8TH UK STORM GATHERING SYMPOSIUM • GREENLAND EXPEDITION 2016
Kayak 'season' is only just now slowing down for us here at Greenland or Bust. It has been a WONDERFUL year. We've run classes and taught at symposiums in Wales, Mexico, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, England and the U.S. (South Carolina, California, Minnesota and Oregon). In addition to all of this, we also had our first Storm Gathering USA event, which took place in Trinidad, California. Now we've got a little time to reflect on the past twelve months and get working on next year's schedule.
October started with Simplifying the Roll and some private classes on Anglesey, in Wales. Then we went to Cornwall, England for the
Sea Kayaking Cornwall Symposium. After that, Helen headed to Pacific City, Oregon, for
Lumpy Waters. This weekend she hosts a Halloween Campout at Stone Lagoon (California) for our local club,
Explore North Coast. Mark remained in Cornwall to teach various BCU and ISKGA (http://www.iskga.com) programs before finishing the month with some sea kayak skills development courses, including an ISKGA Fundamentals Level 1 in North Wales.
In November, Helen will be teaching Traditional Paddling and Rolling and Simplifying the Roll at Horseshoe Cove in California. Mark will be working on some BCU and ISKGA programs on Anglesey. After that, both of us will be spending the month wrapping up our 2016 schedule.
In December, we've got classes in San Diego, Marina Del Rey and Dana Point (all in California). And then 2016 starts...
2016 will be a very busy year, but there's two events that you should lock into your calendar now. February 20 to 22 is the
8th UK Storm Gathering Symposium, which takes place on Anglesey in Wales. The main event will be followed by
BCU and ISKGA Week. Second, our next Greenaland expedition takes place in the Disco Bay/Ilulissat area from July 20 to 31, 2016, and there are only a couple of places left! Contact us at info@greenlandorbust.org for more information.
As usual, visit www.greenlandorbust.org for more information, our current
Events calendar and
Blog postings. You can also find us on
Twitter. For questions, comments or to schedule us in your neighborhood, email info@greenlandorbust.org.
Happy paddling!
Helen and Mark
Q & A with Helen
Progression from the Butterfly Roll to the Hand Roll
Question: I am doing fine on my standard roll, but my easiest roll has always been the Butterfly Roll. I have been looking at some Greenland roll videos online, and the hand rolls look very similar to me to the Butterfly Roll. Do they feel very similar? Any advice before I try one?
Answer: A hand roll is very similar to a Butterfly Roll. To progress to this roll, it's a good idea to first fine tune your Butterfly Roll. Following are the steps to a solid Butterfly Roll (described with a right side recovery).
- During the capsize, keep your paddle in contact with the kayak. Your paddle should remain in contact with the kayak throughout the underwater set-up position.
- Once there, explode, opening your left arm and driving with your right knee at the same time. Opening your left arm should put shoulders square to the surface of the water.
- Put your chin into the air, and slide onto the back deck.
When you feel that you are ready to move on, hold a norsaq in the center, just as you would when doing a Butterfly Roll. It’s the exact same roll, so all of the same rules apply.
When this is easy for you, try doing the same roll while holding the smaller end of the norsaq. The Greenlandic name for this roll is Norsamik Nerfalallugu (Throwing Stick, Front to Back).
And finally, once this roll feels natural, remove the norsaq and do the same roll. That’s your layback hand roll (Assammik Nerfallallugu).
Program Schedule
Halloween Campout at Stone Lagoon
(for ENC)
October 31 to November 1,
Stone Lagoon, California
Traditional Paddling and Rolling
November 7, Horseshoe Cove, California
Simplifying the Roll
November 8, Horseshoe Cove, California
ISKGA Expedition Skills
November 10 to 12, Falmouth, Cornwall
BCU 4 Star Sea Assessment
November 13 and 14, Anglesey, Wales
BCU 4 Star Sea Assessment
November 23 and 24, Anglesey, Wales
BCU Open Water Navigation & Tidal Planning
November 28, Anglesey, Wales
Simplifying the Roll
December 12 and 13, San Diego, California
Simplifying the Roll
December 19, Dana Point, California
Simplifying the Roll
December 20, Marina Del Rey, California
…And Finally
Working on your roll and need a little help?
Simplifying the Roll with Helen Wilson and
Yoga for Outdoor People are available from our on-line store
HERE.
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Copyright © 2015 Greenland or Bust, All rights reserved.
Helen Wilson and Mark Tozer • (707) 834-5501
info@greenlandorbust.org
