On Sunday, January 28, 2018 I signed up for a kayaking workshop, Traditional Paddling & Rolling with Helen Wilson; a workshop offered as part of the Paddle Golden Gate symposium. My motivation was to learn how to roll my kayak, so that if I flip over, I can get back up without assistance; a skill that is essential to seal hunters in Greenland, since flipping over in the cold water could be life-threatening given the cold water. Greenlanders typically don’t learn how to swim. They do however take their kayaking skills seriously. Traditional paddling involves using a Greenland paddle. Rather than the spoon shaped paddles commonly called a euro-style paddle the Greenand paddle looks more like a long stick. We weren’t so serious about learning how to use a harpoon, but it was fun practicing and learning about the Greenland culture. I didn’t quite mater my roll, but I came away with some exercises to practice to move in that direction.
A great skill to have. I have tried but have never made it possible. I remember my training course and I was very sore for days. I hope you can master it.