Andy's Adventures in Rolling!!!
I received this e-mail from Andy about an hour ago. It's kinda long...But a good read. I sent him instructions for rolling a kayak without a paddle, read on.
"So I read the hand roll essays and thought it sounded easy as pie. So I
went out with all the confidence in the wide world. Unfortunately high
amounts of confidence doesn't mean you can do a perfect hip snap. In my
case all that confidence really didn't help in the least. In fact I think
I led with my head every time! What an idiot! It's such an opposite
feeling. Well needless to say all that confidence sank to the bottom of
lily pond, I should know I was down there with it most of the time.
frustrated but not defeated I went home. I consoled myself with memories
of you and I looking like fools thrusting our heads out of the water to
save ourselves from certain death. That terrible habit was broken in
time, and I was sure this hand roll could also be mastered. I took about
a week brake (working really is a bummer) in which I was able to gather
my thoughts and think more realistically about this front to back hand
roll. I decided to make some hand paddles which I remembered reading
about. I laminated some cardboard and taped finger slots so that the
paddle would stay on my hand. They ended up to be about ten inches by 15
inches. Finally the big day came (today). Mom came with me to lily pond
on this most un-warm day. Clouds can't deter Murray boys that's for
certain. Shivering in my Superman kayak I though hard, striving to bring
myself to the place that I have often dreamed of : the successful hand
roll. "I must concentrate. HEAD DOWN YOU DOLT! KEEP YOUR STUPID HEAD
DOWN!!" in I went. Hands clad with card board. Arching up to the surface
as far as I could manage, pushing my hands level with the water, rotating
them so that I had maximum resistance. "head down, head down, head down.
NOW! Hip Snap-Head Down! . . . What? What is this I feel around me? Could
it be? Yes, yes it is! It's air. I am sitting upright in the water! I
have done a successful hand roll (with training wheels)." Oh let me tell
you, it felt good. So I did a few more, each time the laminated cardboard
looked a little worse. I threw the ugliest one to shore slowly weaning my
self from the paddles. It was just as easy with one. Finally when the
hand paddle had become unusable, I knew the time had come. It was just me
and the water. These old hips where ready to snap like they've never
snapped before. I slipped into the water arched and stretched for the
surface. Positioned my hands and. . . HIP SNAP! Before I knew what
happened I was sitting upright in the water! Just me and my hands. I
couldn't believe it. I sat amazed. I think I used less energy doing this
front to back hand roll than I have ever been able to used with a paddle.
I successfully completed four hand rolls on my dominate side. I know
don't mention it. Oh go on, no really it's nothing, stop. No really stop
it. Well after I got done thinking I was something else, I took the
plunge on the weak side. ya, not so pretty. Things are so awkward over
there. It should be called the "dang this is awkward" side. After one
unsuccessful flail, I desperately made the transition to my dominate
side. Frustrated after three ugly head bobs I had to wet exit. Calmness
is not my strong point I guess. I tried again on my dominate side after I
emptied the boat only to have to wet exit again. I guess I'm not so good
as I originally thought. But heck, it took us a lot longer to get the
roll with a paddle, so I am supremely confident that I will meet the hand
roll again and come away the better man."
"So I read the hand roll essays and thought it sounded easy as pie. So I
went out with all the confidence in the wide world. Unfortunately high
amounts of confidence doesn't mean you can do a perfect hip snap. In my
case all that confidence really didn't help in the least. In fact I think
I led with my head every time! What an idiot! It's such an opposite
feeling. Well needless to say all that confidence sank to the bottom of
lily pond, I should know I was down there with it most of the time.
frustrated but not defeated I went home. I consoled myself with memories
of you and I looking like fools thrusting our heads out of the water to
save ourselves from certain death. That terrible habit was broken in
time, and I was sure this hand roll could also be mastered. I took about
a week brake (working really is a bummer) in which I was able to gather
my thoughts and think more realistically about this front to back hand
roll. I decided to make some hand paddles which I remembered reading
about. I laminated some cardboard and taped finger slots so that the
paddle would stay on my hand. They ended up to be about ten inches by 15
inches. Finally the big day came (today). Mom came with me to lily pond
on this most un-warm day. Clouds can't deter Murray boys that's for
certain. Shivering in my Superman kayak I though hard, striving to bring
myself to the place that I have often dreamed of : the successful hand
roll. "I must concentrate. HEAD DOWN YOU DOLT! KEEP YOUR STUPID HEAD
DOWN!!" in I went. Hands clad with card board. Arching up to the surface
as far as I could manage, pushing my hands level with the water, rotating
them so that I had maximum resistance. "head down, head down, head down.
NOW! Hip Snap-Head Down! . . . What? What is this I feel around me? Could
it be? Yes, yes it is! It's air. I am sitting upright in the water! I
have done a successful hand roll (with training wheels)." Oh let me tell
you, it felt good. So I did a few more, each time the laminated cardboard
looked a little worse. I threw the ugliest one to shore slowly weaning my
self from the paddles. It was just as easy with one. Finally when the
hand paddle had become unusable, I knew the time had come. It was just me
and the water. These old hips where ready to snap like they've never
snapped before. I slipped into the water arched and stretched for the
surface. Positioned my hands and. . . HIP SNAP! Before I knew what
happened I was sitting upright in the water! Just me and my hands. I
couldn't believe it. I sat amazed. I think I used less energy doing this
front to back hand roll than I have ever been able to used with a paddle.
I successfully completed four hand rolls on my dominate side. I know
don't mention it. Oh go on, no really it's nothing, stop. No really stop
it. Well after I got done thinking I was something else, I took the
plunge on the weak side. ya, not so pretty. Things are so awkward over
there. It should be called the "dang this is awkward" side. After one
unsuccessful flail, I desperately made the transition to my dominate
side. Frustrated after three ugly head bobs I had to wet exit. Calmness
is not my strong point I guess. I tried again on my dominate side after I
emptied the boat only to have to wet exit again. I guess I'm not so good
as I originally thought. But heck, it took us a lot longer to get the
roll with a paddle, so I am supremely confident that I will meet the hand
roll again and come away the better man."
posted by Robb at 7:50:00 PM
2 Comments:
Was your Mom there to cheer Andrew on or to save him if he got into trouble? She's a better woman than I (no big surprise there ;), I don't think I could have watched Tim or Beth learning to do this...too scary. Congrats to Andrew for perseverance (and upper body strength).
Concerning the dominant side...I've always been really good at turning on my dominant side when skiing and rather awkward turning in the other direction. I've longed for a cirular trail that would allow me to only make right hand turns!
Mom was there to help if he got into trouble. And to lsugh As he thrashed around in the water, though she would never do that : )
Yeah, dominant side is always easier.
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