I have seen over the years many postings about just planning on picking up a Greenland style paddle.
But very little about learning strokes that actually work with it.
I prefer, what I call a canted stroke with stabbing the salmon motion.
The canted blade provides tremendous power and the “stabbing” the Salmon increases the length of the stroke. (Also requiring each particle of water to travel at an angle across the blade making the water believe that the blade is wider than is perceived by just looking at it.)
The canted stroke adds power by CHANGING the paddle forces into a rotational force on the kayak. This rotational force would capsize the kayak if not were the paddler counters it with their body as one does when edging the kayak.
This combination of canting and stabbing mitigates the yaw that a sweep style produces and makes the water believe the paddle is both wider than it appear but also longer.
The stroke makes it so it would be easy to end up with a paddle that is either too long or too wide or both.
A lenticular shaped paddle blade makes the stroke smoother , sharp edges make the flow around the blade cleaner.
The workings of the GP nicely explained, Roy. I remember flailing about when first introduced to a GP, even reversing the cant so as not to tip the kayak over.
Then I scored a class with Cheri Perry. Good, great, actually, in-person instruction made a huge difference. And practice. I was taught the forward stroke as you described, spearing, pulling while maintaining the cant. Sweet harmonious flow of water over the paddle, driving the kayak.
My angle of cant has decreased a little over the years, I find 45 degrees a bit unnatural, and prefer ~5 or 10 less. Curious what works for you?
Mark
FWIW I find that my cant isn’t all that great either. 45⁰ is way too much. I am probably using more that 5-10⁰ though. I find that it depends on the paddle that I am using. As Roy said sharp edges help, but sharp edges and wooden paddles are incompatible, especially when you paddle amongst rocks (too much damage and therefore repair). I use wooden paddles mostly and because they don’t have sharp edges, they are more sensitive to cant angle, in my experience.
I also continue the sweep out from the kayak, like a wing paddle stroke, as opposed to back along the gunnel. It works for me on long days of paddling. I have a friend who worked over the spring to make her stroke like mine and she seems to have more speed for less effort. She was really happy with her “new” forward stroke on our recent 12 day camping trip averaging about 21 miles per day.
When I first tried my GP I was expecting a learning curve. I did watch some GP videos first, so I had basic understanding. What surprised me was how natural and easy the transition was. The cant occurred naturally as if the paddle sought it out. After a few strokes I realized the paddle was not going to pull me over. A GP will invite you to attune to your paddle and boat.
Speaking of Greenland paddles…I have one listed for sale. Like new Cricket Designs. Never used in the water. It was so beautiful, I hung it on the wall. Check it out!
Similarly, here is Cherie Perry’s (Greenland Rolling Comp Champion) take on the “canted” stroke:
Have to say that I do like my 210 Gearlab Kelleq way more than my 210 Akiak because of the sharper edges, flatter blade and the oval loom. I find the easier “indexing” lends well to a canted stroke technique.
I took a class from Cheri and Turner last weekend. I cannot recommend them enough – anyone at any level will boost their GP paddling game from them! An added benefit is that both them and their classmates where great people to spend a weekend with!
I don’t know about Cherie but I have had experience with Turner. About 20 years ago, I was part of his practice group, “the Pond Scum”, that used to meet weekly at Walden Pond in Concord MA. Back then GP techniques were still an emerging interest among a small subset of paddlers. Turner and Dan Segal would train anyone with a passing interests in the Greenland style of paddling at the Walden Pond practice sessions. It was an interesting scene because Walden Pond was a training place for three segments of paddlers: the Pond Scum (GP practitioners), the New England surfski and K1 racers, and also a white water contingent of the Merrimack Valley and NH AMC paddlers. Was a great time and phase of paddle sports in New England (pre SUP)!
I had a chance to catch up with Turner and Cherie a couple of months ago, when I met them at their place in Maine to pick up their old Mega International class Jester surf kayak. Kind of a full circle movement, because I increasing traded my interest in Greenland paddling for kayak surfing and waveskiing. It’s only recently that I started to get back into longboats and seakayak play.
I recommend trying to find of video of Maligiaq (Maligiaq Padilla) paddling on the water. He learned the stroke (and his numerous skills) from his grandfather. People that are currently teaching the GP stroke have probably benefitted from that specific flow of generational information. Maligiaq uses about 30° cant to his paddle, IIRC.
There are some videos of Greg Stamer showing the stroke and talking about the history of its adoption here, and at least one of the videos has some brief footage of Maligiaq underway.
This is the video of Maligiaq’s paddling technique. He was very young then, just coming off his championships in the Greenland comps:
PS. If I remember correctly, John Heath produced a video compilation of his rolling techniques and narrated it. I think it was in a VHS format since it was “pre Youtube” era.
For those who don’t know who John Heath was, just know that if you paddle Greenland style or use a Greenland inspired kayak design, you have Heath to thank for his research into and efforts in disseminating knowledge about Greenland paddling:
I have fond memories of kayak wrestling with Turner, me in my Anas Acuta and him in a skin boat of Dan’s… all about the wrestle. My kayak and myself far out weighed him and his. It was interesting, not for the faint of heart . Dan wasn’t happy. Cheri was off teaching and so was Dan and Will,
The reason I posted was to mention the rotation forces and the counter force applied and what the result is , it seem as thought little mention is made . When we first teach the canted stroke we mention to not apply much force to the stroke at first. The counter force becomes so automatic that it becomes a “oh Duh” and matter of factly. rarely mentioned
Dan’s SOF was the first I had seen at that time. Inspired me to build my first SOF, the “Ronin” (later followed by the “Kaze”). I really did enjoyed my time learning Greenland style paddling. But, once I started kayak surfing, it became all about the adrenaline rush/stroke. Surf kayaks and Waveskiing have their own lexicon, gear and techniques that became all consuming for me.
I… don’t think that walrus pull would be the same … I grabbed Turner to wrestle … then while he was trying to grab my nose plugs and also my Grab loop on my skirt to flood me … with my hips I tossed my kayak over him , against the weight difference of me and my fiber glass AA , he learned why wrestling is done by weight class… a lesson may have been learned when making a challenge.
thanks for sharing the videos- changed my idea of what a greenland stroke is. Oddly enough, conceptionally it reminds me a pitch stroke in a whitewater c.1
