I love the toe straps in the seda glider, eft and van dusen mohican. They pull back my hip to rotate for the next stroke. And on dry land there is the Tiger walk with kayak paddle in hand. Take a long step with your right foot until your left knee touches the ground. Your chest is pointing left with shaft parallel to right leg. This teaches you to stretch and rotate your shoulders.
From karate, throw a punch with your right fist. The straightening of your right knee thrusts your right side forward. In karate, you do not make a fist until just before impact. Most could break a board across saw horses by ignoring the obstacle and focus on a spot beyond the target. As in golf- smile, relax and wiggle your hips with a nice easy, fast swing to hit hard. Too often there is tension as biceps fight against triceps. Smile and relax to rip holes in the water as you blast along in the power of God Almighty!
Saturday was our annual 12 mile kayak and canoe race in ogdensburg,ny. Last year the newmans of grasse river canoe in a c4 blew away the competition by being under 1.5 hours or over 8 mph with 2 carries. After I finished, I went half a mile back to the portage around the power dam to help the people carry their aluminum canoes and plastic boats up around the dam. If you carry the boat 4mph instead of 2mph, you are only carrying the boat half as much so try to run downhill but first empty out that 8 pound gallon of water.
Good for them for doing the race! Little did they know that a 3mph boat is 4 hours for a 12 mile race. If you go to jjcanoe you will see a rear footbrace so rear canoe paddler can be much more efficent by pushing off with feet. A bailer is great for letting out the water at carries.
The marathon master kayak with rear bulkhead, kickup rudder and small out of the way thigh braces are ideal for racing. It is a 25# or 30#kayak. You could add an nsi backband. Please keep your arms straight out and front and 6mph is very doable. Pumpkin seeds are so wide they require a flat stroke as you reach way out.
Please think of a brick held close vs far from your body. A narrower boat is twice as fast because your stroke can be vertical. Garden gloves with fingertips cut off are ideal for your hands. Good luck!
Hey Dave
when I am in a race I just go like hell and hope for the best.
At my age I would go nuts trying to remember all that stuff
Jack L