Paw started helping Jamee and Shirlee look for anything valuable before the sun went down for the evening. That weekend there were over 100 volunteers who showed up to help. The clean-up was so well organized and drew so many volunteers that, by the end of the weekend, about the only work remaining were for chain saws and heavy machinery. The phone calls and emails started pouring in from paddlers wanting to help in any way they could. A call came from as far away as South Dakota from a paddler wanting to donate his crew and supplies to rebuild the Sun Bear Restaurant. The Red Cross and the Raw Hide Boys Ranch were at Bear Paw that weekend doing an excellent job at helping with the clean up. The Salvation Army and the White Lake Food Pantry donated food and water for the volunteers. A number of paddling clubs also came to Bear Paw to help. Craig, a paddler from Illinois that had been staying at Bear Paw for the weekend, was kayaking at Gilmore’s Mistake when the tornado hit. Craig has helped with the clean-up from the start and told me he is not going home until it is finished.

If you were looking for someone to kayak with for the day, all you had to do was show up at Bear Paw in the morning and you would always find someone eager to paddle with you. Later in the evening, it was always fun just to sit back and relax in the Sun Bear Restaurant for a great meal and talk about the day on the water and what river was going to be paddled in the morning. The Sun Bear reminded me of the television show, Cheers. When you walked in, everyone knew your name, and, if they didn’t know you at first, they did by the time you walked out. I have met life-long friends at Bear Paw.

Bear Paw ran a number of different classes and especially enjoyed getting beginners started in kayaking. One of the courses offered was a Women’s Whitewater Festival. It was an awesome three day event offering clinics to women at kayaking levels from beginner to advanced. Anna Levesque and Emily Jackson helped teach the clinics. In one of the clinics, there were over fifteen women that paddled the Red River. At Monastery Falls, a women kayaker that was not with the clinic paddled over to me and asked me what was going on and where we were from, saying that she had never seen that many women on the water at one time before.

There was a big ceramic bear that marked the entrance to Bear Paw. The bear is still missing with countless other things that vanished with the tornado. The one thing that the tornado could not destroy is all the great memories and sense of community that Bear Paw created.

I respect Jamee and Shirlee’s decision on what the future holds for Bear Paw whether their plans include rebuilding or hanging up their aprons for the last time, turning the lights off, and calling it a day. They had a very special place at Bear Paw and I would like to thank them for making life “so damn much fun!”